Seen as one of the most charming modern-day actresses of the big screen, Anne Hathaway movies run the gamut from epic blockbusters to understated dramas, and she has been a consistent force in show business for over 20 years. Ever since her feature film debut in Disney's The Princess Diaries in 2001, Hathaway has charmed audiences with her likable demeanor and ability to easily play a range of characters. Spanning nearly every genre, Hathaway's lengthy filmography is made up of hit after hit, and she is usually the brightest star in whatever movie she graces.

Hathaway didn't take long to garner critical praise for her performances, and even her teenage roles were noted for their diversity and strength. Her transition to adult roles was smooth, and she was one of the few stars to shed her child actor label and become a bona fide Hollywood icon as an adult, winning an Oscar in 2013 for her performance in Les Misérables. Anne Hathaway's best roles throughout her career have been challenging and diverse, and she has avoided typecasting, throwing herself wholeheartedly into her characters.

20 One Day (2011)

Emma Morley

Further cementing herself as a romance movie powerhouse, Anne Hathaway starred in One Day and ended up being the most memorable part of the movie. The film follows the romantic exploits of Emma (Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) as their college friendship blossoms and withers throughout different stages of their lives. Unlike most romantic films with a clear narrative, One Day presented an unconventional approach to the love story that was largely effective.

Hathaway's Emma is a distinctly realistic character, and she works well with Jim Sturgess to create an onscreen bond that is more than believable. While critics panned the movie, with a low 36% Rotten Tomatoes score, the audience score was more forgiving, with most of the praise going to Hathaway and Sturgess's performance, and most complaints were about changes made to the source material.

19 Alice In Wonderland (2010)

Mirana / The White Queen

In 2010, director Tim Burton brought a live-action version of Alice in Wonderland. His weird aesthetic and colorful visuals brought the classic fairy tale to life, although critics were not as kind when discussing the merits of this newly updated version. Newcomer Mia Wasikowska took on the role of Alice, but she was often overshadowed by the visuals, vibrant colors, and Johnny Depp stealing scenes as The Mad Hatter. As for Anne Hathaway, she took on the role of the White Queen Mirana, opposite Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen.

Hathaway brought her own vision to the character, almost a version of a punk-rock pacifist.

That was part of the problem, though, as Carter was over-the-top and overshadowed most of the characters she interacted with as the large-headed Red Queen, and Hathaway's performance as the kinder, gentler Queen never seemed to contrast as well as it could have. Regardless, Hathaway brought her own vision to the character, almost a version of a punk-rock pacifist, and the film broke $1 billion at the box office to remain a success.

18 Mothers' Instinct (2024)

Céline

One of two movies Anne Hathaway starred in during 2024, she shared the screen with Jessica Chastain in the psychological thriller Mothers' Instinct. Based on the novel by Barbara Abel, and a remake of the 2018 French-language film of the same name, it tells the story of two women who live next door to each other who experience tragedy when the son of one of the mothers (Hathaway) falls to his death. After the boy's death, the grieving mother develops a strong relationship with her neighbor's son.

The film is an extremely dark thriller with a twisted ending, which is likely why it was a hard watch for many viewers, who rated it at a low 45% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics were slightly more rewarding of the movie, but their praise went mostly toward Hathaway and Chastain, the two lead mothers in the film, and their deadly game that led to tragedy. The biggest critics' complaint was not the acting but the film's unsteady switching between melodrama and noir thriller.

17 The Witches (2020)

The Grand High Witch

In 2020, Anne Hathaway took on the lead villain role in the remake of the horror classic The Witches. Based on the Roald Dahl novel and directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future), the movie re-tells the story of a coven of witches that puts the life of a young boy in danger when he learns that they remain young and powerful by feeding on children. Anne Hathaway plays the Grand High Witch, the evil woman in charge of the coven who will do anything she can to keep her coven strong.

Hathaway received praise for her over-the-top performance but failed to match up to Angelica Huston from the original film.

However, what dragged the movie down in critical reception was that people compared it to the original movie adaptation from 1990. Hathaway received praise for her over-the-top performance but failed to match up to Angelica Huston from the original film. Released late in 2020, the film received a small theatrical release and had most of its viewers watching it on streaming, thanks to the pandemic.

16 Rio (2011)

Jewel (voice)

Hathaway lent her voice talents to the fun family-friendly animated movie Rio. The movie follows the neurotic and domesticated macaw named Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), who falls for the free-spirited Gioiel (Hathaway) and follows her on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro. Rio's bright and colorful tone was enough to thrill younger viewers, and there was more than enough humor and charm for older audience to enjoy.

