Christina Ricci is an incredibly versatile and unique actress. Throughout her three-plus decades on our screens, she has played almost every role imaginable. Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Ricci rose to prominence early on in her career, playing a number of iconic role at a very young age. Ricci is also a rare case of a child star making it to adulthood, consistently working with very little interruption. Much of that can be attributed to her willingness to take on more nuanced and complicated roles as she aged into a teenager and young adult.
Ricci has even had a career resurgence as of late, not only appearing as one of the stars of Showtime’s hit series Yellowjackets, but returning to her childhood home as part of the Addams Family extended universe. Which just goes to show how well Ricci has mastered the challenge of staying relevant in Hollywood, something that’s doubly difficult for women over 40. So, in honor of her varied and successful career, it’s time to rank Ricci’s 10 best movies and TV shows from worst to best. Enjoy!
15. Mermaids (1990)
Christina Ricci’s career can really be tracked back to her breakout performance in 1990’s Mermaids, her film debut which was released when she was just 10 years old. The comedy-drama film is beloved for the wonderful mother-daughter chemistry between leading star Cher and her on-screen children Winona Ryder and Ricci, who plays the adorable Kate Flax who dreams of being a champion swimmer. Mermaids is probably best remembered thanks to the music video for the movie’s breakout song, “It’s In His Kiss,” which features all three ladies dancing in tandem, but it’s worth revisiting Mermaids to witness the precocious performance than ensured Ricci became a star in the making.
14. The Addams Family (1991)
After Mermaids, Ricci owned it all to landing the iconic role of Wednesday Addams. The Addams Family, based on the 1964 television series of the same name, was an instant phenomenon, quickly making almost seven times its production cost and leading to a sequel in 1993. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black trilogy), The Addams Family stars Anjelica Huston and Christopher Lloyd as Morticia and Uncle Fester respectively. Though ultimately a family comedy full of one-liners and sight gags, The Addams Family would lead to several opportunities for Ricci to grow her career as a young actress. This version of The Addams Family can also be streamed on Paramount Plus.
13. Z: The Beginning of Everything (2015-17)
The 2010s could be called Ricci’s biopic era as perhaps her two most notable roles of the decade came from TV miniseries based on famous women from history. First, she played serial killer Lizzie Borden in both 2014’s TV movie Lizzie Borden Took an Ax and its 2015 spinoff series The Lizzie Borden Chronicles for Lifetime and then she starred as Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of famed novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and the archetypal 1920s socialite, in Amazon’s Z: The Beginning of Everything. Z has as much visual style as you would expect, but it’s Ricci’s textured portrayal of such a complex woman that really lifts the material. Both seasons can be found on Prime Video.
12. The Laramie Project (2002)
The Laramie Project is certainly not among Ricci’s most well-known projects, but it is nonetheless one of the most powerful items on her filmography. This 2002 HBO film was based on the real-life tragic murder of gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998, with the drama based on interviews with those who knew him. Ricci plays a relatively small role as a lesbian friend of Matthew’s, but she unsurprisingly gives it her all and helps give this difficult watch real depth and dramatic heft. Nestor Carbonell, Dylan Baker, and Laura Linney also star. The Laramie Project can be streamed on Max.
11. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas — Terry Gilliam’s psychedelic road trip movie, as based on the Hunter S. Thompson book of the same name — is one of the most notable films on Ricci’s resume and yet it’s probably not all that associated with her. Although the film is very much Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro’s show, Ricci plays a small but memorable part as Lucy, a Barbra Streisand superfan who tags along with the two men. Ricci fans will want to seek this one out as it marks the first collaboration out of three with Depp, the others being 1999’s Sleepy Hollow and 2000’s The Man Who Cried.
10. Speed Racer (2008)
2008’s Speed Racer — directed by The Wachowskis in their directorial follow-up to The Matrix trilogy — is a breakneck movie that might’ve been a little ahead of its time. Ricci stars here as Trixie, girlfriend to Emile Hirch’s titular Speed Racer. The movie, based on a 1960s manga and anime series of the same name, tells the story of an 18-year-old racer determined to make it to the top of the racing world despite the death of his brother due to a racing incident. Ignore the mixed reviews and check out this absolute treat for the senses for yourself.
9. Penelope (2006)
There comes a time in every actress’ career when she just has to put on a pig’s nose and star in an adorable romantic comedy. Wait, huh? That’s the plot of Penelope at least, in which Ricci’s eponymous porcine protagonist is cursed by a witch at birth to live with the snout of a pig. What transpired is pretty classic fairytale storytelling, though placed in the contemporary world. To break the curse, Penelope must find love, in this case the form of that love comes from a young James McAvoy, as charming as ever. Starring alongside McAvoy and Ricci are Reese Witherspoon, Peter Dinklage, and Catherine O’Hara. You can watch this charming romantic-comedy now for free on YouTube.
