Emma Watson’s three favourite movies: “Each for completely different reasons”

Posted On November 30, 2025November 30, 2025

Emma Watson might have taken a hiatus from acting after her turn as Meg in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, but that doesn’t mean she’s far from the public’s mind.

In fact, the social media and the press seem to jump at any news from the Harry Potter star, whether it’s a driving ban for speeding or an off-the-cuff comment on JK Rowling. And, of course, her fans are forever wondering when she’ll return to our screens, even though she’s continually spoken about how unhappy acting, or rather the hoop jumping surrounding the job, made her. 

Currently, she runs a gin business with her brother and recently appeared on her first-ever podcast with Jay Shetty, where she most intimately spoke about her life as a child star and hiatus from that world. But regardless of the details, it’s always been clear that Watson’s fallout with Hollywood wasn’t motivated by access to worthwhile roles or an appreciation for the form. 

Although she was a child star who didn’t really choose the career, so much as it chose her, after the release of the final instalment of the magical series in 2011, Watson managed to become the biggest star by landing roles with some of the biggest names in Hollywood right off the bat. 

Within two years of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Watson starred in Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, Darren Aronofsky’s Noah and Stephen Chbosky’s Perks of Being a Wallflower. It seemed she was on track to become a new indie darling. 

While this didn’t quite come to pass due to her move away from showbiz, her own list of film favourites is quite on brand for the line of films she chose to star in. Most notably, her love of the quirky, French independent film Amelie.

While it’s not necessarily niche, considering it was nominated for four Academy Awards, it no doubt changed the face of independent cinema with its unique characters, interesting filmography and whimsical plot. It follows Audrey Tatou as a shy waitress in a classic Parisian cafe as she embarks on a mission of do-goodery in the neighbourhood of Montmartre. 

Then we have a classic, Giant, and a classic 1990s romcom, Notting Hill. The former was James Dean’s last film, following him as a poor cowboy who comes into some money after the woman he loves marries a wealthy rancher. 

Also featuring Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, the epic drama was nominated for several Academy Awards and won one. And, it has since been inducted into the US Library of Congress National Film Registry.

Then, of course, the latter is a classic Hugh Grant flick with him as one of his usual charming, slightly offbeat leading men of the era. This one is unsurprisingly set in Notting Hill, starring Grant as a bookshop owner who falls for Julia Roberts ,who plays basically herself as a famous American actress and It Girl. It’s sweet, charming and romantic. 

Much like the prior two entries on Watson’s list. Clearly, she’s a fan of a romance which tracks with her usual sweet and demure persona. Maybe she’ll make her screen return someday with a sweet romance of her own; it seems like a genre fit for her. But until then, let’s make do with rewatching her faves, and leaving the poor woman alone. 

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