10 Best Zendaya Movies & TV Shows, Ranked (According To Metacritic)

Zendaya has become one of the biggest up-and-coming actors in Hollywood and her work in 2021 featured two of the year’s biggest movie releases. The young actor started out as a singer in her teens before moving on to a career that has not only made her a top movie star but a critically acclaimed TV actor as well.

Zendaya doesn’t have a huge back catalog of movies, but the ones she appeared in were popular to several different fandoms. They also mostly connected well with critics, with the usually harsh Metacritic reviewers ranking more of her movies and TV shows favorably than breaking them down with bad reviews.

10 Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) – 36

One thing that most movie critics agreed on was the fact that the 2021 animated sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy didn’t match up to the original movie released over 20 years ago. The new movie had LeBron James replace Michael Jordan in the main role and made it more of a family movie with him trying to save his son.

Zendaya voices Lola Bunny. Metacritic scored the movie with a 36, which means “generally unfavorable reviews” and that was matched by the audience score of 3.4. Critics called it unoriginal and predictable, while also pointing out the fact it was mostly used to sell merchandise.

9 The Greatest Showman (2017) – 48

The Greatest Showman has its fans, but those fans don’t include critics. The movie told the story of P.T. Barnum and his rise to create the most famous circus the world ever knew. It was also a good early role for Zendaya, who used her singing talents in a musical to make her one of The Greatest Showman‘s most likeable characters.

Critics on Metacritic rated it at an average of 48, which means mixed or average reviews. The audience was more praising, giving it a 7.5 score. The critics admitted that the movie was a feel-good story, but it only paid tribute to Barnum without telling his actual story.

8 Malcolm & Marie (2021) – 53

Malcolm & Marie was a Netflix movie that was made during the pandemic and focused almost exclusively on two characters in one setting. John David Washington stars as Malcolm, a filmmaker waiting to hear the critics’ response to his latest movie. Zendaya is his girlfriend, who believes the movie was based on her.

Metacritic ranks Malcolm & Marie at a 53, which is mixed or average reviews and the audience score matches that. The movie, shot in black and white with minimal set design, relies on its actors to carry the story, and the critics mostly say their chemistry is the best part of the movie.

7 Smallfoot (2018) – 60

Released in 2018, Smallfoot features Zendaya as the romantic interest of a yeti who believes that humans are real and when he learns the truth, it threatens his entire clan.

Metacritic ranks the movie at a 60, which is mixed or average reviews. The audience score is a little higher, with a 69. Critics called the movie beautifully, but they also discounted it as one geared toward younger kids and not so much for adults.

6 Euphoria – 68

Zendaya had made her name with the Spider-Man movies, but those fans might be thrown back to see her performance in the HBO series Euphoria. In this series, Zendaya plays Rue a teenager with a drug addiction who wants to get sober but finds that the entire world seems to have other plans for her.

Zendaya found great success with Euphoria, becoming the youngest actress to ever win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama series. Critics praised the show, rating it at a 68, meaning generally favorable reviews. They specifically cited Zendaya’s performance and the lush visuals of the series.

5 Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) – 69

Of the three Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man movies, the one that had the lowest critical score was Spider-Man: Far From Home. This was also the movie where Zendaya moved from a minor character and became one of Spider-Man’s top supporting characters.

Peter Parker and MJ developed a romantic relationship in this movie and that is part of what critics loved about the movie. Metacritic scored it favorably with a 69, while fans agreed, scoring it a 7.4.

4 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) – 71

While Spider-Man: No Way Home was the most successful movie of 2021 and has the highest critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, it ranked second for the MCU Spider-Man movies on Metacritic. The movie saw Zendaya’s MJ teaming up with friend Ned and Peter Parker’s Spider-Man to stop villains from the multiverse.

Critics who loved the movie praised its script and how it was able to tie all the characters together in a crowd-pleasing and heartfelt story. The critics pointed out that the movie was mostly a thrill ride, a movie that entertains but provides little else. Fans disagreed, giving it a 9.0, meaning universal acclaim.

3 Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – 73

Spider-Man: Homecoming brought Peter Parker to the MCU in his first solo movie and it remains the highest-rated Marvel Spider-Man movie based on Metacritic scores. Critics gave the movie a 73 score, which means generally favorable reviews.

While she did not have as big a role, the actor made her mark as MJ, one of Zendaya’s most likable characters. While critics praised the movie for making Spider-Man fresh and new again, fans ranked it second in the series, disagreeing with it being better than Spider-Man: No Way Home.

2 Dune (2021) – 74

Critics at Metacritic considered Dune to be the best movie that Zendaya has appeared in to date. While Rotten Tomatoes critics have Spider-Man: No Way Home in this spot, Metacritic gave Dune a 74 score, which is still just generally favorable reviews.

Zendaya had a small role in the movie as Chani, but fans familiar with the books know that she will become one of the main cast members in the upcoming sequels. Critics praised the movie, calling it immersive and intriguing while praising its scale and actors.

1 black-ish – 77

The highest-rated TV series that Zendaya appeared in was black-ish. While she only had a guest-starring role, it was in the critically acclaimed second season, in which she played the best friend of Dre’s daughter.

The episode saw Zendaya cast in Dre’s promo about Daddy’s Day, chosen over his own daughter, which caused all sorts of problems. black-ish is finishing up its run on TV, but its 77 Metacritic score remains a high for any Zendaya project to date.

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