Julia Stiles' 12 Best Movies (So Far), Ranked By Reviews

The late 1990s and early 2000s were a wild time in the annals of young adult-centric cinema. Amid the frivolity of films like "Dude, Where's My Car?" that ruled the day, "10 Things I Hate About You," starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, provided a thoughtful alternative for the more discerning viewer. And much of the credit for that belongs to Stiles, who defied archetypes with her breakout performance.

Since then, Stiles has amassed an impressive list of film credits spanning an array of genres, from rom-coms to horror films, indie dramas, and even major franchise films like the "Jason Bourne" series. Much to the delight of fans, some of those films were even celebrated with thoughtful homages during her impressive "Dancing with the Stars" run. In terms of box office receipts, critical success, and overall visibility, though, Stiles' credits have run the gamut from bona fide blockbusters to streaming sleepers and certified bombs.

For fans looking to engage with Stiles' best big screen projects and retrace the steps of her stunning transformation, here are her best movies so far, ranked by critics' reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

Julia Stiles was a certified screen veteran by the time "The Great Gilly Hopkins" was released in 2015, but her time as a Y2K-era leading lady was firmly in the rearview mirror. This Stephen Herek-directed film focused instead on Sophie Nélisse's performance as the titular Gilly — a troubled preteen girl who has lived in the foster system since being abandoned as an infant by her biological mother, played by Stiles.

The film was based on the 1978 Katherine Paterson-penned children's novel of the same name, and both works chronicle Gilly's efforts to free herself from the way of life she has been forced into and begin anew with her bio mom (whose photo she keeps and admires). In doing so, she becomes a pest to all those who occupy her ramshackle support system. The film also stars Kathy Bates as her foster mother and Octavia Spencer as her teacher; characters who ultimately show up for Gilly in ways her mother never could.

The film's Rotten Tomatoes critics' score currently checks in at a respectable 65%. For fans of Stiles specifically seeking out her performance as Gilly's estranged mother, though, there is unfortunately precious little content to absorb here. Glenn Kenny, a reviewer for RogerEbert.com, "Stiles shows up so fleetingly that one is surprised she doesn't split by saying, 'Sorry, I've got another 'Bourne' movie to get to.' Still, the climax gets its redemptive job done."

Based on a play of the same name by playwright Mark St. Germain, the 2021 film "The God Committee" is a drama that explores a complex, life-and-death decision, its far-reaching consequences, and the emotional strife and ethical dilemmas that arise with making said decision. In this case, an organ transplant committee is faced with quickly deciding which of three patients will receive a life-saving heart transplant after the intended recipient dies suddenly.

The Austin Stark-helmed film — described by Variety as a "schematic variation on 'Twelve Angry Men' by way of 'Grey's Anatomy'" – stars Kelsey Grammer (who, by the way, has a tragic real-life story), Stiles, Colman Domingo, Janeane Garofalo, Dan Hedaya, and Peter Kim as the people charged with navigating the difficult situation. Stiles portrays Dr. Jordan Taylor, initially a new member of the committee who holds a holistic view of the task at hand. Rotten Tomatoes critics' score is holding strong at 67%, as of this writing.

Stark praised Stiles' approach to the role of Taylor, explaining to The Knockturnal in 2021, "She prepares for her roles. She's very passionate about the material, and it's the same for me. We did this not because we wanted to make a big Hollywood movie but because we were passionate about the subject." Added Stark: "There's a warmth to Taylor that's ingrained in that character that I thought she portrayed authentically."

As far as psychological horror films of the late 2000s and early 2010s are concerned, few releases managed to surprise moviegoers and critics alike with twist endings quite like 2009's "Orphan." Instead of leaving on that high note, though, those tasked with serving as caretakers for the intellectual property opted instead to go back to the well in 2022 with the prequel film "Orphan: First Kill."

"Orphan: First Kill" follows a narrative path similar to that of its predecessor — a mysterious young-looking woman named Leena (played once again by Isabelle Fuhrman, who grew up to be stunning) goes to live with a family, after which horror ensues. In this case, the woman leads the family to believe that she's their missing daughter, Esther. Stiles stars as Tricia, Esther's mother, while Rossif Sutherland plays her husband, Allen. 

Unlike the original film, Leena's true nature and identity were already established at the outset of "First Kill." However, the movie nonetheless features a twist on-par with that of "Orphan," this time involving Stiles' Tricia. Stiles said of her character's motivations in 2022 (via Time): "Tricia really believes that everything she's doing is justified. That she's protecting her family. That's the scariest thing about her." The film earned a 69% among critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie that made Julia Stiles a veritable icon among millennials and younger Gen-Xers, "10 Things I Hate About You," was one of a multitude of contemporary Shakespeare adaptations that the actor was a part of (in this case, "The Taming of the Shrew" served as inspiration). Stiles plays Kat Stratford, a sharp-witted and fiercely feminist teen who's wooed — initially under false pretenses — by Heath Ledger's Patrick Verona in what was the breakthrough project for both performers.

