Some Hollywood performers have a sort of magnetism that associates them with a specific genre. We’re talking Bruce Willis with action movies and Meryl Streep with drama. Their participation in other genres, as good as it may be, feels like something contrary and special. This is what’s been going on withMia Gothand her latest exclusive participation in horror.
Her career isn’t very long, but since it began, her contribution to horror has been somewhat iconic. 2022 and 2023 saw her genre addition grow in a way that almost seemed deliberate. Is horror her home, and if so, is she cool with that? Everything points to a “yes” from Goth, a performer that feels like a natural in the genre that everyone loves to hate. As we wait for more news about the release ofMaXXXine, the conclusion of the Ti West trilogy that already had its first parts,XandPearl,released, and about Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein version, whereshe will supposedly playthe Bride, let’s rank Mia Goth’s horror movies. With a great surname like that, the genre has to be a natural choice for her, right?
8Marrowbone (2017)
The Spanish productionMarrowbonewas released in 2017, but it never fully launched away from the festival circle where the horror genre is usually celebrated. The film tells a very convoluted story about four siblings trying to make ends meet after their mother dies. They decide to cover this up, and strange occurrences begin happening in their secluded home. You will never guess what happens here, so it’s better to go fully blind into this one.
Why You Should See It
It has a great cast, including Goth, George MacKay, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Heaton, among others. Not only that, butMarrowboneperfectly complies with Gothic horror rules and other tropes that make it a classic ghost story that isn’t afraid to deliver some punches in its third act when the story about the Marrowbone siblings is revealed. In the film, Goth plays Jane Marrowbone, the girl forced to stay behind her big brother’s command.
Stream on Kanopy
7The House (2022)
The Netflix animated filmThe Houseis a stop-motion experimental anthology that features three storylines, all taking place in the same mysterious house. It had rave reviews when it was released, as it’s one of those animated films that’s way more interesting than others and has the potential to snatch some awards. The problem is that it’s just a little bit too unsettling for young viewers, asinterestingas its plot may be.
Goth gives life to Mabel in the first segment called “And heard within, a lie is spun.” Mabel moves with her parents and sister to a new home, where disturbing things happen. We won’t spoil more for you. The stop-motion style and the puppets' texture make it an outstanding addition to Goth’s catalog of weird films. This one will definitely satisfy horror hounds looking for a very distinct film.
Stream on Netflix
Related:Best Stop-Motion Animated Horror Movies and TV Shows, Ranked
Read our Review
Ti West’s horror filmXwas the film that started the craze for Goth in 2022. The film featured the actress playing not one but two key roles in the story about a group of hippies on a location scouting trip for shooting an adult film. Goth played the lead actress, Maxine, but she also played Pearl, the old lady with far too many secrets and an agenda for the young people visiting her farm.
People started campaigning for Goth as a potential award winner. Things would change whenX’s prequel, Pearl, got released in 2023 and Goth turned into a modern scream queen with great performing skills. Nevertheless,Xis a solid horror thriller that reeks of West’s love for ’70s films. It’s an homage that doesn’t stay on that premise and soon becomes its own thing. It’s violent and graphic, and led by one of today’s most important actresses in the genre.
Stream on Showtime
5Infinity Pool (2023)
Infinity Pool
One of the most interesting filmsof 2023,Infinity Pool, tells the story of a couple who discover the true nature of the country they’re visiting when they participate in a crime, and they’re caught soon after. They meet another couple at the resort and go on an adventure. The problem is that they run over someone and attempt to run. The next day, the police arrive, and they’re put under arrest. However, things work differently in this seaside country. Regular laws don’t apply. We won’t spoil the movie, but just know that this involves cloning, and there’s no limit to how many clones of yourself you can get and have punished for the sake of being released.
The Brandon Cronenberg film is a bizarre journey into worlds the young director is able to create with a complete contempt for decency and rules. Goth plays Gabi Bauer, the antagonist who convinces the main character James to try out new stuff and fall under the spell of the film’s possibility of escaping death and retribution. The actress knows which characters are best for her, and in the film, she’s able to bring to the table the weirdly compelling aspect of her hypnotizing eyes. Aside from the obvious one,Infinity Pool’s is her most interesting performance.
