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Entertainment January 25, 2017
With her latest chiller “Split” at the top of the box office charts, Anya Taylor-Joy is fast emerging as Hollywood’s next first lady of horror.
The M. Night Shyamalan scarefest, in which her character is kidnapped by James McAvoy’s split personality bad guy, opened to huge takings of $40 million, the fourth highest January debut ever.
And though she kills it in “Split,” this is not Taylor-Joy’s first rodeo. You’ve likely seen her before, and you will definitely see her again, as the 20-year-old keeps landing the best scream queen parts.
Why she looks familiar
Taylor-Joy charmed critics with an unforgettable performance in 2015’s “The Witch” as Thomasin, the eldest daughter in a family of seven who have been excommunicated from their 1630 New England plantation and sent out on their own. After her baby brother disappears during a game of peek-a-boo with her, Thomasin’s family begin to turn on her – and then each other – over accusations of witchcraft and other evil-doing.
Taylor-Joy gives a striking performance in the wholly original, atmospheric horror film that was beloved by critics and audiences. It has a 91 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Where you’ll see her next
Taylor-Joy will next be seen in “Thoroughbred,” another scary thriller, featuring Olivia Cooke and the late Anton Yelchin. “Thoroughbred” follows two teenage girls in suburban Connecticut who rekindle their friendship after years of growing apart… and discover that neither is what she seems.
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Early buzz on that movie is excellent and its fist screening at the Sundance Film Festival a few days ago garnered a host of good reviews, with Screen Crush calling it “the first best film of 2017.”
After that Taylor-Joy has lined up another chiller, “Marrowbone,” which follows four children who hide out at a mysterious farm after the death of their mother.
Why you should keep an eye on her
Though she took a bit of a misstep with little seen sci-fi flick “Morgan,” Taylor-Joy’s work merits buzz more often than not.
She was honored with the award for best youth performance at the Seattle Film Critics Awards, the breakthrough performance at the Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards and breakthrough actor at the Gotham Awards, all for her performance in “The Witch.”
And this year, for her string of creepy roles, she is nominated for Rising Star at the British Academy Film Awards, to be held in London on Feb. 12. More awards and more scary films are certainli in her future.
As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And Taylor-Joy sure knows how to make a good thriller. Move over, Jamie Lee Curtis. Hollywood has a new queen of scream!