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Julianne Moore stars in Sirens, the 2025 Netflix limited series that blends dark comedy, coastal tension, and a critique of power and privilege. Created by Molly Smith Metzler and based on her 2011 play Elemeno Pea, the series unfolds over one explosive weekend at an opulent beach estate.
Moore plays Michaela "Kiki" Kell, a business magnate and former lawyer who is charming on the outside but sneakily cunning on the inside. When Michaela's loyal personal helper, Simone DeWitt (Milly Alcock), brings her older sister Devon (Meghann Fahy) to the estate, things get tense.
Devon is determined to step in because she thinks Simone's friendship with Michaela has reached a troubling level. But what starts out as a visit between sisters turns into a fight that shows old family wounds, changing loyalties, and the elite's quiet cruelty.
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For viewers captivated by Julianne Moore’s performance in Sirens, her filmography offers a wealth of emotionally intense, morally ambiguous characters. Here are seven standout roles that highlight her range.
A glimpse at Netflix's darkest show RIGHT HERE
Hannibal, As The World Turns, Still Alice, and more Julianne Moore movies and shows to watch
1) Hannibal (2001)
In Hannibal, Julianne Moore steps into the role of FBI Agent Clarice Starling, originally played by Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs. Set ten years after the events of that film, Hannibal follows Starling as she is drawn back into the twisted world of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins.
Moore brings a new edge to Clarice. Her version of the character is less idealistic but equally determined. The film, directed by Ridley Scott, leans into operatic horror and psychological suspense.
Moore holds her own opposite Hopkins, adding vulnerability and grit to a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game. Like Evelyn in Sirens, Clarice faces shadows from the past and must navigate trauma with focus and control.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
2) As the World Turns (1985–1988)
Before becoming a film star, Julianne Moore built her foundation on daytime television. From 1985 to 1988, she played two characters, Frannie Hughes and her identical half-sister Sabrina, in the long-running soap opera As the World Turns.
This early role showcased Julianne Moore’s emotional range and screen presence. She played Frannie as thoughtful and driven, while Sabrina was more secretive and damaged. The dual roles allowed Moore to explore identity, family, and heartbreak—elements that continue to shape her later work.
In Sirens too, fragmented identity and hidden histories echo her early soap opera performances. Moreover, her work on As the World Turns earned her a Daytime Emmy Award in 1988.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
3) Still Alice (2014)
Julianne Moore’s Oscar-winning turn in Still Alice remains one of her most acclaimed performances. Based on Lisa Genova’s novel and directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, the film follows Alice Howland, a linguistics professor diagnosed with early-onset familial Alzheimer’s.
Much like her performance in Sirens, Julianne Moore plays a woman losing control of her mind while clinging to her sense of self. Her portrayal avoids melodrama, letting subtle shifts in expression and tone do the heavy lifting. The movie is dedicated to Glatzer, who died of ALS shortly after the film’s release.
Where to watch: Netflix, Apple TV, HBO, Amazon Prime Video
4) May December (2023)
Directed by Todd Haynes, May December is a drama that blurs the line between fiction and reality. Julianne Moore plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, a woman whose controversial relationship with a much younger man made headlines years earlier. Now, as an actress (Natalie Portman) prepares to play her in a film, Gracie must confront the story of her life.
Moore gives Gracie an eerie calm. Her smile hides secrets, and her soft tone creates tension. The film examines performance, perception, and truth. In both May December and Sirens, Julianne Moore plays women with tightly controlled facades. Her characters are complex and self-protective.
Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
5) Mary & George (2024)
In Mary & George, Julianne Moore shines as Mary Villiers, the cunning Countess of Buckingham who orchestrates her son George’s (Nicholas Galitzine) rise as King James I’s lover and advisor. Based on Benjamin Woolley’s The King’s Assassin, the Starz and Sky drama blends court intrigue, ambition, and seduction as Mary navigates a ruthless world of power plays and betrayal.
Julianne Moore’s Mary is sharp, bold, and unapologetically ambitious—a woman who bends society’s rules to her advantage. Like Evelyn in Sirens, she conceals truths and outsmarts those around her, but where Evelyn is quiet and calculated, Mary is fiercely direct.
Where to watch: HBO Max
6) The Hours (2002)
The Hours, directed by Stephen Daldry, follows three women, Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman), Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep), and Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), as their lives are linked by Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway.
Laura is a pregnant 1950s housewife quietly unraveling under the weight of her unhappiness. In one of the film’s haunting scenes, she checks into a hotel planning to end her life, only to find solace in Woolf’s words.
Laura’s emotional stillness mirrors Evelyn Shaw in Sirens, both women hide their pain behind calm exteriors. They live with the ache of truths they can’t voice, caught between duty and desire. Julianne Moore brings subtlety to Laura, expressing despair not through big gestures, but through quiet, devastating moments of silence.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
7) Safe (1995)
Safe, directed by Todd Haynes, follows Carol White, a Los Angeles housewife who becomes mysteriously ill. She believes her illness is caused by chemicals in her environment, but no one can diagnose her. As Carol withdraws from society, she moves to a desert commune and loses her grip on identity.
Julianne Moore plays Carol with unsettling precision. Her soft voice and fragile posture reveal a woman who is slowly disappearing. The film critiques modern life and the cult of wellness. Like Evelyn in Sirens, Carol is searching for answers in a world that does not understand her pain.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
From the eerie quiet of Safe to the intellectual decay in Still Alice, Julianne Moore delivers performances that linger. In dramas like May December and The Hours, she builds tension with every glance. Even her early work in As the World Turns reveals her instinct for emotional nuance.
Sirens is available for online streaming on Netflix.
