‘The year we lived dangerously’ Peter Weir, 1982
Australian director Peter Weir’s final project before moving to American cinema places its drama in the volatile days of Jakarta in 1965. The film follows a reporter’s perilous assignments in a landscape of political upheaval. Mel Gibson travels to Indonesia as a special envoy, while a British embassy employee becomes entwined in a fraught romance. The narrative masterfully blends a tense love story with the political conflicts endangering the end of President Sukarno’s era.
‘Ghost Hunters’. Ivan Reitman, 1984
The performance brings grounded humor to a fantasy tale that centers on a team led by Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis, all linked to the Saturday Night Live era’s distinctive energy. If Alien had marked a commercial triumph, Ghostbusters exploded at the box office and nurtured a lasting franchise. The film’s momentum continues in Ghostbusters II, where a domestic upheaval in New York escalates into another supernatural showdown during a chaotic urban moment.
‘Women’s weapons’. Mike Nichols, 1988
The drama spotlights the abrasive and ambitious angles of a relationship triangle featuring Harrison Ford and Melanie Griffith. In a corporate setting, Weaver portrays a capable and self-assured manager, while Griffith embodies a keen secretary striving to prove her worth amid class barriers. What begins as an exploration of dehumanization within a large company ultimately pivots toward a playful, pink romantic comedy vibe.
‘Gorillas in the fog’. Michael Apted, 1988
Previously cast in ensemble pieces or supporting roles, the lead now rises as a true heroine inspired by Dian Fossey. Fossey’s pioneering fieldwork among mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains and across the Congo and Rwanda becomes a lens on perseverance. Weaver moves with ease through dense jungle scenes, embodying a determined, instinctive presence that anchors the story.
‘Death and the Girl’. Roman Polanski, 1994
A three-act adaptation of a Dorfman play unfolds in a fictional country emerging from dictatorship. A torturer from the old regime pairs with one of the women he tortured, igniting a charged confrontation years later. Polanski’s atmosphere remains morbid and taut, with intense performances from Weaver and Ben Kingsley driving the dramatic duel.
‘Copycat’. Jon Amiel, 1995
Though compact in scope, the film earns its edge through a strong central performance. A psychology-focused thriller centers on a criminal profiler who finds himself targeted by a disturbed patient. Trapped in his apartment by fear of another encounter, the protagonist’s world tightens into claustrophobic suspense. Weaver complements the dynamic, alongside Holly Hunter’s steady detective, elevating what could have been a narrower tale.
‘Ice Storm’. Ang Lee, 1997
Ang Lee adapts Rick Moody’s acclaimed novel with a keen eye for American small-town life in the early 1970s. A stellar ensemble—Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Weaver, Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire, and Elijah Wood—braids a Thanksgiving week with the coming-of-age tensions and the shifting boundaries of sexual freedom. Weaver portrays a married woman navigating a neighbor’s risky proposal amid broader social change.
‘A monster is coming to see me.’ J. A. Bayona, 2016
Few projects feature Weaver in a Spanish-language setting, though she later portrayed Queen Elizabeth in a Ridley Scott co-production about early American exploration. Bayona’s storytelling delves into a child’s psyche and fears, using a fantastical creature to explore a family grappling with illness, abandonment, and the heavy weight of parental relationships.
‘Master Gardener’. Paul Schrader, 2022
One of Schrader’s later works, this chapter closes a trilogy that began with The Priest and Card Counter. Weaver plays a wealthy widow with a prestigious estate, entwined with a gardener who carries a shadowy past. Their scenes together unravel a tense, charged dynamic, balancing restraint with a lingering, uneasy tension.