One of the most well-known actresses of the last two decades is Jennifer Garner. From her role as Sydney Bristow in the action-spy series Alias to her recent Netflix movie, Yes Day, Garner has had an incredibly noteworthy career, with a lot of hits and a lot of misses.

Since 1995, Garner has proven herself more than capable of lead roles in comedies, dramas, and action films. With that in mind, it is time to look back on her career (so far) and examine the best and worst films she has been a part of, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

10 Mr. Magoo (7%)

One of Garner’s earliest roles was the role of Stacey Sampanahodrita in the 1997 comedy Mr. Magoo. This film is a live-action adaptation of the famous UPA cartoon and it features the fun antics of a nearsighted man who gets into crazy situations.

The film was critically panned for its slapstick humor and depictions of people with loss of sight. It’s an odd film with comedy that doesn’t land, and Garner’s supporting role as the love interest of Mr. Magoo’s nephew was not enough to save it.

9 Mother’s Day (8%)

Garner makes a cameo appearance as 2nd Lt. Dana Barton in this 2016 romantic comedy, Mother’s Day. It’s a film with intersecting stories about mothers on Mother’s Day, and it was sadly a critical failure.

Garner played the deceased wife of Jason Sudeikis’ character, and she’s only seen in a brief moment as he watches footage of her on TV singing karaoke while she is away at war. Despite the lack of success that the movie saw, Garner’s brief cameo was poignant and heartbreaking.

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8 Elektra (11%)

This is a Marvel film that came out before the smashing success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a spin-off of the 2003 film, Daredevil, and Garner reprises her role from that film as Elektra Natchios. Garner was legally required to make the film due to contractual obligations, and it had to be filmed during her hiatus from Alias.

Given how rushed it was, many felt that the film suffers from a poor storyline that feels somewhat uneventful. Rob Bowman’s direction was criticized for being silly and the plot is slightly vague, meaning that this movie ranks as one of Garner’s less loved movies by both fans and critics.

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7 Peppermint (12%)

This vigilante movie was a chance for Garner to return to her action roots in a giant revenge thriller from the director of Taken. In Peppermint, Garner portrays Riley North, a woman whose family is murdered in a drive-by shooting, and so she decides to take the law into her own hands and get vengeance on the people who wronged her.

Moving past the familiar plot, the movie does still offer a compelling performance from Garner, and while it isn’t her worst movie, it certainly isn’t one of her better ones.

6 Nine Lives (14%)

In this family comedy, Garner portrays Lara Brand, the wife of Kevin Spacey’s character, Tom, whose consciousness ends up trapped in a cat’s body. As a cat, Tom must find a way to reconnect with his children.

Nine Lives was maligned by critics, who found the film to be wholly unfunny. The film drew criticism for its dark scenes that felt entirely out of place in a family film, but Garner offered a good performance given the limitations of the plot.

5 Washington Square (81%)

This romantic drama, based on an 1880 novel, features Garner in one of her earliest roles as Marian Almond. The film is about a wealthy spinster pursued by a fortune hunter who may be after her for her money.

The movie received praise for being a bold, daring movie with excellent performances. Despite being one of the more obscure films in her filmography, Garner does a wonderful job in her role.

4 Love, Simon (91%)

Garner stars in this romantic comedy-drama as the mother of the titular character, Simon. The film is about Simon Spier, a closeted gay high schooler who is trying to find the identity of the boy he has fallen in love with online as he struggles to come out to his family.

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It’s the first major Hollywood studio film to feature a gay teenage relationship and it pays off in volumes. It received critical praise for being a lighthearted, charming movie that deals with its issues in an entertaining fashion. The film hits home for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and it’s one of the most engaging rom-coms in recent memory.

3 Dallas Buyers Club (93%)

One of the shining moments of Garner’s career is her role as Dr. Eve Saks in the Oscar-winning film, Dallas Buyers Club. The biographical drama about Ron Woodroof, a man diagnosed with AIDS during the 1980s when it was highly stigmatized.

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto were the subjects of acclaim for their performances, but Garner gives a magnetic performance as her character in this gripping film that grapples with LGBTQ+ rights, drugs, and AIDS.

2 Juno (94%)

After Garner’s stint on Alias, she co-starred in Juno, a coming-of-age comedy-drama about Juno, a teenager who becomes pregnant and decides to give up their baby. Garner portrays Vanessa Loring, the prospective adoptive mother of Juno’s child.

This movie received critical praise for its depiction of its subject matter and humor. It’s a quirky, entertaining movie with a heartfelt ending, and it won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

1 Catch Me If You Can (96%)

During the height of Garner’s success on Alias, she had a small role in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can. This crime film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale, Jr., a young conman who forges checks and pretends to work in many jobs.

Garner portrays Cheryl Ann, a call girl whom Abagnale deceives into paying him $400 in cash and accepting a phony check. The film is filled with incredible scenes, and Garner’s scene in the movie is just another highlight, both in the film and for her fantastic career as an actress.

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Jonathan Sim
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Jonathan Sim is a New York-based film critic and journalist. He loves movies, writing, magic tricks, basketball, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, and all things pop culture.

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