Naomi Watts has never been afraid to take risks with her fashion or her acting career.

So it was no surprise to see her turning heads in a bright purple dress on her way to a screening of her disturbing new horror film Goodnight Mommy in New York City on Wednesday.

The 53-year-old was hard to miss in the frock, which featured ruffled sleeves and an embroidered floral pattern in black.

She paired it with black heels and styled her blonde hair in a chic bob.

Once she arrived, the British-Australian actress posed for photos in front of the media wall with some of her co-stars.

Goodnight Mommy is a remake of the terrifying 2014 Austrian film of the same name.  

The plot features young twin actors Cameron and Nicholas Crovetti, who become increasingly convinced their mother is an imposter after noticing her disturbing behaviour when she returns home following facial reconstructive surgery.