Michelle Williams’ 12 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Ever since making her big-screen debut in the 1994 family film Lassie, Michelle Williams has grown up to become one of the finest actresses of her generation. Four years later, Williams was cast in the hit TV show Dawson’s Creek and has never looked back since.

The four-time Oscar nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner came of age in Hollywood working with such acclaimed directors as Ang Lee, Martin Scorsese, Todd Haynes, Charlie Kaufman, Sam Raimi, and many more. Williams earned a Golden Globe for her work as Gwen Verdon in the FX series Fosse/Verdon.

Updated on December 19th, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras: Michelle Williams is beloved for taking on dramatic, riveting roles, most recently playing Lizzy in the 2022 film Showing Up and Mitzi in The Fabelmans. The actor stars in several movies each year and her roles are always varied and exciting. While Williams plays different characters in every movie and TV show, she’s always able to create layers in each person she portrays and her parts are always vulnerable. When looking at William’s acting career, several of her movies have gotten high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and they are some of her most popular films.

I’m Not There (2007): 77%

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Williams was afforded a second chance to work alongside her real-life significant other at the time, Heath Ledger, in Todd Haynes’ experimental biopic I’m Not There. Six weeks after the film was released, Ledger, unfortunately, passed away.

RELATED: 10 Best Heath Ledger Movies (According To IMDb)

Said biopic charts the life, music, and immeasurable cultural impact singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has had on America over the course of five decades or so. Several different actors play Dylan in the film, including Ledger, Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, and many others. Williams plays one of Dylan’s many love interests, Coco Rivington. The movie is sad, moving, and a must-see for fans of Dylan’s beautiful music and intelligent lyrics.

Take This Waltz (2012): 79%

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Sarah Polley’s deftly directed and sharply observed rom-com Take This Waltz pairs Williams with the unlikely Seth Rogen. Until Margot (Williams) wises up and falls for hunky artist Daniel (Luke Kirby) across the street, the film could have served as a prequel to Long Shot.

Margot and Lou are dissatisfied with their marriage. When Margot shares a cab ride with dashing stranger Daniel, she finds herself drawn to him romantically. Can Margot stay faithful or will she follow her heart and forge a new path forward? The movie explores the realistic ups and downs of long-term relationships and it’s compelling watching Margot hope for more from her life.

Certain Women (2016): 82%

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Each and every time Williams works with writer/director Kelly Reichardt, their films receive strong acclaim. Their third collaboration is Certain Women, which was released in 2016.

This time out, Reichardt weaves together three disparate tales concerning the lives of everyday women in small-town Montana. Williams joins Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart, each of whom star in their own short vignette. One of Kristen Stewart’s best movies, the film sees Willaims playing Gina Lewis, and it explores what makes for a happy marriage.

My Week With Marilyn (2011): 83%

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In the role of her lifetime, Williams portrays the iconic Marilyn Monroe in the narrowly-focused biopic My Week With Marilyn.

Rather than a sweeping cradle-to-grave biography, director Simon Curtis wisely concentrates on a specific time in Monroe’s life. Based on Colin Clark’s memoir, the assistant of Sir Laurence Olivier, the film charts the tumultuous interactions of Monroe and Olivier while on the set of the 1957 film The Prince and The Showgirl. For her performance, Williams earned an Oscar nod for Best Leading Actress as she added layers to this famous figure who is so well-known.

Wendy And Lucy (2008): 86%

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Williams has worked with indie auteur Kelly Reichardt thrice so far in her career, and all three films rank among Williams’ best, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

RELATED: 2010-2020 Best Picture Oscar Winners Ranked (According To Audience Score On Rotten Tomatoes)

Their first collaboration is Wendy and Lucy, a deeply affecting and fascinating character study of a young woman and her lovable pet pooch. Williams plays Wendy, an Oregonian falling on harsh times during one misfortunate summer. With no one to turn to, Wendy’s dog Lucy provides all the solace Wendy can ask for. Wendy And Lucy is incredibly moving and proves that Williams can take on softer, quieter roles.