8. Wednesday (2022-)
You know you played an iconic character when they make a new reboot of said character and feel it necessary to bring you back into the fold to play an entirely new role. That is the case with Ricci and 2022’s smash hit series Wednesday, which brings back Wednesday Addams for a modern-day audience, this time starring Jenna Ortega in Ricci’s place. In this version, Ricci plays Marilyn Thornhill, a botany teacher at Wednesday’s new school, Nevermore Academy. The series surely brought millions of new fans into The Addams Family universe and many will no doubt go back and check out Ricci in her original role of the family daughter. You can watch the entire series now on Netflix.
7. The Ice Storm (1997)
The Ice Storm, based on a 1994 novel of the same name by Rick Moody, tells the story of two incredibly dysfunctional, upper-class Connecticut families set in the early 1970s. This movie is most notable, perhaps, for its absolutely stacked cast, which features Kevin Kline, Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood, Joan Allen, Katie Holmes, Sigourney Weaver, and, of course, Ricci. Ricci plays Wendy Wood, the daughter of Kline and Allen, a precocious teenager who strikes up a romantic relationship with Wood’s Mikey. Directed by Ang Lee (The Life Of Pi, Brokeback Mountain), the film was widely praised for the performances of its ensemble cast but struggled to make its money back at the box office.
6. Casper (1995)
As you can see a few from a few entries on this list, Ricci clearly has a taste for the supernatural. Here she plays Kathleen “Kat” Harvey, a 13-year-old girl who strikes up a friendship with the titular Casper, the famously friendly ghost. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Casper is an incredibly charming family-friendly tale of friendship and loss with excellent performances from all involved, which includes Bill Pullman, Brad Garrett, and Eric Idle. The film was praised for its effects, as the portrayal of the ghostly spirits was revolutionary for its time. It was also a certified hit, making $287 million at the box office and spawning two prequels, Casper: A Spirited Beginning and Casper Meets Wendy.
5. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
From one supernatural take to another. This time, Ricci portrays Katrina Van Tassel in Tim Burton’s adaptation of Washington Irving’s The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow. Here, Irving’s ghost story is turned into more of a detective tale, as Depp’s Ichabod Crane is brought in to investigate a series of grisly murders. Starring opposite Johnny Depp, Ricci’s Van Tassel serves mostly as the love interest to Depp’s Crane and the duo’s real-life friendship pays off on screen. Sleepy Hollow made over $200 million at the box office, received mostly positive reviews, and was nominated for a few technical Academy Awards.
4. Addams Family Values (1993)
1993’s Addams Family Values enhances everything that was already great about its predecessor in every way, including Ricci’s portrayal of Wednesday Addams. Now an adolescent with a savage sense of humor and a hatred for, well, pretty much everyone, Ricci managed to effectively remake the character from the ground up in this film, redefining Wednesday forever more — Ortega’s performance in the aforementioned Netflix series is clearly modeled on Ricci’s version, proving just how unbeatable her turn in Values really is. The sequel can be found alongside its forebear on Paramount Plus.
3. Buffalo 66 (1998)
Buffalo 66 is, ultimately, a film with a complicated legacy. On the one hand, it has become a bit of a cult hit since its release in 1998 and features some excellent performances from all involved, which includes Anjelica Huston, Ricci, and writer/director Vincent Gallo. On the other, the experience did not exactly seem like a positive one for Ricci. Almost everyone involved has something negative to say about Gallo, especially Ricci, who vowed to never work with Gallo again. Regardless, Buffalo 66 remains a successful movie from an artistic perspective, telling a nuanced story of crime and family within an unexpected setting. You can watch Buffalo 66 for free with ads now on Tubi.
2. Monster (2003)
2003’s Monster is surely one of the more intense movies in which Ricci has ever starred. Featuring both Ricci and Charlize Theron, Monster tells the true story of Aileen Wuornos (Theron), an American serial killer who murdered seven men while working as a sex worker in Florida in the late 80s/early 90s. Ricci plays the role of Selby Wall, Wuornos’ semi-fictionalized girlfriend. Monster was a surprise hit, premiering on the festival circuit before going to make over $64 million at the box office on only a $1.5 million budget. Though Theron would go on to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards, Ricci more than holds her own, able to keep up with Theron in a very difficult role. You can stream Monster now on Pluto TV.
1. Yellowjackets (2021-)
While Ricci never really disappeared from the public consciousness, Showtime smash-hit Yellowjackets surely played a big role in her recent resurgence. Yellowjackets tells the story of a high school soccer team who become stranded in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash, and the insanity that ensues. The show does a lot of cross-cutting between past and current events, with each child actress having a adult counterpart. Ricci plays the adult role of the team’s manager, Sammi Hanratty, and does so with terrifying specificity, creating an uptight, high-strung character that seems poised to break at any time. For many younger audiences, this might be an introduction of sorts into what makes Ricci such a compelling actress, and what an introduction it is. Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Showtime.
Published: Jul 3, 2023 08:18 am