Meryl Streep – 10 Best Movies

By Vlad Zakh · August 12, 2026

Sophie’s Choice and Kramer vs. Kramer are the serious-film-fan picks, but The Devil Wears Prada is just as controlled and cold, funny and endlessly quotable, and Mamma Mia! proves she can do pure joy too. Miranda Priestly might be the most quotable character of her career, Sophie’s Choice is among the most devastating performances on film, and Kramer vs. Kramer shows early Streep already operating at a level most actors never reach. Out of Africa, Doubt, The Iron Lady, Julie & Julia, Adaptation. and The Bridges of Madison County round out the list.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

IMDb ★ 7.0 RT 75% Metacritic 62

An aspiring journalist survives a year assisting fashion's most terrifying editor.

Directed by David Frankel · 1h 49m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 2 Oscars21 wins & 53 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sophie's Choice (1982)

TMDB ★ 8.1

A concentration camp survivor's past conceals a decision no one should ever have to make.

Directed by Alan J. Pakula · 2h 31m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Philo, Peacock Premium Plus, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

TMDB ★ 7.9

A father fights for custody of his young son after his wife unexpectedly leaves the family.

Directed by Robert Benton · 1h 45m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Mamma Mia! (2008)

IMDb ★ 6.5 RT 54% Metacritic 51

A bride-to-be invites three of her mother's old flings to her wedding, hoping to find her real father.

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd · 1h 48m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 3 BAFTA Awards16 wins & 27 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Doubt (2008)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A strict Catholic school principal grows suspicious that a beloved priest has crossed a serious line with a student.

Directed by John Patrick Shanley · 1h 44m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Iron Lady (2011)

TMDB ★ 6.4

The elderly Margaret Thatcher reflects on her extraordinary rise to power as Britain's first female Prime Minister.

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd · 1h 45m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Britbox Apple TV channel, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Julie & Julia (2009)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A modern blogger cooking through a legendary chef's cookbook finds her story intertwined with the chef's.

Directed by Nora Ephron · 2h 03m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Out of Africa (1985)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A Danish baroness's life on a Kenyan coffee plantation is transformed by a passionate romance with a big-game hunter.

Directed by Sydney Pollack · 2h 41m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Adaptation. (2002)

TMDB ★ 7.7

An anxious screenwriter struggles to adapt a non-fiction book while his more successful twin brother thrives.

Directed by Spike Jonze · 1h 55m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

TMDB ★ 7.4

Meryl Streep gives one of her most underrated performances in a story of quiet, restrained heartbreak.

Directed by Clint Eastwood · 2h 15m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

Meryl Streep – 10 Best Movies

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Sophie's Choice (1982)

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Doubt (2008)

The Iron Lady (2011)

Julie & Julia (2009)

Out of Africa (1985)

Adaptation. (2002)

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

You might also like

38 Best Courtroom Dramas of All Time

15 Best Movies for a Rainy Night In

23 Best Book-to-Movie Adaptations of All Time

8 Best Movies of 1979

6 Best Monastery and Convent Movies

6 Best Oscar Best Picture Winners of the 1970s