Although Elle Fanning may have begun her career under the spotlight of her sister Dakota Fanning, in I Am Sam, the young actress has established herself as talented in playing diverse characters over the years. TechTrends decided to make a list of the best Elle Fanning movies of all time.
Elle Fanning has been shining in the series The Great, which will soon have a second season. It might seem as if being the younger sister to a famous actress like Dakota Fanning would make it hard for Elle Fanning to shine and make a name for herself in Hollywood, but it appears like it was not hard for her after all. Fanning has established herself as a talented actress who is as popular as her sister. She, herself, however, does not see any distinctions between herself and her sister when it comes to being popular and better. Elle Fanning had her breakthrough when she played in the movie Super 8 as Alice Dainard, which brought her positive reviews as well as a Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival. Without further ado, let’s get to the list of the best must see Elle Fanning performances. The list is in reverse chronological order.
Best Elle Fanning Movies of All Time
Elle Fanning has a lot of experience in acting, considering her age. She had her debut in acting in the 2001’s I Am Sam. With the other great movies she played in, she was able to strike out on her own and build a reputation for herself. Here are the best Elle Fanning movies of all time.
A Rainy Day in New York 2019
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Woody Allen
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Timothee Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Jude Law, Rebecca Hall, Live Schreiber
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 47%, IMDb 6.5
Elle Fanning was provided with an opportunity to act in a romantic comedy movie written and directed by Woody Allen. A Rainy Day in New York is a classic movie by Allen that follows the story of a young girl entranced by a man older than her. Although famous actors like Elle Fanning, Timothee Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Live Schreiber, and Jude Law perform in the movie, they cannot save this tired, pretentious movie. However, Fanning performs quite well and makes it one of the best Elle Fanning films ever.
Read more: Best Timothee Chalamet Movies of All Time
Teen Spirit 2018
- Genre: Drama/Music
- Director: Max Minghella
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Rebecca Hall, Clara Rugaard, Zlatko Burić, Archie Madekwe, Millie Brady
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 71%, IMDb 6
Another one of the best Elle Fanning movies of all time is Teen Spirit. Reality shows like American Idol, The Voice, and The X Factor have one thing in common, which is discovering a star. Violet (Elle Fanning) is used to singing in Karaoke bars and lives on the Isle of Wight. She becomes friends with a retired opera singer despite being an introvert. Vladimir Brajkovic (Zlatko Buric) becomes her mentor as she gets ready to join an international singing competition. Although things go well, Violet has to cope with the pressure of fame and realize what is important to her. It shows how hard it can be for the contestants to get ready for live TV stages. Aside from showing these aspects of the competition, we get to hear Fanning’s vocals.
The Beguiled 2017
- Genre: Drama/Western
- Director: Sofia Coppola
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst, Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Emma Howard, Angourie Rice
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 78%, IMDb 6.3
In the next one of the best Elle Fanning movies of all time, director Sofia Coppola adapted the 1971 movie The Beguiled, which tells the tale through the female protagonists’ eyes. Nicole Kidman and Kirsten Dunst play the roles of Martha Farnsworth and Edwina Morrow. They run an all-girls school during the Civil War, with one of the students discovering John McBurney, who is a wounded Union deserter, played by Colin Farrell. Martha and Edwina face unpleasant tensions between themselves when he comes, as well as with Alicia, played by Elle Fanning. The movie is female-driven with one of the most famous female directors.
Read more: Best Will Smith Movies of All Time
Mary Shelley 2017
- Genre: Romance/Drama
- Director: Haifaa al-Mansour
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Douglas Booth, Ben Hardy, Bel Powley, Tom Sturridge, Maisie Williams
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 41%, IMDb 6.4
Before playing the role of Catherine the Great, Elle Fanning portrayed another strong-willed woman in history. In this film, the focus is on Mary Shelley, who is the author of the classic gothic novel Frankenstein. The movie shows her upbringing and development as a writer in a time women lacked the chance to show their work. When her romance with Percy Shelley goes the wrong way, it is clearer why the author felt the need to write the monster tale that is praised even to this day. Elle Fanning excels in the movie Mary Shelley with her outstanding performance as the writer. This is one of the best Elle Fanning movies ever.
20th Century Women 2016
- Genre: Drama/Comedy
- Director: Mike Mills
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann, Billy Crudup
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 88%, IMDb 7.3
In the coming-of-age story of 20th Century Women, Annette Benning, playing Dorothea Fields, is having difficulty raising her son Jamie, portrayed by Lucas Jade Zumman, all by herself. While trying to raise him in a way that he respects and acknowledges the women around him, she and two younger women in his life team up. The two young women are an artist played by Greta Gerwig and a rebellious teenager whom Jamie has a crush on. Although the three have different opinions about the world they know, they have quite an effect on Jamie and assist him in uncovering what his true identity is when he struggles with adolescence.
Elle Fanning plays the role of Julie, who is a teenager keen on knowing her worth. Despite appearing quite confident, she is still figuring it all out. She spends time with Jamie, and it helps her deal with some of her own rough patches. With her amazing performance, this movie is added to the list of the best Elle Fanning films of all time.
