Photo Credit: Tessa Thompson/Instagram
Tessa Thompson has always been a masterclass in versatility. From leading a quiet period piece to anchoring a global franchise, she brings a specific, grounded truth to every role she inhabits.
As she once beautifully put it in an interview with The Guardian: “I think I’ve realized that when you are aiming to create a real body of work, you are as much defined by the things you don’t do as by the things you do.”
This intentionality is exactly why her filmography feels so curated. If you are looking to dive deeper into her work, here are six essential projects that showcase her incredible range—across 1950s jazz-era romance, high-stakes psychological drama, and beyond.
His & Hers (2026)
Technically a limited series, but it’s the psychological thriller everyone is currently obsessed with. Based on Alice Feeney’s twisty novel, it’s a dark, dual-narrative mystery.
- The Synopsis: A news reporter and a detective, who happen to be ex-spouses, are drawn into a grisly murder case in their small hometown, where the secrets of their own past begin to surface.
- The Role: She plays Anna Andrews, a woman whose professional composure masks a deep-seated vulnerability and a history she’d rather keep buried.
- The Cast: Jon Bernthal, Pablo Schreiber, and Crystal Fox.
- Where to Watch: Netflix
Hedda (2025)
If you want to see Tessa at her most theatrical and electric, this is it. It’s a modern, provocative reimagining of Henrik Ibsen‘s classic play Hedda Gabler.
- The Synopsis: Set over one claustrophobic, high-stakes night, a woman trapped in a suffocating marriage begins to manipulate the lives of those around her as her past and present collide.
- The Role: Tessa stars as Hedda Tesman, a character she describes as someone who has “woken up inside of choices they’ve made and realised those choices are not their own.”
- The Cast: Nina Hoss, Imogen Poots, Nicholas Pinnock, and Tom Bateman.
- Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
Passing (2021)
A gorgeous, black-and-white masterpiece directed by Rebecca Hall. This film is a subtle, haunting exploration of identity and racial passing in 1920s New York.
- The Synopsis: The lives of two childhood friends are irrevocably changed when they reconnect as adults, finding that one is living as a Black woman while the other is passing as white.
- The Role: Tessa plays Irene Redfield, a refined woman whose structured life is slowly unraveled by obsession and jealousy. It’s a performance of incredible restraint.
- The Cast: Ruth Negga, André Holland, and Alexander Skarsgård.
- Where to Watch: Netflix
Sylvie’s Love (2020)
If you are in the mood for something visually stunning and romantic, this is a must-watch. It feels like a love letter to the jazz era of the 1950s and 60s.
- The Synopsis: A young woman working in her father’s record store in Harlem has a summer romance with a struggling saxophonist that evolves into a life-long connection.
- The Role: She is Sylvie Parker, a woman balancing her traditional expectations with her dreams of a career in television production.
- The Cast: Nnamdi Asomugha, Eva Longoria, and Aja Naomi King.
- Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
The Creed Trilogy (2015–2023)
Adding Creed to the list is essential because it shows her ability to bring soul and autonomy to a major blockbuster franchise.
- The Synopsis: The son of boxing legend Apollo Creed seeks out Rocky Balboa to train him, eventually building his own legacy in and out of the ring.
- The Role: She plays Bianca Taylor, a fiercely independent singer-songwriter dealing with progressive hearing loss. Tessa notably pushed for Bianca to have her own agency, ensuring she was never just “the girlfriend.”
- The Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Phylicia Rashad.
- Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video / MGM+ / Apple TV (Rent/Buy)
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
This surrealist dark comedy is brilliant, weird, and entirely unique. It’s the perfect showcase for Tessa’s indie-darling roots.
- The Synopsis: In an alternate-reality Oakland, a telemarketer discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe of corporate greed.
- The Role: Tessa plays Detroit, an avant-garde artist and activist who uses her work to scream against the system. Her performance is as vibrant as her character’s iconic statement earrings.
- The Cast: LaKeith Stanfield, Steven Yeun, and Danny Glover.
- Where to Watch: Netflix