Anne Hathaway reprised her role in Rio 2 in 2014.

Though Rio wasn't Hathaway's first turn as a voice actor, her affability and likable nature shone through. Hathaway was just a part of the impressive cast, including Leslie Mann, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, Jane Lynch, and Wanda Sykes. "Real in Rio" earned an Oscar nomination for Best Song and the animated release also picked up seven Annie Awards nominations, winning for Best Character Animation in an Animated Production.

15 Dark Waters (2019)

Sarah Barlage Bilott

Because of her status as a Hollywood superstar, Anne Hathaway movies don't usually fly under the radar, but Dark Waters was one of her more understated projects. A corporate defense lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) discovers a long history of pollution from a chemical company. Hathaway plays his wife Sarah in the based-on-a-true-story thriller, and though she isn't given much to do, she nevertheless shines.

Though she is a recognizable face, Hathaway's ability to completely inhabit a role is on full display in Dark Waters. This made the political story all the more gripping because it was so real. Critics loved the movie, awarding it a high 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the praise going to the story relaying the real-life horrors of the victims in a respectable way. While Hathaway received praise for her performance, it was Mark Ruffalo who earned awards recognition at the end of the year.

14 The Idea Of You (2024)

Solène Marchand

Anne Hathaway returned to the romantic comedy genre with her turn in the 2024 film The Idea of You. In this movie, Hathaway plays Solène Marchand, a divorced art gallery owner in Los Angeles. When she takes her kids to Coachella, she meets a member of a popular band who is 16 years younger than her, and they develop an attraction that both bothers and excites Solène. The story is about both the age gap and the struggles of a regular person to date a major celebrity and how it affects their personal lives.

Like that film, this one also received positive critical reviews, with most of the praise going to Anne Hathaway and her performance as a rom-com leading lady.

Michael Showalter (The State) directs the movie, following his Oscar-worthy 2021 film, The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Like that film, this one also received positive critical reviews, with most of the praise going to Anne Hathaway and her performance as a rom-com leading lady. Showalter also received praise for making a romantic comedy seem big and important again despite foregoing a theatrical release for a premiere on Prime Video.

13 Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

Madeline Bray

Adapted from the Charles Dickens novel, Nicholas Nickleby features the title character's dogged attempt to rescue his family from his ruthless uncle's cruel behavior. Hathaway plays Madeline Bray, an artist forced to financially her father after he gambles away their money. Coming not long after her smash-hit Princess Diaries debut on the big screen, Hathaway delivered a stunningly mature performance that befitted Dickens' multi-toned source material.

Funny in its execution and with a strong ensemble, Nicholas Nickleby flew under the radar in the early aughts. This was the movie that helped turn Charlie Hunnam into a star and was a strong early role for Hathaway as well. The film was a box office bomb, although it has since become more appreciated for both the actors and the overall quality of the film. It did earn a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.

12 The Cat Returns (2002)

Haru Yoshioka (voice)

Almost all the biggest Anne Hathaway movies have been live-action, but 2002's The Cat Returns allowed her to show off her vocal talents for the first time. The Cat Returns concerns a 17-year-old girl named Haru who becomes unwittingly engaged to the feline Prince Lune (Andrew Bevis). While Chizuru Ikewaki voices the role in the original film, Anne Hathaway voices the girl in the American dubbed version of the movie.

Every Studio Ghibli movie has earned legions of fans, and though The Cat Returns isn't the most well-loved among the studio's illustrious catalog, it is no less effective. The evocative and nostalgic animation was perfectly balanced by the performances of Hathaway and her co-stars. With an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Cat Returns won the Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival.

11 Love & Other Drugs (2010)

Maggie Murdock

Hathaway re-teamed with her Brokeback Mountain costar Jake Gyllenhaal for the romantic comedy Love & Other Drugs. Set in the 1990s, Gyllenhaal plays a charming pharmaceutical rep who begins an unexpected relationship with a woman named Maggie who has Parkinson's disease (Hathaway). A highlight among Anne Hathaway's movies of the romantic persuasion, her chemistry with Gyllenhaal was undeniable, and Love & Other Drugs is well-ed among Jake Gyllenhaal's movies.

However, critics were split, and the film's openness wasn't enough to offset its disted plot. The mixed reviews pointed out that the film was a nice romance compared to lighter fare Hollywood usually produces, but it seemed to struggle to figure out what kind of movie it wanted to be. Despite that, critics praised Anne Hathaway specifically for her performance and her ability to help elevate Jake Gyllenhaal from comedy to serious matters in the film.