Acclaimed actor Jodie Foster was already impressing audiences with her performances at a young age, and her roster has only gotten better in the decades since, with dozens of credits to her name. Her work has earned her multiple award nominations and wins. She most recently appeared in the fourth season of HBO anthology series True Detective and has also worked as a director.
With such a long career, Foster has a large body of work, including some of the most critically acclaimed films of our time. Her work across genres, from dramas to thrillers, playing compelling, strong characters proves her immense talent and range as an actress. She's selective about which parts she plays, and that's paid off, leading to memorable roles in beloved Hollywood classics.
10 'Panic Room' (2002)
Directed by David Fincher
During a home invasion, Meg and her daughter find safety in their newly purchased home’s panic room, a hidden room designed for safety and protection with features like thick concrete walls, a separate phone line, and surveillance cameras monitoring the entire house. But it turns out the burglars are after a missing fortune located in the panic room itself, and they’ll do just about anything to get to it. The movie was directed by David Fincher.
Panic Room is an intense movie as Meg and her daughter fight for their home and their lives. A home invasion is already a terrifying scenario, but here, it’s made even worse by the fact that although they’re in the safest room in the house, that may not be enough. Foster in particular impresses as Meg, a mother determined to keep her daughter safe but who also refuses to back down, especially when it counts most.
Panic Room
RCrimeThrillerDramaRelease Date March 29, 2002 Director David Fincher Cast Jodie Foster , Kristen Stewart , Forest Whitaker , Dwight Yoakam , Jared Leto , Patrick Bauchau Runtime 112 minutes9 'Inside Man' (2006)
Directed by Spike Lee
A tense hostage situation pits a detective against a bank robber in Inside Man, and the detective not only realizes the robber doesn’t actually want his demands to be met but rather is stalling and that the whole thing seems to be staged. Things only get more complicated when the bank’s owner asks power broker Madeleine (Foster) to make sure the contents of a specific safe deposit box remain a secret. The movie was directed by Spike Lee.
Inside Man presents a twist on the typical heist film, making it something more interesting which takes audiences on a wild ride. Although the plot and details can get a little convoluted, and it’s certainly not a perfect film, it’s still entertaining to watch. The cast is fantastic, from Denzel Washington’s tough detective to Foster’s authoritative Madeleine, plus the wonderful Christopher Plummer as the bank’s owner, determined to protect the secrets of his past.
Inside Man
RCrimeDocumentaryDramaThriller Release Date March 17, 2006 Director Spike Lee Cast Denzel Washington , Clive Owen , Jodie Foster , Christopher Plummer , Willem Dafoe , Chiwetel Ejiofor Runtime 1288 'Freaky Friday' (1976)
Directed by Gary Nelson
Mother and daughter Annabel and Ellen (Barbara Harris) often clash, and after getting into an argument on Friday the 13th, both wish they could switch places for a day in Freaky Friday. They get that wish, and both struggle to spend a day living in each other’s shoes as they navigate things like school and managing a household. The movie was based on the novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers.
The Freaky Friday novel has been adapted a total of four times, and although the 2003 version is the best of them and does the most with the plot, this one is still a heartfelt exploration of mother-daughter relationships and the difficulties, and importance of, understanding what another person is experiencing. Foster and Harris are both great to watch as they take on each other’s characters, and Foster especially stands out.
Close7 'Foxes' (1980)
Directed by Adriane Lyne
Foxes is a coming-of-age story about four teenage girls in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley in the late ‘70s, each with her own problems, from relationship issues to substance abuse, and each with a difficult home life. The most stable of the girls, Jeanie (Foster), feels she’s responsible for looking after them and acts as a sort of mother to the group, while simultaneously juggling her relationship and often clashing with her own divorced mother.
While Foxes has its flaws, its greatest strength is its characters and the actors behind them. Some of Foster’s earliest roles are among her most memorable, and her take on Jeanie is no exception. While a typical teenage girl in many ways, Jeanie is also sincere, and Foster wonderfully captures her emotions when it comes to her loyalty to her friends, including moments of intensity. The movie is also notable for starring Cherie Currie, known for the rock band The Runaways.
Foxes
RComing-of-AgeDrama Release Date February 29, 1980 Director Adrian Lyne Cast Jodie Foster Runtime 1066 'Bugsy Malone' (1976)
Directed by Alan Parker
Bugsy Malone is a gangster musical comedy in which all adult roles are played by child actors. Set in New York in 1929 during Prohibition and based loosely on real events, the film tells the story of the rise of Bugsy Malone (Scott Baio) in the midst of a gang war between rivals Dandy Dan (Martin Lev) and Fat Sam (John Cassisi). Foster plays Tallulah, a lounge singer and girlfriend of Fat Sam, who owns Fat Sam's Grand Slam Speakeasy.