Stiles' role differed from the standard fare of teen girl characters at the time, allowing her to showcase her innate talents. "I was a 17-year-old actress auditioning and getting a lot of annoying comments like, 'You're too serious' or 'you need to be sexier' or 'smile more' and I was vulnerable to it because I was still trying to figure out who I was," Stiles told People in 2025. "And then I read '10 Things I Hate About You' and Kat Stratford was like this feisty outspoken girl who did not care what people thought about her."

Also starring a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andrew Keegan, Gabrielle Union, and other Y2K-era luminaries, the Gil Junger-directed "10 Things I Hate About You" currently boasts a Rotten Tomatoes critics' score of 73%.

Audiences saw Julia Stiles in a supporting role for the 2012 black comedy "It's a Disaster," which was both written and directed by Todd Berger. The film followed the exploits of a group of friends whose semi-regular Sunday couples brunch gathering is spoiled by the fact that bombs and toxic nerve gas are encroaching upon them.

David Cross stars as Glenn, the new boyfriend of Stiles' character, Tracy, and a first-time attendee of the brunch. The film also features the talents of Rachel Boston, America Ferrera, Stiles, Berger himself, and more, and was reportedly the first to be distributed via Vine (ahead of its limited theatrical release). Critics enjoyed the film by and large, helping it earn a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

In a 2025 interview with Decider, Stiles name-checked the film when asked about a project of hers that deserved more love. "It's a comedy that I did called 'It's a Disaster,' with America Ferrera," Stiles told the outlet. "[Berger] actually wrote a sequel to it, and it was such a fun experience that the whole cast is dying to do the sequel. But it was a smaller indie movie, and it ended up streaming, and people find it."

While she was still basking in the afterglow of her "10 Things I Hate About You" breakout and "Save the Last Dance" moment, Julia Stiles took her talents in a decidedly different direction in the 2001 thriller "The Business of Strangers." The film chronicles a bizarre evening shared by a high-powered corporate executive (played by Stockard Channing, who's still the ultimate cool girl in her 80s) and the temporary assistant (Stiles) she fired mere hours before receiving news of her own impending advancement. 

The dynamic between Channing and Stiles was a hit with critics. "We're fascinated by the dynamic between the two women, both smart and hard-edged, both obscurely wounded, both seeing themselves in the other. We like the way the younger woman goes after the older one," Roger Ebert, who awarded the film three of four stars, wrote in a review. "Channing and Stiles are the right choices for these roles. They zero in on each other like heat-seeking missiles."

Although "The Business of Strangers" wasn't a commercial juggernaut on par with "10 Things" and "Last Dance," it clearly made an impression with critics. As of this writing, the film boasts a Rotten Tomatoes critical score of 80%.

Based on the popular Robert Ludlum-penned spy novels, the Matt Damon-led "Jason Bourne" action films became America's answer to James Bond during the 2000s and 2010s. And, much like Bond, the "Bourne" films were box office gold. 2004's "The Bourne Supremacy" was the second entry into the film franchise, following the exiled Bourne, who's framed for the theft of millions from the CIA. It was a hit with moviegoers and critics alike, earning a Rotten Tomatoes critical score of 81%.

As she did in the first film, Stiles appears as Nicolette "Nicky" Parsons, a CIA operative who once worked within the clandestine black-ops program Operation Treadstone that birthed Bourne. Although she appeared in a support capacity, Stiles' role was somewhat expanded from her limited appearance in 2002's "The Bourne Identity." She was also joined by a litany of returning castmates, including Damon, Franka Potente, Brian Cox, and Gabriel Mann.

In addition to the returning cast members, "The Bourne Supremacy" afforded Stiles the opportunity to share the screen with another of Hollywood's steadiest hands. "I get to be interrogated by Joan Allen," Stiles told MTV News ahead of the film's release (via ComingSoon.net). "It's exciting and I'm looking forward to it."

The film that launched the "Bourne" franchise was 2002's "The Bourne Identity," which was directed by Doug Liman. "The Bourne Identity" was a commercial and critical success, bringing in well over $200 million at the worldwide box office against a reported budget of $60 million (per Box Office Mojo), while its Rotten Tomatoes critics' score currently stands at 84%.

In the film, Damon's Bourne is found in the Mediterranean Sea with gunshot wounds in his back and no memory of who he is or how he got there. Over the course of the film, he pieces together the mystery of his identity and his connection to the CIA's top-secret Treadstone operation. Despite the plot's complex machinations, famed critic Roger Ebert ultimately branded its story "a set-up for the martial arts and chases," adding, "because they are done well, because the movie is well-crafted and acted, we give it a pass."

