Karen Gillanis an actress who has appeared in many great projects, with some of the best of them receiving rave reviews from audiences. She is perhaps most famous for her role has Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series of films, but she has also acted in other massive franchises, includingJumanjiandDoctor Who.She will even be joining the Stephen King universe of films when she appears in theupcoming filmThe Lifeof Chuck, set to release this summer.
Experienced in acting for both television and film, Gillan has played everything from the inexperienced, wide-eyed protagonist to the larger-than-life action hero.Gillan has appeared in many fun action movies, carving out a special niche for herself. In opposition to this niche, however,Gillan will soon be making a return to television with the seriesDouglas is Cancelled, a comedic series about a reporter who finds his career in danger over a joke.
Selfie
Cast
Selfie is a comedy series starring Karen Gillan as Eliza Dooley, a social media-obsessed saleswoman who seeks help from marketing expert Henry Higgs, played by John Cho, to rebrand her image. Inspired by the classic play Pygmalion, the show explores themes of modern-day relationships and social media’s impact on personal connections.
One of Gillan’s more underappreciated projects,Selfiewas a short-lived series about a woman named Eliza Dooley,written as a modern rendition ofPygmalionandMy Fair Lady.Eliza is obsessed with her own self-image, constantly posting on social media and doing what she believes will garner the most attention. However, as the series progresses, she begins to feel as though these interactions ring hollow and seeks help from her coworker, a man named Henry Higgs.
Despite a slow start that likely played a part in its mid-series cancelation,Selfiewould go on to win the hearts of countless viewers with the last half of its season. Gillan’s performance is perfect in this series, as she manages to strike the perfect balance of playing the conceited protagonist while also showing a desire for more. The series is sweet, and even now it still deserves a second season.
Jumanji: The Next Level
Jumanji: The Next Level is the third installment in the adventure franchise spawned by the Robin Williams-led 1995 classic. Following the events of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the sequel features Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan reprising their roles as the four playable characters in the video game version of the board game, which has changed its rules once again.
Based on the iconic Robin Williams classic,Jumanji: The Next Levelsees a group of teenagers once again trapped in a game calledJumanji. This film kicks off when the protagonist, Spencer, returns to the game willingly, as he wants to once again feel like the character Dr. Smolder Bravestone.It is the sequel toJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,a reboot of the franchise that was released a few years prior.
Jumanji 4: Release Date, Cast, Story & Everything We Know
Jumanji: The Next Level was another hit at the box office for Sony Pictures and a sequel is on the way. Here’s what we know so far about Jumanji 4.
Karen Gillan plays Ruby Roundhouse, the Jumanji avatar of a girl named Martha. The levels of her performance are well-realized, asshe really feels like a teenager who has not only been put into a strange world, but also an action-focused game avatar.She offers a look into the same character from the first movie, showing how she has become more confident as the story has progressed.
The Party’s Just Beginning
The Party’s Just Beginning, released in December 2018, stars Karen Gillan as Luisaidh, a young woman navigating life in Inverness after her best friend’s suicide. The film explores themes of grief and coping mechanisms, juxtaposed against the backdrop of a harsh winter and personal turmoil.
The Party’s Just Beginningis an intriguing film,one that serves as Karen Gillan’s directorial debut. She stars as Liusaidh, a young woman who is struggling after the suicide of her friend, a man named Alistair who ended his own life the year before. Since then, Liusaidh has fallen into a cycle of drinking in sex, one that she struggles to break out of before she meets the same fate as Alistair.
The Party’s Just Beginningwas nominated for several awards, including Best Feature Film at the Scotland Bafta Awards, but received none of them.
The film is a brutally honest portrayal of grief and what those emotions can drive a person to do. Gillan’s performance is empathetic, as is the writing of the film itself. Despite the fact thatThe Party’s Just Beginningis a comedy, it manages to be one of the most heartbreaking films that Gillan has ever appeared in.
