Jessie Buckley's Boundary-Pushing Performance in "The Bride!" Earns Oscar Buzz

The Irish actress's fearless, shape-shifting turn in the divisive film has critics raving and predicting awards glory.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Jessie Buckley's performance in the unconventional film "The Bride!" is earning her major Oscar buzz, with critics praising her ability to seamlessly inhabit multiple roles and personas within the same character. Buckley's work in the high-camp, genre-blending movie is described as "massive and maximalist" as she channels everything from Hammer horror to Marlene Dietrich. Though the film itself is divisive, Buckley's committed and unabashed performance is earning widespread acclaim as a tour de force that transcends questions of good or bad acting.

Why it matters

Buckley's boundary-pushing work in "The Bride!" showcases her remarkable range and talent, cementing her status as one of the most exciting and versatile actresses of her generation. Her willingness to embrace the film's over-the-top elements without any sense of embarrassment is seen as a testament to her fearlessness and dedication to her craft.

The details

In "The Bride!", Buckley plays multiple roles, sometimes simultaneously. She begins as the ghost of Mary Shelley, then appears as a young Chicago mob call girl named Ida who becomes possessed by Shelley's spirit. Buckley switches between these vastly different personas with ease, delivering Shakespearean monologues one moment and channeling Marlene Dietrich the next. Her performance is described as a "huge" and "maximalist" feat, transcending questions of good or bad acting.

  • Buckley's performance in "The Bride!" is generating major Oscar buzz ahead of the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony.

The players

Jessie Buckley

An Irish actress who has built an acclaimed career spanning film, television, and theater, known for her versatility and fearless performances.

Maggie Gyllenhaal

The director of "The Bride!", which has been described as a wild, genre-blending film that aims to be both a camp classic and a serious feminist work.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Buckley has built the kind of career that would allow her to go on dancing on the wild edge of tasteful prestige movies, but in "The Bride!", she is so committed to the task at hand that she delivers a performance that transcends petty questions of good or bad.”

— Isaac Butler, Writer (Slate)

“Buckley's performance is high camp, like something out of a Hammer horror film, complete with overenunciated consonants, wicked smiles, and the excavation of Buckley's lower vocal register.”

— Isaac Butler, Writer (Slate)

What’s next

Buckley's acclaimed performance in "The Bride!" is expected to earn her a Best Actress nomination at the 2026 Academy Awards, where she will be a front-runner for the prize.

The takeaway

Jessie Buckley's fearless, shape-shifting turn in the divisive film "The Bride!" has cemented her status as one of the most exciting and versatile actresses of her generation, unafraid to embrace the most outrageous and boundary-pushing aspects of her craft.