Actress Kelly Reilly has done far more than star in Yellowstone, from working with Denzel Washington to starring in the British horror film Eden Lake.
British actress Kelly Reilly started her career with a role in the children’s program The Biz in her native country and since then she has appeared in projects like the Paramount Network original Yellowstone, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies, and the Denzel Washington-starrer Flight. Interestingly, after a stint on The Biz, Reilly took her acting journey further with a letter she addressed to the producers of the ITV crime drama Prime Suspect which notably starred Helen Mirren as a Detective Chief Inspector. Starring in the fourth season as a lawyer’s daughter, Reilly went on to earn supporting roles in British shows before transitioning to American productions.
Leading movies like the survivalist thriller Eden Lake and getting top billing in shows like the medical drama Black Box, Reilly has played some inspiring and bold heroines in her vast filmography. Some of her characters break out in a male-dominated world, adding an optimistic undertone to her performances. After many single-episode appearances in TV movies and shows, Reilly finally entered the mainstream with major roles in season 2 of True Detective and the entirety of Yellowstone. Reilly also occasionally dabbles in theater, earning a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for the comedy-drama After Miss Julie and making her Broadway debut alongside Clive Owen for Harold Pinter’s Old Times.
10
Above Suspicion (2009-2012)
The gripping British police procedural drama Above Suspicion boasts convincing performances by Kelly Reilly along with Oscar-nominated veteran Ciarán Hinds. Reilly plays the ambitious rookie police detective Anna Travis while Hinds plays her senior as they investigate a series of gruesome killings. With Travis determined to prove her worth in front of her judgmental male peers, Reilly perfectly exemplified the determined and occasionally reckless attitude of the lead detective. Above Suspicion served as an early career showcase for the actress who was just venturing into lead roles around this time. The ITV production drew positive reviews for its lead performances and went on to have a four-season run.
9
Pride And Prejudice (2005)
Kelly Reilly can hold her own, no matter how brief the role is or how talented the ensemble is. A case in point is Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice. While Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden were the faces of this period comedy-drama as Elizabeth “Lizzy” Bennet and Mr. Darcy, Reilly joined the cast as Caroline Bingley, the snobbish socialite who schemes against the heroine. Jane Austen aficionados would agree that Reilly effortlessly fits the part of the antagonistic supporting character as she attempts to poison Mr. Darcy’s mind against Lizzy. The 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie does differ from the book at times but it still endures as one of the finest Jane Austen adaptations.
8
Britannia (2018-2021)
The unabashedly campy Britannia is a delightful throwback to the swords and sandal genre with Kelly Reilly starring as an outspoken Celtic princess protecting her people. With the action beginning in 43 AD during the Roman invasion of Britain, Britannia also focuses on the militaristic tensions between Britain’s own tribes. In this context, Reilly shines as Princess Kerra, a monarch who can not only lead campaigns against rival tribes but also enter strategic agreements with the Roman Empire. While Britannia might not be the most historically-accurate representation of this era, it is still entertaining and Reilly offers one of the best performances of her television career.
7
Russian Dolls (2005)
The French comedy-drama Russian Dolls features a non-linear narrative around a group of friends that reunite after five years. Kelly Reilly stars as an accomplished TV writer named Wendy who faces romantic dilemmas of her own. As she’s involved in an unhealthy relationship, she crosses paths with ex-flame Xavier complicating her life further. Reilly is equally dramatic and humorous in her performance as Wendy, sharing screen space with popular French artists like All the Money in the World’s Romain Duris (who plays Xavier) and Amelie star Audrey Tautou. Her stint in French cinema was successful enough for her to earn her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at France’s esteemed César Awards.
6
Mrs Henderson Presents (2005)
Judi Dench has had an unbeaten track record when it comes to starring in period pieces and Mrs Henderson Presents is no exception. With the Oscar winner starring as the real-life quirky socialite Laura Henderson, the British biopic and musical drama focuses on her efforts to establish London’s famed Windmill Theatre in 1931. Kelly Reilly also plays Maureen, one of the actresses of the theatre’s notorious all-nude musical production. While veterans like Dench and Hoskins are effortlessly charming, Reilly shines as Maureen, channeling her emotional range in the character’s vulnerable moments. Reilly also won the London Film Critics’ Circle award for British Newcomer of the Year.
5
10×10 (2018)
Starring Kelly Reilly and Luke Evans, 10×10 is a heavily underrated thriller with unpredictable twists and turns. Evans stars as Lewis, an everyday man who has a dreadful side when he abducts Reilly’s protagonist Cathy in a soundproof 10×10 cell. But as the plot unfurls, darker secrets about Cathy come out in the forefront. Suzi Ewing’s deft direction perfectly utilizes the movie’s claustrophobic setting, building atmospheric tension from controlled performances by its two British leads. 10×10’s intentionally restrictive production design and cast build a Hitchockian sense of dread, reminiscent of some of the best Alfred Hitchcock “limited setting” movies like Rope and Lifeboat.
4
Calvary (2014)
Calvary is a tragically comic character study of a broken man fearing his death. Brendan Gleeson offers one of his career-best performances as Father James, a courteous priest who is left mentally undisturbed after he receives a death threat during a confession. Kelly Reilly also boasted her dramatic prowess playing his on-screen daughter Fiona, a distraught woman who is left suicidal after her mother’s death and father’s descent into the priesthood. Drawing immensely rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, Calvary is a modern Irish classic that is comparable to dark comedies like Gleeson’s The Banshees of Inisherin which similarly explored themes of guilt, sins, and death.
3
Flight (2012)
Robert Zemeckis has helmed many heartwarming family-friendly movies, but he adopted a darker approach while directing the tragic human drama Flight. Denzel Washington gives an Oscar-nominated performance as Whip Whitaker, an alcoholic pilot who after a close shave with a plane crash, must give his testimony about what really happened. Kelly Reilly is equally effective in her moving act as heroin addict Nicole who enters into an unlikely relationship with Whip. Zemeckis intimately examines substance abuse through their individual character arcs. Reilly’s moments with Washington prove how she can seamlessly sink her teeth into troubled roles even while sharing screen time with seasoned veterans.
2
Eden Lake (2008)
When it comes to tourist on-vacation horror movies, Eden Lake is noteworthy. The British horror stars Kelly Reilly and Michael Fassbender as a married couple on a camping trip. Their journey goes awry when the couple is harassed by a gang of teenage hoodlums led by a delightfully menacing Jamie Bell. As a woman eager to survive despite all odds, Reilly captures some realistic chills-inducing tension while Bell is at his terrorizing best. Ultimately, the movie trades gory shock value for a more insightful look into the fears and utter chaos set in by the 2000s period known as “Broken Britain.”
1
Yellowstone (2018-)
Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western series Yellowstone kicked off an entire franchise after its individual success. With an exceptionally gifted ensemble led by Kevin Costner, Yellowstone deals with the titular ranch and the family drama that goes behind managing it. Kelly Reilly stars as Costner’s on-screen daughter Bethany “Beth” Dutton, an intelligent but emotionally turbulent financier. While Reilly has mostly played righteous characters in the past, she shines as this multi-layered heroine like Beth. Overprotective of her father, Beth is definitely one of the most likable characters of Yellowstone with Reilly garnering Supporting Actress nominations from the Hollywood Critics Association, MTV Movie & TV Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild.