Victoria Pedretti was not well known before her role in The Haunting of Hill House. Before then, she had mainly appeared in short films. However, since Haunting, she has been one of the fastest rising stars out there. Her portrayal of Nell in Mike Flanagan’s anthology series was so good that it got her spotted for her largest role to date as Love Quinn on another hit Netflix Original series You, which just released its third season and has been renewed for a fourth.
The young actress is just getting started and has mainly stuck to Netflix productions, but her range is incredible. It’s likely that she will soon become one of the most sought-after actors in the industry, so until then, here are her best performances, ranked. The films on this list comprise just about all her parts in her career so far. One thing to take away from this list is that she was never not in the spotlight.
Related: Upcoming Mike Flanagan Horror Shows We Can’t Wait to Binge on Netflix

9 Shirley

This particular role from the film Shirley sees Victoria Pedretti play Katherine, a temptress of sorts in the quasi-biographical film about horror and mystery writer Shirley Jackson. Although she may not be in a large role here, her vibrant energy is palpable in every appearance. She is mainly seen laughing with friends and dancing through dreams while making intense eye contact with one of the film’s main characters.
The film follows Shirley Jackson, played by Elizabeth Moss, whose writing process is thrown off by the arrival of a newly married couple who arrive to stay with her and her literary critic husband, played by Micheal Stuhlbarg. Pedretti’s casting is likely not a coincidence as she had already starred in The Haunting of Hill House before starring in this film. Her appearance was a subtle nod to the author whose story she helped bring to life.

8 Star-Crossed

Music artist Kacey Musgraves made a 50-minute feature film to accompany her 5th studio album Star-Crossed, and Victoria Pedretti starred in it. Her character was a popular girl alongside Musgraves’ character and friends. The group robs a mall and bridal shop with nun-chucks, hence her character “Heist Girl 1.” Donning a frosted pink metallic mini-skirt and pink fuzzy crop top, this film sees her play a different sort of role from anything else she’s done. It’s easy to see how much fun she was having within it.

7 Sole

This small role is undoubtedly different from all others on this list. In another one of her earliest parts, Sole sees Pedretti play the voice-over and visual representation of Anna Rosati’s poem “Sole.” Her acting as the girl is primal and aggressive as she crawls naked through the woods and scratches at her dirt-covered skin. The love and appreciation for poetry in this short film are reminiscent of the famous Apple TV series Dickinson, named after famed poet Emily Dickinson. The series featured the poetry of the house-hermit artist as they pertained to different themes and situations in Emily’s life, using voice-over and abstract scenes.

6 Uncovering Eden

In another of her earlier short films, Uncovering Eden, Pedretti plays a 16-year-old girl who is bullied into stripping away her Jewish identity in order to fit in with her crush and his friends. It’s a powerful story about race relations, a theme that has become more relevant in recent years. It’s a hard yet honest look at the overtly racist and judgemental nature of teens and teenage romance, along with how the influence of young love can cause those who seek it to overlook bad behavior and emotional abuse. Again, Pedretti shined as Edie and demonstrated her ability to show off complex emotions with facial expressions and glances. Not everyone is expected to know about this short film, but it was clear pretty early on that Pedretti was a star.

5 Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

Pedretti can be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Leslie “Lulu” Van Houten, one of Charles Manson’s followers and a convicted murderer. It’s a small role, but it saw her star alongside Hollywood royalty such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, and many other great actors. The film tells the story of an actor and his stuntman’s fading careers in 1969’s Los Angeles. Pedretti may only be on-screen for a short time, but nabbing a part in a Tarantino film is an excellent achievement for any actor.
Related: Here’s 10 of Quentin Tarantino’s Best Movie Characters, Ranked

4 Amazing Stories

Pedretti starred as one of the main characters in an episode of the Apple TV anthology, Amazing Stories, back in 2020 titled “The Cellar.” The episode saw Sam Taylor (Dylan O’Brien) sent back to 1919 through the cellar of a house he was fixing. Pedretti’s character, Evelyn, dreams of a better life where she can enjoy music and all the other things her family disapproves of. Eager to help her, Sam tries to take her back to his time, but finds himself stuck in the past while she travels to the future. Pedretti encompasses a starry-eyed woman of the 1900s with ease and proves herself to be a timeless performer. The series was based on a show from the 80s of the same name by Steven Spielberg, with the reboot being produced by him as well. So, that would be two huge name directors she has worked under now.

3 The Haunting of Bly Manor

The second installment in The Haunting Anthology saw Pedretti return for a new role and in a bigger capacity than the first season. In The Haunting of Bly Manor, she plays the fan-favorite character Dani Clayton, an au pair for two children at a large English manor. However, dark entities lurk within Bly, and they aim to take all who stay to places they can’t return from. But the house isn’t the only thing with secrets as Dani’s being in England was brought on by a truth she’d been running from for years, which resulted in an accident she can never take back.
Dani quickly became a fan favorite among Haunting fans. They desperately wanted her to have a happy ending after everything she went through. Pedretti brought a cheery optimism to the role that was almost ethereal. If Haunting ever comes back for a third season, Pedretti will likely play a huge part as she encapsulates every role she is in.

2 You

It was easy for fans to fall in love with Love Quinn when she was introduced in the second season of You. They were even more so enamored because they were frightened by the danger that Joe Goldberg posed after what he had done to his girlfriend in the first season. Absolutely no one saw Love’s true nature coming, being just as crazy as, if not worse than, Joe. One can’t simply look at her character as a psychopath. She was much more than that. Pedretti brought Love to life as a murderous Angeleno trying to live the American dream like everyone else, but struggled to maintain the ideal family life she dedicated herself to. It’s a compelling portrayal of a paranoid killer, with the talented actress being able to make audiences root for her and fear her at the same time. She brought so much to the role of a killer trying to be the perfect wife and mother, only to discover that the two can’t live within the same person, leading to a shocking finale for the only person who could match Joe’s obsession and deadly desire.

1 The Haunting of Hill House

Pedretti’s best performance is none other than the one who put her on the map. It was hard not to love Nell. What makes The Haunting of Hill House so riveting is that it’s not all about the scares. Mike Flanagan creates compelling characters and stories in all his work, making for a very human story that drives the narrative and makes audiences afraid for people they come to care for. Nell’s heartbreaking story carried the first season and was a series highlight. Pedretti’s emotions to the role add a horrifying realism to the character, and viewers can feel all of Nell’s pain and anguish to the very end. This is one of the defining roles for Victoria Pedretti, and she’s only getting started.

Read Next

About The Author