Five incredible Meryl Streep films to watch on Netflix
(Credit: Dick Thomas Johnson)

Films

Five incredible Meryl Streep films to watch on Netflix

Celebrating the finest acting performances of all time, the Academy Awards have been known to have their favourites over the course of the near-100-year history, with the likes of Denzil Washington and Meryl Streep having received multiple nominations over the years.

As a result, the wonderfully gifted Meryl Streep is considered one of the greatest female actors of all time, seen as a dazzling improvement to every film she has the chance to star in.

Regarded as film royalty in modern Hollywood, Streep’s career spans 46 years, with the actor being lucky enough to have worked with the likes of Greta Gerwig, Michael Cimino, Clint Eastwood, Spike Jonze and Mike Nichols, among many others. 

She isn’t one for slowing down either, with her filmography continuing to fill up with new films, despite her career in the industry has almost topped half a century. Winning three Academy Awards, Streep is one of the most decorated actors of all time, worthy of praise from the glamour of the Hollywood hills to the most niche corners of independent cinema.

Below, we’ve picked out five incredible Meryl Streep films to watch on Netflix.

Meryl Streep’s five best films on Netflix:

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Recognised as one of Steep’s most popular performances, the actor stars as Miranda Priestly, a demanding editor-in-chief of a high fashion magazine in David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada. Acting as the most joyously evil antagonists, Streep thrives in the role opposite Anne Hathaway, playing the smart, sensible new graduate who lands the job as Priestly’s brand new assistant.

Shining in the starring role, for which she was Oscar-nominated, Streep outshines the likes of Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci and Simon Baker, who each take on supporting roles.

Watch The Devil Wears Prada on Netflix now.

The Bridges Of Madison County (1995)

Based on Robert James Waller’s 1992 novel of the same name, The Bridges of Madison County, released in 1995, almost proved to be as commercially and critically successful as the beloved book itself. Starring in the film alongside Meryl Streep, Clint Eastwood plays a photographer in the 1960s who wanders into the life of a humble housewife for four days and changes her perspective on life. 

A charming love story, the film earned Streep her tenth Oscar nomination and enjoyed a respectable run at the box office despite it being a change of course for Eastwood’s often violent films.

Watch The Bridges of Madison County on Netflix.

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)

The wrought emotional drama Kramer vs. Kramer is a well-known classic about a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive who is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills after his wife leaves him. This develops into a bitter custody battle over the child, revealing some harsh scars their marriage left behind. 

This film is made by its performances, with the dynamic of Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman making for a formidable duo, making this emotional drama into something energetic and dynamic. It certainly helped that the movie was directed and written by the three-time Oscar winner Robert Benton. 

Watch Kramer vs. Kramer on Netflix now.

Julie & Julia (2009)

Based on the life of the celebrity chef Julia Child, Nora Ephron’s 2009 movie Julie & Julia tells the story of Child’s rise to fame, all whilst Julie Powell tries to cook all the recipes from her first book many years later in 2002. Starring opposite Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, Chris Messina and Jane Lynch, Streep gives a fantastic performance as the charming TV chef, well-reflecting her good nature and screen presence. 

After receiving an Oscar nomination for her leading role in the movie, Streep would narrowly lose out to the award given to Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side.

Watch Julie & Julia on Netflix now.

Death Becomes Her (1992)

Meryl Streep may well be regarded as one of the greatest drama actors ever, but she’s also capable of turning a joke or two in earnest. Starring opposite Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis, she delivers barrels of laughs with this cult-comedy horror that sees two frenemies duke it out.

A dark comic fantasy, the film is regarded by many as one of the finest movies of the decade, as Hawn and Streep attempt to live forever and end up becoming the walking dead.

Watch Death Becomes Her on Netflix.