Not many actors can trace their career back through three decades in their 30s but Selena Gomez is one of those people. She started her career playing the role of a child on Barney & Friends and has been impressive ever since. TechTrends made a list of the best Selena Gomez movies of all time.
Not only is Selena Gomez working in movies and television but she is also one of the greatest singers in the music industry. Moreover, she even produced hits like 13 Reasons Why. This multi-talented American girl has been in the industry for three decades and is very popular among her generation. She was born in Texas in 1992 and her acting career started in 2000s. Gomez came to be a famous Disney Channel actor and played in many shows, with Wizards of Waverly Place being one of them. She kept acting and singing, releasing many albums and films since 2009 when her first album came out. Some of her works were better than the others so we made a list of the best must-see Selena Gomez performances. Here we go.
Best Selena Gomez Movies of All Time
Selena Gomez evolved from playing princess roles in Disney Channel to mature characters in movies over the years. She is not only a famous and popular actor, but she has also been singing most of her life. Here are the best Selena Gomez movies of all time.
13. Spring Breakers 2012
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Harmony Korine
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Rachel Korine, James Franco, Ashley Benson
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 67%, IMDb 5.3
This crime movie tells the tale of a group of college girls, including Faith, Brit, Cotty, and Candy, who come across the world of drug dealing while having their spring break in Florida, courtesy of local drug dealer Alien, played by James Franco. This results in many drug-induced escapades for them, with Brit and Candy, played by Ashley Benson and Hudgens respectively, taking on the leader in a thrilling sequence. The message behind the movie and its plot were well-received by the critics. Spring Breakers is a cult classic for crime film lovers Selena fans as she keeps her “good girl” image and finally bails on her friends when things get out of control, so she steps out of the movie. Spring Breakers is among the best Selena Gomez films of all time.
12. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising 2016
- Genre: Comedy
- Director: Nicholas Stoller
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 64%, IMDb 5.7
After the first movie came out, there came its sequel. It shows Mac Radner, played by Seth Rogen, and his wife Kelly who is pregnant. Their lives are good until two sisters move next door and they throw wild parties, threatening the sale of their home. Therefore, the couple as their former neighbor Teddy Sanders, played by Zac Efron to help them. Together, they plan to get them off the block but young women do not want to go down without a fight. Selena Gomez also appears in this film as Madison and despite having small screen time, she is amazing as always.
11. Another Cinderella Story 2008
- Genre: Romance/Musical
- Director: Damon Santostefano
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Drew Seeley, Jane Lynch, Marcus T. Paulk, Emily Perkins, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Nicole LaPlaca
- Rating: IMDb 5.7
Another one of the best Selena Gomez movies of all time, in which Gomez plays the role of the modern life Cinderella, is Another Cinderella Story. Her name is Mary and she does not have glass shoes, with Joey, played by Drew Seeley, playing the role of a charming newcomer to school and wants a girl to be part of his singing project. Mary might be that girl. Joey Parker is a pop star who is looking to have a normal school year. Selena dances and signs in this movie. Together they make this a very entertaining modern time Cinderella story.
10. Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie 2009
- Genre: Comedy/Family
- Director: Lev L. Spiro
- Stars: Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, Maria Canals-Barrera, Jennifer Stone
- Rating: IMDb 6.2
Selena Gomez’s role in the movie Wizards of Waverly Place is what she is most known for. Like Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato, Gomez was also so popular in a Disney Channel series and for her, it was this series, which is arguably the best among all of them. The audience and the critics liked it and Gomez played the role of Alex Russo, who is a teen competing with her brothers to become the next wizard of the family. Selena Gomez became a star in Wizards of Waverly Place.
9. Ramona and Beezus 2010
- Genre: Comedy/Family
- Director: Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Joey King, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Duhamel, John Corbett
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 70%, IMDb 6.5
This movie was perfectly timed for Selena Gomez’s career as she was in the middle of her most iconic role from her teenage years when she played in a film that hade her as an older sister. The film is an adaptation go a beloved book series written by Beverly Cleary and many people have read it. Selena Gomez played the role of Beezus, Ramona Quimby’s older sister. The film revolves around their relationship and the shenanigans they get themselves into. It is not only sweet but also funny and the two main actors share great chemistry. Ramona and Beezus is one of the best Selena Gomez movies of all time.
8. A Rainy Day in New York 2019
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Woody Allen
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, Rebecca Hall, Live Schreiber
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 47%, IMDb 6.5
A Rainy Day in New York is a romantic comedy movie written and directed by Woody Allen. It 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 Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Live Schreiber, and Jude Law perform in the movie, they cannot save this film from the critics’ review. However, Gomez performs quite well and makes it one of the best Selena Gomez films ever. Gatsby comes across the little sister of a woman she used to date and it is played by Selena Gomez.