Oculus
Eleven years after her brother Tim is accused of murdering their parents, Kaylie Russel attempts to research document the supernatural powers of an antique mirror, which drove him to commit the crimes. Meanwhile, flashbacks tell the story of the mirror’s haunting during the siblings' childhood, and the true story of the deaths of their parents.
Revolving around two siblings and an evil mirror,Oculusis a paranoid look at an entire family’s history of pain and suffering. Karen Gillan plays protagonist Kaylie Russell, a young woman who has become obsessed with an old mirror that has haunted her family’s home. She hopes to destroy the mirror, believing it to be the source of all the misfortune that has befallen the Russell family.
As a horror movie,Oculustakes its time setting the scene and allowing the viewer to fall into the mystery surrounding the mirror itself. It leaves the viewer with a sense of dread, relying on tension as opposed to the gore and shock horror that so many horror movies use as cheap scares.The progression is smart, only amplified by the performances of actors including Karen Gillan and Katee Sackhoff ofBattlestar GalacticaandThe Mandalorianfame.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is an action-adventure comedy directed by Jake Kasdan and acts as the sequel to the original 1995 film. When a group of disconnected high school students end up in detention, they stumble upon a video game titled “Jumanji.” When they decide to try it, the group is dragged into the video game world, all in entirely different bodies. Trapped in a lush-jungle-themed digital world, the four teenagers must play by the game’s rules if they hope to return home.
Built upon a foundation of gut-bursting comedy and stunning performances,Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungleis the first in a series of films rebooting the originalJumanjifranchise. It follows a group of teenagers' first experience being whisked into the world of the game Jumanji. Now trapped inside in bodies different from their own,the group must learn to survive and find their way out before it’s too late.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Junglecurrently holds a rating of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.
It is in this film in the series that Gillan is at her best, beginning as the avatar for an unsure teenager who is thrust into a completely unknown world. Through her acting, not only does Gillan convince the audience that she is a teenage girl in an adult’s body, but she also properly shows how the character grows in confidence throughout the film. This development, as well as the performances from the rest of the cast, felt fresh in a series that was, at the time, just beginning.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the adventures of Peter Quill and his eclectic crew as they navigate complex family dynamics and revelations about Quill’s mysterious heritage. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film explores themes of family and identity against a backdrop of intergalactic adventure.
The character of Nebula, played by Karen Gillan throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has become a fan-favorite for good reason. This brutal warrior and daughter of Thanos begins as an enemy, but as the series progresses, she begins to find herself more and more on the side of the heroes. This comes to a head inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, where she comes to assist the Guardians against Ego after forging an uneasy alliance with her sister, Gamora.
“You Don’t Want to Let Go Of Lightning When It Strikes”: James Gunn Addresses Surprise Popularity Of Groot And Nebula In Guardians Of The Galaxy
James Gunn was surprised at Groot and Nebula’s popularity in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, but he later leaned into the positive fan response.
This is the first moment where more of Nebula’s character can be seen underneath her tough exterior.Nebula is not the monster that she makes herself out to be, much less the monster that she believes Thanos made her to be.This reconciliation between Nebula and Gamora coupled with the painful familial narrative that Peter faces when meeting his father, Ego, makesGuardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.an amazing sequel to the original box-office hit.
Late Bloomers
Late Bloomers is a comedy/drama film that follows Louise, a twenty-eight-year-old woman forced to deal with aging. Louise, who is depressed, single, and a bit of a mess, has an accident one drunken night that leaves her with a broken hip. Stuck in physical therapy filled with people twice her age, she meets an older Polish woman with a chip on her shoulder and is tasked with caring for her. The two detest one another’s company, but Louise will be forced to face reality and acknowledge that she’s getting older.
WhenLouise breaks her hip after a night of post-breakup drinking, she is forced into group physical therapy to recover from the injury. This allows her to meet new people, most of them much older, including a woman who speaks no English. However, the two begin to bond, with Louise becoming this woman’s caretaker and going on to change her own life.
