She may still be a newcomer to Hollywood, but Cailee Spaeny has already packed more into her young career than most actors could dream of. From intense indie dramas to blockbuster franchises, the star has shown remarkable range – and she is just getting started.
Spaeny’s journey is an impressive rise for an actress who was raised in southern Missouri with eight siblings. She first found her calling in theater, before transitioning to movies and catching our attention in 2018’s sci-fi thriller Pacific Rim Uprising. Later, it was her raw and fearless performance in smaller films that demonstrated her depth.
The year 2023 was Spaeny’s true breakthrough. Her searingly empathetic portrayal of Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s hit biopic Priscilla rightfully earned global attention and critical acclaim, with many lauding her “transformative” performance. Though she has been acting professionally for less than a decade, Spaeny has a filmography that deserves to be looked at. Here are all her movie roles so far, ranked.
9 Vice (2018)
Vice is a dramatization of Dick Cheney’s ambitious political life. A biographical satire, it chronicles his days as a Yake dropout to becoming the youngest White House Chief of Staff under President Ford in 1974, as well as his relationship with his wife, Lynne. As the power behind the title, Vice President Dick Cheney uses manipulation to pull the strings throughout the geopolitical shifts during Bush’s administration of two years and changes the world.
Spaeny Has a Brief Supporting Role
Vice is a movie that peels back the mystery around one of the most quietly influential figures in modern history and it features a stacked ensemble consisting of Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Tyler Perry and Sam Rockwell. McKay directs with care and brings out the nuanced layers, ambitious drive, and moral conflict of each of the characters across years of transformation.
Although a box office disappointment, Vice ended up winning several awards. Spaeny played a supporting role, but her involvement in such a high-profile project is worth mentioning.
8 Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Set in 1969 across one fateful night, at a run-down hotel that sits on the border of California and Nevada, Bad Times at the El Royale is a neo-noir thriller. It centers around six strangers and a hotel employee, who find themselves under close scrutiny from one another as dark pasts and hidden agendas are revealed. Mysteries within mysteries unfold and nothing is what it seems at the El Royale.
A Stylish Neo-Noir Thriller
Written and directed by Drew Goddard, Bad Time as the El Royale is a stand-out in the whodunit genre due to its masterful direction and a precise atmospheric setting. The ensemble cast, which includes Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, and Chris Hemsworth, delivers solid performances.
Cailee Spaeny holds her own among the A-listers as Rose, the sister to Dakota Johnson’s character. Her layered and intriguing narrative puts her in situations where she is kidnapped and has to fight back, revealing her capacity for playing complex characters.
7 How it Ends (2021)
Apocalyptic movies are usually bleak and intense, considering the plot is moving towards the end of the world. How It Ends, which is written and directed by Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones, takes a different approach towards the concept. It follows Liza, who is out on the streets of Los Angeles before a meteor is set to destroy Earth. She is accompanied by her metaphysical younger self on her journey to tie loose ends with friends and family.
A Heartfelt Apocalyptic Journey
A quirky and delightful comedy, How It Ends combines drama and introspection to tell a refreshing story about a young woman reckoning with regret and the power of forgiveness. While Lister-Jones is incredible at capturing the surreal moments before the impending apocalypse, Spaeny also infuses poignance, wisdom, and innocence into her portrayal of young Liza. The movie includes similar interactions between several other characters thanks to the inventive and revelatory storytelling.
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6 The Craft: Legacy (2020)
A legacy sequel to the 1996 movie, The Craft: Legacy is written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones. In the supernatural horror, Cailee Spaeny plays Lily Schechner, who moves into a new town with her mother and is bullied at her school. Elsewhere, Frankie, Tabby and Lourdes are three friends trying to practice magic but failing because they need a fourth member to complete their coven of witches. When Lily uses her mind to fight the school bully back, the girls befriend her, and together, they begin experimenting with spells and magic.
Anchors a Fan-Favorite Franchise
There is something about watching teenage witches practice magic and eventually experiencing the consequences of unchecked powers that has entertained viewers for decades. Lister-Jones puts a fresh twist on the classic story and captures Spaeny’s journey from an outsider to a powerful witch, which is both compelling, emotionally charged, and nuanced. The movie also explores empowering themes of girlhood and friendship.
