The 10 Most Underrated Meryl Streep Movies, Ranked (From Least to Most Underrated)

Meryl Streep has built a career that spans decades, genres, and eras, with lead and supporting work across drama, comedy, thriller, and musical projects. Along the way she has collaborated with major directors and writers, taken on real life figures, and worked in studio releases and smaller productions that show different sides of her craft.

This countdown highlights ten films that sometimes fly under the radar compared with her most cited titles. Each entry includes the essentials on who made it, who appears alongside her, where it fits in her filmography, and what the story covers, so you can quickly place each movie and decide what to watch next.

‘Before and After’ (1996)

This crime drama was directed by Barbet Schroeder and is based on the novel by Rosellen Brown. Streep and Liam Neeson play parents whose teenage son, played by Edward Furlong, is accused of murder, which pulls their family into a police investigation and a small town legal crisis. The cast also includes Alfred Molina and John Heard, with the story focusing on how a close knit community reacts when a well known family becomes the center of a serious case.

The film examines the steps that follow an arrest and the way relatives handle lawyers, evidence, and media attention. It was released by Hollywood Pictures in the mid nineties and uses a New England setting to ground the family’s life before the incident and the court process that follows. Streep’s role places her within a domestic drama that intersects with legal procedure and the responsibilities of parenthood under pressure.

‘Ricki and the Flash’ (2015)

Directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Diablo Cody, this music driven drama follows a working bar band singer and guitarist who returns to her family after years on the road. Streep performs opposite Kevin Kline, Mamie Gummer, and Rick Springfield, with Sebastian Stan and Audra McDonald in supporting roles. The production features live musical performances recorded on set, which gives the concert scenes a natural feel.

The story centers on a mother trying to reconnect with her adult children during a personal crisis and shows how past decisions shape new conversations. TriStar Pictures released the film in the mid 2010s, and the soundtrack includes classic rock selections performed by the on screen group. Demme’s handheld shooting style and use of real venues place the family drama within a recognizable music world.

‘Falling in Love’ (1984)

This New York set romance was directed by Ulu Grosbard and pairs Streep with Robert De Niro. The characters meet by chance during the holidays and continue to cross paths on a commuter line, which leads to a relationship that challenges their existing marriages. The locations include city streets, shops, and suburban stops that mark the daily routine of the two leads.

The film tracks how ordinary schedules and brief conversations evolve into a deeper connection, then follows the choices the characters make as they weigh commitments against new feelings. Released in the mid eighties, it reunites Streep and De Niro after their work together in earlier projects and uses a grounded setting to frame a story about timing, family, and responsibility.

‘Heartburn’ (1986)

Mike Nichols directed this adaptation of Nora Ephron’s bestselling novel, with a screenplay by Ephron that draws on her own experiences. Streep plays a food writer who marries a Washington journalist played by Jack Nicholson, and the marriage unravels after an affair. The cast includes Jeff Daniels, Stockard Channing, and Milos Forman, and the film features an early on screen appearance by Kevin Spacey.

The movie moves between New York and Washington and shows the couple’s social circles, their home life with children, and the professional environments that surround them. Carly Simon’s song Coming Around Again became associated with the film’s release, and the production links domestic scenes with newsroom and political settings to show how public and private lives intersect.

‘Let Them All Talk’ (2020)

Steven Soderbergh directed this chamber piece, which was shot largely aboard the ocean liner Queen Mary 2 during an actual transatlantic crossing. Streep plays a famous author traveling with old friends played by Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest, with Lucas Hedges and Gemma Chan rounding out the main cast. The project used a light on its feet production approach, with dialogue shaped around story outlines and character goals.

The film premiered on HBO Max and uses real ship spaces such as libraries, dining rooms, and decks to create a contained environment for conversations about past choices and professional legacies. Soderbergh handled cinematography under his habitual pseudonym and edited the film as well, which gives the final cut a nimble pace that keeps the focus on relationships and memory.

‘Music of the Heart’ (1999)

Directed by Wes Craven, this drama is based on the work of violin teacher Roberta Guaspari and her program in East Harlem public schools. Streep portrays Guaspari, with Angela Bassett and Aidan Quinn in key roles and appearances by musicians like Itzhak Perlman and Joshua Bell. The plot follows the building of a strings program, the challenges of funding, and a culminating concert that brings attention to arts education.

The production was filmed in New York and shows classrooms, neighborhood streets, and rehearsal spaces as the program grows from modest beginnings. The movie connects individual student stories with the logistics of running a school initiative and documents how a teacher organizes support from parents, administrators, and the wider music community.

‘The River Wild’ (1994)

Curtis Hanson directed this survival adventure that sends a family on a whitewater rafting trip that turns dangerous when they encounter two armed fugitives. Streep plays a former river guide, with Kevin Bacon and John C Reilly as the criminals and David Strathairn as her husband. The film features extensive on water sequences and required specialized rafting training and safety planning for the cast and crew.

The production used rugged river locations to stage rapids runs and canyon passages, blending stunt work with practical boating skills to sell the escalating stakes. The story structure moves from a family outing to a hostage scenario and then to a series of navigation challenges that rely on knowledge of currents, channels, and rescue techniques.

‘Death Becomes Her’ (1992)

Robert Zemeckis directed this dark comedy with Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis in a story about vanity, rivalry, and a mysterious life extending potion. The film is known for its pioneering digital effects work that created twisting necks, open body cavities, and seamless face replacements, and it won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Industrial Light and Magic developed new techniques for skin and hair integration and for merging live action with computer generated elements. The movie uses Beverly Hills mansions, grand staircases, and glossy interiors to set up elaborate gags, and it ties the effects to character driven plot points that hinge on immortality and decay.

‘A Cry in the Dark’ (1988)

Also released as ‘Evil Angels’ in some regions, this Australian drama was directed by Fred Schepisi and is based on the book by John Bryson. Streep portrays Lindy Chamberlain, with Sam Neill as Michael Chamberlain, in the retelling of the case involving the disappearance of their baby near Uluru. The film recreates court proceedings, press coverage, and the couple’s Seventh day Adventist community as the case moves through multiple phases.

The production shot on Australian locations and includes re staged interviews, search scenes, and courtroom exchanges that reflect the timeline of the real events. Streep’s performance employs an Australian accent shaped for the central character, and the film traces how forensic debates and public opinion affected the family over several years.

‘Silkwood’ (1983)

Mike Nichols directed this fact based drama about Karen Silkwood, an employee at a Kerr McGee plutonium plant in Oklahoma. Streep leads the cast with Kurt Russell and Cher, and the screenplay was written by Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen. The film follows workplace safety concerns, union activity, and Silkwood’s contact with reporters as she gathers documents about plant practices.

The production uses labs, locker rooms, and small town homes to show the daily rhythms of plant employees and the procedures involved in handling radioactive materials. The movie details contamination checks, decontamination protocols, and the steps a worker takes to document issues, and it presents the events leading up to Silkwood’s final trip as part of the larger story about industrial oversight and worker protection.

Share your picks for Meryl Streep movies that deserve more attention in the comments.