Jessica Alba may be most famous for her role as Sue Storm, A.K.A. The Invisible Woman, in the movies Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. More devoted fans will remember her for her starring role as Max Guevara in the TV series Dark Angel, one of James Cameron's early forays into television.
Alba has also appeared in such hit films as Into the Blue, with the late Paul Walker, and Good Luck Chuck, alongside Dane Cook. However, not all of her roles have been critical failures. Here are the top 10 Jessica Alba movies, ranked according to their rating on IMDb.
Never Been Kissed (1999) - 6.1/10
This 1999 Drew Barrymore romantic comedy was not only a big hit at the box office but also James Franco's big-screen debut. Though Alba has only a small role in this film, as a popular mean girl at the school where Barrymore's character must go undercover, this film is one of her best. Surprisingly, as it predates her breakout in Dark Angel.
With a soundtrack that features alternative rock heavy hitters like R.E.M., Jimmy Eat World, the Smiths, and Semisonic, Never Been Kissed received mixed reviews from critics, but has remained a fan favorite for lovers of romantic comedy since its release.
The Killer Inside Me (2010) - 6.1/10
Alba stars in this 2010 erotic crime thriller alongside Academy Award winner Casey Affleck and Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson, so it should come as no great surprise that it's one of her best films. Alba plays a prostitute named Joyce Lakeland, who enters into a sadomasochistic affair with her town's sociopathic sheriff.
The film received mixed reviews, and tanked at the box office, making only $3 million on a still modest but significantly higher $13 million budget. It was also controversial for its subject matter, which some critics seemed to find too violent for the screen.
Meet Bill (2007) - 6.2/10
This 2007 comedy film stars Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight) as an average Joe who becomes the reluctant mentor to a teenager. It also features performances from Logan Lerman (Hunters), Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), Timothy Olyphant (Justified), and of course, Jessica Alba.
Though it boasts only a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, users on IMDb disagree and think Meet Bill is one of Alba's best films. Alba plays Lucy, a lingerie saleswoman who becomes embroiled in Bill's relationship with his wife when the teenager Bill's mentoring decides to use her in a scheme to make Bill's wife jealous.
Idle Hands (1999) - 6.2/10
Idle Hands is a 1999 dark comedy film about a teenager who realizes his right hand has become possessed after he accidentally kills both his parents and his best friends. Alba plays the teenager's unwitting girlfriend Molly, who must avoid being killed by the possessed hand in a series of unfortunate (and hilarious) encounters.
This film also features performances from Daredevil's Elden Henson and Kill Bill's Vivica A. Fox. And while it may not have made a splash at the box office ($4 million on a $25 million budget) or with critics (16% on Rotten Tomatoes), it left a lasting impression with users on IMDb.
Stretch (2014) - 6.5/10
The Conjuring's Patrick Wilson stars in this oft-overlooked comedy crime film about a stretch limousine driver who finds himself fighting for his life after he picks up a mysterious billionaire played by Star Trek's Chris Pine. Unfortunately, it's so often overlooked is because it was never released theatrically, but instead pulled from Universal's slate and released on VOD.
Produced by Jason Blum on a budget of $5 million, it's likely the film would have made respectable returns at the box office. And with an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, it might even have deserved it. But alas, the world will never know.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) - 6.5/10
Jessica Alba reprises her role as Nancy Callahan, a stripper at the popular Sin City destination Kadie's Bar. In this 2014 sequel to the 2005 film, Nancy receives a more prominent role, as the central character of the vignette "Nancy's Last Dance."
This film may have come nine years too late, and was a box office failure, recouping only $39 million of a $65 million budget. Critics seemed to agree with the film's financial performance, stating overall that, while it succeeded in maintaining the slick style of the original, the narrative impact was significantly lessened.
Awake (2007) - 6.5/10
Alba stars in this 2007 conspiracy thriller alongside Star Wars' Hayden Christensen. It tells the heart-pounding story of a man who discovers that his surgical team intends to murder him while he's on the table, after experiencing anesthesia awareness and a clairvoyant episode.
Awake was one of Alba's most successful movies at the box office, making $32 million on a modest $8 million budget. Despite that, it's not often remembered by her fans, or indeed by fans of cinema in general. Perhaps because it was poorly received by critics, and harshly criticized by anesthesiologists, who denounced its claims about anesthesia awareness.
Entourage (2015) - 6.6/10
This 2015 film adaptation of the hit HBO series Entourage starred the principal cast of the show, who reprised their roles as a group of up-and-coming film industry friends navigating Hollywood. Though Alba only had a cameo in this film, portraying a fictionalized version of herself, fans think it's one of her best.
Entourage has a CinemaScore rating of "A-" on an "A" to "F" scale, with a worldwide box office gross of $49.3 million, barely enough to recoup its $39 million budget. Though it may not be Alba's best work, as she only briefly appears on screen, it clocks in as one of her top-rated films.
Machete (2010) - 6.6/10
What fans of this 2010 exploitation action film may not know is that it's a spinoff of the Spy Kids movies, in which Alba also appears. Danny Trejo stars as the titular Machete, and Alba plays Sartana Rivera, an immigration officer torn between the law and her family.
The film holds a 72% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, one of Alba's only films to do so. However, Alba won the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress for her work in the film, so it seems that responses to the film, or at least her role in it, were a mixed bag.
Sin City (2005) - 8/10
The predecessor to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was a much bigger success than the sequel, grossing $160 million on a $40 million budget, receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. Like the sequel, it starred Bruce Willis, Benicio del Toro, Clive Owen, and Mickey Rourke, alongside, of course, Jessica Alba.
Interestingly, the film's director considered it a shot-for-shot adaptation of the graphic novel by Frank Miller, and so assigned no screenwriting credits. It's a tactic that seems to have paid off, as the film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.