Winona Ryder’s Enduring Fascination With John Sayles’ Films

Winona Ryder has long stood apart in the world of cinema, her performances marked by a rare emotional intensity. She’s made a name for herself by inhabiting characters who, while often gentle or conflicted, become the heart of their stories. There’s something about the way she conveys feeling—sometimes with nothing more than a glance—that draws audiences in. Whether it’s the quiet anguish of Kim in Edward Scissorhands or the fierce protectiveness of Joyce in Stranger Things, Ryder’s presence transforms roles that might otherwise have faded into the background.

Her impact on Stranger Things, in particular, is difficult to overstate. The Duffer brothers, who created the series, have openly credited her with reshaping the character of Joyce. Matt Duffer once remarked,

“She’s such a unique actress that we wanted to lean into her skill set. So she became Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters [of the Third Kind], and that’s where we came up with all the Christmas light stuff. I don’t know if any of that would have existed had Winona said no to the role.”

Ryder didn’t just fill a gap; she became the emotional core of the show, anchoring its narrative and giving the ensemble something to orbit around. Without her, it’s hard to imagine the series having the same resonance, especially given the criticism aimed at the acting in later seasons.

Drawn to Human Complexity

What sets Ryder apart isn’t just her ability to emote, but her taste in stories. She’s always gravitated towards films that explore the delicate, sometimes contradictory nature of people. This sensibility, she’s said, was shaped in part by her early exposure to the work of John Sayles. In an interview, she confessed,

“I’m obsessed with John Sayles movies, and I always have been.”

She singled out Matewan, Lone Star, and Passion Fish as particular favourites, recalling how she first encountered them as a teenager.

“I specifically remember Matewan because it was such a gorgeously shot movie and also completely devastating… It’s about so many different things that are all haunting and fascinating and terrifying and human. God, I miss that in movies these days.”

Sayles’ films, with their layered characters and unvarnished look at life’s messier corners, clearly struck a chord. Ryder’s own choices as an actor reflect a similar appetite for stories that don’t shy away from contradiction or vulnerability. She’s drawn to scripts that allow her to explore the full range of human experience, and it’s no coincidence that many of her most memorable roles echo the themes she admires in Sayles’ work.

Championing Nuanced Female Roles

For Ryder, the appeal of these films goes beyond aesthetics or nostalgia. She’s spoken about the importance of representing women as complex, fully realised individuals—something she finds lacking in much of contemporary cinema. Whenever she takes on a new part, she’s thinking about how to bring out the contradictions and subtleties that make a character feel real. It’s a perspective she’s carried with her since those formative years spent watching Sayles’ films, and it continues to inform her approach today.

Audiences respond to this authenticity. There’s a reason Ryder’s performances linger in the mind: she brings a depth and honesty that’s increasingly rare. Her admiration for Sayles isn’t just a matter of personal taste; it’s a guiding principle that shapes the way she works, and the kinds of stories she wants to tell.