Famous for her roles in the films of Lars von Trier and Mike Leigh, Cartlidge appeared in movies such as Topsy-Turvy and Career Girls. She is also remembered for her starring roles in several of the films of Macedonian writer and director Milcho Manchevski. Early in her career, she played the role of Lucy Collins on the early 1980s soap opera Brookside. Her first leading big-screen role was in the 1993 Mike Leigh feature Naked.