Remarkably, Stiles almost passed on the project when it was presented to her as she was worried about finishing her college education. "This is how weird my head was at the time. I was like, 'Oh, but I can't go and do this movie because I have my final exams coming up and I'll lose all my credits,'" she told Mayim Bialik during a 2025 interview. "Luckily, somebody was like, 'Are you crazy?' and talked me out of it and was like, 'You need to do this movie.'"

While Julia Stiles was a millennial-era star of teen films and rom-coms, her 2000 film "State and Main" was a different animal entirely. Written and directed by Pulitzer Prize winner and famed film and stage artist David Mamet, the comedy-drama movie deftly satirized the filmmaking process as it chronicled a director's (William H. Macy) efforts to complete work on a production plagued by a scandal involving his leading man (Alec Baldwin).

Stiles plays Carla in the film — a local teen who becomes involved with Baldwin's much older character. At the time, she relished the opportunity to work with one of Hollywood's best storytellers as a young actor. "I think everybody deferred to King Mamet, you know what I mean?" Stiles told The Los Angeles Times of her experience on the film. "I think everyone had so much respect, at least I did, for his ability. I trusted him completely, and that's so rare in filmmaking, to be able to just say, 'I know that you know what you're doing, and if there's ever a question you'll answer it.'"

"State and Main" currently holds an overwhelmingly positive Rotten Tomatoes critics' score of 84%. Wrote Peter Bradshaw in a contemporary review for The Guardian: "There is a lot of fun to be had here, and terrific performances from [Philip Seymour] Hoffman, Macy and [David] Paymer."

In 2019, Julia Stiles joined the likes of Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, and more in the comedy/drama/heist film, "Hustlers." Inspired by a true story, the Lorene Scafaria-written and directed film chronicles a crew of New York City exotic dancers who secretly drug their wealthy clientele in order to run up exorbitant charges on their stolen credit cards in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Stiles plays a journalist working on a story about one of the dancers several years later, in 2014. She reportedly battled for her "Hustlers" role during a time when her showbiz slate had become unfocused. "I was so happy to be doing the 'Jason Bourne' films, and I was happy to jump on 'Riviera' and see where that would go. I also became a mom two years ago. But in terms of my career, I was kind of bouncing around from project to project without a rudder," she told Katie Couric in 2019. "When 'Hustlers' came along, it was so important for me to seize that opportunity and say, 'I really want to fight for this.'"

The film was a critical hit, securing an 88% aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes. It performed well among viewers, too, bringing in more than $157 million at the worldwide box office against a relatively meager reported budget of $20 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

By the time "The Bourne Ultimatum" rolled around in 2007, the action franchise was well-established in the pop culture lexicon. The third installment in the series was directed by Paul Greengrass — who had previously taken the baton from Doug Liman for "The Bourne Supremacy" — and followed Bourne's continuing journey to find himself while also evading the CIA and the ghosts of Operation Treadstone.

Once again, Stiles was given more to do as Nicky Parsons, including a scene where she aids Bourne's escape from pursuing agents. The film continued the trend of "Bourne" films scoring with critics. As of this writing, its critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes is an impressive 92% (making it "certified fresh"). Meanwhile, the film grossed over $442 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo).

At the time, a reviewer for The Prague Reporter wrote, "The film simply never lets up, and director Paul Greengrass deserves all the credit; he's taken standard spy movie material and injected it with the kind of pulsating tension you'll only find in ticking-clock movies like 'Speed.'"

While her name wasn't on the top of the marquee for the project, David O. Russell's 2012 romantic drama "Silver Linings Playbook" is arguably the best film Julia Stiles has been a part of. Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro, the film follows the burgeoning romance between a former psychiatric patient (Cooper) and a young widow (Lawrence). Stiles plays the older sister of Lawrence's character in the film.

Like "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Silver Linings Playbook" currently boasts a certified fresh critical score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also an award show darling, securing a multitude of Oscar nominations, including best picture, best directing, best adapted screenplay, several acting categories, and more. For her part, Lawrence took home a statuette recognizing her as the best lead actress.

Meanwhile, Stiles credited Russell with helping her evolve as an actor while working on the film. "I learned a lot. I am so proud to be a part of this movie," she told Elle in 2012. "He got me to stop being so intellectual with my acting. He's very into visceral performances and improvisation, so he keeps you on your toes. He is very demanding, but in a fantastic way."

To determine Julia Stiles' best movies to date, we reviewed the actor's full filmography and selected the projects with the highest critics' ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. In the case of "Silver Linings Playbook" and "The Bourne Ultimatum" — both of which received a 92% rating with 260 critic reviews — we assessed each film's awards history. Considering the slew of nominations and wins awarded to "Silver Linings Playbook," we consider it Stiles' best film, as of this writing.