Meek’s Cutoff (2011): 86%

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In their second time working together, Williams and Reichardt retained the setting of Oregon to tell a wildly disparate story from Wendy and Lucy.

In Meek’s Cutoff, Williams plays Emily Tetherow, a hardscrabble settler in 1845 Oregon desperate to pass safely over the Cascade Mountains. With her kin and two other families in tow, the settlers turn to Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood) who claims to know a shortcut through the rocky terrain. When the parties become lost, a harrowing quest for survival ensues. It’s a different role than Williams usually takes on but allows her to show her dramatic range as usual.

Blue Valentine (2010): 86%

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In one of the most heart-shattering tales of soured love ever filmed, Williams stars opposite Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine, a movie she also executive-produced.

RELATED: Ryan Gosling’s 10 Best Movies (According To IMDb)

Williams also earned the second Oscar nomination of her career for her role as Cindy in the film, a woman who meets and falls for Dean (Gosling), a handsome house painter. Audiences witness their lovey-dovey courting process, honeymoon period fade, marriage fail, and a brutal breakup that ends a complicated romance. The movie is truly sad and it’s hard to find hope in the story. Williams gave a really strong performance as a character who isn’t sure how else to help her partner after so many years of struggles.

Brokeback Mountain (2005): 88%

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“Jack Twist? Jack Nasty!” Who can forget such a hateful line reading Williams spouts when discovering her hubby’s extramarital affair with a fellow cowboy, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), in the Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain? It’s a sad movie that Redditors love.

Ang Lee’s heart-crushing tale of unrequited love between two Wyoming ranch hands in 1963 is simply beyond reproach. Ledger gives one of the all-time greatest performances as a man who cannot verbally express the raging desires he harbors within. Williams plays his ever-estranged wife, Alma, with equal credibility.

Lassie (1994): 88%

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Williams’ very first feature film credit still ranks among the top highest-rated films of her career. In the loose remake of the 1943 film Lassie Come Home, the drama springs from the Turner family’s decision to relocate from the city to rural Virginia.

With everyone in the family struggling to adjust, they are suddenly blessed by the presence of Lassie, a nomadic collie they take in as one of their own. The movie was released a few years before Williams played another memorable young adult character, Jen Lindley in Dawson’s Creek.

The Fabelmans (2022): 92%

Rent on AppleTV

Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans is the story of his young love for making movies and his dream that he would become the famous director that he is today. Williams starred as the main character Sammy’s (Gabriel LaBelle) mom Mitzi Schildkraut-Fabelman, who loves playing piano and who supports him. The Fabelmans is Williams’s highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mitzi is a complicated character and as Sammy learns more about his mom and her best traits and her flaws, Williams shows her talents once again. Mitzi’s storyline is an important part of Sammy’s ability to tell the stories that he does once he becomes a filmmaker.

The Station Agent (2003): 94%

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In Tom McCarthy’s widely-praised, peculiar indie outing The Station Agent, Williams plays Emily as part of the stellar award-winning supporting ensemble.

RELATED: 10 Best Peter Dinklage Roles, According To Rotten Tomatoes

The film introduced many audiences to Peter Dinklage, who plays a man with depression who has lost his only friend. When Finbar (Dinklage) relocates to rural Jersey to be alone, he cannot escape the friendly advances of a goofy hot-dog pusher (Bobby Cannavale) and a woman with personal baggage (Patricia Clarkson). Williams and her costars were nominated for a SAG Award for Most Outstanding Cast. As Emily and Fin bond, Williams proves her talent for playing people who are vulnerable.

Manchester By The Sea (2016)- 96%

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Williams’s highest rated movie is Manchester By The Sea. The actor played Randi, who used to be married to the main character Lee Chandler. Randi is a nuanced, compelling character who doesn’t excuse Lee’s poor behavior but wants to show him compassion. It’s definitely a sad movie that’s hard to watch twice.

In one moving scene, Randi and Lee connect again and Randi shares her wish for him to find himself and feel happy. Randi is definitely one of Williams’s most meaningful roles.

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