After the release of Molly’s Game earlier this week, I’ve decided to take a look at the career of its star, and one of my favourite actors, Jessica Chastain.

Having truly burst onto the scene at the start of the decade, Chastain is one to be relied on for strong, layered performances, in generally very interesting and great films. She is renowned not only for her incredible acting, but for her activism off screen; she is a strong advocate for women in the industry, and for strong women being represented on screen.

This feeds a lot of her choices, and thus she plays strong, independent female characters in films that often carry feminist themes (and produces films of this ilk too). It’s the type of voice that is still desperately important in Hollywood. If you are actively seeking out films with an interesting and strong female protagonist, then an easy way to find a bunch is to just look at Chastain’s filmography. She can be trusted to never be relegated to a ‘plot device’ role, or a one-dimensional doting wife/girlfriend. In fact, she rarely plays a character with a love interest, or one where her relationships form a big part of the narrative, which is perhaps a reflection on Hollywood’s reductive portrayals of women in relation to a man.

This is the through thread of much of Chastain’s filmography. It spans many genres from Western to Sci-Fi to Horror to Thriller, but it is most over deeply rooted in drama.

As an actress, she has a lot more credits than the previous filmmakers I have covered in this series, so I’m going to take a look at a mix of some of my favourites, and films that I feel have been milestones in her career.

Take Shelter (2011)

The first of the six releases that really put Chastain on the map in 2011, Take Shelter tells the tale of a man (Michael Shannon), who begins to have visions about a coming apocalypse and subsequently begins to build a shelter in their garden. Chastain plays his wife, although her role here is not merely to be the worried counterpart. She is a strong woman, who takes responsibility for the household and her husband when it seems he is no longer able to. It is a thought-provoking piece, and one of the films that announced Chastain as someone to watch.

The Tree of Life (2011)

Another film from Chastain’s breakthrough year, this Terrence Malick piece is a meditation on life itself, from evolution to human emotion, and includes lots of beautiful set pieces and imagery, without a huge amount of plot (or at least any that is told in a straight forward fashion). Chastain plays the mother of the tale, but is essentially playing an embodiment of love and grace (the whole film centres on the thematic), countering the darker representation by Brad Pitt. She not only fulfils a character, but a much greater part in this film. It is a very experiential piece, and her representation of light brings so much to it. This is an experimental masterpiece that won’t be for everyone, but if it’s for you isn’t something you’ll really know until you give it a chance. If you let it, it can be immensely powerful and rewarding.

The Help (2011)

The film that garnered Chastain her first Oscar nomination (for Supporting Actress), this adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s book is a comedy-drama set in the 1960s that details the attempts of a Southern girl, Skeeter (Emma Stone) to chronicle the injustices and experiences of the black maids (the principle ones played by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer) in her town via secret interviews. Chastain plays Celia Foote, one of the white women in the town who hires a maid, Minnie (Spencer), to help her impress her husband. Foote, however, doesn’t hold the same prejudices or understand the same etiquette when it comes to her relationship with Minnie, thus treating her more humanly and becoming friends with her. Chastain is transformed here as the ditsy socialite concealing much more serious problems. Her performance is remarkable and the back and forth between her and Spencer is delightful to watch. It is a very enjoyable film with deeper themes and an astonishing ensemble, but Chastain is one of the standouts.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

This Kathryn Bigelow political thriller got Chastain her second Oscar nomination (for Leading Actress), and is a powerful dramatisation of the decade-spanning hunt for Bin Laden, which Chastain’s Maya is at the heart of. As the CIA analyst, Chastain gives a haunted powerhouse performance as a woman consumed by her work and steadfast in her determination to complete the job. It is a pared back performance that manages to be intense and layered, without anything like a cheesy, soul-bearing breakdown which would have weakened the film’s integrity and authentic feel. The entire film rests on Chastain’ shoulders, and she carries it brilliantly. It is a gripping and complex piece; a mix of thriller, politics, action and drama, but it never forgets the moral questions at its core, and in fact dares to ask them of its audience.

Interstellar (2014)

Chastain doesn’t appear in Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic until a fair bit into the film, her character Murph being portrayed as a child (by Mackenzie Foy) in the film’s first act, but her introduction comes at an extremely powerful moment. The film, despite being a sci-fi about finding humanity a new home, rests on the relationship between protagonist Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), and his daughter Murph. This means that although Chastain and McConaughey never have a scene together in the film, they have to project their emotions literally across space. It is much more emotional than you may expect given the premise, but it is this (and the twist that accompanies it) that are part of what makes the film stand out from the ‘save humanity’ crowd. It is the first ‘blockbuster’ on her résumé, and it’s a great one – plus, she gets to play an astrophysicist whose brain and strength is integral to the plot…not just any token woman that a lot of these types of films can have.

The Martian (2015)

The second ‘Saving Matt Damon’ / sci-fi film in her filmography, The Martian is a funny (but not a comedy – I’m looking at you, Golden Globes), thrilling and different type of sci-fi. With an upbeat tone matched by incredibly tense sequences, it is another one that stands out from its genre pack. Again, Chastain plays a woman in a pivotal, and powerful role – commander of the mission, Melissa Lewis. It is a brilliantly entertaining, and furthered Chastain’s venture into blockbuster territory.

Miss Sloane (2016)

Playing a lobbyist who scorns the rich group opposing a bill for increased gun regulation in favour of representing a smaller, weaker firm trying to get it passed, Chastain adds another well-written and powerful character to her résumé. She anchors the film and elevates it as her character’s presence is so strongly felt in every scene, and her humanity underlies what could be clinical moments. Once again, this is a film where she conveys her character’s innermost feelings without any tell-all emotional outburst. She also isn’t given a love interest or romantic subplot, allowing it to be a rare film about a woman and her job.

Molly’s Game (2017)

Telling the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-level skier who then ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker games and was subsequently arrested by the FBI, this is Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut which means every actor in it is armed with whip-smart dialogue. Scenes where Chastain is paired with Idris Elba crackle with snappy electricity, and other moments deliver restrained emotion. It is a engaging and incredibly entertaining biopic told in an interesting fashion that is centred by Chastain’s enigmatic performance.

Suggested Viewing Order

Discussing the suggested viewing order of an actor’s work is very different to discussing that of a director or writer. Whilst there may be a thread that links an actor’s choice of projects together, they will inevitably vary much more than a group of films all made by the same person.

With that in mind, Chastain’s films can really be watched in any order, especially with regards to her as an actress; I am yet to see anything she is less than fantastic in.

Her films hugely vary in genre and style, so a glance at her filmography may indicated which you wish to start with. If you enjoy light but thoughtful period films, begin with The Help; psychological dramas, begin with Take Shelter; experimental films, The Tree of Life; sci-fis, The Martian or Interstellar; horror, Mama; crime dramas, A Most Violent Year; political thrillers and action, Zero Dark Thirty. There is a mix of smaller films you may not know of, ‘prestige picture’-esque films and, more recently, an increasing number of blockbusters. There is really a huge variety to satisfy anyone. And if you are someone who seeks out films with strong female characters, Chastain’s films provide a wealth of them.

As with a lot of actors, due to the length and breadth of their filmography, there is the odd dud. Huntsman: Winter’s War comes to mind, although that is based purely on the general consensus because, as a result of it, I have avoided that film. However, Chastain’s résumé has a remarkable hit rate, and I really can think of no other film of hers that has really been derided.

As a brilliant actress, and one who chooses excellent roles (she should be applauded for her talent and activism), Jessica Chastain has a very solid filmography filled with gems. If somehow you’ve managed not to see any of her films, now’s a good time to start.