You’ve seen her. Maybe you didn't know her name at the time, but you definitely felt that screen presence. Whether it’s the quiet, simmering rage of a mother in a haunted Tehran apartment or the cold-blooded efficiency of a Kurdish gang leader in London’s underworld, Narges Rashidi has this way of making you forget you’re watching a performance.
Honestly, it’s about time people started paying attention to the full breadth of Narges Rashidi movies and tv shows. She’s not just a "horror actress" or a "character actor." She’s a powerhouse who has navigated the German film industry, Hollywood blockbusters, and prestige British television.
That One Movie Everyone Still Talks About
If we’re being real, most people’s introduction to Rashidi was the 2016 masterpiece Under the Shadow. It’s basically the gold standard for modern "elevated horror," though I hate that term. She plays Shideh, a woman in 1980s Tehran who is dealing with two types of monsters: a literal Djinn and the figurative weight of a patriarchal society during the Iran-Iraq War.
The movie is claustrophobic as hell.
What makes it work isn’t just the jump scares. It’s Rashidi’s face. She captures that specific brand of exhaustion that comes from being told "no" by everyone in your life. You feel her frustration when she’s barred from medical school, and you feel her terror when the bombs start falling. It’s a performance that earned her a Breakthrough Artist award at the British Independent Film Awards, and frankly, she should’ve won more.
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The Gangs of London Era
If Under the Shadow showed her vulnerability, Gangs of London showed she could be absolutely terrifying. As Lale, a Kurdish militant running a heroin operation to fund her people’s revolution, Rashidi is a force of nature.
She’s cold. She’s calculated. But there’s a flicker of humanity there that makes you root for her even when she’s doing objectively "bad" things. The chemistry she had with Paapa Essiedu and Joe Cole was one of the best parts of the early seasons. It’s rare to see a female character in a crime drama who isn't just a love interest or a victim. Lale is a general.
The Roles You Probably Missed (But Shouldn't)
Rashidi has been working way longer than most people realize. She actually had tiny roles in some massive movies back in the day.
- Aeon Flux (2005): Blink and you’ll miss her, but she’s there.
- Speed Racer (2008): She plays an announcer. It's a small gig, but hey, it’s the Wachowskis.
- The Girlfriend Experience: In the second season of this Starz anthology, she plays Darya Esford. It’s a very different vibe—slick, corporate, and unsettling.
She’s also a staple of German television. Shows like Die Spezialisten – Im Namen der Opfer (where she played Samira Vaziri) and Auf Herz und Nieren are where she really honed her craft. If you can find them with subtitles, they’re worth a watch just to see how she handles different genres.
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Why 2025 and 2026 are Massive for Her
Fast forward to right now. If you’re checking out her recent work, you have to look at Prisoner 951 (also known as Nazanin in some regions).
Playing Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is no small feat. It’s a heavy, true-life story about the British-Iranian woman detained in Iran for six years. Rashidi brings a devastating authenticity to the role, likely because her own family fled Iran when she was a child. It’s not just "acting" at that point; it feels like she’s carrying the weight of a real person’s trauma.
Then there’s Havoc. Starring alongside Tom Hardy and Timothy Olyphant, this is the big-budget action pivot we’ve been waiting for. Directed by Gareth Evans (the guy who did The Raid), it’s expected to be a brutal, high-octane ride. Seeing her in a gritty, Gareth Evans-style action flick is basically a dream for anyone who loved her intensity in Gangs of London.
A Quick Cheat Sheet of Must-Watches
If you want to do a deep dive into Narges Rashidi movies and tv shows, here is the "starter pack" in the order I’d recommend watching them:
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- Under the Shadow (2016): The essential. Put your phone away for this one; the atmosphere is everything.
- Gangs of London (Series): Watch for the action, stay for Lale’s character arc.
- Prisoner 951 (2025/2026): For when you want something that will actually make you feel things.
- Hanna (TV Series): She pops up as Sima in the second season, and it’s a great example of her "mysterious operative" energy.
- Last Swim (2024): A smaller, poetic film that shows her more grounded, dramatic side.
What's the Secret Sauce?
Why does she stand out?
I think it's because she doesn't overact. In an era where a lot of TV performances feel like people are shouting for an Emmy, Rashidi does a lot with her eyes. She has this "stillness." Even when her characters are in total chaos, there's a core of steel in her performance that makes her believable.
She also switches languages effortlessly—German, Farsi, English—which gives her a range that most Hollywood actors just can't touch. She isn't boxed into "immigrant stories," even though she tells them beautifully. She's just a great actor who happens to have a global perspective.
What to Do Next
If you’re looking to catch up on her latest stuff, your best bet is checking Paramount+ for her newest series or BBC iPlayer for Prisoner 951. Most of her earlier German work is a bit harder to track down in the States, but Under the Shadow is usually floating around on Netflix or available for a cheap rental on Amazon.
Keep an eye out for the Havoc release dates later this year. If the rumors are true, that's going to be the role that officially makes her a household name. Don't say I didn't warn you.