One of the most beloved and acclaimed actresses of any generation is Meryl Streep. Oscars definitely know that as she has won three and has been nominated 21 times. This is a record for Meryl Streep, whose performances really lift every movie she appears in. Here are the best Meryl Streep movies of all time, ranked.
It is not an easy task to narrow down a list of the best must-see Meryl Streep performances as there are so many of them. However, we did manage to make a list of 13 movies that showcase her talent the best. Is Meryl Streep the best film performer ever? Well, according to the voters at the Oscars in the past 40+ years, this might be the case. She has been nominated 21 times and won three of them. Her filmography is quite impressive. So, without further ado, let’s get to it.
Best Meryl Streep Movies of All Time
Meryl Streep’s name is synonymous with elegance, emotional depth and incredible performances. To celebrate her fascinating filmography, TechTrends put together a list of the best Meryl Streep films ever. Here we go.
13. Don’t Look Up 2021
- Genre: Comedy/Disaster
- Director: Adam McKay
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothee Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, Chris Evans, Jonah Hill, Ariana Grande
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 56%, IMDb 7.2
One of the most recent and best Meryl Streep movies of all time is Don’t Look Up. This movie has a star-studded cast and it is based on a real story. The director has shown a lot of ambition in his ensemble satire, with amazing performances across the board and many big laughs. When a dark comedy is handled well, it can have so much potential. Meryl Streep’s character is the president of the United States and is a narcissist, who is more worried about polling that the world coming to an end. The story is about Lawrence and DiCaprio doing their best to alert the world that there is a comet coming to the Earth. However, no one believes them and doesn’t care about the clock ticking down.
Read more: Best Jennifer Lawrence Movies of All Time
12. The Devil Wears Prada 2006
- Genre: Comedy/Drama
- Director: David Frankel
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Adrian Grenier
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 75%, IMDb 6.9
Another one of the best Meryl Streep movies all time is The Devil Wears Prada, where she portrays the role of Miranda Priestly. She is the boss from hell and a fire-breathing fashion editor. She terrorizes her assistant, played by Anne Hathaway, with her demands. The story revolves around a college graduate, played by Hathaway, who finds herself working for Priestly in New York City. We highly recommend this as one of Streep’s greatest movie roles.
Read more: Best Emily Blunt Movies of All Time
11. Julie & Julia 2009
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Nora Ephron
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Messina, Lina Emond
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 78%, IMDb 7
Nora Ephron directed her final film, which contrasted the life of French chef named Julia Childs, played by Meryl Streep as well as a New York blogger, portrayed by Amy Adams, who is keen on cooking all of her recipes in a single year. Streep’s performance as the spirited cook is a hoot. It is not a surprise that she was nominated once again at the Oscars for Best Actress. Unfortunately, she lost to Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side.
Read more: Best Sandra Bullock Movies of All Time
10. Doubt 2008
- Genre: Drama/Adaptation
- Director: John Patrick Shanley
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 79%, IMDb 7.5
For those who are a former alter boy, Streep’s character Sister Aloysius Beauvier is a nightmare. John Patrick Shanley gave Streep her meatiest role ever as she played a Catholic school principal. She doubts that there is a relationship between a priest and a school student. For her incredible performance, Streep won her first SAG Award as Best Actress, but she lost the Oscar to Kate Winslet in The Reader.
Read more: Best Kate Winslet Movies of All Time
9. The Hour 2002
- Genre: Drama/Romance
- Director: Stephen Daldry
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, Allison Janney
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 79%, IMDb 7.5
This is yet another one of the best Meryl Streep movies of all time. The Hours focuses on the life of three women who are on the lookout to find the meaning of their lives. Among them are one writer, Virginia Woolf, and two from the future who find comfort in her novel “Mrs. Dalloway”. The present day published is played by Meryl Streep and she is getting a party ready for her dying friend, played by Ed Harris. There is a lot to say about womanhood and autonomy in this movie but in a fresher and more unique way. Kidman earned her first Academy Award as Best Actress for her role in The Hours. She portrays Woolf, who is writing a novel while dealing with mental illness and depression. Streep, however, was overlook in this film.
Read more: Best Julianne Moore Movies of All Time
8. The Deer Hunter 1978 86%, 8.1
- Genre: War/Drama
- Director: Michael Cimino
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 86%, IMDb 8.1
The Deer Hunter had the seismic impact when it came out in 1987 as the country was still under the influence of the Vietnam War. The movie revolves around a group of veterans returning home, played by Robert De Niro, John Savage, and Christopher Walken. Streep got an Oscar nomination as Linda, who was Walken’s character’s girlfriend. The man is psychologically hurt due to his experiences in the war. Although Streep did not win the Oscar award, the film won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Walken), Best Film Editing, and Best Sound. We highly recommend this as one of the best Meryl Streep movies ever.
