Jodie Comer names her four favourite movies
“This is a whopper!” Jodie Comer responded when asked about her all-time favourite movies. Just as much a cinephile as the rest of us, the actor has quickly become one of the leading forces in modern British TV and film.
Best known for her role as Villanelle in Killing Eve, she wowed the world with her accent-mimicking abilities and her wild, murderous character. Comer has a genuine talent for balancing humour, rage and real emotions, regularly taking on complex and multifaceted roles. Whether it’s the devastating human take on sexual assault and injustice in the play Prima Facie or her early breakout role as the toxic yet insecure best friend in My Mad Fat Diary, Comer seems to always get to the heart of the people she’s playing.
That mix of comedy, drama and devastation is reflected in her own taste in films. In conversation with Letterboxd, her four favourites span from childhood favourites to fresh modern masterpieces.
Comer starts with a pick that is about as new as they come. She chooses All Of Us Strangers, the 2023 film starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. “I watched it last week, and I’m still kinda coming down from that,” she said of the movie. Anyone who has seen it will surely relate as the emotional drama swells to a new high right as the credits begin the role, leaving you with lingering thoughts and feelings that follow you way beyond the cinema chair. It features two stunning performances from Mescal and Scott, who are undeniably in the same class of new generation-defining talent as Comer.
Her second choice is a more classic pick that perhaps connects to her own childhood and decision to start acting. “I’ve always gotta say Billy Elliot because I say that in every interview,” Comer says, selecting the 2000 coming-of-age classic. Directed by Stephen Daldry, the movie is a classic, capturing a heartwarming and timeless tale of growing up and finding your passion and social and political issues. It follows a northern working classic boy as he starts ballet classes, fighting against gender and class stereotypes within the context of Margaret Thatcher’s Britain.
Comer has spoken previously about her own background and fight to get into the creative industry. “Especially coming from a working-class background, there is the notion that you are going to have to work much harder to be successful,” she told The Mirror. “People are continuously being surprised by your capabilities.” Declaring Billy Elliot her “favourite film”, the depiction of northern working-class identity hits home.
Another distinctly British movie she selects is This Is England. Her reasoning is pretty simple as she says she “rewatched that last week”, but she adds, “That film is perfect.” While set in an unspecified town, the film and subsequent TV series’ also consider working-class experiences in the UK. It stars Stephen Graham, who Comer went on to work with on Help. The pair met when she was only a 19-year-old trying to get started in acting, with Graham serving as an enduring mentor to her career.
While regularly taking on challenging roles that demand heavy, emotional performances, Comer enjoys some light relief. “I’m gonna throw a Disney Pixar in and say Nemo because you need a little bit of Pixar,” she says of her final selection. Giving her final slot to the 2003 animated classic Finding Nemo, everyone needs a guilty pleasure.
“Not a sophisticated answer from me, but I’m sure you’ll get that from someone else,” she laughs, providing an answer that might not be artsy. At least, it’s honest.
Jodie Comer’s favourite films:
- All Of Us Strangers (Andre Haigh, 2023)
- Billy Elliot (Stephen Daldry, 2000)
- This Is England (Shane Meadows, 2006)
- Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, 2003)
