The release of Top Gun: Maverick is much anticipated and is projected to be Tom Cruise’s career-best at the box office. Jennifer Connelly appears as the love interest of his character, which happens to be her first collaboration with Cruise. The actress is far from a novice and has a celebrated list of acting credits along with an Oscar win.
A great way to stack up the best movies featuring Connelly is through Metacritic scores. These are based on the average ratings by top critics, leaving no doubt that the top-10 films are the most critically acclaimed. From intense movies like Requiem for a Dream to the action drama that is Top Gun: Maverick, it’s worth looking back at Connelly’s critical hits.
Blood Diamond (2006) - 64
Stream On Netflix
This thriller movie is about the trafficking of diamonds during the Sierra Leone Civil War, where smuggler Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) and fisherman Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) team up to capture a precious diamond to buy their way out of the war.
Jennifer Connelly plays journalist Maddy Bowen, who forms a deal with the lead pair to write an exposé on illicit diamond trading. Blood Diamond’s critical reviews mainly praised the performances of the cast, crediting them for adding life to an otherwise formulaic plot.
Dark City (1998) - 66
Stream On Kanopy
Among the more confusing science fiction movies to be made, Dark City follows Rufus Sewell (John Murdoch) as he attempts to piece his past together while on the run from assailants. Sewell follows clues left out for him to learn about his life and the fact that extraterrestrials are using humans as experiments.
Dark City features Jennifer Connelly playing the wife of the protagonist, who becomes a victim of the mind erasure the antagonists employ. Its aesthetic and atmosphere continue to garner praise for really making the neo-noir vibe shine through, with the film aging very well as a result.
Noah (2014) - 68
Stream On Hoopla
This epic biblical drama sees Russell Crowe in the title role in what is a big-budget feature that brings the events to life. Jennifer Connelly portrays Noah’s wife, with the movie featuring a heavily dramatized take on the Book of Genesis version of the story.
Critics were mainly impressed by the astounding visuals in Noah, which depict the terrifying flood in realistic ways. Russell Crower and Jennifer Connelly received the best critical reviews for adding depth to the protagonists during their harrowing journeys.
Requiem For A Dream (2000) - 68
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This movie is likely where Top Gun: Maverick fans will have seen this cast member before, as Jennifer Connelly established herself as a dramatic actor with it. Requiem for a Dream follows a number of characters whose lives are destroyed through drug addiction.
Connelly plays Marion, who sells out all her integrity once her addiction gets worse, to the point where she would do anything just for one more hit. Requiem for a Dream remains lauded for portraying the dangerous effects of addiction in striking retail, with the film remaining among Connelly’s most recognizable ones.
House Of Sand And Fog (2003) - 71
Stream On Hoopla
House of Sand and Fog is a psychological drama about the ramifications of a single decision. Jennifer Connelly plays Kathy Nicolo, a woman abandoned by her husband who’s evicted from her house. When Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley) purchases it for his family, Kathy starts harassing him for claiming what she thinks is rightfully hers.
Filled with morally ambiguous characters, the story features a twist-and-turn style where viewers can sympathize with both parties. Connelly’s character gradually turns more villainous when her methods become dangerous, with House of Sand and Fog making for a thought-provoking film.
A Beautiful Mind (2001) - 72
Stream On Hulu
The film that won Jennifer Connelly the Oscar Award for Best Supporting Actress, A Beautiful Mind is a biographical drama about mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe). It depicts his growing paranoia and the toll it takes on his wife and friends.
Connely plays Alicia Nash, who has to face the impact of her husband’s impulsiveness. The film is as much about the conflict she faces in her marriage as John does in dealing with his mindset. A Beautiful Mind has since become one of the best-received Oscar-winning films available for streaming.
Only The Brave (2017) - 72
Stream On Fubo TV
Although it slipped under the radar at the time of its release, Only the Brave has an impressive cast comprising Jeff Bridges, Miles Teller, Andie MacDowell, Josh Brolin, and Jennifer Connelly. It’s about the true event of the Yarnell Hill Fire where the elite firefighter crew of Granite Mountain Hotshots lost 19 of its 20 members.
Connelly plays the wife of Brolin’s character, who initially resents her husband’s job for the danger he places himself him and for the way it consumes his time. Her character ultimately comes to respect her husband’s heroics and the film received praise for honoring the people behind the story.
Little Children (2006) - 75
Stream On Kanopy
Little Children stars Patrick Wilson and Kate Winslet as characters who develop an attraction while they’re married to other people. Jennifer Connelly plays the suspecting wife of Wilson’s character, with the film depicting the stifling effects of suburban life and what drives people to make problematic decisions.
The movie doesn’t offer any resolution to the plotline, as the purpose behind it is to show the everyday lives of people that are inherently miserable. Little Children received good reviews for the way it turns a seemingly bland outline into an engaging character piece.
Pollock (2000)- 77
Rent On Itunes
Ed Harris received one of the most unexpected Oscar nominations of the 2000s with Pollock, which is a biographical romantic drama about painter Jackson Pollock. While the film didn’t receive much commercial success, critics were impressed by the actors’ performances.
Jennifer Connelly portrays Pollock’s mistress Ruth Kligman, whose emergence in his life destroys Pollock and his wife’s marriage. Pollock’s reviews focused more on Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden, but Connelly holds her own quite well in this intense drama.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022) - 81
Not Currently Available To Stream
Top Gun: Maverick marks the return of the series after a whopping 36 years, with the story featuring Maverick training a new team of fighter pilots. Jennifer Connelly appears as his love interest, Penny, who’s the wisest character in the cast and puts things into perspective for the protagonist.
It’s quickly become the best-reviewed movie of Jennifer Connelly’s career, as Top Gun: Maverick has been lauded for its incredible practical effects and heartfelt story. Penny’s role has similarly been praised for adding depth to Maverick’s characterization in a departure from usual action tropes.