10 Underrated Films by Daisy Ridley You Must See

Daisy Ridley has built a filmography that stretches well beyond space opera, with leading roles, voice performances, and narration across drama, documentary, animation, and science formats. Her credits include literary adaptations, festival premieres, studio releases, and intimate indies, with work across the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America. She is also credited as a producer on select projects and has contributed narration for large format releases and award circuit documentaries.

This list gathers ten titles that feature her as a lead actor, voice artist, cameo performer, or narrator. You will find directors and writers, principal cast, distributors, production approaches, and filming details, so you can decide what to watch next and how each project came together behind the scenes.

‘Ophelia’ (2018)

‘Ophelia’ is directed by Claire McCarthy and written by Semi Chellas from the novel by Lisa Klein. Daisy Ridley plays Ophelia, with Naomi Watts, George MacKay, Clive Owen, and Tom Felton in key roles. The film reframes the court of Elsinore through Ophelia’s perspective and was released in the United States by IFC Films following a festival debut.

Production was based in the Czech Republic with work at Barrandov Studios and historic castles near Prague. Costume and production design emphasize late medieval court life, and the running time sits a little under two hours, making it a concise companion to screen versions of Shakespeare’s tragedy.

‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ (2023)

‘The Marsh King’s Daughter’ is directed by Neil Burger and adapted by Elle Smith and Mark L Smith from the novel by Karen Dionne. Daisy Ridley plays Helena opposite Ben Mendelsohn and Garrett Hedlund in a survival thriller set around remote lakes and dense forest.

The production filmed extensively in Ontario to stand in for the wetlands of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Practical locations and natural light help anchor the wilderness setting, and distribution in the United States was handled by Roadside Attractions in partnership with Lionsgate.

‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ (2023)

‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ is directed by Rachel Lambert and stars Daisy Ridley as Fran, an office worker who meets a new colleague played by Dave Merheje. The screenplay is by Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz, and Katy Wright Mead, expanding on a prior short and a stage work.

The film was shot in and around Astoria on the Oregon coast, using real offices, residential spaces, and waterfront exteriors. Oscilloscope Laboratories handled the domestic release, and the film premiered in the U S Dramatic Competition at a major Park City festival.

‘Young Woman and the Sea’ (2024)

‘Young Woman and the Sea’ is directed by Joachim Rønning and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films, adapted from Glenn Stout’s nonfiction account of swimmer Gertrude Ederle. Daisy Ridley portrays Ederle across amateur meets, Olympic competition, and open water attempts.

The production staged extensive swim training with open water specialists and used a combination of large water tanks and ocean locations to recreate the English Channel conditions. Disney released the film with a theatrical window followed by streaming availability on its in house platform.

‘Only Yesterday’ (1991)

‘Only Yesterday’ is a Studio Ghibli feature directed by Isao Takahata. For the English language version, Daisy Ridley voices the adult Taeko alongside Dev Patel as Toshio, with the North American release handled by GKIDS.

The English dub preserves the original score and sound design while presenting a new cast directed in English. The film blends contemporary scenes with childhood memories using a naturalistic animation style, and the English version reached cinemas and home formats across North America.

‘The Eagle Huntress’ (2016)

‘The Eagle Huntress’ is a feature documentary directed by Otto Bell that follows Aisholpan, a Kazakh girl who trains and competes as an eagle hunter in the Altai Mountains. Daisy Ridley provides narration and is credited as an executive producer. Sony Pictures Classics distributed the film in North America.

Cameras captured winter hunts, the Golden Eagle Festival, and family life on the steppe with aerial work and long range lenses. The documentary includes interviews with Aisholpan and her mentors and presents traditional techniques with context from local communities and historians.

‘Asteroid Hunters’ (2020)

‘Asteroid Hunters’ is an IMAX and giant screen documentary directed by W D Hogan with narration by Daisy Ridley. The film introduces near Earth objects and lays out detection, tracking, and deflection strategies through interviews with scientists and mission planners.

The production was designed for museum theaters and science centers with a concise running time suited to educational programming. It presents kinetic impactor concepts, survey telescope projects, and risk modeling, with visualizations formatted for dome and flat IMAX screens.

‘Chaos Walking’ (2021)

‘Chaos Walking’ is directed by Doug Liman and based on the first book in Patrick Ness’s trilogy. Daisy Ridley plays Viola Eade with Tom Holland as Todd Hewitt, and the cast includes Mads Mikkelsen and Cynthia Erivo. Lionsgate oversaw theatrical and digital release.

Principal photography took place in Quebec with additional work in the United States. The production built frontier town sets and forest environments and used visual effects to represent the Noise, while the screenplay credits include Patrick Ness and Christopher Ford.

‘The Bubble’ (2022)

‘The Bubble’ is a comedy directed by Judd Apatow about a film crew trying to shoot the fictional ‘Cliff Beasts’ sequel while living under strict health protocols at a luxury hotel. Daisy Ridley appears in a brief cameo through a video chat gag and a hallway dance moment. The ensemble features Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, Leslie Mann, and David Duchovny.

The film was shot in the United Kingdom at a country hotel location with studio work for the action scenes of the in movie franchise. It debuted on Netflix and mixes traditional narrative scenes with mock behind the scenes footage and social media clips.

‘The Inventor’ (2023)

‘The Inventor’ is a stop motion animated feature written and directed by Jim Capobianco about Leonardo da Vinci’s later years in France. Daisy Ridley voices Marguerite de Navarre with additional voice roles by Stephen Fry and Marion Cotillard. Production partners include European animation studios such as Foliascope.

The animation combines puppet work with stylized drawn interludes and uses detailed miniature sets for workshops and court life. The film premiered at major animation festivals and reached theaters through independent distributors in the United States and across Europe.

Share your picks and any hidden Daisy Ridley titles you recommend in the comments.