Jennifer Lopez is a well-known singer and capable actress. Since having her breakthrough in the film Selena, she continued to star in many other hit movies. TechTrends put together a list of the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time.
Jennifer Lopez’s new documentary named Halftime came out this year and focused on her personal life and career. The famous singer/actor spoke about her disappointment at not being nominated for an Oscar for her best work Hustler in 2019. Moreover, the talented singer reminds the audience that she is also a capable actress. This cultural icon who is also known as J. Lo rose to fame when she appeared as a dancer on comedy TV series called “In Living Color”, whereas her film debut was “My Little Girl”. Although she has received a lot of accolades and became successful, that didn’t stop her from having more desire to succeed. It appears as if she is able to settle into the feeling of success. TechTrends narrowed down a list of the best must-see Jennifer Lopez performance that you should not miss. Here we go.
Best Jennifer Lopez Movies of All Time
During the last three decades, Jennifer Lopez has made a name for herself as a multi-talented star as she is not only a leading lady in Hollywood, but she is also a fashion icon, a recording artist, a producer, and an entrepreneur. Here are the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time ranked based on their ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
12. The Wedding Planner 2001
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Adam Shankman
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Justin Chambers, Bridgette Wilson, Judy Greer
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 17%, IMDb 5.3
The Wedding Planner is a rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey, who do wonders in the film. However, the tale of Mary, who is a wedding planner that falls for one of her clients, has some contrived nonsense happening. However, the chemistry between the two actors is appreciated and highlight of the film, with their kiss in the rain considered iconic. For these reasons, this is one of the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time.
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11. Anaconda 1997
- Genre: Horror/Thriller
- Director: Luis Llosa
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Jon Voight, Ice Cube, Owen Wilson, Eric Stoltz
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 40%, IMDb 4.8
The 1997 horror/thriller Anaconda is stupidly fun with Jennifer Lopez playing a badass who fights for survival on the Amazon River. Despite the plot being cheesy, it has a cult following as it is thrilling, unique and dares to “go there”. Lopez was also able to keep her energetic presence throughout the movie and other actors like Ice Cube and Jon Voight also acted excellently. Lopez’s character, Terri Flores, is a filmmaker who goes into the Amazon jungle to look for a tribe that has been forgotten. Terri has a crew made of an anthropologist (Eric Stoltz) and a cameraman (Ice Cube).
They all meet with Paul, played by Jon Voight, who is stranded there. He tells them that he can help them find what they are looking for but he is very secretive. They later realize that they were being used as he was trying to find an anaconda worth a fortune.
Read more: Best Horror Movies of All Time
10. Second Act 2018
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Peter Segal
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Milo Ventimiglia, Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini, Treat Williams
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 44%, IMDb 5.8
The 10th one on the list of the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time is Second Act, which has the famous tagline “The only thing stopping you is you”, directed by Peter Segal. The film is about a woman who has to use a fake resume in order to get the future she believes she deserves. Although she received a thin script, Jennifer Lopez was able to do magic with it, performing remarkably well. In addition, she helped her co-stars showcase their best and she shared incredible scenes with Leah Remini, Vanessa Hudgens, and Milo Ventimiglia. Do not miss this amazing rom-com; we strongly recommend it.
Read more: Best Vanessa Hudgens Movies of All Time
9. Home 2015
- Genre: Family/Comedy
- Director: Tim Johnson
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, Matt L Jones, April Lawrence
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 52%, IMDb 6.6
Home is an animated film that tells the tale of a friendship between a young girl, voiced by Rihanna, and an alien from another planet and race who want to conquer Earth. Jim Parsons is the voice behind the main alien, whereas Lopez voices the girl’s mother, Lucy. Although it did not please the critics as a memorable animated film of the previous decade, it still attracted the attention of the audience. Critics, however, did praise the film’s humor and the performance of the cast, but insisted that the film does not have originality. Notwithstanding all that, Home is among the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time and it is quite entertaining. Do not miss it.
Read more: Best Animations of All Time
8. An Unfinished Life 2005
- Genre: Drama/Melodrama
- Director: Lasse Hallström
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Becca Gardner, Josh Lucas
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 52%, IMDb 7
Jennifer Lopez acted alongside Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman, the Academy Award winners, in this drama film named An Unfinished Life. This is one of the best Jennifer Lopez films ever and the story follows Einar, who is a recovering alcoholic living with Mitch, his close friend. Mitch is paid a visit from his daughter-in-law Jean and his granddaughter unexpectedly. Lopez plays the role of Jean with empathy and assertion. Jean and Einar do not share a good relationship and he believes she is to blame for the accidental passing of his son. The movie got mixed reviews from critics, who hailed the performances of the cast but criticized the movie’s tone.
