By Pooja Kumar

Copyright sportskeeda

Toni Collette has created a legacy in the film and television industry, and Netflix’s Wayward is another feather in her cap. Her portrayal of Evelyn Wade haunts in its commitment to the cause: Charming parents into sending their troubled teens to her school. But what goes on behind closed doors when she shows her true self? That is what new cop Alex Dempsey (Mae Martin) sets out to find.From playing gritty detectives in underrated shows like Unbelievable to being part of some of the biggest hits like Hereditary, Toni Collette’s body of work precedes her. For over thirty years, she has experimented with her roles, even taking on producer duties and acting in stage plays.Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer.Unbelievable, Velvet Buzzsaw, and other Toni Collette movies for Wayward fans1) Unbelievable (2019)Collette plays Detective Rasmussen (Image via Netflix)In this timeless and gripping crime drama, Marie Adler’s life turns upside down when her sexual assault case is dismissed as a false report, leading to a harrowing journey filled with legal repercussions. On the flipside, two detectives, Grace Rasmussen and Karen Duvall, work tirelessly to bring a serial rapist down.Toni Collette’s Detective Rasmussen is on the other end of the morality spectrum compared to Wayward’s Evelyn Wade, enthralling the audience with her precise and logical investigation. Her character is based on the real-life detective Edna Hendershot, and the story is based on the Washington and Colorado serial rape cases. Collette’s gravitas sells her conviction to do the right thing at all costs.Where to watch: Netflix2) Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)Collette as Gretchen (Image via Netflix)In the high-end world of art collection, cut-throat competition is the bread and butter. Jealousy, rivalry, and a cat-and-mouse game ensue when one of the art dealers finds a dead man’s paintings and sells them against his dying wishes. This doesn’t go well with the supernatural world, and bad things befall those who let greed consume their love for art.In this satirical black comedy horror, Toni Collette plays the stylish and ambitious Gretchen, an art dealer who can’t wait to get her hands on the deceased artist’s works. Her screen presence is unmatched, and alongside a stellar cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, and Zawe Ashton, she brings the fascinating Dan Gilroy story to life.Where to watch: Netflix3) Little Miss Sunshine (2006)Collette with the ensemble cast (Image via Prime Video)The Hoovers take the cake as far as dysfunctional families go. From the cocaine-snorting grandpa Edwin to the Nietzsche-reading emo teenage son Dwayne, there is no dearth of quirks. But when the youngest, Olive Hoover, dreams of participating in a beauty pageant, the family loads their bags and traumas into a rickety yellow van and sets off across the country on a coming-of-age adventure.Toni Collette is the voice of reason as Sheryl, Olive’s mother, in this chaotic household created by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. She represents the importance of holding onto family when things get hard. The Wayward star was nominated for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award for her grounding and magnetic presence alongside big names like Greg Kinnear and Steve Carell.Where to watch: Prime Video4) Stowaway (2021)Collette as ship commander Marina Barnett (Image via Netflix)Ship commander Marina Barnett, biologist David Kim (Daniel Dae Kim), and medical researcher Zoe Levenson (Anna Kendrick) embark on a mission to Mars, hoping to make the planet more habitable for the future. But when another man is found to have accidentally boarded the spaceship, the crew faces a moral conflict. The ship can only support three people. What will they do with the stowaway?Toni Collette’s performance as Barnett was lauded for pushing the sci-fi drama through its uneven pacing. Her character brings a stoic logic to the emotionally charged premise, giving every viewer a clear picture of the stakes: They are higher than ever. There is a cohesiveness to her on-screen chemistry with Kendrick and Dae Kim.Where to watch: Netflix5) Hereditary (2018)Collette as Annie Graham (Image via YouTube/A24)Miniature artist Annie Graham must come to terms with the death of her mother, the enigmatic and mysterious Ellen Leigh. As she processes the entanglement of her grief with their complicated relationship, her family begins to experience supernatural occurrences that explain her family’s dark and haunted legacy.Hereditary is one of Toni Collette’s best movies, both critically and commercially. She brings nuance to the complex and traumatized nature of Annie, and handles the sensitivities of fraught mental health with deftness. Ari Aster’s directorial debut uniquely folds family dynamics into the horror genre in this A24 classic.Where to watch: Prime Video6) United States of Tara (2009-2011)Collette as Tara (Image via YouTube/Showtime)Tara Gregson is a regular suburban wife and mom of two in Kansas City. However, her Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) throws her life for a toss. When the mental health medication puts her in a deeply depressive state, she discontinues them, allowing her wildly different alter egos to emerge: The flirty teenager T, the beer-loving male army vet Buck, the 1950s housewife Alice, and the mysterious Gimme.Toni Collette won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for her role as Tara and her alter egos. If fans were wowed by her acting range in Wayward, Diablo Cody’s United States of Tara shows her myriad facets. Her portrayal handles the chaos of a mental health disorder with a touch of humor and sensitivity, making this a thorough entertainer.Where to watch: Showtime/Prime Video7) Knives Out (2019)Collette as Joni (Image via YouTube/Lionsgate Movies)When bestselling author Harlan Thrombey is murdered on the day after his birthday party, famed detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is invited into the Thrombey estate to investigate. With the family and friends on lockdown, the air is ripe with tension and suspicion. Who could have committed the crime and why?In the colorful and expansive ensemble cast consisting of Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more, Toni Collette manages to shine as Joni Thrombey, the widowed wife of Harlan’s son Neil. Like in Wayward, Collette’s character plays with the duality of a complex woman who appears self-sufficient on the surface, but is holding onto dear life as Harlan’s financial dependent.Where to watch: Prime VideoFans of Toni Collette’s nuanced performance in Wayward will also love her minor but impactful characters in About a Boy (2002) and I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020).