Best Keira Knightley Movies, Ranked

Keira Knightley has cemented herself as one of the most versatile and renowned actors of her generation, having played exciting and beloved roles her whole adult life. Kiera Knightley's versatility is most obvious when looking at the variety of genres she has dipped into over the years, from fantastical films like Pirates of the Caribbean to historical pieces like The Imitation Game, as well as romantic comedies like Love Actually and literary dramas such as Atonement and Pride and Prejudice. Knightley's adaptability has won her fans of all ages, and undoubtedly her most recent roles in Black Doves and The Boston Strangler will continue to do so.

This list looks at Kiera Knightley's best movie roles, focusing in particular on her performance within the wider context of the film, and the acclaim she achieved for each particular role.

8 Love Actually

Directed By Richard Curtis

While filming Richard Curtis' holiday ensemble romantic-comedy, Keira Knightley was only seventeen. She plays Juliet, a small role that has stood out for its memorable doorstep love-confession scene.

Love Actually explores love and connection in various relationships that span and interconnect across London in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The film featured a number of big names, including Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Liam Neeson, to name just a few. In this ensemble cast, Keira Knightley holds her own, coming across as warm and personable.

7 Bend It Like Beckham

Directed By Gurinder Chadha

Bend It Like Beckham follows Jess Bhamra, a football fanatic from a strict Indian family living in Hounslow, London, who isn't allowed to play the sport. Keira Knightley plays Jules, a fellow female football player who is impressed by Jess' skills, and invites her to join their local women's football team.

The film manages to balance a lighthearted and humorous tone with some serious themes, like feminism and intersectionality, cultural prejudice, social pressure, and identity. In 2002, Keira Knightley won the London Film Critics' Circle award for Best Newcomer for her performance in this film, which is considered her breakout role.

6 Anna Karenina

Directed By Joe Wright

This 2012 film is an adaptation of the Leo Tolstoy novel of the same name. It was also Keira Knightley's third collaboration with detector Joe Wright, after Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. Starring opposite Knightley are Jude Law and Aaron Taylor Johnson, to name just a few members of this very talented cast.

The film was noted for its excellent costume design, winning the Academy Award for this, as well as being nominated in three other categories. This is a favorite film among fans of period dramas and classical literature.

5 The Duchess

Directed By Saul Dibb

This 2012 film is a historical drama based on the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, paying particular attention to her complicated relationships with her husband, played by Ralph Fiennes, and her nobleman lover, Charles Grey, played by Dominic Cooper.

Knightley's performance in the drama was highly praised, despite the film in general receiving some criticism for its marketing, which compared Georgiana's life to that of Princess Diana.

4 The Imitation Game

Directed By Morten Tyldum

The Imitation Game tells the story of Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), a mathematician and cryptanalyst, who was highly influential in solving encrypted ciphers between the Axis powers during World War II that helped allied forces beat them. Keira Knightley plays fellow code-breaker Joan Clarke, who worked with Turing during World War II and remained a friend until his death.

For her role in the film, Knightley earned an Academy Award Nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category, while the film was considered to tell one of the most important stories of the twentieth century.

3 The Pirates of the Caribbean Series

Directed By Gore Veribinski

Keira Knightley appears primarily in the first three films of the Pirates of the Caribbean series: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest, and At World's End, with a cameo role at the end of Dead Men Tell No Tales. Knightley plays Elizabeth Swann, a strong and adventurous young woman whose love interest, Will Turner, is played by Orlando Bloom.

Knightley was praised for her portrayal of Elizabeth Swann, both by fellow cast members, who described her work as highly professional, and by fans of the franchise. Knightley, however, feels that the role led her to be typecast as an 'object of desire'.

2 Atonement

Directed By Joe Wright

This war drama based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan is certainly one of Knightley's most engaging and most celebrated roles. Knightley portrays Cecilia Tallis, the eldest daughter of a wealthy family, who has a dramatic affair with the housekeeper's son Robbie, played by James McAvoy. Often where she isn't supposed to be, Cecilia's younger sister Briony, portrayed by Saoirse Ronan, often watches interactions between the pair and comes to the conclusion that Robbie is harassing Cecilia, describing him as a 'sex maniac' to one of their relatives. Events spiral out of control and Robbie ends up in prison, released only later to fight in the Second World War. Will Cecilia and Robbie ever be able to be together?

Knightley has been consistently praised for her role in Atonement, alongside co-star James McAvoy, in what is considered a truly tragic, heart-wrenching, and deeply literary love story.

1 Pride and Prejudice

Directed by Joe Wright

Pride and Prejudice is certainly one of Knightley's most iconic and recognizable roles and a film that has adopted a cult following over the years since its release. The film follows Elizabeth Bennett, played by Knightley, in Jane Austen's classic Regency love story, with Matthew Macfadyen taking on the role of Mr Darcy. The five Bennett sisters are searching for husbands because their inheritance requires a male heir, but will the turbulent relationship unfolding between Elizabeth and the wealthy Mr Darcy result in a happily ever after?

This timeless, beautifully shot film has a great cast, including Rosamund Pike, Donald Sutherland, Carey Mulligan, and Judi Dench. The film is also known for its remarkable score, composed by Dario Marianelli and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, which fits perfectly into the romantic Georgian atmosphere of the film.

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By  Chris Harkin