Rebecca Ferguson

In A House of Dynamite (2025), Rebecca Ferguson runs a watch floor full of screens and headsets without letting fear reach her voice. Her Captain Olivia Walker is the strongest reason to see Kathryn Bigelow’s uneven procedural. We felt her anxiety because her face showed what her training kept out of her speech. Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd stays loose and close, while editor Kirk Baxter makes the calls seem to overlap. The restless camera keeps us searching for the next piece of information with her.

The White Queen (2013), in which she played Elizabeth Woodville, brought her to international attention; Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) established her alongside Tom Cruise as Ilsa Faust. Her agile, full-body fight work made her a convincing match for him. Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) gives her less to do than she deserves. Its chases are worth the evening, but the long explanations leave us wishing she had more of the film.

Denis Villeneuve gives her more room in Dune (2021), where Lady Jessica’s concern for her son Paul makes Timothée Chalamet’s youth count. Ferguson makes us care about the boy while the film is still teaching us names. It is the film’s most persuasive relationship, and it keeps the solemnity from becoming wholly oppressive. We rate Dune: Part Two (2024) more highly, though the first film remains the clearer demonstration of what we value in her: worry for a particular person, played without fuss.

The Magic Faraway Tree (2026) gives her a different sort of authority as Dame Snap, all teeth and hairpins. The broadness suits a film whose cast know what is required, although she is barely allowed time to pose a threat. We would welcome more of that comic severity, and fewer appearances that leave us wondering why she was not given another scene. Start with A House of Dynamite, and be prepared to watch the same eighteen minutes three times.