Jenna Ortega’s 7 Best Movies So Far

Jenna Ortega has been making a big splash in film and television over the past few years. The 22-year-old actor started her career as a child with a recurring role on The CW’s Jane The Virgin and a lead role on Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle starting in 2016. Stuck in the Middle ran for three seasons and, since then, Ortega has been cultivating an impressive career as a teen and adult actor.

Today, Ortega is considered one of her generation’s up-and-coming “scream queens” in the horror genre, often taking on dark or macabre roles. She’s appeared in the Netflix thriller You and is currently starring as Wednesday Addams in the hit Addams Family reboot, Wednesday. She also has an impressive film resume, appearing in over a dozen movies since 2020. Some of these movies have flown under the radar, while others have become staples within their respective genres.

Here are the 7 best movies of Ortega’s career so far that made the biggest splash.

7

‘The Babysitter: Killer Queen’ (2020)

As far as horror comedies go, The Babysitter did well when it was released on Netflix in 2017. The sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, came out in 2020, with Judah Lewis (Summer of 84) returning as Cole Johnson. Now in high school, Cole is alienated from his peers as a result of the satanic cult incident at his house two years earlier. Emily Alyn Lind (We Were Liars) also returns as Cole’s best friend, Melanie Cyrus. While attending a lake party with Melanie and her new friends, Cole soon realizes that the satanic cult might not be gone for good.

Stylistic Appeal

Killer Queen wasn’t nearly as popular as the original film, scoring middling to negative reviews. However, the vibe director McG (Charlie’s Angels) brings to both films cannot be denied. The films are a stylistic delight, and Jenna Ortega plays the new girl at school and Cole’s current crush, Phoebe Atwell, to perfection. Killer Queen might not be a great film, but the popularity of the original guaranteed eyes on this film, and Ortega does not waste that opportunity.

6

‘Death of a Unicorn’ (2025)

Death of a Unicorn

3
/5

Release Date

March 27, 2025

Runtime

107 minutes

Director

Alex Scharfman

Death of a Unicorn is a dark fantasy horror comedy and the feature film debut by writer and director Alex Scharfman. While en route to a weekend trip with his boss, Elliot Kintner (Paul Rudd) and his teenage daughter, Ridley (Ortega), hit and kill a unicorn. Instead of driving away, Elliot and Ridley hide the unicorn in the trunk of their car. When the boss, Odell Leopold (Richard E. Grant), learns of the unicorn’s healing properties, he decides that they should perform experiments on the unicorn to see what else can be done…and Ridley worries that what is about to happen will be a huge mistake.

Great Performances in a Genre-Blending Tale

There was a ton of publicity leading up to Death of a Unicorn‘s release, but so far the film has received pretty mixed reviews. Critics only give it a 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences have afforded it a 76% rating. One thing most people agree on is that Rudd and Ortega shine together as father and daughter, with great chemistry and strong performances from both of them.

5

‘American Carnage’ (2022)

American Carnage

Release Date

July 15, 2022

Runtime

101 minutes

Director

Diego Hallivis

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American Carnage is a comedy horror movie directed by Diego Hallivis (Curvature) with a screenplay by Diego and Julio Hallivis (Game Time). After the government arrests the children of undocumented immigrants for not turning in their parents, the detained youths are told all charges will be dropped if they volunteer at a care facility for the elderly. Once they arrive at the facility, however, the teens realize that things are much worse than they could have imagined. The cast includes Ortega, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Night Teeth), Allen Maldonado (Straight Outta Compton), Yumarie Morales (Touch Me), Bella Ortiz (Matlock), and Eric Dane (Euphoria).

Timely and Powerful

The film focuses on the rights of immigrants, an important subject now and always. Reviews were mixed, leaning towards the positive, with many critics recognizing what the film is trying to achieve. Noel Murray writes in the Los Angeles Times that the cast is incredibly talented and that the characters feel authentic. “It’s a lively, impassioned and only slightly exaggerated take on how some people use anti-immigrant sentiment to distract from their own monstrous crimes,” Murray writes of the film. American Carnage does something bold in a day and age where many people are too afraid or indifferent to shine a light on injustice.

