Kate Elizabeth Winslet, the ever-popular English actress, barely needs an introduction. With several awards to her name, she has left an iconic footprint in the movie industry. Her captivating and overwhelmingly versatile roles have never failed to intrigue the audience. Here today we take a look at the 15 best Kate Winslet movies of all time:
15. Hideous Kinky (1998)
An adaption of the autobiographic novel by Esther Freud, Kate Winslet plays the role of 25-year-old Julia who heads for Morocco with her children to take on a journey full of spiritual events and family bonding.
The movie was well-received because of how spectacularly Kate brought her character to life, along with the depiction of different cultures and the importance of faith.
14. Enigma (2001)
World War 2 was chaotic and resulted in the massacre of millions of people, and rarely does a movie capture the entirety of this historical event.
Enigma highlights the events that led up to the British breaking a German code called Enigma. Although the movie is highly fictionalized, Kate Winslet fulfills her role as Hester Wallace, a housemate of a missing woman.
13. The Reader (2008)
Based on a German novel, The Reader is a German-American romantic film that takes place post-World War 2. Kate Winslet plays the role of a woman called Hanna who aids a teenager, Michael Berg, twice as young as her.
She beautifully captures the physical and emotional intimacy between the two characters and how their friendship turns into a romantic relationship. However, one day she mysteriously disappears only to reappear in Michael’s life 8 years later, full of secrets and stunning revelations.
12. Revolutionary Road (2008)
A movie based on a novel by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Roads is a British-American romantic film that highlights the struggle of an average suburban family as they journey together through personal problems while trying to raise their two kids.
Kate Winslet plays the wife, April Wheeler, who finds herself stuck in an ordinary day-to-day life while failing to live the dream of being an actress. Her husband, April Wheeler, struggles with his job all the while trying to overcome the hardship of a nuclear family.
11. Carnage (2011)
As two boys get involved in a fight, their parents hold a meeting to discuss the situation and settle it. But progressively through the movie, the arguments become chaotic and childish.
Kate plays the mother of Zachary Cowan, who strikes his classmate, Ethan, with a stick. As Ethan suffers from several injuries, the parents try to talk it out. Kate displays top-class acting as a nervous and distressed mother in this magnificent comedy-drama film.
10. Quills (2000)
Staged in the Napoleonic era, inmate writer Marquis De Sade is imprisoned at an asylum for certain activities.
Kate Winslet plays the role of a laundress befriended by Marquis but things take a turn for the worse as it comes to Napoleon’s knowledge that Marquis’s books are being secretly published. As he sends an infamous torturer to the asylum, things may just turn out to be more troublesome than they appear.
9. Iris (2001)
Based on the true story of an alluring life-long romance, Kate plays Young Iris Murdoch, a novelist in love with a man who sticks with her through her battle against Alzheimer’s disease.
Kate’s gloriously stunning acting brings out the lively-spirited personality of Iris as opposed to her awkward husband who devotedly sticks by her side.
8. Jude (1996)
Based on Thomas Hardy’s classic novel, Jude unveils the hardships of life when you are thrown onto a path that sets you astray from your initial path. Jude is a young man full of ambitions but unfortunate events push him into the life of a stonemason.
With a failed marriage and a sad job, he finds himself falling in love with Sue, played by Kate Winslet, who in her life is dealing with a bad marriage as well.
7. Little Children (2006)
Kate Winslet plays the role of a distressed woman who can’t come to terms with her unhappy life and marriage.
She struggles to find meaning in life while at the same time coming across as an immature stay-at-home dad who’s married to a beautiful filmmaker. We watch the story unfold as they both fight off their vulnerabilities and come to terms with their lives.
6. Steve Jobs (2015)
This magnificent screenplay takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution and the sacrifices Steve Jobs made to fulfill his drive. His worthy yet consequential sacrifices ultimately affected his family and his health.
Kate Winslet plays the role of the brilliant marketing executive Joanna Hoffman, who was part of the original Apple Macintosh team.
5. Finding Neverland (2004)
An Oscar-winning movie takes us through the story of how one man’s friendship with a family led to the inspiration of one of the best stories to date, Peter Pan.
In 1903, J.M. Barrie faced several failures and pressure from a theater owner. He comes across Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, played by Kate Winslet, who has four sons. Barrie becomes an important part of their lives and bodes well for her sons, except for the third, named Peter.
4. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
Peter Jackson’s new yet thrilling take on filmmaking entails the intense friendship between two girls that eventually starts fueling an unhealthy and consequential obsession.
Based on the true story, Kate Winslet plays the role of Juliet Hulme who faces the end of her friendship with Pauline Parker due to Pauline’s mother. Together, they collaborate to murder the mother to continue their obsession with fantasy.
3. Titanic (1997)
With 11 Oscars, this movie deserves to be in the top 3. A bewitching and tragic story of a 17-year-old who falls in love with a poor kind-hearted artist aboard the Titanic.
Rose DeWitt tells the story from departure to the end, of how she fell in love and had the opportunity to experience the grace of an amazing man before his ill-fated death as the ship struck an iceberg and eventually sunk into the cold ocean waters.
2. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
A British-American period drama film based on the novel by Jane Austen. After the death of a rich Mr. Dashwood, he leaves an inheritance to his son from his first marriage, leaving his second wife and her daughters in dire circumstances.
Their lack of fortune affects the marriageability of two daughters, Elinor, and Marianne (Kate Winslet).
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
An amazing and heart-wrenching story of the fallout of a couple that faces dire consequences of their choices. Clementine, played by Kate Winslet, is a beautiful spirited woman, who has her memories erased after a tragic breakup.
After finding out, Joel (played by Jim Carrey), her partner, does the same but only through the procedure does he realize his love for her but it may be too late to turn back now.
Honorable Mentions
We can’t resist mentioning these epic performances of Kate Winslet as well:
- The Dressmaker (2015)
- The Holiday (2006)
- Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
Did we miss any of the best Kate Winslet movies on our list? Please let us know in the comments below!