Read more: Best Timothee Chalamet Movies of All Time
7. Hotel Transylvania 2 2015
- Genre: Family/Comedy
- Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Mel Brooks, David Spade, Steve Buscemi
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 55%, IMDb 6.6
Since the first movie was so successful, Hotel Transylvania 2 came out three years later and it became the biggest blockbuster that Selena Gomez was part of. It was an even bigger success as it grossed $474.8M. Gomez continued voicing Mavis’ character who was Count Dracula’s daughter. She and her boyfriend Johnny, who is a human, have a baby son together and Dracula is worried that he wouldn’t have any special abilities. Hotel Transylvania 2 is one of the best Selena Gomez movies of all time.
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6. Horton Hears a Who 2008
- Genre: Family/Adventure
- Directors: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 6.8
Horton Hears a Who is a well-known and popular animation which has Selena Gomez performing as the voice behind one of the characters. It is originally written by Dr. Seuss and turning a small book into a feature film is no easy task. However, despite all that, the film got a lot of positive review as it stayed true to the source material and was very heartwarming. The tale follows an elephant (Jim Carrey) who wants to help the tiny community of Whoville, which he believes live on a very small dust. Gomez was the voice behind Helga, the Whoville mayor’s daughter. Therefore, it became one of the best Selena Gomez movies of all time.
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5. Hotel Transylvania 2012
- Genre: Family/Comedy
- Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 44%, IMDb 7
In 2012, Selena Gomez became the voice behind Mavis Dracula in Hotel Transylvania. The film was so successful that there were two sequels after it. The fun tone and the premise of the film made it popular and one of the best animations ever. Moreover, it is among the best Selena Gomez movies of all time. The hotel is only for monsters and when a human male comes to the hotel after getting lost, things begin to go downhill. Mavis, however, starts to fall for the human and Selena Gomez did a great job voice-acting this role.
4. The Muppets 2011
- Genre: Family/Comedy
- Director: James Bobin
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Jason Segel, Dave Goelz, Emily Blunt, Jim Parsons
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 95%, IMDb 7.1
Selena Gomez was not part of The Muppets’ main cast but her appearance was so enjoyable despite being the smallest for her. When the film got a reboot in 2011, it appeared as though many stars, who were fans of the show, wanted to play in the film. The cameos in this movie are too many to count as players like Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Neil Patrick Harris, and Selena Gomez. The titular characters interact in the movie and celebrities try to put on a show and save Muppet Theatre. This is among the best Selena Gomez movies of all time.
3. The Fundamentals of Caring 2016
- Genre: Drama
- Director: Rob Burnett
- Stars: Selena Gomez, Paul Rudd, Craig Roberts, Jennifer Ehle, Megan Ferguson, Bobby Cannavale
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 77%, IMDb 7.3
The Fundamentals of Caring is one of Selena Gomez’s greatest movie roles where she plays the role of Dot. Although the movie was little seen, it is one of the best Selena Gomez movies of all time. Moreover, this film helped her prove that she is capable of acting in more serious films. The movie revolves around a man, played by Paul Rudd, who is dealing with a loss. He takes care of a teen with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, played by Craig Roberts, when they go on a road trip. The two, who are paralyzed in various ways, learn about friendship and hope together, taking a road trip to west. When they are there, they come across Dot who kind of connects with them.
2. Rudderless 2014
- Genre: Drama/Musical
- Director: William H. Macy
- Stars: Selena Gomez, William H. Macy, Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Laurence Fishburne
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 64%, IMDb 7.4
Rudderless is the second one on the list of the best Selena Gomez movies of all time and it came out in 2014. The film also grossed just $546,149 despite having a budget of $5 million; however, critics reviewed the movie positively. The cast of the movie is quite talented as it includes Billy Crudup, Miles Heizer, Jamie Chung, and Selena Gomez. The story revolves around a father, played by Crudup, who finds some tapes that his deceased son recorded. He makes a band with the demo music to honor his memory. Gomez portrayed the role of the son’s girlfriend.
1. The Big Short 2015
- Genre: Drama/Comedy drama
- Director: Adam McKay
- Stars: Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 89%, IMDb 7.8
The Big Short is a comedic examination of the housing bubble of the U.S. that resulted in the economic crash that occurred in 2008. Wall Street guru Michael Burry finds out that some of subprime home loans might get default. Betting again the housing market, Burry puts more than $1 billion of his investors’ money in that. Jared Vennet, played by Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell’s Mark Baum, who is a hedge-fund specialist, pay attention to him for his actions. The trio make a lot of money in this situation. Although Selena Gomez doesn’t have much screen time in The Big Short, she has a came and plays herself but this time it is more uniquely fashioned than the time she appeared in The Muppets. This is one of the best Selena Gomez movies of all time.
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