The best Jennifer Lopez movies to stream

By Jillian Schenfeld 7:41am PDT, Jul 24, 2021

Jennifer Lopez is a fierce triple threat and entrepreneur with an incredibly successful career spanning film, television, music and dance. In honor of the Bronx-born superstar's 52nd birthday on July 24, 2021, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at her best films to stream, starting with the one that proved she had talent as well as beauty… "Selena" is Jennifer Lopez' magnum opus of films. She beautifully embodies the late Latin songstress Selena Quintanilla-Perez in the 1997 movie that chronicles the Tejano singer's rapid ascent to fame and heartbreaking demise. The success of J.Lo's performance in this biopic helped launch her career and largely paved a path for her future successes. Stream "Selena" on Apple TV, YouTube & Amazon Prime Video.

Keep reading for more J.Lo movies and where to stream them…

"The Wedding Planner" on Peacock, Hulu & Amazon Prime Video

"The Wedding Planner" is a superb Jennifer Lopez rom-com. Jennifer stars as Mary, a bridal coordinator who ends up falling in love with her client's fiancé, portrayed by Matthew McConaughey. It's certainly no Oscar winner and critics largely poo-pooed the 2001 film, but that couldn't stop audiences from falling in love with the heartwarming flick — not to mention the natural chemistry between J.Lo and Matthew.

"Hustlers" on Hulu, Showtime & Amazon Prime Video

J.Lo's performance in this buzzed-about film was electric! In 2019's "Hustlers," Jennifer Lopez portrays Ramona, the highest earning stripper at a New York City adult club. The crime-drama, which features an ensemble cast that includes Constance Wu, Lili Reinhart, Cardi B and Keke Palmer, revolves around a group of women who construct a scheme to swindle money from their wealthy clientele. For her portrayal in "Hustlers" — which made $157.6 million on a $20.7 million budget — Jennifer earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for best supporting actress.

"Gigli" on Hulu, Starz, Apple TV & Amazon Prime Video

To put it simply, "Gigli" was a major flop for Jennifer Lopez. She memorably co-starred with Ben Affleck and fell for him during filming. In the movie, she plays an assassin who oversees Ben's character's kidnapping mission. Critic Roger Ebert said it all: "So the movie doesn't work. The ending especially doesn't work, and what's worse, it doesn't work for a long time, because it fails to work for minute after minute, and includes dialogue which is almost entirely unnecessary." Yikes!

"Out of Sight" on Hulu, Starz & Amazon Prime Video

A dark romantic comedy filled with suspense and action, 1998's "Out of Sight" is one of Jennifer Lopez' best films! The chemistry between J.Lo and George Clooney is delicious — they sizzle on screen together in the tale of a successful bank robber who ends up stealing the heart of a deputy federal marshal. David Edelstein of Slate noted in his review that "'Out of Sight' is slick in all the right ways."

"Maid in Manhattan" on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video & YouTube

Although 2002's "Maid In Manhattan" boasts a similar storyline to "Pretty Woman," it is still one of Jennifer Lopez's best rom-coms of all time. The film centers around a housekeeper named Marisa who is essentially "saved" by a wealthy politician (played by Ralph Fiennes). Richard Roeper at Ebert & Roeper wrote, "It's a charming romantic fantasy."

"Anaconda" on HBO Max, YouTube & Apple TV

In the 1997 adventure-horror film "Anaconda," Jennifer Lopez plays the director of a documentary film crew that journeys to the Amazon in search of Shirishama natives and ends up fighting a massive, hungry — you guessed it — anaconda! The film raked in about $65 million domestically, and although it garnered a bevy of negative reviews, it's also accrued quite the cult following over the years.

"Shall We Dance" on HBO Max, YouTube & Amazon Prime Video

"Shall We Dance" stars Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere in a conventional but heart-warming rom-com about a dance teacher who helps a middle-aged man get his groove back. The reimagining of Masayuki Suo's 1995 film earned a 46% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer and comes with this critics consensus: "The cast is warmly appealing, but with the loss of cultural context and addition of big-name celebrities, this American version loses the nuances of the original."

"Jersey Girl" on Hulu, YouTube & Amazon Prime Video

At the height of Bennifer in 2004, another disappointing Jennifer Lopez-Ben Affleck film hit theaters: "Jersey Girl." The film follows Ben's character, whose life falls apart when his wife (portrayed by J.Lo) dies during childbirth. It's a sort-of-sweet, lazy-Sunday movie you might want to watch on TV, but don't go out of your way. You'll also find that Liv Tyler — who jumps in as Ben's new love interest — gets way more screen time than J.Lo.

