(Photo by Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection)
All Jessica Chastain Movies Ranked
How many times now have we seen the fanfare of an “And Introducing…” in the credits of a movie, only to never hear of that person ever again? If you can’t think of any examples, that’s exactly the point.
But not so for Jessica Chastain. She would not fall casualty to this Madden cover curse of star billing, after her “And Introducing…” leading debut of 2008’s Jolene. The movie only got 48%, so it didn’t set the world on fire, but Chastain came back two years later with Stolen…which got 0%. Improbably, this only set the stage for a wild 5-movie Certified Fresh streak that would launch her career, featuring Coriolanus, The Tree of Life, The Help, The Debt, and Take Shelter.
Almost hard to believe Chastain has only been active on-screen for just over a decade, but she’s capitalized on her early Certified Fresh windfall. The Help got her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nom, and the next year she upgraded to competing in the Best Actress field for Zero Dark Thirty, which would go on to win Best Picture. Interstellar and The Martian made her synonymous with deep space hijinks (as if Tree of Life didn’t already), while Miss Sloane and Molly’s Game exhibits her style of high-level intensity.
Most recently, she was in HBO Max’s Scenes From a Marriage and notched an Oscar nom for Eyes of Tammy Faye. Now, we’re ranking Jessica Chastain’s movies and series by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
#1
#2
Adjusted Score: 98525%
Critics Consensus: Michael Shannon gives a powerhouse performance and the purposefully subtle filmmaking creates a perfect blend of drama, terror, and dread.
Synopsis: Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) lives in a small Ohio town with his loving wife (Jessica Chastain) and hearing-impaired daughter (Tova... [More]
Directed By: Jeff Nichols
#3
Adjusted Score: 97865%
Critics Consensus: Visceral and visually striking, Ralph Fiennes' Coriolanus proves Shakespeare can still be both electrifying and relevant in a modern context.
Synopsis: Caius Martius, aka Coriolanus (Ralph Fiennes), is an arrogant and fearsome general who has built a career on protecting Rome... [More]
Directed By: Ralph Fiennes
#4
Adjusted Score: 110136%
Critics Consensus: Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.
Synopsis: When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney (Matt Damon), presumed dead after a fierce... [More]
Directed By: Ridley Scott
#5
Adjusted Score: 105760%
Critics Consensus: Gripping, suspenseful, and brilliantly crafted, Zero Dark Thirty dramatizes the hunt for Osama bin Laden with intelligence and an eye for detail.
Synopsis: Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden becomes one of the most-wanted men on the planet.... [More]
Directed By: Kathryn Bigelow
#6
Adjusted Score: 101003%
Critics Consensus: Gritty, gripping, and weighted with thought-provoking heft, A Most Violent Year represents another strong entry in writer-director J.C. Chandor's impressive filmography.
Synopsis: In 1981 New York, a fuel supplier (Oscar Isaac) tries to adhere to his own moral compass amid the rampant... [More]
Directed By: J.C. Chandor
#7
Adjusted Score: 97114%
Critics Consensus: Terrence Malick's singularly deliberate style may prove unrewarding for some, but for patient viewers, Tree of Life is an emotional as well as visual treat.
Synopsis: In this highly philosophical film by acclaimed director Terrence Malick, young Jack (Hunter McCracken) is one of three brothers growing... [More]
Directed By: Terrence Malick
#8
Adjusted Score: 98131%
Critics Consensus: Powered by an intriguing story and a pair of outstanding performances from Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba, Molly's Game marks a solid debut for writer-director Aaron Sorkin.
Synopsis: The true story of Molly Bloom, a beautiful, young, Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game... [More]
Directed By: Aaron Sorkin
Synopsis: An adaptation of Ingar Bergmann's 1973 Swedish TV miniseries about a marriage falling apart.... [More]
#10
#11
Adjusted Score: 83828%
Critics Consensus: Dazzlingly colorful and frenetic, Madagascar 3 is silly enough for young kids, but boasts enough surprising smarts to engage parents along the way.
Synopsis: Animal pals Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer) and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) are still trying to... [More]
#12
Adjusted Score: 83246%
Critics Consensus: Its time-shifting narrative creates distracting casting problems, but ultimately, The Debt is a smart, well-acted entry in a genre that could use more like it.
Synopsis: In 1965, young Mossad agent Rachel Singer (Jessica Chastain) and two comrades (Sam Worthington, Marton Csokas) are involved in a... [More]
Directed By: John Madden
#13
Adjusted Score: 85342%
Critics Consensus: Though it fails to fully engage with its racial themes, The Help rises on the strength of its cast -- particularly Viola Davis, whose performance is powerful enough to carry the film on its own.
Synopsis: In 1960s Mississippi, Southern society girl Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns from college with dreams of being a writer. She turns... [More]
Directed By: Tate Taylor
#14
Adjusted Score: 84895%
Critics Consensus: Miss Sloane sits squarely on the shoulders of Jessica Chastain's performance -- and she responds with awards-worthy work that single-handedly elevates the film.
Synopsis: Willing to bend the rules for her clients, Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) remains one of the most sought-after lobbyists in... [More]
Directed By: John Madden
#15
Adjusted Score: 74877%
Critics Consensus: The Forgiven often strays from an incisive critique of reckless privilege into a shallow display of bad behavior, although Ralph Fiennes' rakish performance packs plenty of sardonic bite.
Synopsis: Speeding through the Moroccan desert to attend an old friend's lavish weekend party, wealthy Londoners David and Jo Henninger (Ralph... [More]
Directed By: John Michael McDonagh
#16
Adjusted Score: 91390%
Critics Consensus: Interstellar represents more of the thrilling, thought-provoking, and visually resplendent filmmaking moviegoers have come to expect from writer-director Christopher Nolan, even if its intellectual reach somewhat exceeds its grasp.
