Experience True Artistry: The 25 Best Meryl Streep Movies

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Written By Lori C.

Lori C. writes about movies, TV shows, and the latest updates from the world of entertainment. She studied Film and Television many years ago at university and uses her knowledge to dissect the newest releases. When not in front of a laptop, she wanders around various European cities with a backpack and a little dog.

As the most celebrated actress of her generation, Meryl Street needs no introduction. During her six decades in the film industry, the actress starred in numerous movies and TV shows and earned an array of accolades, including three Oscar wins and eight Golden Globes. 

She’s recently earned critical acclaim for appearing in the third season of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building and Apple TV+’s Extrapolations

During her illustrious career, Streep appeared in more than 75 movies. And these are the best ones, according to IMDb users.

Death Becomes Her (1992) – 6.6/10

Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her (1992)
Image credit: Universal Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Robert Zemeckis
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini

Official synopsis: Death Becomes Her follows a writer and an actress fighting for the same man’s affection. Their rivalry takes an unusual turn when they take a secret potion that halts aging and grants immortality.

Postcards from the Edge (1990) – 6.7/10

Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep in Postcards from the Edge (1990)
Image credit: Columbia Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Mike Nichols
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman

Official synopsis: This compelling drama follows a Hollywood actress battling addiction who finds herself living with her mother as a condition of her employment. Her struggle to step out of her mother’s shadow brings humor, challenges, and a deeper understanding of maternal relationships.

Music of the Heart (1999) – 6.8/10

Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart (1999)
Image credit: Miramax via IMDb.
  • Director: Wes Craven
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Cloris Leachman, Henry Dinhofer, Michael Angarano

Official synopsis: A tenacious teacher takes on the educational system so she can bring the joy of violin music to disadvantaged kids in a Harlem school. Despite facing significant challenges, her commitment results in the triumph of perseverance and passion. 

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) – 6.8/10

Hugh Grant and Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
Image credit: Nick Wall – © 2016 PARAMOUNT PICTURES.
  • Director: Stephen Frears
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson

Official synopsis: A determined NYC heiress shifts from dreams of being a pianist to charming Carnegie Hall with her singing. Her relentless practice and her husband’s unwavering support end with a memorable performance that makes history.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) – 6.8/10

Meryl Streep in A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Image credit: Paramount Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Brad Silberling
  • Starring: Jim Carrey, Jude Law, Meryl Streep, Liam Aiken

Official synopsis: Three siblings are thrown into baffling circumstances after becoming orphans. Under the dubious guardianship of distant relative Count Olaf, the children soon uncover his sinister plot concerning their vast inheritance.

A Cry in the Dark (1988) – 6.9/10

Sam Neill and Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark (1988)
Image credit: Warner Bros. via IMDb.
  • Director: Fred Schepisi
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, Dale Reeves, David Hoflin

Official synopsis: Lindy Chamberlain’s camping trip turns tragic when she alleges a dingo snatches her baby. As police detect anomalies in her account and charge her with murder, the case escalates into a media spectacle brimming with public controversy.

One True Thing (1998) – 6.9/10

Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
Image credit: Universal Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Carl Franklin
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott

Official synopsis: A strong-willed New Yorker is drawn back into her family’s life due to her mother’s severe illness. This experience unearths new details of her parents’ lives and prompts her to reevaluate her path.

Suffragette (2015) – 6.9/10

Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep, and Carey Mulligan in Suffragette (2015)
Image credit: 20th Century Studios via IMDb.
  • Director: Sarah Gavron
  • Starring: Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep

Official synopsis: Suffragette follows the brave working-class women who risked everything in their fight for equality. The movie centers on working-class woman Maud, whose powerful story is as devastating as inspirational.

The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981) – 6.9/10

Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
Image credit: United Artists via IMDb.
  • Director: Karel Reisz
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae, Emily Morgan

Official synopsis: The French Lieutenant’s Woman explores a passionate 19th-century affair between Charles and social outcast Sarah. As this drama unfolds, actors Anna and Mike, who portray these characters, find their off-screen relationship echoing their on-screen narrative.

The House of the Spirits (1993) – 6.9/10

Glenn Close and Meryl Streep in The House of the Spirits (1993)
Image credit: Miramax via IMDb.
  • Director: Bille August
  • Starring: Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Maria Conchita Alonso, António Assunção

Official synopsis: Set in the mid-20th century, the film follows Esteban, who rose from poverty to become a feared patriarch. His staunch conservatism clashes with his daughter Blanca’s love for a revolutionary, leading to an inevitable and intense familial conflict.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006) – 6.9/10

Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Image credit: © TM and2006 Twentieth Century Fox.
  • Director: David Frankel
  • Starring: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Adrian Grenier, Emily Blunt

Official synopsis: Recent graduate Andrea Sachs lands a job with Runway’s stern editor, Miranda Priestly. Her journey through the cutthroat fashion industry changes her perception of life, impacts her relationships, and teaches her about the significance of choices.

Julie & Julia (2009) – 7/10

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia (2009)
Image credit: Columbia Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Nora Ephron
  • Starring: Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci

Official synopsis: The lives of memoirists Julia Child and Julie Powell beautifully intertwine despite them living in different eras. Their mutual passion for cooking sparks a transformative journey, showing that anything is possible with the right recipe. 

