Taylor Russell doesn’t steal scenes the usual way. She doesn't dominate or push for attention. Yet, once she appears, it becomes hard to look away. She’s from Canada, where she trained in ballet and spent time with painting and music. Acting came later. Or maybe it just took time to find her.
Her roles stretch across genres, sci-fi, quiet family dramas, and darker thrillers. She often plays someone who stays quiet while everything shifts around her. But even then, she draws you in. The five titles below show what she’s capable of, each one different from the last. And there’s more ahead. One role, still unreleased, already feels like it might change everything again.
Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.
Bones and All (2022)

IMDb 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes 82
Directed by Luca Guadagnino
Maren is a teenager who has spent her life moving from town to town, hiding something she barely understands. Her condition isolates her. When she finally sets out alone to search for answers, what she finds is more than she expected and more dangerous.
Russell carries the film with a performance that does not try to explain everything. She lets the discomfort stay on screen, refusing to simplify what Maren is going through. The result is both brutal and strangely tender.
Waves (2019)

IMDb 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes 84
Directed by Trey Edward Shults
It starts with Tyler. He’s young, talented, already under pressure, and then everything goes wrong. After that, the film doesn’t go where most stories would. It shifts. Quietly. And suddenly, it’s Emily’s story. Taylor Russell plays her with a kind of stillness that stays under your skin.
She barely speaks at first. She doesn’t need to. Grief sits in the way she moves, how long she holds a look. The second half slows down, and Russell lets the silence do the work. No big speeches. Just someone figuring out how to keep going.
Escape Room (2019)

IMDb 6.4
Rotten Tomatoes 51
Directed by Adam Robitel
Six strangers are invited to test out a new escape room experience. What they do not realize is that each room is deadly, and each challenge is designed with someone in mind. Taylor Russell plays Zoey, a shy student who proves far more capable than anyone expects.
Her role is not about being a hero in the traditional sense. She thinks her way through each space. The tension builds around her, but she stays grounded. Russell adds believability to a concept that could have felt purely mechanical.
Lost in Space (2018 to 2021)

IMDb 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes Season 1 - score 68, Season 2 - score 85, Season 3 - score 100
Created by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless
This Netflix reboot brings back the Robinson family, stranded far from Earth and trying to survive across unfamiliar planets. Russell plays Judy, the eldest daughter and a medical officer, who often has to make hard decisions faster than she would like.
As the series evolves, so does Judy. Russell shows a young woman learning to lead under pressure. Even surrounded by special effects and action sequences, she keeps the focus human.
Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)

IMDb 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes critics score 89, audience score 94
Directed by Thor Freudenthal
Adam is a student with schizophrenia, trying to finish high school while hiding his diagnosis. He meets Maya, played by Russell, who is smart, self-assured, and completely uninterested in pity.
It would be easy for this character to feel like a device to help Adam grow. But Russell gives Maya her own emotional center. She listens, challenges, and protects. More than that, she shows what care looks like when it is firm and clear-eyed.
What’s next for Taylor Russell?
Hope (2026)

Directed by Na Hong-jin
Adam is trying to stay invisible. School is already hard enough. Dealing with schizophrenia in secret only makes it harder. That’s when he meets Maya.
She’s not there to rescue him. She’s smart, steady, and a little impatient sometimes. Taylor Russell doesn’t turn her into someone perfect. Maya pushes when it’s needed. She backs off when it matters. That kind of presence, quiet but solid, ends up holding more weight than expected.