Summary
- Alicia Silverstone's breakout role in "Clueless" remains her most notable to date, showcasing her talent as a leading actress in a culturally impactful teen comedy.
- Silverstone's filmography spans across various genres, including horror, comedy, and romance, demonstrating her versatility as an actress.
- While some of her films have received mixed reviews, her recent work in "Reptile" has garnered success, reaching the top spot on Netflix's Top 10 movie chart.
Despite Alicia Silverstone being known for her iconic 90s movie roles, the popular actor has appeared in several other films ranked here from worst to best. Silverstone got her acting career started with the 1993 thriller titled The Crush which she won the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. Silverstone gained more prominence through her star performances in two Aerosmith music videos for their songs "Cryin" and "Crazy" which began to cement her status as a 90s teen idol and pop influencer. Her 1995 role in Clueless is arguably Silverstone's most notable role to this day.
Since her rapid rise to stardom in the '90s, Silverstone has appeared in more than 70 films and television series across various genres. Her most recent work Reptile, which also features performances from Justin Timberlake and Benicio Del Toro, has spent its first week at the top of Netflix's Top 10 movie chart. Silverstone's most notable appearances in television shows include American Horror Stories, The Baby-Sitters Club, Braceface, and Miss March. She also has memorable cameos in 2022's Scream and the critically acclaimed comedy Tropic Thunder. Here are her ten best movies ranked.
10 Batman & Robin (1997)
Batman & Robin is one of the most poorly-rated Batman movies ever made but is still appreciated for its star-studded cast of George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Uma Thurman. Alicia Silverstone stars as Batgirl / Barbara Wilson alongside Chris O'Donell's Robin and Clooney's Batman. It was the first blockbuster that Silverstone starred in after securing a multimillion-dollar deal from Columbia Pictures following the success of 1995's Clueless. Despite being an unintentionally hilarious movie, Batman & Robin introduced Silverstone to a global audience.
9 Vamps (2012)
Vamps pairs Silverstone with Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones, Breaking Bad) in the 2012 horror-themed romantic comedy Vamps. The duo star as Goody and Stacy, two vampires in New York City who search for love with male vampires they meet at Vampires Anonymous. Made by the creators of Clueless, Vamps offers a fun and original take on the city-based romantic comedy subgenre while making playful jabs at common vampire tropes. It's a light film that relies on its tongue in cheek humor and witty one-liners which makes it easy to watch.
8 Beauty Shop (2005)
Beauty Shop pairs Silverstone with Queen Latifah in a laugh-at-loud comedy with hilarious cameos from Kevin Bacon and Mena Suvari. Queen Latifah's Gina decides to start her own hair salon after she realizes she can no longer work for Kevin Bacon's pretentious Jorge. Gina employs Lynn (Silverstone) to help her open up shop and become a place that offers great service while also being a hub of socialization and good times. Beauty Shop is another fun and lighthearted comedy with Silverstone excelling in a bubbly supporting role.
7 Perpetrator (2023)
Perpetrator represents some of the genre variance seen in Silverstone's filmography outside of her typical Clueless-inspired image. The 2023 Shudder original horror film is one of the more progressive and experimental movies in the genre in recent memory, casting the usually charismatic Silverstone in a much more sinister and eerie role as the estranged Aunt Hildie. Perpetrator is essentially split between critics, who mostly love it, and casual viewers, who generally find the film odd and unhinged. Either way, there's enough going for Perpetrator that makes it one of Silverstone's most notable works.
6 Blast From The Past (1999)
Blast from the Past places two of the most iconic movie stars of the '90s together in a well-rounded romantic comedy. Silverstone and Brendan Fraser (The Mummy, The Whale) feel like their own blast from the past as they encapsulate the sentiments of the late '90s in their performances as somewhat reluctant and mismatched romantic interests. Silvertone plays Eve, whom Fraser's Adam tries to win over despite spending the first 35 first of his life in an underground bunker. Fraser gives a zany and sincere performance in this old-school crowd-pleaser.
5 Last Survivors (2021)
Last Survivors stars Silverstone with Drew Van Acker and Stephen Moyer in this modern sci-fi thriller. This visually stunning slow burner takes place in a post-war world in which a plague has forced a father and son to live off the grid for decades with the sole intention of survival at all costs. The film suffers from moments of predictability but still provides an entertaining watch through and through, supported by Silverstone's notably dramatic performance as a forbidden love interest named Henrietta.
4 Mustache (2023)
Mustache is a sweet teen comedy that offers clever updates to the coming-of-age genre with a simple premise. The young protagonist Illyas must figure out how to survive the social pressures of his new school while his parents refuse to let him shave his peach fuzz mustache. Writer/director Imran J. Khan tells a gentle story of teenage awkwardness, youthful compassion, and the desire for acceptance and support. Silverstone adds to the heartfelt film with her role as one of Illyas' teachers.
3 The Lodge (2019)
The Lodge is a wonderfully unsettling horror movie starring Riley Keough and Jaeden Martell. Widely considered one of the best recent terrifying movies of the modern horror genre, The Lodge feels in ways like an extension of another instant horror classic Hereditary. A soon-to-be step-mom spends time in an icy lodge with the children of her future husband, only for the kids to find out a deeply disturbing secret about her which makes them unsafe. The Lodge combines suspense, shock, and paranormal activity inside an inescapably haunted venue.
2 The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017)
The Killing of a Scared Deer is celebrated as one of Yorgos Lanthimos's best works, particularly for how masterfully disturbing it is from start to finish. The film is widely seen as the breakthrough role for Barry Keoghan who went on to star in Dunkirk and The Banshees of Inisherin. The movie also features outstanding performances from Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman. Silverstone plays Martin's (Keoghan) mother, who suffers the death of Martin's father who died while on Stephen's (Farrel) operating table. The Killing of a Scared Deer is morally complex and layered in palpable tension.
1 Clueless (1995)
Despite Alicia Silverstone's turn to the horror genre in recent years, it's impossible to separate the actor from her breakthrough leading role as Cher in Clueless. The film was incredibly culturally impactful upon release, offering a wonderfully original and authentic satire on the charming yet shallow sensibilities of a rich high school teenager. Clueless is full of quotable lines and memorable '90s music, remaining one of the greatest teen comedies ever made that set the stage for future classics such as Mean Girls.