Knightley's performances in independent films including the dramas The Duchess (2009) and Never Let Me Go (2010) were well received; both the roles earned her nominations at the British Independent Film Awards.
Penampilan Knightley dalam film independen seperti The Duchess (2009) dan Never Let Me Go (2010) mendapat banyak pujian; atas kedua film ini, ia mendapat nominasi British Independent Film Awards.