A lot of viewers have recently discovered Parker Posey thanks to her performance in The White Lotus and her hilariously over-the-top North Carolina accent. But did you know she’s been a famous actress for three decades? Posey originally started out as an “Indie Darling,” starring in arthouse films that made huge splashes at prestigious film festivals like Cannes, Sundance, and Tribeca. Since then, she’s starred in a wide array of comedies, horror movies, and even a superhero movie. Here are Parker Posey’s 9 best movie roles and where to watch them on streaming services.
The Parenting
One of Posey’s newest films is the Max original movie The Parenting. The supernatural comedy sees two families come together at a rural farmhouse for a long weekend. But things go awry because they were actually lured there to help give an infamous demon a human vessel. Just like Beetlejuice, while the movie has horror themes, it’s a total comedy, and Posey is laugh-out-loud hilarious–especially in the scene where she, as a 56-year-old woman, plays a 15-year-old girl.
Best in Show
Posey has long been a collaborator on Christopher Guest movies, where he and his team of mostly improv actors tackle a new topic each film…and hilariously skewer it to death. Best in Show takes on the dog show crowd and sees a group of eccentric weirdos fight for the top prize. Joining Posey was an all-star comedic cast, including Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Jane Lynch, Fred Willard, Ed Begley Jr., and The White Lotus' Jennifer Coolidge.
Party Girl
The movie that really put Posey on the map as one of indie’s it-girls was Party Girl. In the film, Posey plays a wealthy New York club kid who gets arrested after organizing an illegal rave. After getting bailed out, she vows to repay her bail by getting a job as a librarian – a vocation she ends up loving. But her old partying ways come back to haunt her a few times, and hilarity ensues. The film was a hit with the arthouse crowd and even spawned a short-lived TV series of the same name the following year.
Scream 3
Some (like myself) argue that Scream 3 is actually a fantastic movie, thanks largely to Parker Posey, who plays Judy Jergenstern, an actress (who goes by the stage name Jennifer Jolie) that stars in "Stab 3" as Gale Weathers. The absolute meta-madness of this movie is pure camp gold. I mean, c’mon…the scene with Carrie Fisher playing a failed actress that looks like Carrie Fisher??? You literally can’t write this stuff…unless you wrote Scream 3, in which case you can and did. Just watch it, because trust me, it’s fantastic. Also, the bangs! Who can forget the bangs????
Josie and the Pussycats
In 2001, Josie and the Pussycats got their own live-action movie, and I swear to you it has aged soooooo well. The entire movie mocks mass media and capitalism, and is filled to the brim with product placement. But the movie is skillfully mocking the consumerist system, and shows how easily humans can be conned into trends by corporations. Who is at the helm of this evil corporate nonsense? MegaRecords CEO Fiona (Posey), of course. Posey’s ability to play a real-life cartoon villain is hilarious, and she steals every scene.
Waiting for Guffman
Another iconic Christopher Guest film is Waiting for Guffman. In the movie, a small town in Middle America wants to put on a community play. The film is a hilarious look at all the larger-than-life personalities of the townspeople and the funny drama they have together. In the movie, Posey plays Libby Mae Brown, a Dairy Queen employee with big aspirations (and very little talent). The film has become a cult classic and earned three nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards.
Superman Returns
Despite her reputation as an indie darling and improv queen, Parker Posey's filmography also includes a big-budget superhero movie. In Superman Returns, she plays Kitty Kowalski, Lex Luthor’s girlfriend and henchwoman. But being Parker Posey, she obviously brought a lot of quirk to the character and helped give the movie a good dose of comedic relief.
Lost in Space
In 2018, Netflix rebooted Lost in Space, the classic sci-fi series about a family who becomes stranded in outer space after a catastrophic accident. Per usual with Parker Posey, she gets to play one of the show’s most interesting characters, portraying June Harris, a conniving sociopath who pretends to be a doctor. Her character causes tons of chaos in the show, and Posey even earned herself a Saturn Award nomination.
The Doom Generation
The Doom Generation is another one of Posey’s iconic arthouse films. The movie was written and directed by auteur Gregg Araki, known for films that push sexual boundaries and have included LGBTQ themes long before it was commonplace in Hollywood. The Doom Generation sees a trio venture around Los Angeles on a wild night of lust, partying, and murder. Joining Posey in the cast were Rose McGowan and Margaret Cho, among others.
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