Stream on Hulu
4A Cure for Wellness (2017)
A Cure for Wellness
Gore Verbinski’s wild and weird film,A Cure for Wellness, is one of the most underrated films on this list. It tells the story of a young executive who accepts a truly unique assignment: he must travel to a wellness center located in the Swiss Alps and retrieve his company’s CEO because, for some reason, he doesn’t want to leave the place. Lockhart (Dane DeHaan) will soon find things are not what they seem in this beautiful place, and much of that discovery has to do with a mysterious woman called Hannah (Goth).
A Cure for Wellnessis one of the recent big-budget horror productions that feels like a spectacle for genre fans. 146 minutes of celebration of pure horror was a box-office flop that audiences didn’t fully appreciate back then, and Verbinski’s last attempt at making a feature film. Goth is great in the film as the damsel in distress who holds far too many secrets. Don’t listen to detractors:A Cure for Wellnessis a solid horror film whose twist will blow your mind.
Rent on Prime Video
3Suspiria (2018)
As much as we would have wanted to, Goth doesn’t play the lead role in Luca Guadagnino’sSuspiria. But still, her character is important enough to make her a key figure in the film about Susie Bannion’s arrival at a dance academy in West Berlin. Bannion, a psychotherapist called Josef Klemperer, and Sara Simms (Goth), get deep inside the school and discover it’s just a cover for a coven of witches.
In the remake of the Dario Argento film, the character group expands a bit. Side plots, special effects, the score, and the great third act, make Guadagnino’s version ofSuspiriamuch better. Yeah, it’s a controversial take, but it’s hard to argue against the director’s high-profile horror film. Goth’s character is strangely more mature than the film requires, and she adds a sober aspect to the film’s fantasy horror plot.
2High Life (2018)
High Life, directed by Claire Denis, stars Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche in a science fiction story about a group of criminals sent on a mission to extract energy from a black hole. As the journey unfolds, the crew confronts the isolation of deep space while struggling with their pasts and the manipulative intentions of those in charge.
At first glance, Claire Denis’High Lifedoesn’t feel like a horror movie. However, the film’s look and feel will give you goosebumps due to its lack of hope and light. The film tells the story of a group of criminals who are traveling to a black hole where they will extract some kind of energy. The trip includes them being subjected to experiments that mostly have to do with their sexual drive and repression in isolation.High Lifehas the same style of horror that epics likeSolarisand2001: A Space Odysseydo.
We shouldn’t have to tell you why you should watch the specific style of cinema Denis can accomplish. InHigh Life, she enters the world of science fiction with a film that heavily checks for her commonly used themes of body horror. This film isn’t easy to watch because its multilayered story never shows a glimmer of hope. Goth stars alongside Robert Pattinson, and they play the couple under the control of Dr. Dibs, a passenger with a dark past set on reaching her goal of successful artificial insemination in the dark corners of the galaxy.
Stream on Tubi
Related:Every Mia Goth Role, Ranked
1Pearl (2022)
Pearlwas the film that gave Goth the recognition she deserved. At least among horror fans who saw her play a very interesting character whose only sin was being too gullible and hopeful. InPearl, the title character is a lonely woman living with her parents in rural Texas in 1918 while her husband is overseas fighting in World War I. Pearl’s only goal is to perform, and she dreams of becoming a movie star. When she’s not able to reach this goal for different reasons, Pearl resorts to unimaginable violence.
As you may have realized, Mia Goth’s exceptional contribution to horror isn’t very limited. She’s a natural for the genre. But with Ti West’sPearl,she added so much to the character that during the film you almost forget what she will do at some point (this isthe prequel toX, West’s first film of the trilogy, where Pearl is a homicidal maniac). Pearl is lonely, beautiful, and almost innocent. Just don’t make her angry, because she will snap. This is Goth’s best character in horror and her best performance in her short career.
