Kathleen Turner’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked by IMDb

Content Warning: This article contains references to suicide, death, and murder

Beginning her career in soap operas, Kathleen Turner first made the transition to film with the erotic thriller Body Heat. Her breakout performance as the leading actor set her up for decades of roles, ranging from the romantic interest or someone with a dark past.

She also managed to expand into other genres as well, aided by her strong acting skills and her excellent comedic delivery. 40 years after her first film role, Kathleen Turner has amassed an impressive filmography that ranges from dark comedies and thrillers to romantic dramas and beloved family films.

10 Monster House (6.6)

Monster House is a Halloween movie that follows a group of teenagers as they discover a house in their neighborhood is actually a living, monstrous, haunted house. Nominated for an Academy Award, Monster House is the rare animated feature that is actually a great horror film.

The film is well-written, beautifully animated, and features a fun but spooky tone that makes it entertaining for both kids and adults. The movie also benefits from a tremendous voice cast that brings the empathetic and surprisingly deep characters to life.

9 Prizzi’s Honor (6.7)

The 1985 black comedy crime film, Prizzi’s Honor, is about a pair of mob assassins who fall in love but their relationship is disrupted when they are hired to kill each other. The film was a critical hit. Jack Nicholson earned an Oscar nomination for his role and the movie received a slew of other nominations.

Great acting and strong direction make the movie’s dark and cynical sense of humor work, with much of the humor coming from the characters’ nonchalant responses to the gruesome and brutal situations they find themselves in. For this role, Turner was praised for her strong performance and for having great chemistry with Nicholson.

8 The Accidental Tourist (6.8)

The romantic drama The Accidental Tourist follows a man whose marriage falls apart after the death of their son. He is left with a dilemma when he meets and falls for another woman just before his wife, who is played by Kathleen Turner, asks to try to fix things.

The film is a touching and nuanced look at love and grief, benefitting from great acting and directing. Unlike some romance films, it sets up a story with no easy answers and pulls audiences in different directions as they are conflicted on what to root for. Turner was praised for the emotional performance she gave.

7 Serial Mom (6.8)

Serial Mom is a black comedy crime movie that follows a seemingly idyllic suburban family. However, unbeknownst to the rest of the family, the mother is actually a vindictive serial killer who is willing to murder anyone that hurts her family.

The film is a ridiculous, over-the-top comedy that satirizes the exact kind of true crime story that American society tends to obsess over. Kathleen Turner’s central performance delivers much of the film’s humor and pushes the movie over the top in the best way possible.

6 The War Of The Roses (6.8)

The War of the Roses is a dark comedy about a wealthy couple whose relationship falls apart, leading the two to take increasingly drastic and petty measures to claim as many assets, primarily the house, in the divorce.

The film is funny in a bleak and cynical way as the audience cannot help but laugh at the trainwreck occurring onscreen, especially as Turner and Michael Douglas characters’ behavior becomes more and more ridiculous. The movie uses its darkly funny tone to communicate its message about love, hate, and materialism, making it one of the best movies about divorce.

5 Romancing The Stone (6.9)

Romancing the Stone is an adventure romantic comedy about a romance novelist, who finds herself unwittingly wrapped up in a globe-trotting adventure with a dashing swashbuckler when her sister is kidnapped and held for ransom.

The movie is a fun, throwback adventure in the same spirit as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Romancing the Stone benefits greatly from the chemistry between the two leads (Turner and Michael Douglas) and a light and fun tone. It is a thoroughly entertaining movie that audiences of all ages can enjoy.

4 Marley & Me (7.1)

The comedic drama Marley & Me follows a couple throughout the various stages of their relationship from newlyweds to becoming parents, and the poorly behaved but lovable dog that they adopt along the way. In this movie, Turner plays Ms. Kornblut, Marley’s trainer who tries to prevent him from being disobedient.

The movie is a warm, heartfelt coming of age story for the film’s lead (Owen Wilson), as he grows and matures from a man who is not ready for a family to a loving father, with Marley guiding and helping prepare him without him realizing it. Marley & Me is a sweet, tear-jerking film about family and change. Although Turner’s role is albeit brief, it is an important part of Marley’s journey.

3 The Virgin Suicides (7.2)

Set in the suburbs of Detroit in the 1970s, The Virgin Suicides is a psychological drama about a group of young boys who become fascinated by a family of sisters whose overprotective, religious parents confine them to their home after one of the sisters dies by suicide.

The film is told from the point of view of the boys to explore the power that distance, time, and memory have over a person throughout their life. It is a coming-of-age story about adolescence and a pivotal moment in life that stayed with the boys for their entire lives. In this movie, Kathleen Turner played Sara Lisbon, the mother of the teen girls.

2 Body Heat (7.4)

Inspired by noir films of the 1940s, Body Heat is an erotic thriller that follows a man who begins a passionate affair with the wife of a wealthy man and eventually agrees to kill the man. However, before he realizes that she may not be as trustworthy as he first thought.

The movie is a passionate and gritty crime film that modernizes the familiar noir formula. Kathleen Turner’s performance as the quintessential “femme fatale” helps cement Body Heat as a dark and thrilling classic.

1 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (7.7)

Set in a world where cartoons and humans live side by side, the groundbreaking animation live-action hybrid Who Framed Roger Rabbit is comedic noir about a detective who tries to prove Roger Rabbit did not commit a murder, stumbling across a much larger conspiracy along the way. Kathleen Turner’s excellent voice acting performance helped establish Jessica Rabbit as one of the most memorable movie femme fatales of all time.

The film is surprisingly deep and nuanced for a family film, using the colorful story to explore prejudice and corporate greed. With an innovative style, compelling story, and iconic characters, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is easily Kathleen Turner’s best movie.

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