4

‘The Fallout’ (2021)

The Fallout

Release Date

January 27, 2022

Runtime

92 minutes

Director

Megan Park

Written and directed by Megan Park (My Old Ass), The Fallout is a drama that explores the harrowing aftermath of tragedy. Ortega stars as Vada Cavell, a teenager who must navigate severe emotional trauma after there is a shooting at her school. The cast features Maddie Ziegler (West Side Story), Niles Fitch (Forever), Lumi Pollack (Electric Bloom), Will Ropp (The Line), John Ortiz (American Fiction), Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies), and Julie Bowen (Modern Family).

Emotional Heartache

The Fallout has been applauded as a well-acted exploration of trauma and grief. Critics have noted this to be a “breakout” role for Ortega, further cementing her transition from child star to a serious actor. She was nominated for Best Female Youth Performance (Under 21) at the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards for the role, and The Fallout won the Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival.

3

‘X’ (2022)

X

Release Date

March 18, 2022

Runtime

105 minutes

X is the first film in Ti West’s (The Sacrament) slasher film trilogy that also includes Pearl and MaXXXine. Set in 1979, X follows the cast and crew of a pornographic film as they rent out the guest house on a farm to shoot their movie. Mia Goth (Suspiria) stars as aspiring adult film star Maxine Minx, with Martin Henderson (The Ring) playing her boyfriend and producer, Wayne. Brittany Snow (The Hunting Wives) and Scott Mescudi (Don’t Look Up) play Maxine’s costars, Bobby-Lynne and Jackson. Owen Campbell (My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To) plays the director, RJ, and Ortega is his soft-spoken girlfriend, Lorraine.

The Start of a Trilogy

X was such a success that West was able to make a prequel and a sequel to the film. Critics and audiences agree that it is a fun slasher with a great 1970s aesthetic and compelling themes surrounding youth and mortality. The film plays around with the concept of the “final girl” as well. X earned five Fangoria Chainsaw Award nominations and won Best Horror Film at the Sunset Film Circle Awards. It has a 94% certified fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

2

‘Scream’ (2022)

Scream

Release Date

January 14, 2022

Runtime

114 minutes

Director

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Scream is the fifth installment in the Scream film franchise, which began in 1996. Melissa Barrera (Abigail) stars as Sam Carpenter, who returns to the infamous town of Woodsboro after her younger sister, Tara (Ortega), is hospitalized after an attack. The culprit was wearing a Ghostface mask, harkening back to the murders committed in Woodsboro 25 years earlier. The movie is directed by Abigail directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett with a screenplay by James Vanderbilt (Murder Mystery) and Guy Busick (Ready or Not). The cast features returning favorites Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Ghostface from the previous films. New faces to the franchise include Jack Quaid (The Boys), Mikey Madison (Anora), Dylan Minnette (Don’t Breathe), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Yellowjackets), Mason Gooding (Heart Eyes), and Sonia Ammar (The Equalizer 3).

Ghostface Is Back

Ortega’s “scream queen” status is probably due to the fact that X and Scream came out back to back. Scream was a critical and commercial success, which is no small feat for the fifth installment of a horror franchise. It maintains the franchise’s signature meta edge while at the same time introducing new and dynamic characters for the next generation. Jenna Ortega won Most Frightened Performance at the MTV Movie + TV Awards for playing Tara. Scream has a 76% certified fresh rating from critics and an 82% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

1

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (2024)

Tim Burton’s 1988 film Beetlejuice is a cult classic and this long-awaited sequel does not disappoint. A death in the family calls Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) back to her old house in Winter River, Connecticut. She brings along her teenage daughter, Astrid (Ortega), who is incredibly skeptical of her mother’s supernatural beliefs. Michael Keaton (Birdman) returns in the title role, as does Catherine O’Hara (The Last of Us) as Lydia’s step-mother. Tim Burton directs the film with a screenplay by Alfred Gough (Wednesday) and Miles Millar (The Shannara Chronicles).

Over 30 Years in the Making

Winona Ryder was an icon in the 1990s and Ortega matches the mysteriously macabre vibe Ryder first embodied in the 1988 original film. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice did well at the box office and has received overall positive reviews. The movie was nominated for over a dozen Saturn Awards by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, winning four of them. One of those wins was for Ortega in the Best Young Performer category. The film also received a Golden Globe nomination for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is certified fresh with a 75% rating from critics and a 78% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.