Bugsy Malone is a child-friendly take on the typical gangster movie. In addition to children playing all roles, guns shoot whipped cream instead of bullets for a more cartoonish effect, as opposed to depicting actual violence. Although not as well-known now, it is still often regarded as one of the best films ever made. Foster is fun to watch as Tallulah, and it’s a vastly different performance from her role in Taxi Driver, released the same year.
Bugsy Malone
GCrimeMusicalComedy Release Date September 6, 1976 Director Alan Parker Cast Jodie Foster , Scott Baio Runtime 935 'The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane' (1976)
Directed by Nicolas Gessner
13-year-old Rynn lives by herself in an old house in a small town in The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, and when asked by the landlady and her son, she claims her father is away on business and the nosy landlady goes missing. Eventually, Rynn befriends her teenage neighbor, who helps her protect her family’s dark secret. The movie was based on the novel of the same name by Laird Koenig.
While it’s understandable that Foster’s role in Taxi Driver received more attention than her other roles that same year, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane is another stellar example of Foster’s talent, even at such a young age. The unsettling thriller is one of her best films, and Foster is great as the independent, bold, and mysterious Rynn. She more than holds her own with the adult cast.
Close4 'Contact' (1997)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
In Contact, scientist Ellie (Foster) finds proof of alien life through radio signals after spending years looking for it. She determines the message sent is blueprints for a spaceship and is chosen to make first contact. After the ship travels through multiple wormholes, Ellie encounters alien life, who take on the form of her deceased father. The movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis and was based on the novel by Carl Sagan.
Movies about extraterrestrial life take many different forms, from the heartfelt to the terrifying, and Contact takes a more sincere approach, leaning more toward drama than sci-fi. It’s about more than just aliens. The film addresses science and faith and the ways they intersect demonstrated both in the way the public reacts to the mission and in Ellie’s work, her experience, and the fact that she has to convince others of exactly what happened to her.
Contact (1997)
PG Sci-FiDramaMysteryRelease Date July 11, 1997 Director Robert Zemeckis Cast Jena Malone , David Morse , Jodie Foster , William Fichtner Runtime 150 minutes3 'The Accused' (1988)
Directed by Johnathan Kaplan
In the legal drama The Accused, young woman Sarah (Foster) goes out drinking one night after a fight with her boyfriend and is raped by three men in a bar, while witnesses do nothing to stop them. District Attorney Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) prosecutes the case and also pursues charges against the spectators, including people who encouraged the attack, but Sarah’s attackers receive a light sentence. The movie was loosely based on a true story.
The Accused is a harrowing movie—at times difficult to watch—about not just Sarah’s experience, but how she’s treated afterward, first when she seeks medical treatment and again when she presses charges and the justice system fails her. Foster won her first Oscar, as well as a Golden Globe, for her performance, and it shows her range, from Sarah’s vulnerability in the aftermath of the attack to her rage and determination to see the perpetrators punished.
Close2 'Taxi Driver' (1976)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran Travis (Robert DeNiro) suffers from insomnia in Taxi Driver and begins working nights as a cabbie New York City. After a disastrous date with political campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), he becomes obsessed with protecting teenage sex worker Iris (Foster), and as he notices what he considers to be the “scum” of the city, decides to take action, culminating in an ending which blurs the lines between Travis’ fantasy and reality.
Taxi Driver is one of director Martin Scorsese’s best films and is often hailed as one of the best movies of all time. DeNiro’s chilling role as Travis is one of his most famous and critically acclaimed, especially as the character becomes increasingly unhinged, and delivers his iconic line, “You talkin’ to me?” Foster is just as impressive as teenage runaway Iris. The movie was nominated for four Oscars, including one for Foster.
Taxi Driver
RPsychologicalThrillerNoirRelease Date February 9, 1976 Director Martin Scorsese Cast Robert De Niro , Jodie Foster , Cybill Shepherd , Harvey Keitel , Leonard Harris , Peter Boyle Runtime 113 minutes1 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991)
Directed by Jonathan Demme
In The Silence of the Lambs, FBI agent Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) seeks the advice of notorious murderer and cannibal, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in the search for another killer who skins his victims and sends rookie Clarice Starling (Foster) to talk to him. Clarice ultimately succeeds in finding the killer, earning her a spot in the FBI, while Lecter enjoys a trip to the Bahamas and presumably prepares to kill again. The movie was based on Thomas Harris’ novel of the same name.
The Silence of the Lambs is a brilliant thriller, with not one but two horrifying killers in Lecter and Buffalo Bill. Each member of the cast turns out a stellar performance, from Lecter and Bill, each disturbing and unsettling in their own right, to Foster’s young and inexperienced but brilliant Starling. The film was also critically acclaimed and swept the five major categories at the Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay.
Silence of the Lambs
RCrimeDramaThrillerRelease Date February 1, 1991 Director Jonathan Demme Cast Jodie Foster , Scott Glenn , Anthony Hopkins , Ted Levine , Brooke Smith , Anthony Heald Runtime 118 minutesncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kr6a%2F02ahqJyZmnqnu9KtnKtlnaTDqrHSZqmappuasXA%3D