Parker Posey’s 5 Best Movies to Watch If You Liked Her in The White Lotus
Hands down, Posey was one of the highlights of The White Lotus season 3 — and if you want more content with her, we’ve got you.
Faithful to its origins, Mike White’s anthology series The White Lotus has just wrapped its third season up with a shocking finale, not leaving a chance to survive for some of the new characters introduced in the first couple of episodes.
The latest instalment has been quite a thing with all those new faces checking in at the luxurious, but pretty dangerous Thai resort, and some of those might have got new fans now that the season is over.
That said, The White Lotus’ actors are likely to receive some more attention in the upcoming weeks, including one of the leads Parker Posey; the actress was nothing short of an icon portraying posh Victoria Ratliff, but there’s much more in her filmography to check out.
If you’re not willing to let Victoria go for at least a little while, this list might be a great help in discovering some of the actress’ pure gems.
Broken English (2007)
A romantic comedy-drama that became Zoe Cassavetes’ feature directorial debut, Broken English stars Parker Posey as Nora Wilder, a young woman who has no equal when it comes to her management skills in a Manhattan hotel boutique, but definitely lacks some experience in romantic relationships.
Despite her dominant mother’s attempts to set her up with at least someone, the idea fails every single time, but things finally change when Nora meets a Frenchman who will completely change her life.
Posey’s brilliant performance lets the movie give a more profound portrait of the character and her inner world, and it’s a shame Broken English remains in the shadows of the actress’ more prominent works.
Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Starring Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, Ari Aster’s surrealist tragicomedy follows Beau’s feverish adventure as he tries to get back to his hometown for his mother’s funeral, coming to terms with all the fears that have been tormenting him all along.
Parker Posey portrays Beau’s childhood sweetheart Elaine and, despite not owning too much screen time, proves her role to be essential to the overall understanding of Beau’s background story.
With a runtime close to 3 hours, Beau Is Afraid still manages to highlight the actress’ pivotal role, making her scenes some of the most memorable moments of the entire film.
Clockwatchers (1997)
Starring opposite Friends’ Lisa Kudrow and Little Miss Sunshine’s Toni Collette, here Posey comes as ambitious and pretty rebellious Margaret aiming at the higher and permanent position in a credit company where the four female employees bond over their boredom during the workday.
Despite mostly focusing on Collette’s newcomer Iris, Clockwatchers soon turns to Margaret when she becomes the main suspect of numerous office thefts.
Posey’s character is ultimately given a major development when it’s revealed that behind all those ambitions and self-confidence lie loneliness and lack of a specific aim to strive for.
Waiting for Guffman (1996)
One of many of Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries, Waiting for Guffman once again proved Posey’s brilliance in comedy that The White Lotus didn’t miss to highlight as well.
The movie has its events unfolding in a small town of Blaine, Missouri, where everyone is getting prepared to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Waiting for Guffman boasts of many weird, but still hilarious and light-hearted musical scenes mixing them with the storyline’s dramatic turns.
Posey later on continued collaborating with Guest on other movies, but she definitely had her prime in this one.
Party Girl (1995)
A true cult classic that defined Posey’s career in the upcoming decades, Party Girl is a witty comedy-drama following Mary, a carefree young woman spending her days at nightclubs and posh house parties.
As expected, the fun is soon over when Mary gets arrested and needs someone to bail her out; the only option is Mary’s godmother who gets her a job as a librarian.
The discouraging plot twist becomes a silver lining in Mary’s life, and Parker Posey gives her best to help the movie explore the character whose portrait goes way beyond just a “party girl” definition.
