Which Margaret Qualley Movies and Shows Should You Watch?

If you are choosing between Margaret Qualley movies and tv shows, start with the kind of mood you want: Maid for the strongest emotional lead performance, The Leftovers for prestige mystery drama, and Sanctuary if you want a tense film that really shows her range. Her career is not a neat list of similar roles, so the best first watch depends more on tone than popularity.

Notable Margaret Qualley movies

Margaret Qualley's film work is interesting because it does not move in one straight line. Some titles are quiet character dramas, some are strange genre swings, and a few are supporting roles in bigger auteur projects. If you only have one evening, choose by tone first: accessible, intense, strange, or slow-burn.

Palo Alto

Palo Alto is Margaret Qualley's first film role, released in 2013 and directed by Gia Coppola. She plays Raquel in a hazy coming-of-age story built around teenage restlessness and emotional drift. It is not the biggest showcase in her career, but it is the right choice if you want to see where her screen work began.

The Nice Guys

The Nice Guys is one of the easiest Margaret Qualley movies to recommend to someone who wants a more mainstream watch. She plays Amelia, the missing young woman who pulls the detective plot into motion, opposite a cast led by Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.

Her role is not huge, so do not start here if you want a full Qualley showcase. Start here if you want a funny, fast detective comedy where her character still matters to the story.

Novitiate

Novitiate is a stronger pick for viewers who want serious dramatic acting. Qualley plays Cathleen, a young woman entering convent life during a period of change inside the Catholic Church. The film is restrained and internal, so the performance depends on small shifts rather than big speeches.

This is a good "second watch" after Maid if you want another emotionally focused role without moving into thriller or horror territory.

Death Note

Margaret Qualley appears in Netflix's 2017 live-action Death Note movie, not the anime. She plays Mia Sutton, a central figure in the film's darker choices and moral escalation.

Fans of the original manga and anime are often divided on the adaptation. Watch it if you are curious about her in a sharper, more heightened role, not because it is the most universally loved entry in her filmography.

My Salinger Year

My Salinger Year gives Qualley a softer, more reflective lead role as Joanna, a young woman working at a literary agency connected to J.D. Salinger. It is a gentle choice for viewers who like books, first jobs, creative uncertainty, and low-key personal growth.

Stars at Noon

Stars at Noon, directed by Claire Denis, is best for viewers who already like atmospheric art-house films. Qualley plays Trish, an American journalist in Nicaragua who becomes caught in a tense and unstable situation.

Sanctuary

Sanctuary is one of the best Margaret Qualley movie showcases because it gives her very little to hide behind. The film is built around two people, one room, power games, role-play, and constantly shifting control.

• Best for: psychological thriller fans.
• Skip for now if: you want something relaxed or plot-heavy.
• Why it matters: it shows her comic timing, menace, vulnerability, and control in a tight space.

Poor Things

Poor Things is not centered on Qualley, but it is still a notable title because it places her inside Yorgos Lanthimos's highly stylized world. If you are tracking her career through bold director choices, this belongs on the list.

Honey Don't!

Honey Don't! is worth keeping on your radar if you follow Qualley's newer work and offbeat genre choices. Because availability and release timing can vary by region, the practical move is to check current listings before planning a watch around it.

Blue Moon

Blue Moon is another newer title connected to Qualley's ongoing run of selective projects. It may not be the first title casual viewers recognize, but it fits the pattern of her career: smaller, director-led work sitting alongside more visible film and TV roles.

Margaret Qualley TV shows and miniseries

Her TV work is shorter than her movie list, but it is where many viewers first took her seriously. The three essential picks are easy to separate: The Leftovers for ensemble mystery drama, Fosse/Verdon for performance-world biography, and Maid for a lead role with real emotional force.

The Leftovers

The Leftovers is the best choice if you like mystery dramas that care more about grief, belief, and human behavior than simple answers. Qualley plays Jill Garvey, a guarded teenager living in the aftermath of a global disappearance event.

Fosse/Verdon

Fosse/Verdon lets Qualley use both acting and dance. She plays Ann Reinking in a miniseries about Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon, ambition, choreography, fame, and the personal cost of making great work.

This is the right choice for viewers who enjoy backstage stories or biographical dramas. It is polished and serious, but not as emotionally draining as Maid.

Maid

Maid is usually the best first TV recommendation. Qualley plays Alex, a young mother trying to escape an abusive relationship while dealing with work, housing, childcare, money, and systems that make every small step harder.

• Start here if you want her clearest lead performance.
• Be prepared for emotional stress rather than easy comfort viewing.
• Watch next Novitiate or Sanctuary if you want to see a very different side of her acting.

Which Margaret Qualley role should you watch first?

The simplest rule is to pick by intensity. For a grounded series, choose Maid. For a strange prestige drama, choose The Leftovers. For a single-night movie that feels tense and actor-driven, choose Sanctuary. If you are sensitive to graphic horror, save The Substance for later rather than making it your first impression.

Maid for an emotional drama

Choose Maid if you want the role that most clearly explains why people respond to Qualley as a lead actor. It is accessible, painful, and grounded, with a performance that never feels showy even when the story is intense.

The Leftovers for a mystery drama

The Leftovers works best when you are ready for ambiguity. The show begins with a huge mystery, but the real focus is how people live with loss, fear, and unanswered questions.

The Substance for body horror

The Substance is the bold choice, not the gentle one. Qualley plays Sue in a body horror film built around image, youth, transformation, and the pressure to be looked at. If graphic, unsettling material puts you off, start somewhere else and come back when you are in the right mood.

Sanctuary for a psychological thriller

Pick Sanctuary when you want a movie that feels like a pressure cooker. It is a good first film for viewers who care about acting choices, power shifts, and dialogue more than action scenes.

Drive-Away Dolls for a crime comedy

Drive-Away Dolls is the lighter route. It is a better fit for a casual movie night than Maid, The Substance, or Stars at Noon, especially if you want a looser crime comedy rather than a heavy emotional commitment.

Fosse/Verdon for backstage drama

Fosse/Verdon is ideal if you are drawn to performers, rehearsal rooms, creative pressure, and complicated professional relationships. Qualley's dance background gives the role a physical confidence that makes it stand apart from her more internal dramatic work.

Conclusion

The best first pick is Maid if you want the strongest emotional case for her talent, while Sanctuary is the sharper choice for a one-film showcase and The Leftovers is the better long-form mystery drama. After that, move sideways instead of staying in one lane: try a quiet drama, then a thriller, then something stranger, because the range is the real appeal of her filmography.