5 Pacific Rim Uprising (2018)
Set ten years after the events of the first film, Pacific Rim Uprising follows former Jaeger pilot Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, who gets a chance to live up to his father’s legacy by returning to the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps after the transmissions from a power core track him to Amara Namani, a young prodigy played by Cailee Spaeny, who has built her own mini-Jaeger. The two work together to face a new Kaiju threat that wants to destroy humanity.
A Solid Entry Into the Sci-Fi Genre
Wars can be won, but battles never end. And sometimes, even winning doesn’t take you to the finish line. Pacific Rim Uprising is a movie that sits on the same idea and expands Guillermo del Toro’s universe by introducing us to new characters and more thrilling action. Spaeny’s role as Amara brings a youthful energy to the movie, whereas John Boyega glows with grit from start to finish. Despite the impressive visual effects, the sequel received criticism for deviating from the original’s essence and lacking depth.
4 On the Basis of Sex (2018)
On the Basis of Sex tells the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Beginning with her struggles, from equal rights for women and what she had to overcome in order to become a U.S. Especially after her husband was diagnosed with cancer, and she had to take care of their infant daughter Jane. The movie follows how she navigated groundbreaking cases as a lawyer for the ACLU and eventually rose to the status of the second female justice to sit on the highest court in the land, changing American law forever.
Spaeny’s Leading Roles Were in Short Order
A biographical legal drama that deserves way more attention than it gets, On the Basis of Sex is a tribute to Ginsburg’s legacy. The movie received positive reviews for its direction and screenplay, which created an effective balance between the drama and the emotional beats. Spaeny portrayed Jane, Ruth’s daughter. Her performance added a personal touch to the story. Despite her teenage years, Spaeny held her own with poise against heavyweight leads Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer.
3 Civil War (2024)
Written and directed by Alex Garland, Civil War takes place in a speculative near-future where the United States is torn apart by a conflict between the despotic federal government and secessionist movements. We follow a team of war journalists, including the famed Lee Smith, her colleague Joel, and their mentor Sammy, as they journey from New York City to Washington D.C. to interview the isolated president. Cailee Spaeny plays Jessie Cullen, an aspiring photojournalist who tags along.
A Gripping Dystopian Thriller
A24’s most expensive film to date, made on a budget of $50 million, Civil Warmanaged to recoup the investment by grossing over $122 million worldwide. The movie is a masterclass in tension and atmosphere; its direction and cinematography offer a highly realistic and haunting depiction of what a nation looks like amidst turmoil. Spaeny’s role as Jessie is both raw and compelling, and it stands out against those of Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.
2 Alien: Romulus (2024)
Cailee Spaeny is the current talk of the town because of Alien: Romulus, the ninth installment in the Alien franchise. The movie thrusts viewers into the year 2142, where Rain Carradine (Spaeny) leads a group of young space colonizers on a perilous mission to an abandoned space station to retrieve cryostasis chambers. However, they soon find out that the spaceship is infested with deadly xenomorphs and their clones. Rain and the team must use their wits to survive the threat.
Reimagines a Terrifying Space Horror
A thrilling addition to the iconic franchise, Alien: Romulus is winning praise for effortlessly combining horror and sci-fi elements. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and it revitalizes one of cinema’s greatest series with intense action and unsettling suspense.
Spaeny is a force to be reckoned with as Rain. She is both fierce and vulnerable. Critics deem her as “the finest weapon in the arsenal” and even call her “the closest equivalent here to the fearless Ripley,” which is high praise for a rising star.
1 Priscilla (2023)
In Priscilla, Cailee Spaeny plays the sensitive, doe-eyed Priscilla Beaulieu. The movie is a riveting portrait of the woman behind the legend; it offers an intimate look at Priscilla and her complex relationship with Elvis Presley. Starting from their first meeting in Germany, Priscilla’s move to Graceland to be with Elvis, to her tumultuous romance with the icon and the challenges she faced while living in his shadow, the movie delves into the emotional highs and lows of Priscilla’s struggle for identity and independence.
Cailee Spaeny’s Career-Defining Work (So Far)
Written and directed by Sofia Coppola, this biographical drama is based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir, Elvis and Me. It is crafted beautifully to capture the essence of the characters and their story with skill, empathy, and depth. Spaeny delivers a raw and intensely moving performance as the titular character, earning critical acclaim, applause from audiences, as well as a Golden Globe nomination. In addition, Priscilla is lauded for its evocative direction and period-accurate production design.
