The Best Meryl Streep Films to Watch Right Now
The Best Meryl Streep Films to Watch Right Now
The best Meryl Streep films worth your time as a solo viewer include The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia!, The Post, Don't Look Up, Little Women, The Giver, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. That list alone spans sharp comedy, warm musical, political drama, dark satire, literary adaptation, quiet dystopia, and animated family film. The question is not which ones to watch. It is which one suits tonight.
Choosing from the best Meryl Streep films: mood first, title second
Streep's range is unusual enough that picking one of her films is not like picking any other actor's work. Most performers have a register. She has about eight. That means the wrong choice for your mood will feel genuinely wrong, and the right one will feel exactly right, in a way that is not true of a more consistent filmography.
Start with energy level. Some of her films ask you to pay close attention and reward you for it. The Post is like that. Little Women is like that. They are not difficult watches, but they are not background watches either. Others, Mamma Mia! being the obvious example, run alongside you. You can eat dinner, you can check your phone, and you will still get most of what the film is offering. Knowing which type you want before you sit down saves a lot of frustration.
Think separately about whether you want her at the centre of the film or as a significant presence in an ensemble. The Devil Wears Prada is built around her. Every scene either contains Miranda Priestly or is defined by her absence. Don't Look Up is different: she plays the president and her scenes are among the sharpest in the film, but it is still very much an ensemble piece. Both work, but they give you different things.
Tone matters more than the genre label. The Post is shelved as drama but it moves at pace and does not dwell. Don't Look Up is a comedy, but it is also relentlessly grim if you engage with it seriously. The Giver is slower, more contemplative than most science fiction, and it rewards patience in a way that faster films cannot. Consider your tolerance for each honestly before you commit.
One practical note before the picks: do not ration. Some people save the films they most want to see, queuing up the lower-priority ones first. The result is they watch the weakest films and never get to the ones they would have loved. Pick the one that fits today.
The picks
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) This is the place to start. Streep plays Miranda Priestly with a quiet, almost preternatural authority, and the film is very good in its own right, but Streep is operating on a different level from everyone else in it. That gap between her and the rest of the cast is most of the pleasure. On Disney Plus.
Mamma Mia! (2008) A film that commits entirely to joy and makes no apologies. Streep's performance is the reason it works: she plays Donna with warmth and complete lack of self-consciousness, and without that the whole thing would tip into embarrassment. Watch it when you want to feel good rather than think hard. Available on Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, and Sky Go.
Don't Look Up (2021) Streep plays the president as a study in cheerful, self-interested incompetence. The film is a satire about institutional failure and collective distraction, and it is genuinely funny in places and also genuinely upsetting if you let it land. Some people find it too blunt. Others find it cathartic. Know which type you are before pressing play. On Netflix.
The Post (2017) Streep plays Katharine Graham, the Washington Post's publisher, making consequential decisions in a newsroom that mostly does not believe she should be there. It is a film about institutional courage rooted in a real historical case. The quiet scenes carry as much weight as the dramatic ones, and the script trusts you to keep up. On Sky Go and Now TV Cinema.
Little Women (2019) Greta Gerwig's adaptation is structurally inventive and earns its length. Streep plays Aunt March, a character with limited screen time who shapes every scene she occupies. The film is generous and thoughtful, and the structural choices are worth paying attention to on first watch. Currently available to rent or buy only.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Wes Anderson's stop-motion adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel. Streep voices Mrs. Fox and gives the character more interiority than many productions would bother with. It is immaculately constructed and works entirely for adult viewers watching without children. On Disney Plus and Sky Go.
The Giver (2014) The most underrated film on this list. Streep plays the Chief Elder of a community that has engineered away pain, difference, and memory. The film is quieter than most dystopian adaptations and stronger for it. The pacing is unhurried and the ideas have space to land. On FilmBox+.
FAQ
What is the best Meryl Streep film to watch first?
Start with The Devil Wears Prada. It is immediately engaging, it shows what makes Streep's screen presence distinctive within the first few minutes, and it is on Disney Plus with no additional cost if you already subscribe.
Is Mamma Mia! worth watching as an adult without nostalgia for it?
Yes, if you go in knowing what it is. It is a musical built around ABBA songs and it prioritises warmth over sophistication. Streep holds the tone together throughout. It is a better film than it is usually given credit for.
Which Meryl Streep film is best if I want something more serious?
The Post is the most substantive option on this list. It is rooted in real events, the stakes are clear and specific, and the script does not over-explain. Don't Look Up is also serious in intent, though its form is satirical and the tone is considerably darker.
Are any of these films available for free in the UK?
Several are included with existing subscriptions: Disney Plus, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sky Go, and Now TV Cinema all carry at least one title here. Little Women is currently rent or buy only, and The Giver is on FilmBox+. Always check the platform directly before you settle in, as availability changes.
How can I find films to watch with a partner once I have worked through these?
CouchSync is a free app that matches you and a partner on what to watch. You both swipe on films and the app shows you what you agree on. It filters by the streaming services you actually subscribe to, so you only see films you can genuinely watch tonight. Find it at couchsync.com or download on Google Play.