Read more: Best Emma Watson Movies of All Time
The Neon Demon 2016
- Genre: Thriller/Horror
- Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Keanu Reeves, Bella Heathcote, Christina Hendricks, Karl Glusman, Abbey Lee
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 58%, IMDb 6.1
If you are interested in puzzling story arcs that have sensational cinematography, The Neon Demon may be what you are looking for. It shows Elle Fanning putting aside the sweet smiles and the charm she portrays in other movies. Instead, she represents a femme fatale identity, with her beauty leading her to madness. She portrays the role of a model named Jesse, who moves to LA. Her career seems more promising than most of the girls in the industry; therefore, many envy her. With her gorgeous look and success, things begin to take a turn and go South as everyone literally wants a piece of her.
Fanning really showcases her talent as an actor when she plays Jesse and makes it one of Elle Fanning greatest movie roles. This is due to the fact that at the beginning, she is this innocent and naïve model going after her dreams but then adopts her dark side when she realizes that her beauty is the thing keeping her on the top.
Read more: Best Horror Movies of All Time
Trumbo 2015
- Genre: Drama/Crime
- Director: Jay Roach
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane, John Goodman
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 75%, IMDb 7.4
Fanning plays the role of the teenage daughter of a dad, with the duo’s relationship being a turbulent one. It was the first role Elle had that was about a real person. She portrays Trumbo’s daughter from the age of 13 to 30. She is very loyal and pays attention to almost everything, observing the world around her carefully. Her personality is cool, smart, and tough, which makes Trumbo one of the best Elle Fanning movies of all time.
Read more: Best Drama Movies of All Time
Maleficent 2014
- Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
- Director: Robert Stromberg
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Angelina Jolie, Sam Riley, Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, Brenton Thwaites
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 54%, IMDb 6.9
Maleficent is indeed one of the best Elle Fanning movies of all time in which she plays the role of Princess Aurora. Angelina Jolie plays the villain in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. However, this is also one of the first live-action films that have given a tragic backstory to a Disney villain. They did that to give the big bad more sympathy, with the trend also showing itself in the movie Cruella in 2021. Fanning and Jolie Fanning shared a good chemistry. Although Fanning has a bright smile and a sweet personality, she captivates audiences’ hearts with the way she demonstrates the character’s kind heart and love for those around her, even Maleficent. Sharlto Copley plays the handsome king, performing surprisingly restrained. Despite the acting being magnificent, the only disappointment is the unpleasing CGI world.
The movie tells the story of a powerful winged fairy that lives in a magical forest. Her true love betrays her for his ambitions of becoming a king. Therefore, she turns out to be the witch of her dark kingdom. Maleficent attempts to take revenge by putting a curse on her former love’s infant daughter (Fanning), and just true love can break the curse. However, as time passes, she grows fond of the princess and regrets what she did.
Read more: Best Angelina Jolie Movies of All Time
Ginger & Rosa 2012
- Genre: Drama
- Director: Sally Potter
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Annette Bening, Christina Hendricks, Alessandro Nivola, Oliver Platt
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 78%, IMDb 6.2
Ginger (Elle Fanning) and Rosa (Alice Englert) are two young girls who lived together and were quite inseparable in the 1960s. When Ginger’s father gets separated, Rosa enters a relationship with him and makes the things between her friend problematic. Ginger feels so disturbed and considers leaving her home. 13-year-old Ginger is too young to be dealing with this kind of problem, and during the final scene, she pours out all her feelings. This shows how great of an actor she actually is, and it makes this movie one of the best Elle Fanning movies of all time.
Super 8 2011
- Genre: Sci-fi/Thriller
- Director:J. Abrams
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, Gabriel Basso, Kyle Chandler
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 81%, IMDb 7
Super 8 is another one of the best Elle Fanning movies of all time, which showcases her memorable performance. In this sci-fi/thriller movie which has a Stranger Things-like vibe, a group of kids that are shooting a film about aliens see a train crash. They become scared of the strange things that begin to happen in their small town. While the Deputy starts to uncover the events, he finds out some unsettling truth. At the age of 12, Fanning shined when she played the role of Alice Dainard. Her performance in this movie brought her substantial roles later in her career.
Read more: Best Sci-fi Movies of All Time
Somewhere 2010
- Genre: Drama/Indie film
- Director: Sofia Coppola
- Stars: Elle Fanning, Stephen Dorff, Chris Pontius, Alexandra Williams, Benicio del Toro
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 70%, IMDb 6.3
Fanning portrayed the role of an unfulfilled Hollywood star’s daughter in the movie Somewhere. Notwithstanding being popular, with women falling at his feet, Johnny Marco, played by Stephen Dorff, does not like stardom that much. His daughter Cleo visits him, and they start to know each other a bit more. As time passes, the father begins to question where she would be in his life under the spotlight. Although the movie received mixed reviews, Elle Fanning’s performance was amazing. She is capable of conveying her emotions by making eye contact and shows her talent as a child star, lifting herself out of her sister’s shadow.