Over the past several weeks, audiences have been lucky enough to see an acting masterclass from Melanie Lynskey on the outstanding show Yellowjackets. Not only were we lucky to see her in the first place, as Lynskey almost didn’t do the show, but it provided a reminder of just how great she has been in so many other works.
If you’ve been sleeping on Lynskey’s career, best fix that right now with this look back at all her work. Looking for more of her acting? Well, you’re in the right place as well. From '90s cult films that gained a newfound appreciation to breakout Sundance hits that will blow you away, here are some of the great works Lynskey has done you should check out.
Pauline Parker in Heavenly Creatures (1994)
Lynskey's debut film is a dynamite thriller from Peter Jackson that marked her arrival as one to watch. Also starring Kate Winslet in her first film appearance, it follows two teenage friends who form a bond that becomes increasingly intense. After their parents separate them, the two commit to doing whatever it takes to stay together. Somehow, the story is also based on truth, which only makes it all the more intriguing of an experience. It is a delightfully dark and heavily stylized work that is a must-see for anyone looking to see where Lynskey's career began. It is often hard to track down as one of the many unstreamable films that are out there, though that only makes it all the more rewarding when you are able to find it.
Hilary in But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)
The 1999 film from Jamie Babbit, But I’m A Cheerleader is a highly underrated comedy about a conversion therapy camp that a group of teenagers is sent to in order to “correct” their sexuality. The subject in reality is horrifying, though the film’s approach is what sets it apart from others like it by both skewering the absurdity of it and finding the humanity of the people going through it. One of those people is Lynskey’s Hilary who, despite it being one of her very first roles, captures a sense of humor and heart that makes it a necessary stopping point in her filmography.
Amy Brand in Shattered Glass (2003)
One of the best films about journalism of all time, Shattered Glass told the true story of how Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen) fabricated stories when working at The New Republic magazine. He did so despite many of his colleagues trusting him completely, with many even initially standing by when he came under scrutiny. He still betrayed that trust completely and threw all of their lives into chaos.
Lynskey plays one of his colleagues and though she doesn’t get many moments, the one she gets she really shines in. This includes a standout scene where she speaks to how Glass is getting all the attention while she is still doing the important work that just doesn’t have the same flair. She says this before she even knows what is happening, speaking to a deeper problem of the profession that Lynskey captures with a powerful sense of clarity and poise.
Ginger Whitacre in The Informant! (2009)
A delightful yet dark film from the great Steven Soderbergh, The Informant! follows Matt Damon as he portrays the real-life figure Mark Whitacre. Whitacre was a whistleblower who got caught up in a price-fixing investigation against an agribusiness giant. The film focuses primarily on Damon, though it is anchored in key scenes by Lynskey who plays Mark’s wife Ginger Whitacre.
Lynskey brings a committed focus to a character that all too easily could have faded into the background, giving her a presence that works for the comedic moments and the serious ones towards the end. She makes her a fully developed person, bringing her to life amidst the chaos of the story.
Michelle Pierson in Togetherness (2015-2016)
The first television series on this list, the HBO show Togetherness starred Lynskey as Michelle who is struggling to maintain the spark in her marriage to her husband Brett (Mark Duplass). When the couple takes on unexpected house guests, they will have to learn how to maintain positive relationships with each other all while pursuing their own passions.
The show was canceled in 2016 after two seasons, though it still ended on a fitting note that worked as a series finale, so you won’t be left hanging. It remains worth watching for the complex characters and portrayal by Lynskey that showed she was more deserving of leading roles that she could completely make her own with every scene she got.
Ruth in I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)
Now this is where we get into one of my favorite films on this list: I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore. A dark comedy that becomes a crime drama, it stars Lynskey as Ruth. Ruth is having a hard time. She is depressed and her home has just been broken into. Unable to look to the ambivalent police for help, she takes it on herself to track down what happened and enlists her neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood) for assistance. A Sundance film that really lets Lynskey sink her teeth into a meaty leading role, this film has a deceptive beauty that can be found in the most harrowing of circumstances.
Mary in XX: The Birthday Party Segment (2017)
Okay, before you type out your comment, not every segment in the XX horror anthology is perfect. However, the best part of the anthology is the one that Lynskey is in called "Birthday Party". It isn’t the scariest of the horror shorts, though it does have the best sense of humor about it all as it gets more absurd. All of what makes it work is due to Lynskey’s comedic chops as she plays Mary, a mother who discovers her husband dead and must cover it up so as not to disrupt the festivities of a birthday party. Think Weekend at Bernie’s with a domestic twist, and you’ve got the right idea. You don’t need to watch all the shorts, though Lynskey makes this one worth it for her range of delightfully sardonic expressions alone.
Rae in Sadie (2018)
The 2018 film Sadie, from director Megan Griffiths, is a film that centers around a daughter who misses her father. The titular Sadie (Sophia Mitri Schloss) will do anything to drive a new man away from her mother, played by Lynskey, and finds things taking a dark turn. Not every tonal shift is completely well-executed, though the layers brought out by the central performances elevate the material. Lynskey in particular feels so authentic and truthful in her performance that she mesmerizes in even the simplest of moments.
Molly Strand in Castle Rock: Season 1 (2018)
The sinister and alluring world of Stephen King has been put to screen many times, though Castle Rock deserves all the praise it got even as it never really took hold before its unfortunate cancelation. An anthology series, the show did get to wrap up all its storylines before it came to an end and none was more engaging than Lynskey’s Molly Strand.
In the show, Strand had a gift that allows her to see things no one else can though she had to struggle with substance abuse and a town that is spiraling into darkness. Lynskey fits right into the atmospheric world, giving a solid performance amongst a show that is full of them and leaves you wishing there could have been more.