[2] Cresswell's first role came in 2006 as a child actress,[3] playing Kelly Jenkins in the film This Is England when she was fifteen years old.

[4] She won the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the This is England series at the 2016 British Academy Television Awards.

[7] From 2011 to 2013 Cresswell starred in Sky One sitcom Trollied as Katie McVey, returning to the show in 2015 and continued in this until the final episode in December 2018.

She appeared in a main role as Jess Meredith in ITV drama series, The Bay in March 2019.

[5][3] In 2024, she appeared as Tammy alongside Theo James and Daniel Ings in the Guy Richie Netflix television series The Gentlemen.