It’s officially been one week since the series finale of HBO’s Euphoria. Zendaya, who played Ruby “Rue” Bennett on the series from 2019 to 2026, made the character her own. Rue was always such a complicated young person, dealing with a lot of traumas, pain, and the evils of drug addiction. Zendaya managed to bring humanity and a rawness that made her feel like a real person. That’s the power of what a great actor she is.
If you’re anything like us, you’re still feeling down about how Rue’s story ended. We suspect it’s because we spent so many years loving the character and rooting for her to turn her life around. Rue didn’t always make the best choices in her life, but Zendaya made us love her and care deeply about her. If you’re missing seeing Zendaya on your TV screen on Sunday nights, and you don’t want to wait until July to see her in The Odyssey, we put together a list of 5 movies to watch after Euphoria.
More: Check out our list of 7 Jennifer Lopez Movies to Watch After Office Romance.
The Drama (2026)
Zendaya stars as Emma, a happily engaged young woman who reveals a dark secret to her fiancé and friends the week of their wedding. That secret was that when she was younger, she almost committed a mass shooting at her school. This was a shocking premise, and the film got a lot of people talking. It also shows how, even in the darkest situations, Zendaya manages to bring vulnerability to her characters.
We know this wasn’t an easy story to tell, and it made people uncomfortable. But sometimes the audience needs to be a little uncomfortable. Often, we shy away from these topics, but Zendaya dove headfirst into the role. She delivered an enjoyable performance that honestly makes you take her side in the end. Not for what she almost did as a kid, because, of course, that is not okay. But Zendaya’s ability to show that Emma truly acknowledged that what she was planning to do was wrong and realized she had a lot of issues to work through made the audience believe that she was worthy of redemption and forgiveness.
The Drama is available to watch on Apple TV
Malcolm & Marie (2021)
Malcolm & Marie is what I like to call Zendaya’s “Grown-woman” film. The movie, written and directed by Sam Levinson (Euphoria), is about Malcolm, a director played by John David Washington, who returns home with his girlfriend Marie after his movie premiere. When the two of them get home, their relationship is put to the test as they spend the entire night in a war of words.
In this film, Zendaya showed us that she was fully ready to be seen as an adult. I know that was obvious with Euphoria because of the subject matter, but Malcolm & Marie is about adults dealing with adult problems, whereas Euphoria focuses on teenagers. As Marie, Zendaya demands you pay attention to every word she says. She is a woman feeling unappreciated by her partner, and she wants him to really hear her. And with this performance, we did. She did such an amazing job that we’re even going to give that questionable Macaroni and cheese Marie made a pass.
Malcom & Marie is available on Netflix.
Challengers (2024)
Challengers, which was Zendaya’s first leading role in a feature film, is about Tashi, a former tennis prodigy who, after a career-ending injury, becomes a coach. Her husband, whom she coaches, is on a losing streak. When she arranges for him to play a challenger match, he ends up going against his former friend, who was also her ex-boyfriend.
Look, I’m just going to say it- this movie was crazy. But I loved it. Even though I would’ve loved seeing more of Tashi getting her tennis on. Tashi is a woman after her own best interests. She’s a bit of a manipulator, too, which is not to say that her husband and ex-boyfriend are absolved from their own behavior. Like Rue, Tashi is a morally grey character. But we do understand a lot of her motivations. She was a tennis pro who lost her dream. And coaching her husband allows her to live that dream vicariously through him. Challengers is about not being able to let go of the past. It’s also about how mistakes can have lasting consequences.
Challengers is available on Tubi.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
In The Greatest Showman, Zendaya plays Anne Wheeler, a talented trapeze artist who performs as one of P.T. Barnum’s circus acts. Anne is an introvert, but she comes alive when she takes to the trapeze. Her performances are so captivating that she catches the eye of Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron), a new producer for the show. The two develop feelings for one another, and romance ensues. But not without obstacles.
Anne has to face racism from those around her because she is an African American woman. That’s only heightened when she and Phillip attempt to navigate their relationship outside the walls of the circus. Zendaya says so much with her eyes in a way that tells you what she’s thinking without even uttering a word. And if you’ve been following Zendaya since her Disney days as Rocky Blue on Shake It Up, then you already know she’s a talented singer and dancer. The Greatest Showman showcased that talent on another level. Her duet “Rewrite the Stars” with Efron is one of my favorite moments in the film. It’s so beautiful, emotional, and romantic.
The Greatest Showman is available on Hulu.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
You could honestly watch any one of the Spider-Man movies with Zendaya as MJ, but this one is my favorite. Not just because MJ has a lot of character development, but because Zendaya is so lovable. In every role Zendaya plays, she manages to inject a piece of herself, making them all relatable. Even though we didn’t see her much in Spider-Man: Homecoming, she made her time onscreen count.
MJ may be introverted and just as nerdy and awkward as Peter Parker (Tom Holland), but when she speaks up, she speaks up. Each word matters. MJ grows a lot throughout the films, and in Spider-Man: Far from Home, we see the beginning of her relationship with Peter. By Spider-Man: No Way Home, they have truly become a partnership. They’re not just a couple; they’re friends, and she supports him in every way he needs it. She’s his equal, and she’s just as strong and fearless as he is.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is available on Prime Video.
Do you agree or disagree with our choices? Let us know which Zendaya film is your favorite below!