"Second Act" on Hulu, Apple TV & YouTube

We love this one! In 2018, Jennifer Lopez took on the starring role in the New York City-based romantic comedy "Second Act." She plays Maya Vargas, a 40-something assistant manager at a grocery store who, with the help of her best friend's son, fabricates her credentials in an effort to pursue a career in the corporate world. In addition to making moves at her dream job, Maya also begins to forge an unlikely connection with her equally talented go-getter coworker (played by Vanessa Hudgens). The feel-good film also stars Leah Remini and Milo Ventimiglia.

"Money Train" on YouTube, Apple TV & Amazon Prime Video

Early in her career, Jennifer Lopez appeared in "Money Train" alongside Wesley Snipes. The 1995 movie features a notable sex scene that she reportedly did reluctantly. She portrays Grace Santiago, who joins a pair of subway cop brothers who attempt a robbery. Mike Clark of USA Today said, "It's stupid, but also breezier than the year's other 12-score releases not worth a second look." It seems "Money Train" laid some groundwork for J.Lo to graduate into other film genres that were more to her liking.

"The Cell" on YouTube, Apple TV & Amazon Prime Video

In 2000, Jennifer Lopez starred in "The Cell," a Tarsem Singh-directed dark thriller in which she played a child therapist who embarks on a journey to uncover a missing girl seized by a killer who drowns his female victims in a glass-encased chamber. The film was given four stars by Roger Ebert — although he noted it was controversial. He wrote, "I know people who hate it, finding it pretentious or unrestrained; I think it's one of the best films of the year."

"An Unfinished Life" on Paramount+, Apple TV & Amazon Prime Video

The 2005 adaptation of Mark Spragg's novel "An Unfinished Life" stars Jennifer Lopez as a widowed single mother who escapes an abusive relationship with a man played by Damian Lewis (yep, it sounds a bit like the narrative of "Enough") by fleeing to the ranch of her estranged father-in-law, played by Robert Redford. Roger Ebert gave the film three stars and Paul Clinton at CNN wrote, "[The film] manages to be both moving and poignant largely because of the superb acting, cinematography and direction."

"Blood and Wine" on Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube & Amazon Prime Video

Another of Jennifer Lopez's earlier overlooked films, 1996's "Blood and Wine," is a thriller co-starring Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine. In it, she portrays Jack's character's Cuban mistress accomplice. The film garnered a 61% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer.

"Enough" on Hulu, YouTube & Amazon Prime Video

"Enough" features Jennifer Lopez in one of her most fearless roles: She plays a woman named Slim who prepares tirelessly to escape from her abusive husband. J.Lo reportedly trained in the Israeli self-defense program Krav Maga to get buff for the film. Although she put in the time and effort, the movie received mostly negative reviews from film critics, with many focusing on her perceived exploitation of spousal abuse — as if she wrote the film herself.

"U Turn" on YouTube, Apple TV & Amazon Prime Video

Oliver Stone's "U Turn" is a 1997 crime-thriller featuring an all-star cast that includes Jennifer Lopez, Sean Penn, Billy Bob Thornton and Joaquin Phoenix. The movie was lackluster in comparison to its stacked ensemble, whose characters join forces in telling the story of a gambler whose car breaks down near a mining town filled with thieves and killers. J.Lo plays a married woman who has an affair with Sean's character. Still, Variety critic Todd McCarthy liked it, writing, "The stylistic fun Stone has in dramatizing this crime of passion thoroughly revitalizes the well-worked genre."

"Parker" on Netflix, YouTube & Amazon Prime Video

Jennifer Lopez came together with Jason Statham for the 2013 crime thriller "Parker." She portrays Leslie Rogers, a divorcée who lives with her mom (played by Patti LuPone) and is in a personal and professional rut. She then partners with Parker (played by Jason) to serve up revenge against the super-rich. The film garnered a 41% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer and was dubbed "thoroughly generic."

"Monster-in-Law" on HBO Max, YouTube & Amazon Prime Video

Jennifer Lopez and Jane Fonda go head-to-head in "Monster-in-Law," a tepid yet amusing rom-com about the escalating tensions between a mother-in-law and her son's fiancée. The film takes the proverbial "mama's boy" notion and fits it inside the parameters of a largely predictable movie. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote of the film, "It's a crude, obvious comedy, which occasionally clunks, but it's often very funny, as well as being a really shrewd bit of popular entertainment."