Synopsis: In Earth's future, a global crop blight and second Dust Bowl are slowly rendering the planet uninhabitable. Professor Brand (Michael... [More]
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
#17
Adjusted Score: 86815%
Critics Consensus: Crimson Peak offers an engaging -- albeit somewhat slight -- diversion driven by a delightfully creepy atmosphere and director Guillermo del Toro's brilliant knack for unforgettable visuals.
Synopsis: After marrying the charming and seductive Sir Thomas Sharpe, young Edith (Mia Wasikowska) finds herself swept away to his remote... [More]
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro
#18
Adjusted Score: 80620%
Critics Consensus: The Eyes of Tammy Faye might have focused more sharply on its subject's story, but Jessica Chastain's starring performance makes it hard to look away.
Synopsis: THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye... [More]
Directed By: Michael Showalter
#19
Adjusted Score: 77345%
Critics Consensus: Grim, bloody, and utterly flawed, Lawless doesn't quite achieve the epic status it strains for, but it's too beautifully filmed and powerfully acted to dismiss.
Synopsis: In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Va., run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business, bootlegging.... [More]
Directed By: John Hillcoat
#20
Adjusted Score: 68612%
Critics Consensus: Led by strong performances from Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is a hauntingly original rumination on love and loss.
Synopsis: Following the death of their child, a woman (Jessica Chastain) leaves her husband (James McAvoy) and flees to the suburban... [More]
Directed By: Ned Benson
#21
Adjusted Score: 73588%
Critics Consensus: The Zookeeper's Wife has noble intentions, but is ultimately unable to bring its fact-based story to life with quite as much impact as it deserves.
Synopsis: The time is 1939 and the place is Poland, homeland of Antonina Zabinski and her husband, Dr. Jan Zabinski. The... [More]
Directed By: Niki Caro
#22
Adjusted Score: 71421%
Critics Consensus: If you're into old-school scares over cheap gore, you'll be able to get over Mama's confusing script and contrived plot devices.
Synopsis: On the day that their parents die, sisters Lilly and Victoria vanish in the woods, prompting a frantic search by... [More]
Directed By: Andy Muschietti
#23
Adjusted Score: 82166%
Critics Consensus: It: Chapter Two proves bigger doesn't always mean scarier for horror sequels, but a fine cast and faithful approach to the source material keep this follow-up afloat.
Synopsis: Defeated by members of the Losers' Club, the evil clown Pennywise returns 27 years later to terrorize the town of... [More]
Directed By: Andy Muschietti
#24
Adjusted Score: 60572%
Critics Consensus: Woman Walks Ahead gets some extra mileage out of watchable work from Jessica Chastain and Michael Greyeyes, but uneven pacing and two-dimensional characters undermine their efforts.
Synopsis: A headstrong New York painter embarks on a dangerous journey to meet Sitting Bull but must face off with an... [More]
Directed By: Susanna White
#25
Adjusted Score: 55873%
Critics Consensus: Miss Julie definitely gives Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell room to shine, but neglects to leave them a solid enough setting to augment their efforts.
Synopsis: A baron's frustrated daughter (Jessica Chastain) courts scandal and more when she tries to seduce her father's valet (Colin Farrell).... [More]
Directed By: Liv Ullmann
#26
Adjusted Score: 45022%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A teenage orphan spends ten years traveling to experience life.... [More]
Directed By: Dan Ireland
#27
Adjusted Score: 39936%
Critics Consensus: Texas Killing Fields is a competent boilerplate crime thriller, brewing up characters and plots used in better films.
Synopsis: After a familiar girl goes missing, two detectives (Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan) race against time before a serial killer... [More]
Directed By: Ami Canaan Mann
#28
Adjusted Score: 36129%
Critics Consensus: It has a stellar cast and it's conceptually progressive, but The 355 squanders it all on a forgettable story, unremarkably told.
Synopsis: When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild card CIA agent Mason "Mace" Brown (Oscar®-nominated actress Jessica Chastain) will... [More]
Directed By: Simon Kinberg
#29
Adjusted Score: 42443%
Critics Consensus: Dark Phoenix ends an era of the X-Men franchise by taking a second stab at adapting a classic comics arc -- with deeply disappointing results.
Synopsis: The X-Men face their most formidable and powerful foe when one of their own, Jean Grey, starts to spiral out... [More]
Directed By: Simon Kinberg
#30
Adjusted Score: 30219%
Critics Consensus: The Huntsman: Winter's War is visually arresting and boasts a stellar cast, but neither are enough to recommend this entirely unnecessary sequel.
Synopsis: Betrayed by her evil sister Ravenna (Charlize Theron), heartbroken Freya (Emily Blunt) retreats to a northern kingdom to raise an... [More]
Directed By: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
#31
Adjusted Score: 21443%
Critics Consensus: Ava seems to have all the components of an entertaining spy thriller, but not even this spectacular cast is enough to salvage the dull, clichéd story they're given to work with.
Synopsis: An assassin becomes marked for death by her own black ops organization after questioning orders and breaking protocol.... [More]
Directed By: Tate Taylor
#32
Adjusted Score: 5078%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Memories of the past -- from his first sexual encounter to a tragic loss -- haunt poet C.K. Williams as... [More]
#33
Critics Consensus: With plot points Stolen from countless superior films, this would-be thriller squanders a solid cast on overly serious and suspense-free storytelling.
Synopsis: A detective (Jon Hamm) becomes obsessed with solving a child's 50-year-old murder, uncovering striking similarities between the case and his... [More]
Directed By: Anders Anderson