Silkwood (1983) – 7.1/10

 Meryl Streep in Silkwood (1983)
Image credit: © 1983 – Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
  • Director: Mike Nichols
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, Cher, Craig T. Nelson

Official synopsis: Silkwood tells the compelling story of an Oklahoma nuclear plant worker who uncovers dangerous workplace practices. Her newfound dedication to worker safety has far-reaching implications, strains her friendships, and puts her life at risk.

Out of Africa (1985) – 7.1/10

Meryl Streep in Out of Africa (1985)
Image credit: © 1985 – Universal Pictures.
  • Director: Sydney Pollack
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Michael Kitchen

Official synopsis: Out of Africa centers on the complex life of Danish baroness Karen Blixen while running a plantation in Africa. Her tale includes a marriage of convenience, a passionate love affair, plantation troubles, war, and unexpected health issues.

Defending Your Life (1991) – 7.2/10

Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks in Defending Your Life (1991)
Image credit: Warner Bros. via IMDb.
  • Director: Albert Brooks
  • Starring: Albert Brooks, Meryl Streep, Rip Torn, Lee Grant

Official synopsis: Daniel Miller navigates the peculiar trials of Judgment City after his untimely death. While facing his fears in an otherworldly court, he falls for the captivating Julia. Their love is at stake, as Daniel may have to leave this ethereal existence.

August: Osage County (2013) – 7.9/10

Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, and Julianne Nicholson in August: Osage County (2013)
Image credit: Claire Folger – © 2013 – The Weinstein Company.
  • Director: John Wells
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Dermot Mulroney, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis

Official synopsis: The Weston family’s volatile reunion brings secrets to light. Centered around their harsh matriarch Violet, who is dealing with cancer and addiction, the family is forced into a journey of self-examination.

The Post (2017) – 7.9/10

Meryl Streep in The Post (2017)
Image credit: 20th Century Studios via IMDb.
  • Director: Steven Spielberg
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk

Official synopsis: The Post tells the story of Kay Graham and the Washington Post team wrestling with the decision to publish the Pentagon Papers. Amid legal threats, their bold stand on press freedom becomes a defining moment in American democracy.

Don’t Look Up (2021) – 7.5/10

Meryl Streep in Don't Look Up (2021)
Image credit: Netflix via IMDb.
  • Director: Adam McKay
  • Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett

Official synopsis: Kate Dibiasky and Dr. Randall Mindy’s astounding discovery of a comet on a collision course with Earth takes a hilarious turn when no one seems to care. Their frantic efforts to inform an indifferent world turn into an exploration of contemporary media.

Doubt (2008) – 7.9/10

Meryl Streep in Doubt (2008)
Image credit: © Evan E. Richards2010.
  • Director: John Patrick Shanley
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis

Official synopsis: Doubt unfolds in 1964’s Bronx where Sister Aloysius, the stern principal of St. Nicholas school, locks horns with the charming Father Flynn. When suspicions arise about Father Flynn’s close relationship with a student, Sister Aloysius embarks on a zealous quest for truth.

The Hours (2002) – 7.5/10

Meryl Streep in The Hours (2002)
Image credit: © 2002 – Paramount Pictures.
  • Director: Stephen Daldry
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane

Official synopsis: The Hours explores a day in the life of three women, including Virginia Woolf, navigating the weight of living for others. Despite the time gap, they each face strikingly similar crises. 

Sophie’s Choice (1982) – 7.5/10

Meryl Streep and Peter MacNicol in Sophie's Choice (1982)
Image credit: Universal Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Alan J. Pakula
  • Starring: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNicol, Rita Karin

Official synopsis: Nazi concentration camp survivor Sophie finds solace with Nathan, an American Jew haunted by the Holocaust. Their life turns into a balancing act between happiness and the specter of the past after meeting a young writer. 

The Bridges of Madison County (1995) – 7.9/10

Meryl Streep in The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Image credit:© 1995 Warner Bros. Ent.
  • Director: Clint Eastwood
  • Starring: Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Annie Corley, Victor Slezak

Official synopsis: The Bridges of Madison County tells the bittersweet tale of Francesca Johnson. Her life takes an unexpected turn during the summer of 1965 when she meets photographer Robert Kincaid and has a brief but passionate affair with him.  

Adaptation. (2002) – 7.7/10

Meryl Streep in Adaptation. (2002)
Image credit: Columbia Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Spike Jonze
  • Starring: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton

Official synopsis: Adaptation. follows screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s struggle to adapt the book The Orchid Thief, while dealing with personal insecurities and a meddlesome twin brother.

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) – 7.8/10

Meryl Streep in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Image credit: Columbia Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Robert Benton
  • Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry

Official synopsis: Workaholic Ted Kramer is thrown into single parenthood when his wife Joanna leaves. His struggle to adapt to this new role gets complicated when Joanna returns, setting the stage for a bitter custody battle over their son Billy.

Little Women (2019) – 7.8/10

Meryl Streep in Little Women (2019)
Image credit: Columbia Pictures via IMDb.
  • Director: Greta Gerwig
  • Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen

Official synopsis: The March sisters face the trials of 19th-century life with their father away fighting the Civil War. As each sister pursues her path, from Jo’s literary ambitions to Amy’s artistic aspirations, their bonds of sisterhood and shared dreams of freedom hold them together.

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Pride and Prejudice Focus Features
Image Credit: Focus Features.

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The Truman Show Paramount
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures.

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Bohemian Rhapsody 20th Century
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox.

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