Jennifer Lopez needs no introduction, as we’re pretty sure she’s one of the few actresses today who can be associated with both film and music. She’s an award-winning multi-platinum recording artist who has more hits than we could count. But she’s also an actress with a career spanning over twenty years.
JLo has worked alongside some of the best actors in the industry to tell both impactful and swoon-worthy stories on screen. That’s why we put together a list of 7 of Jennifer Lopez’s best work that deserve to be seen. If you haven’t watched them, we won’t judge. We’ll just tell you where to find them and hope you enjoy!
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The Wedding Planner (2001)
The Wedding Planner is a romantic comedy about Lopez’s Mary, a successful wedding planner who falls for Matthew McConnaughey’s Steve after he saved her life. Only to find out the following day that his fiancé hired her to plan their upcoming wedding. It’s heartfelt, funny, sometimes messy, and has many moments to swoon over as Mary and Steve fight their attraction.
Lopez plays a woman that’s easy to root for once you see how selfless she is. So, this movie deserves a spot on this list as it’s a story tells us that love is never something to force. It’s real when your heart feels at peace. When you get that feeling unexpectedly at the worst moment, obstacles are bound to be in your way. Bascially the best romcoms don’t feel like they’re going to end happily at times. But when they do, we’re left all mushy inside. That’s why this film is memorable for us.
The Wedding Planner is available to rent/buy on Apple TV.
Second Act (2018)
Lopez plays Maya in Second Act; a grocery store employee whose life turns upside down when she gets turned down for a promotion. Her godson fakes her resume to get her hired at a big makeup distribution company. This dramatic comedy has both humor and heart as Maya battles meeting expectations, realizing self-worth, and keeping her lack of skills a secret.
The emotional stakes of the movie heighten when Maya makes a shocking discovery. Her new boss’s adopted daughter is her biological daughter who she gave up as a teenager. Zoe, played by Vanessa Hudgens, and Maya’s relationship grows over time to make this film memorable for us. Overall, it’s an easy watch that makes you feel good at the end when Maya makes the choice to better herself.
Second Act is available to watch on Disney+/Hulu.
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Hustlers (2019)
For fans of Lopez who were used to seeing her as a musician, seeing her as Ramona in Hustlers was shocking. Because Lopez immersed herself into this role that made audiences see just how passionate she could be in telling uncomfortable stories. Even if it’s about women in a career that many could disapprove of.
Inspired by real events, this movie is about a group of strippers who scammed their wealthy clients for money after the 2008 financial crisis. Lopez’s Ramona demanded your attention on screen with her confidence and command of the girls she oversees in the club.
Personally, this film deserves to be on this list and considered one of Lopez’s best. Because this was a story about women supporting each other in a world and career where men think they control everything. It was empowering and representative of how strong female friendships can be in shaping our lives and when having to make tough decisions.
Hustlers is available to watch on Hulu.
Selena (1997)
In her first defining lead role, Lopez played Selena Quintanilla in Selena. The movie told the life story of the beloved singer in the Latin community from childhood to her untimely death at twenty-three. There’s no list of Lopez’s best without this movie, in our opinion, because it highlights her strengths as an actress.
Biopics could be easy to forget if they aren’t done well, but Lopez as Selena is unforgettable. Because she knew how to do both the acting and singing. In a way, she was the catalyst for audiences to humanize Selena as a woman, not as a celebrity, for a more general audience. Lopez was someone that understood the pressures of being under the spotlight. And having this bond as a singer with Selena allowed Lopez to give her all to the character.
Selena is available to watch on Pluto TV or to rent on Apple TV.
Lila and Eve (2015)
Lopez stars opposite the iconic Viola Davis as Eve in this action-drama Lila and Eve. Everything changes for two grieving mothers of teen boys who lost their lives to drug violence when they meet in a support group. Making the bold decision to stop suffering, both women decide to take it upon themselves to find the men who targeted their children. While the film deals mainly with themes of grief and seeking retribution, there’s a plot twist that tells the sad reality of what happens to someone when the pain is too heavy.
It may be tough to rewatch but it’s a film we like to think shows audiences that Lopez is a force on screen when she’s given a good script and acting partner.
Lila and Eve is available to watch on Tubi.
Enough (2002)
Lopez stars as Slim, a waitress who runs away from her wealthy abusive husband with their daughter, in Enough. When we think of impactful thrillers, we automatically think of this film. It’s intense and will have you at the edge of your seats every few minutes.
Admittedly, Lopez has a way of making you feel her emotions and this role is easily one of her memorable ones. Because everything is so fast paced when things go wrong. Pairing that natural anxiety within the film with Lopez’s vulnerability makes it one to highlight for us. There’s also the fact that you could tell she threw herself into the training for this movie.
Enough is available to watch on Netflix.
Out of Sight (1998)
Lastly, Lopez stars as U.S Marshal Karen Sisco in Out of Sight alongside the charming George Clooney, who plays Jack Foley, a bank robber. Their characters initially form a connection when they get trapped together in a car trunk during a heist. And their relationship stubbornly grows over time as his crimes intensify.
Both actors have undeniable chemistry. And it makes their on-screen relationship feel authentic. She also doesn’t back down from his charm or demanding presence, instead matching it with a spark of her own.
This film is one of Lopez’s first break-out roles in a star-studded cast. But we’re putting it on this list because she carries herself as if she’s already been colliding with the best for years. With a story that feels well-rounded and satisfying by the end, we believe it has something for everyone whether you enjoy tense action plots or romance.
Out of Sight is available to buy/rent on Apple TV.
