Dakota Fanning is one of the most accomplished young actresses to grace Hollywood over the past two decades. After earning her stripes on a number of different TV shows in the year 2000, Fanning made her big-screen debut in 2001 with Tomcats and I Am Sam. Since then, she's tallied well over 60 film and television credits.
Even at a young age, the precocious Fanning has shared the screen with some of the finest actors, including Sean Penn, Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, and more. In 2018, Fanning returned to television to star in The Alienist and is poised to do the same in the series sequel, The Alienist: Angel of Darkness premiering July 19th on TNT. In anticipation, here are Dakota Fanning's 10 Best Movies, According to Rotten Tomatoes.
Dreamer: Inspired By A True Story (2005) 64%
Fanning appeared in five films released in 2005, the last of which includes the real-life horse-racing tale Dreamer: Inspired By A True Story.
Written and directed by John Gatins, the film follows Ben Crane (Kurt Russell), a trainer who adopts a racehorse with a broken leg before it's put down by its owner. Ben's daughter Cale pushes for the adoption and helps nurse the horse she names "Sonador" (Dreamer in Spanish) back to full health until it can compete in races again.
In The Realms Of The Unreal (2005) 70%
In Jessica Yu's documentary In the Realms of the Unreal, Fanning lends her voice to narrate the film as well as play the role of Vivian Girls.
The film chronicles the personal and professional life of multitalented artists Henry Darger, who wrote a massive novel in his spare time while serving as a janitor during the day. In specific, Darger wrote an epic 15,000-page novel with illustrations titled The Realms of the Unreal, which was eventually discovered while Darger was on his deathbed.
The Motel Life (2012) 70%
Adapted from the novel by Willy Vlautin, The Motel Life concerns a pair of blue-collar brothers whose lives change for the worse upon a hit-and-run incident near Reno, Nevada.
Frank (Emile Hirsch) and Jerry Lee (Stephen Dorff) live the hardscrabble motel life in Reno, where they drink excessively and drift from one roadside establishment to another. Upon fatally hitting a child, the brothers destroy the car and attempt to flee town. Fanning plays Frank's former girlfriend Annie James, who helps the brothers hide out in her small town.
The Runaways (2010) 70%
In the musical biopic The Runaways, Fanning plays famed punk-rocker Cherie Currie, a member of the iconic all-female 70s band alongside Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart), Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton), and Sandy West (Stella Maeve).
Adapted by Curie's memoir by writer/director Floria Sigismondi, the coming-of-age tale charts the highs and lows of navigating fame and fortune, group infighting, and self-destructive partying as The Runaways becomes one of the most popular rock bands of the decade.
Nine Lives (2005) 75%
In the 2005 drama Nine Lives, Colombian filmmaker Rodrigo Garcia focuses on nine different women at various crossroads in their respective lives. Each disparate tale is loosely intertwined, yet each shares the universal hardship of finding happiness in their daily existence.
Fanning appears opposite Glenn Close in the final chapter of the film. When Maggie (Close) takes her daughter Maria (Fanning) to visit a cemetery, the mother realizes how dependent she is on the emotional support of her child.
War Of The Worlds (2005) 75%
In perhaps her biggest movie to date, Fanning starred opposite Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg's mega-blockbuster War of the Worlds. In addition to garnering three Oscar nominations, the FX-driven marvel earned more than $600 million in global ticket sales.
Based on the classic H.G. Wells novel, the film concerns Ray Ferrier (Cruise), an unassuming stevedore forced to save the world when a destructive alien incursion hits planet Earth. Fanning plays Ray's daughter Rachel, whom he vows to protect first and foremost.
Charlotte's Web (2006) 78%
E.B. White's classic children's tale Charlotte's Web was given a star-studded makeover in 2006. The film stars Julia Roberts as the titular spider, with Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Redford, Kathy Bates, Sam Shepard, and more joining the cast.
Fanning plays the key role of Fern Arable in the film, the only human who can understand animal conversations. Fern is also the one who sets the story in motion by adopting Wilbur the Spring Pig (Dominic Scott Kay).
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) 85%
In Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Fanning plays Squeaky Fromme, one of the lead members of the sadistic Manson Family who presides over Spahn Movie Ranch.
The tale of revisionist history imagines a world in which Manson and his psychotic gang receive grisly comeuppance when running into washed-up actor Rick Dalton (Leo DiCaprio), and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Squeaky Fromm spends her days watching TV and taking care of George Spahn (Bruce Dern), a blind former producer who worked with Booth in the past.
Night Moves (2013) 86%
Kelly Reichardt's Night Moves revolves around a trio of environmentally-conscious activists who resort to illegal arson as a means of radical protest.
Josh (Jesse Eisenberg), Dena (Fanning), and Harmon (Peter Sarsgaard) are dedicated to the cause of environmental conservation. As such, they plan to destroy a harmful hydroelectric dam by rigging it with explosives and blowing the structure to pieces. However, a slew of mishaps and roadblocks get in their way, including attitudinal changes and paranoid misgivings.
Coraline (2009) 90%
The highest-rated movie of Dakota Fanning's career thus far, according to Rotten Tomatoes, is Henry Sellick's 2009 animated film, Coraline.
Based on the Neil Gaiman book, Coraline (Fanning) is a troubled 11-year-old girl who goes on a harrowing journey of self-discovery when introduced to a bizarre new parallel universe. Feeling neglected by her parents in her normal life, Coraline finds newfound joy in her alternate existence until it becomes clear the place is far scarier than initially believed. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 2010 BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Academy Awards.