7. U Turn 1997
- Genre: Thriller/Crime
- Director: Oliver Stone
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Bob Thornton
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 60%, IMDb 6.7
U Turn is another one of the best Jennifer Lopez movies ever, directed by Oliver Stone. Lopez plays alongside Sean Penn, the Academy Award winner, in a movie that revolves around a drifter who gets in the middle of a couple’s wicked games after being stranded in a town that is desolated. The other actors playing in the movie are Nick Nolte, Claire Danes, and Joaquin Phoenix. Lopez and Penn were able to do fine with what they have been given in U Turn despite the plot being unsurprising and tired. Notwithstanding all that, Lopez did great as always and made this one of her best films.
Read more: Best Movies Based on True Stories
6. Marry Me 2022
- Genre: Romance/Comedy
- Director: Kat Coiro
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Maluma, Chloe Coleman, Sarah Silverman, John Bradley
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 61%, IMDb 6.1
This year, Jennifer Lopez acted in the movie Marry Me, which is based on the graphic novel of the same name. She plays the role of a pop star who wants to get married with a man who holds a sign saying “Marry Me” during a concert. Among the other amazing cast members are Owen Wilson, Maluma, John Bradley and Sarah Silverman. The two leading stars were able to do some heavy lifting in the movie and their amazing chemistry did help the film elevate. Marry Me is one of the best Jennifer Lopez films of all time.
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5. Selena 1997
- Genre: Music/Drama
- Director: Gregory Nava
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Jon Seda, Edward James Olmos, Lupe Ontiveros, Constance Marie
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 67%, IMDb 6.8
Jennifer Lopez had her breakthrough when she performed in the movie Selena in 1997. She played the role of iconic Tex-Mex singer Selena Quintanilla in this film named Selena. The story revolves around how Selena rose to game, while also tracking her fast success and tragic death by Yolanda Saldivar, her fan club’s president. Critics loved the film and gave it a lot of positive reviews, but Selena did receive some criticism for not having enough objectivity when telling her story. However, Lopez’s work was remarkable and noteworthy. Moreover, Lopez got her first nomination for Golden Globe for her performance but she did not win it. It is still one of Jennifer Lopez’s greatest movie roles. We strongly recommend this wonderful movie.
4. Halftime 2022
- Genre: Documentary
- Director: Amanda Micheli
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Ben Affleck, Julia Stiles, Tom Hanks
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 84%, IMDb 6.6
This musical documentary follows the important parts of Jennifer Lopez’s life. She promoted the movie Hustlers in 2019 and got a lot of great reviews for her job, such as Oscar Buzz. At the same time, she was getting ready for her Superbowl halftime show, which she and Shakira co-headlined. The documentary named Halftime got some criticism for not getting deeper into the actress’s psyche. However, the reviews were mainly positive and many liked the entertainment value it had and how people were able to see inside Lopez’s life and career. Halftime is one of the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time. If you want to know more about the actress/singer, watch this documentary.
3. Hustlers 2019
- Genre: Drama/Crime
- Director: Lorene Scafaria
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, Julia Stiles
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 87%, IMDb 6.3
Hustlers is arguably considered the newest and greatest one on our list of the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time. This 2019 movie, which Lopez also produced, is about a group of strippers from New York City who start to seduce rich men at clubs. They drug them and then steal from them. Lopez portrays the role of Ramona, who is a dancer and the operation’s mastermind. Hustlers became an acclaimed and successful movie and Lopez’s performance was hailed by critics. They even claimed that this film was her best since Selena and could have gotten her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Despite getting nominated for Golden Globes and SAG Awards, she did not receive an Oscar nomination.
2. Antz 1998
- Genre: Adventure/Family
- Directors: Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Woody Allen, Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Danny Glover
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 87%, IMDb 6.3
Antz is an animated film that came out in 1998 and it tells the tale of an individualistic ant who wants to find himself in his community as they try to keep their colony safe from an evil General. Jennifer Lopez is the voice behind Azteca, who is the protagonist’s friend. She develops a romance with Corporal Weaver, with Sylvester Stallone voicing him. This film came out one month after Pixar’s A Bug’s Life and many confuse it with a Disney picture. Moreover, Antz got a lot of critical acclaim and critics praised its voice cast, humor, theme and animation. This is among the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time. If you are into classic animated films, this is the one for you. Moreover, if you are looking for more, check out the link below.
Read more: Best Animations of All Time
1. Out of Sight 1998
- Genre: Crime/Drama
- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Stars: Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Ving Rhames, Catherine Keener
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 7
One of the best Jennifer Lopez movies of all time that came out in 1998 is Out of Sight. The story revolves around a romance between a bank robber who falls for a Federal Marshal when he escapes from jail. Jennifer Lopez plays the role of Karen Sisco while George Clooney portrays Jack Foley. Among the other amazing stars are Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Catherine Keener, and Albert Brooks. This movie got a lot of critical acclaim, with Lopez’s portrayal of the character receiving praise and positive reviews. Critics also hailed her chemistry with Clooney. Although the movie received Oscar nominations for editing and screenplay, it did not win.
Read more: Best Drama Movies of All Time