Julia Louis-Dreyfus' 10 Best Movies, Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes
After getting her start on the infamous late-night sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has worked her way to the big screen and has landed herself leading roles on television shows like Veep. From the movies Troll to You Hurt My Feelings and her latest film, You People, she is still hard at work showcasing her talent on fans' screens.
While she has been in many movies throughout her decades-long career, it might be impossible for people to agree on which movie is her best. Luckily for viewers, Rotten Tomatoes offers some ratings to base judgments on, and her top films include Jack the Bear among others that fans might know and love. No matter the ratings on these films, however, there's no doubt that they helped Julia Louis-Dreyfus become the dynamic actor she continues to be today.
10 'Jack the Bear' (1991)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 28%
Jack the Bear is a thriller comedy and features well-known actors like the iconic Danny DeVito as well as Reese Witherspoon. The film follows the story of John Leary, who is raising his two boys alone as a single father after the death of his wife. When one of his sons is kidnapped by a neighbor he's been fighting with the entire film, John must figure out how to take back control of his family and life.
In the film, Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Peggy Etinger. Its low score and mixed reviews may be off-putting for many, but the cast contains some big names that just might make it worth the watch for others. There are some diamonds in the rough here that make it worth seeing.
9 'Troll' (1986)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 30%
The fantasy comedy Troll follows what takes place when a troll named Torok seeks to return to his former life as a wizard and takes over an apartment building as part of his plan. Unfortunately for Torok, a witch named Eunice (Anne Lockhart) also lives in the building and joins forces with a boy named Harry (Noah Hathaway) to stop the troll and save his sister Wendy (Jennifer Beck), who has been possessed.
In her first role after Saturday Night Live here, Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Jeanette Cooper, one of the tenants of the building who gets attacked by the devious troll. The film certainly isn't her best – many would call it a B-rated film, and others might call it a classic, it depends on who you ask.
8 'Downhill' (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 37%
Starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as leads, Downhill is a comedy-drama film that follows the hilarious wackiness that ensues when husband Pete runs away from an avalanche, leaving his wife Billie and their children behind without a second glance. Billie is played by Dreyfus, and she begins to have second thoughts about her husband after he abandoned them so easily.
This might be a toss-up for some people. However, with two comedy legends spearheading this film, it has to be at least somewhat worthwhile, right? Also on the cast of this film are Miranda Otto and Zoë Chao, who stars in AppleTV+'s The Afterparty.
7 'You People' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 44%
One of the latest films featuring the talented comedy actor is You People, which also includes the mega stars Eddie Murphy, David Duchovny, Nia Long and Jonah Hill along with Lauren London. The hilarious wedding disaster film follows young couple Ezra and Amira as they fall in love and plan to marry until their wild and very different families get involved.
The couple from Jewish and Black and Muslim backgrounds respectively must figure out if their cultural and societal differences will stand in the way of their love, or if they'll be able to make their relationship work despite all the obstacles they face. Dreyfus plays the lacking-common-sense mother of Jonah Hill's character, Ezra, in a funny, if not slightly forgettable way.
6 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' (1989)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is quite possibly one of the most classic Christmas movies released in the last 50 years, following the Griswold family as they prepare to celebrate the Christmas holiday. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is desperate for the perfect Christmas, obsessing over perfecting the decorations, tree, lights, all of it. However, everything gets complicated when he doesn't receive his bonus from work and his cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) shows up in his camper.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Margo, one of the Griswolds' judgmental neighbors. Though small, her role in this movie is hilarious. While the comedy film has become a cult classic since its release, the film has inexplicably low or mediocre ratings on most platforms. The cast of this iconic movie also includes Juliette Lewis who stars in Welcome to Chippendales, as well as Johnny Galecki.
5 'Deconstructing Harry' (1997)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
The film Deconstructing Harryfollows Woody Allen's character Harry Block, a novelist that's recently become a success in his career due to using material from his friends' and family's lives. Upon taking a trip to return to his old University for a ceremony honoring him, he is surprised to find that people from his life as well as the fictional characters he created are confronting him to discuss his work and how it has affected them all.
Julia Louis-Drefus plays one of his fictional characters in this comedy-drama, which is one of the higher-rated films starring this comedy legend. The star-studded cast also includes Billy Crystal, Kirstie Alley, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci.
4 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to Marvel's Black Panther, the people of Wakanda are mourning King T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman) and are fighting to protect their nation from multiple world powers who want to invade it and steal their advanced technology for nefarious purposes. Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
This long-anticipated and emotional sequel also features mega star Angela Bassett, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta, Michaela Coel, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o. One of the highest-rated starring the comedy actor, Dreyfus' role as the villainous Valentina has only just begun.
3 'Hannah and Her Sisters' (1986)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
The 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters follows a period of three years of Thanksgiving dinners attended by sisters Hannah (Mia Farrow), Holly (Dianne Wiest) and Lee (Barbara Hershey). The story also focuses on the men in their lives and the difficult, tangled situations some of them are in, such as Lee who is having an affair with one of her sister's husbands while also trying to end a romance with another man.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a small role as a character named Mary in this film, but still manages to leave a lasting impression. She works alongside a talented cast that includes Michael Caine and the late Carrie Fisher.
2 'Enough Said' (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%
In the cheesy yet rewatchable romantic comedyEnough Said, Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a divorced single mother named Eva who is dreading her daughter's upcoming college departure. After she begins dating a wonderful man named Albert (James Gandolfini), she awkwardly strikes up a nice friendship with his ex-wife Marianne (Catherine Keener). The only problem is she does nothing but talk badly about Albert, causing Eva to doubt him and their budding romance.
With its near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it is one of the highest-rated films starring the actor. This romantic comedy with a unique take on the genre is sure to be entertaining for many viewers, and follows what happens when people find true love later in life.
1 'You Hurt My Feelings' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Debuting this year at the Sundance Film Festival, You Hurt My Feelings holds a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes already. This comedy film is undoubtedly the best film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus ever released, at least according to the film rating website. In this movie, the actor plays Beth, an author and happily married wife. After decades of marriage, the couple is still very much in love, actually annoying others with their perfect relationship. But when Beth overhears her husband telling someone his honest opinion about her life's work, she is shocked to learn he's been lying to her for years.
This film follows what happens when a wife learns the truth about what her husband thinks about her books also includes Tobias Menzies from previous seasons of The Crown, as well as Michaela Watkins, Owen Teague and Amber Tamblyn. This new movie is no doubt worth watching.
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