Late Bloomersis an intriguing movie, one that is focused on characterizing Louise and presenting her as a fully realized person. Her relationship with this older woman, Antonina, is based on the real-life experience of the film’s scriptwriter, Anna Greenfield. This creates a holistic view of them as characters, making the comedy and drama that occur as the film progresses feel very real.
Gunpowder Milkshake
Gunpowder Milkshake is an action film that sees Karen Gillan as a woman following in her mother’s footsteps as an assassin. Abandoned at twelve years old, Sam has grown into a skilled assassin. However, after a job goes sideways after learning the truth about it, Sam decides to take up the vigilante route to save a kidnapped girl, resulting in an unexpected team-up with her estranged mother.
Following the story of a hitwoman named Sam,Gunpowder Milkshakeis an action-oriented adventure that focuses on saving a life rather than taking one. The film kicks off when a group of rival assassins target a young girl, whose father Sam had previously killed. Feeling a sense of responsibility, Sam takes it upon herself to keep the girl alive, asking for the help of her mother and other assassins along the way.
There is a sequel toGunpowder Milkshakethat is currently in development.
Led by a strong cast of characters with bombastic personalities,Gunpowder Milkshakeremains entertaining throughout the entire film. The stakes are clear from the beginning, andthe danger feels both tangible and visceral.It is almost cartoonish at times, making the film feel like something that came straight out of a comic book in the best way possible.
Similar to other sci-fi anthology shows likeBlack Mirror,Neuroticafocuses on exploring the anxieties that humans face every day through a science fiction lens.Each episode is different, featuring completely separate storylines and addressing different questions each time. For example, the very first episode of the series features a one-on-one conversation between a chronic procrastinator and an otherworldly being that grants different ideas to different people.
Neuroticaallows viewers the chance to engage with their own everyday thoughts and feelings on a grander scale, taking these normal emotions and amplifying them on a grander stage.
Neuroticaallows viewers the chance to engage with their own everyday thoughts and feelings on a grander scale, taking these normal emotions and amplifying them on a grander stage. Because of this, the series hits home, allowing viewers to connect in a way that most series cannot replicate. Though it is more comedic thanBlack Mirror,Neuroticaholds a very similar niche.
The Big Short
A fictionalized depiction of the events surrounding the financial crisis of 2007-2008, The Big Short employs narrative techniques such as fourth-wall breaks to succinctly explain financial concepts to its audience, using Michael Lewis’s 2010 book as a template. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt.
The Big Shortis a film that explores the 2007 housing market crash in excruciating detail, doing so by featuring several different storylines and showing how each contributed to the market collapse. The cast features iconic actors like Christian Bale and Steve Carell, each giving great performances that help the audience to learn a bit about how this all occurred. The film itself is based on the 2010 novelThe Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine,which kicked everything off.
Karen Gillan plays an admittedly small part in the overall film, starring as a woman named Evie who the cast meets in Las Vegas.The film itself is put together well and manages to be both entertaining and surprisingly educational, basing its knowledge on real-life facts.Aside from that, it is simply a good movie, even holding an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Unique compared to many shows that Gillan has been a part of,In Love With…is an anthology series that features different celebrities performing passages from their favorite playwrights. True to the name,love permeates the series, giving it a genuine feeling of adoration for the literature the series covers.Filmed over two seasons,In Love With…covers many different writers, including Shakespeare and Dickens.
Several famous actors have appeared on the show, including Richard Madden, Jonathan Pryce, and Catherine Tate.
Karen Gillan appears in one episode of the series, that being “In Love with Coward.” This episode goes over the work of Noel Coward, known best for plays such asPrivate Livesand the novelPomp and Circumstance.Gillan gives a passionate rendition of Coward’s character Laura, one that was foundational to the series' history, despite her short appearance.