Read more: Best Robert De Niro Movies of All Time
7. Florence Foster Jenkins 2016
- Genre: Drama/Romance
- Director: Stephen Frears
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 88%, IMDb 6.8
Meryl Streep proved that she can play in musical theater when she appeared in Mama Mia! and Into the Woods. Therefore, she shined in her role as the worst singer of all time in Florence Foster Jenkins movie directed by Stephen Frears. She portrays the role of the titular character and she is a New York socialite. Her dream is to be an Opera singer, but her voice is terrible. For her performance in this movie, Meryl Streep got her 20th Oscar nomination, but unfortunately, she lost to Emma Stone in La La Land, who had a slightly better voice.
Read more: Best Emma Stone Movies of All Time
6. The Post 2017
- Genre: Drama/Thriller
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Carrie Coon, Jesse Plemons, Philip Casnoff
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 88%, IMDb 7.2
Meryl Streep finally collaborated with Steven Spielberg in the movie The Post after 40 years, but it was worth it. She portrays the role of Kay Graham, who is the first female newspaper published in the country. She has a problem with deciding whether she wants to print The Pentagon Papers in the Washington Post. Tom Hands plays the role of a Post editor named Ben Bradlee. He encourages Graham to publish it notwithstanding the fact that she might be arrested. Meryl Streep received her 21st Oscar nomination for this movie, which was her personal best record back then and it was also her 17th nomination as the lead character. This is indeed one of the best Meryl Streep movies of all time.
5. Kramer vs. Kramer 1979
- Genre: Drama/Legal Drama
- Director: Robert Benton
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 89%, IMDb 7.8
Having won her first Oscar for her role in Kramer vs. Kramer, this is yet another one of the best Meryl Streep movies of all time. She portrays the role of woman fighting her former husband, played by Dustin Hoffman, for having custody of her child, portrayed by Justin Henry. In this drama, Streep is a female lead, but she won in the supporting category at the Oscars. In addition to all that, the movie received many other Oscar awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Benton), Best Actor (Hoffman), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Benton). We highly recommend this as one of the greatest Meryl Streep performances.
4. The Bridges of Madison County 1995
- Genre: Romance/Drama
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood, Annie Corley, Victor Slezak, Jim Haynie
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 7.6
Meryl Streep returned to the Oscars for her role in the movie The Bridges of Madison County after five years. However, she lost to Susan Sarandon. Despite that, her performance was amazing as an Italian housewife who falls for a charming photographer, portrayed by Clint Eastwood. Streep’s character is a housewife, whose husband and children are away. The movie revolves around their love and sacrifice. It follows their short affair and it feels like two soulmates have seen each other a little too late. This is yet another one of the best Meryl Streep movies of all time.
3. Adaptation 2002
- Genre: Drama/Comedy
- Director: Spike Jonze
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Nicolas Cage, Chris Cooper, Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Judy Greer
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 7.7
Another movie on the list of the best Meryl Streep films of all time is Adaptation, which is wild and weird. Nicolas Cage plays the role of Kaufman, who is eager to adapt Susan Orlean’s best seller. Meryl Streep plays the role of Susan, whose book is about her experience with an orchid thief, portrayed by Chris Cooper and how eccentric he was. For her role in this movie, Streep got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. However, she lost to Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago. We highly recommend this as one of Meryl Streep’s greatest performances.
2. Manhattan 1979
- Genre: Romantic/Comedy
- Director: Woody Allen
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Woody Allen, Mariel Hemingway, Diane Keaton
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 7.8
Woody Allen showcased his love for New York City in this black-and-white rom-com, which was shot by Gordon Willis. Meryl Streep’s role in Manhattan is small, yet quite memorable. She plays the role of Isaac’s lesbian former wife. Allen plays the role of Isaac, who is a 42-year-old sportswriter that is divorced and goes out with a teenager, portrayed by Mariel Hemingway. He finds himself enamored with Diane Keaton’s character, who is his best friend’s mistress. The city of the titular is a character itself as each part of the city serves as a backdrop for the drama. In the year this movie came out, Meryl Streep went against her Manhattan co-star for Best Supporting Actress but in another movie named Kramer vs. Kramer. This is another one of the best Meryl Streep movies ever.
Read more: Best Woody Allen Movies, Ranked
1. Little Women 2019
- Genre: Romance/Drama
- Director: Greta Gerwig
- Star: Meryl Streep, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 95%, IMDb 7.8
This is a new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic, and Timothee Chalamet co-stars with Saoirse Ronan. Greta Gerwig directed the movie in which Chalamet plays Laurie, the love interest of Ronan’s Jo March. The movie tells the story of a group of sisters, with Pugh taking up the role of Amy March, the youngest sister. Although she was dramatic as a child, she turns out to be a sensible young woman and a very talented artist when she steps into adulthood. Meryl Streep plays the role of Aunt March in the movie and according to reports, she had a great influence on one of the most iconic scenes of the film.
The director seems to have made a couple of changes to her Little Women version, with adding scenes that would show the characters’ development better. The movie has an amazing cast with other star players featuring, like Emma Watson, and Laura Dern. This is indeed one of the best Meryl Streep movies of all time. Don’t miss it.
Read more: Best Timothee Chalamet Movies of All Time