10 Great Movies Starring The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Eliza Dushku has had one of the finer post-Buffy careers. As Faith, she was given a lot to do, a character that genuinely progressed over her run on the show, and she worked again with Joss Whedon on Dollhouse. She has also collaborated repeatedly with Kevin Smith and, far more impressively, Robert De Niro, who she appeared alongside in the underrated City By The Sea.

The crime drama focuses on De Niro’s detective and his stormy relationship with addiction-riddled son James Franco. While the two attempt to out-intense one another, Dushku plays Franco’s on-off partner, similarly struggling with both motherhood and her own substance issues.

It’s a decidedly different role for Dushku, who’s generally cast in sassy and/or badass roles, and she more than holds her own. She has spoken about her own experience with addiction, and certainly feels legitimate in the part, which she plays down in a nice contrast to Franco’s brash leanings.

The film itself is rarely spoken of in the resumes of De Niro, Franco, or co-star Frances McDormand, but it’s well worth watching.