Kirsten Dunst has grown up on-screen. From her big break as precocious baby vampire Claudia in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire, in which she stole scenes from no less than Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, she’s been an emblem of her era of popular culture — and shaped it, too. Her portrayals of languid Lux Lisbon in Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides and “cheer-tator” Torrance Shipman in 2000’s Bring It On are indelible portrayals of the inner lives of teenage girls. As Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man, she helped usher in our obsession with superheroes. And where would millennial pink be without Marie Antoinette? 

In fact, perhaps she’s been such a Hollywood staple that the industry simply forgot to formally acknowledge her talent — until now. Dunst’s performance as Rose Gordon in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog has earned her multiple award nominations, including a nod for best supporting actress at the upcoming 94th Academy Awards. And if you take a trip through selections from her filmography currently available on Netflix, you’ll find it’s the kind of recognition that’s been long overdue. 

The Power of the Dog

When Dunst was in her early 20s, Jane Campion sent her a letter, saying she admired Dunst’s performance in The Virgin Suicides and hoped the two could work together. Nearly two decades later, that wish finally came true. In The Power of the Dog, Dunst plays Rose Gordon, a single mom whose life with new husband George Burbank (Dunst’s real-life partner Jesse Plemons) is marred by the terrorizing presence of her brother-in-law Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch). Her striking performance, blending fragility, fear and a quiet strength, earned Dunst her first Oscar nod.

The Power of the Dog

2h 8m   R   2021

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The Beguiled

For Sofia Coppola’s third collaboration with Dunst, the filmmaker purposefully cast her muse in an unusual role. “It’s so opposite her personality,” Coppola told Variety in 2017. “This character is so oppressed and she’s not at all.” Set in an all-girls boarding school in the Civil War South, The Beguiled follows the bombshell arrival of a wounded soldier (Colin Farrell) whose presence disrupts the routine of both students and teachers. Dunst plays the shy Miss Edwina, the only adult presence left in the school save for its domineering principal, Miss Martha (Nicole Kidman). Still, she seems to be in limbo. Though she’s not much older than some of her students, she’s no longer a child; yet she chafes underneath the responsibilities of adulthood, not to mention her colleague’s constant critical scrutiny. There are certainly echoes of The Power of the Dog’s Rose Gordon in Edwina, as Dunst takes her character from a stifled spinster to a woman willing to do anything for her freedom.

The Beguiled

1h 33m   R

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Woodshock

Fashion house Rodarte founders Kate and Laura Mulleavy made their joint directorial debut with this movie and cast Dunst as Theresa, a marijuana dispensary employee who assists in her mother’s suicide. Lost in her grief but too withdrawn to express it, Theresa starts to spiral into a journey that leads her to a dangerous place. Dunst did dream work to get into character, a technique she also used to prepare for The Power of the Dog. “I work with dreams in preparation for a film,” she told Huffpost after the film’s premiere at the 2017 Venice International Film Festival. “I’ll write down things when I go to bed and then whatever I dreamt as soon as I wake up and then use that for my character.”

Woodshock

1h 40m   R   2017

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Jumanji

Judy Shepherd (Dunst) is not in the mood to play games. After all, her parents just died in a skiing accident, and she’s forced to move into an abandoned mansion with her aunt Nora (Bebe Neuwirth) and brother Peter (Bradley Pierce). But her life is upended after Peter rolls the dice from an old and mystical board game and accidentally unleashes an entire jungle into their living room, starting with the home’s former resident, Alan Parrish (Robin Williams). But as the Shepherds find out, there are way scarier things hiding in Jumanji than a grown man in a loincloth. The Joe Johnston–directed movie was Dunst’s first foray into action, presaging her role in Spider-Man. 

Jumanji

1h 44m   PG   1995

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Little Women

Unlike Dakota Johnson, Amy March (Dunst) knows the value of a lime. “It’s nothing but limes now,” she tells a bewildered Meg (Trini Alvarado) in Gillian Armstrong’s 1994 adaptation. “Everyone keeps them in their desks and trades them for beads and things, and all the girls treat each other at recess. If you don’t bring limes to school, you’re nothing!” The absolute seriousness with which Dunst delivers her ode to the popular citrus is both funny and poignant — just like her version of Louisa May Alcott’s character. The now-classic film was also a learning experience for Dunst, who told Vanity Fair that going from a male-dominated set for Interview with the Vampire to a woman-led one like Little Women was formative for her: “I was with all these older actresses that were so cool, and I looked up to Claire Danes and Winona Ryder.”

Little Women

1h 58m   PG   1994

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Interview with the Vampire

Listen, anyone who can hold their own in a scene with emo vampire Brad Pitt and smooth operator vampire Tom Cruise is a bonafide heavy hitter. And at just 11 years old, with six small acting credits under her belt, Dunst does more than just hold her own. She steals entire scenes, tearing fangs-first into her lines as if they were just another juicy governess. As baby vampire Claudia, Dunst displays emotions and desires far beyond her years. When you watch the film now, you’ll marvel at the raw potential hinting at the powerhouse she would become. 

Interview with the Vampire

2h 2m   R   1994

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