10 Underrated Films by Katherine Waterston You Must See

Katherine Waterston has built a career that blends studio spectacles with intimate indies, often taking roles that shape a story rather than simply orbit it. This list gathers ten films where her work adds real texture and detail, from literary adaptations to period dramas and heists. You will find character names, directors, settings, and production facts that help you decide what to queue up next.

Each pick includes two straightforward paragraphs with information you can use. You will see where a film premiered, who else appears, what the story covers, and how Waterston figures into it. Titles are written in single quotes throughout so you can spot them quickly.

‘The Babysitters’ (2007)

David Ross directs this suburban drama about a high school student who turns a small babysitting gig into a clandestine business that caters to married men. Katherine Waterston plays Shirley Lyner, the organizer at the center of the operation, with John Leguizamo and Cynthia Nixon among the key supporting players. The film was shot in New York and uses quiet domestic spaces as the main backdrop for its escalating scheme.

The story tracks how a notebook of clients, payment rules, and coded referrals grows into a risky network that pushes legal and personal boundaries. Waterston’s character handles logistics, negotiates terms, and deals with fallout as spouses take notice and friendships strain under the pressure of secrecy.

‘Inherent Vice’ (2014)

Paul Thomas Anderson adapts the Thomas Pynchon novel into a twisting Los Angeles mystery set around a private investigator known as Doc Sportello. Katherine Waterston plays Shasta Fay Hepworth, whose sudden return pulls the investigation toward real estate deals, counterculture hangouts, and a shadowy syndicate called the Golden Fang. The production recreates Southern California neighborhoods with period cars, wardrobe, and signage to match the era.

The film cross connects missing persons, offshore money, and federal surveillance through a tangle of interviews and stakeouts. Waterston’s character links multiple threads by moving between hippie enclaves and corporate fronts, which places her at the junction of the case’s personal and criminal stakes.

‘Queen of Earth’ (2015)

Alex Ross Perry directs this psychological chamber piece set almost entirely at a lakeside house. Katherine Waterston plays Virginia opposite Elisabeth Moss as Catherine, two friends sharing a week that exposes shifting power dynamics and old resentments. The film keeps its focus on long takes in intimate rooms and on the water, emphasizing body language and the cadence of conversations.

The narrative charts a series of daytime walks, studio sessions, and tense dinners that catalog how trust erodes between the women. Waterston’s character hosts, sets ground rules, and reacts as uninvited guests and past relationships intrude, turning the isolated setting into a pressure cooker.

‘Steve Jobs’ (2015)

Danny Boyle directs this backstage biographical drama written by Aaron Sorkin and structured around three product launches. Katherine Waterston portrays Chrisann Brennan, who appears at each launch with concerns that evolve as her daughter grows and the company’s fortunes change. The film was staged in real auditoriums in the Bay Area to mirror the time and place of the events.

Scenes move from green rooms to hallways to onstage cues as technical glitches and personal conflicts collide. Waterston’s role documents legal filings, support payments, and family logistics that intersect with corporate decisions, giving the timeline a domestic ledger that runs alongside the tech milestones.

‘Logan Lucky’ (2017)

Steven Soderbergh returns to heist territory with a story set during the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Katherine Waterston plays Sylvia Harrison, a healthcare worker who runs a mobile clinic that stops in West Virginia and North Carolina. The film assembles a large ensemble around a plan to extract cash from the speedway’s pneumatic tube system during the race.

The plot details diversion tactics, timing windows, and inside knowledge of the track’s maintenance tunnels. Waterston’s character connects the crew to medical paperwork and travel routes, and her clinic provides a practical reason for certain characters to cross state lines without drawing attention.

‘Alien: Covenant’ (2017)

Ridley Scott directs this science fiction entry that bridges the gap between ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Alien’. Katherine Waterston plays Daniels Branson, a terraforming specialist aboard the colony ship Covenant. The production filmed in Australia, building large interior ship sets and wet exterior environments to stage lander scenes and creature encounters.

The mission shifts when the crew diverts to a nearby planet after receiving a signal and discovers a crashed vessel tied to earlier expeditions. Waterston’s character handles habitat planning, equipment checks, and emergency procedures as the team faces biohazards, protocol failures, and the consequences of an android’s long running experiments.

‘Mid90s’ (2018)

Jonah Hill makes his feature directing debut with this coming of age story about a Los Angeles skate crew. Katherine Waterston plays the mother of the young protagonist, who juggles work and parenting while her son spends increasing time at a skate shop and around older teens. The film was shot on 16 millimeter to echo the look of home video and skate tapes of the era.

The script tracks school, parties, and sessions at well known spots, along with injuries and household conflicts that accompany them. Waterston’s role covers curfew rules, medical visits, and family dinners that mark each step of the boy’s changing routine, placing domestic checkpoints against the pull of the crew.

‘State Like Sleep’ (2018)

Meredith Danluck directs this noir tinged drama set in Brussels after the sudden death of a television star. Katherine Waterston plays a woman who returns to the city to sort through an apartment, storage boxes, and a series of phone messages that hint at a private club and a network of associates. The film uses hotel rooms, train stations, and canal streets to anchor the investigation.

The story follows her meetings with a neighbor and a stranger who becomes an ally as she revisits her late husband’s shooting schedule and press commitments. Waterston’s character examines keys, hard drives, and call logs that gradually connect personal grief with the mechanics of celebrity life in the city.

‘The Current War’ (2017)

Alfonso Gomez Rejon directs this historical drama about the competition to power American cities with electric light. Katherine Waterston plays Marguerite Westinghouse, appearing alongside Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse and Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison. The film maps company offices, workshops, and public demonstrations as rival systems are tested for reliability and cost.

The production’s release history includes a later director approved cut that reshaped scenes and pacing after an initial festival run. Waterston’s role tracks household conversations, correspondence, and travel during negotiations with city officials and investors, showing how family life intersected with business strategy.

‘The World to Come’ (2020)

Mona Fastvold directs this frontier period piece adapted from a short story by Jim Shepard. Katherine Waterston plays Abigail, a farmer’s wife who befriends a neighboring newcomer played by Vanessa Kirby in a remote northeastern community. The film records daily ledgers, weather notes, and supply lists to convey the work of an isolated homestead.

The narrative observes chores, market trips, and winter hardships while letters and journal entries document feelings that grow within strict social confines. Waterston’s character manages accounts, livestock records, and household planning with Casey Affleck as her husband and Christopher Abbott as the neighbor’s spouse shaping the limits of their world.

‘The End We Start From’ (2023)

Mahalia Belo directs this survival drama set in the United Kingdom during a sudden environmental catastrophe that floods major cities. Katherine Waterston appears in a supporting role alongside Jodie Comer, Joel Fry, and Benedict Cumberbatch as displaced families navigate temporary shelters, roadblocks, and ration lines. The production uses a mix of urban locations and rural waypoints to mark the journey northward.

The story traces identification checks, supply queues, and changing evacuation routes as government advisories shift with the weather. Waterston’s character intersects with the lead at a point where travel documents and safe housing plans determine the next move, highlighting the administrative steps that shape survival during a national emergency.

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