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- How This Emma Roberts Movie Ranking Was Built
- The Best Emma Roberts Movies, According to Fans
- Underrated Emma Roberts Performances Fans Love
- The Not-So-Beloved: Emma Roberts Movies Fans Rank Lower
- Where to Start with Emma Roberts’s Filmography
- of Pure Fan Experience: Binge-Watching Emma Roberts Movies
- Conclusion
Emma Roberts has quietly built one of the most interesting filmographies of her generation. She’s gone from Nickelodeon teen queen to horror scream queen, from quirky indies to big-studio comedies, collecting a loyal fanbase along the way. If you’ve ever thought, “Wait, why do I suddenly have three Emma Roberts movies in my ‘Recently Watched’ list?” this guide is for you.
Below, we break down an Emma Roberts movies list ranked best to worst by fans. This isn’t just one person’s opinion shouted into the void: it reflects fan-driven rankings, user scores, and general audience chatter across popular movie platforms and pop-culture communities. Think of it as a shortcut to the best Emma Roberts movies without having to scroll through a hundred different lists.
How This Emma Roberts Movie Ranking Was Built
Before we start arguing over whether Wild Child or We’re the Millers deserves the crown, here’s how this ranking came together:
- Fan voting lists: Crowd-sourced rankings where users upvote their favorite Emma Roberts movies, with titles like Wild Child, Nancy Drew, and Nerve consistently floating toward the top.
- User ratings: IMDb lists sorted by rating, plus audience and fan scores that highlight which movies people rewatch and recommend most.
- Rotten Tomatoes & filmography pages: To confirm release years, genre, and critic vs. audience reactions and to make sure we weren’t hallucinating any titles.
- Fan chatter & forums: Pop-culture threads where people passionately defend their favorite Emma Roberts horror movies, rom-coms, and teen classics.
Using all of that, we shaped a ranking that leans heavily on what viewers actually enjoy, quote, and rewatchnot just what critics liked on opening weekend.
The Best Emma Roberts Movies, According to Fans
#1. Wild Child (2008)
If you ask longtime fans to name the definitive Emma Roberts movie, Wild Child comes up fast. This boarding-school comedy follows spoiled Malibu teen Poppy Moore, shipped off to a strict English girls’ school where she slowly transforms from chaos gremlin to actual human being. Fans love it for its quotable lines, killer soundtrack, and the comfort-movie energy that makes it endlessly rewatchable.
As a teen comedy, it doesn’t pretend to be deep, but Roberts nails the arc from bratty to vulnerable. For many viewers, this was the film that turned her from “that girl from Nickelodeon” into a full-on teen movie star.
#2. Nancy Drew (2007)
Playing iconic teen detective Nancy Drew is no small task, but Roberts’s take is adorably earnest, leaning into Nancy’s bookish, hyper-competent charm. In this modernized mystery, Nancy moves to Los Angeles, runs circles around adults, and solves a cold case while wearing perfectly coordinated outfits.
The movie has become a nostalgic favorite, especially for people who grew up on the books. Fans appreciate how Roberts balances wholesomeness with just enough wit to keep the character from feeling outdated, making this one of her most beloved roles.
#3. Nerve (2016)
Nerve is Emma Roberts in full “tech-thriller for the smartphone era” mode. She stars as Vee, a shy high-schooler who signs up for an online dare game that escalates from mildly risky to “please log off immediately” levels of danger. Paired with Dave Franco, she anchors a neon-lit, high-energy thriller that feels like a mash-up of social media, parkour, and peer pressure.
Fans love the movie’s pacing, chemistry between the leads, and the way it captures internet culture anxiety without turning into a lecture. For many, this sits near the top of any Emma Roberts filmography binge.
#4. We’re the Millers (2013)
Is it a serious drama? Absolutely not. Is it one of the funniest Emma Roberts movies? Absolutely yes. In We’re the Millers, Roberts plays Casey, a runaway teen recruited to pose as the “daughter” in a fake family smuggling drugs over the Mexican border. The movie is powered by ensemble chaos, but Roberts holds her own alongside comedic heavyweights like Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston.
Fans rank this one highly for its laugh-out-loud moments and quotable scenes, plus the surprisingly warm family-ish dynamic that forms by the end.
#5. Scream 4 (2011)
Scream 4 marks Roberts’s big step into the horror world, and she goes for it. Playing Jill Roberts (yes, same last name, different family), she’s dropped into Wes Craven’s meta-slasher universe with returning stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette. The film itself revived the franchise for many fans, thanks to its clever commentary on remakes, reboots, and internet fame.
Without spoiling too much for new viewers, let’s just say her performance in the final act is one of the reasons horror fans still talk about this sequel. If you like your Emma Roberts characters a little unhinged, this is your stop.
#6. It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010)
In this dramedy set in a psychiatric hospital, Roberts plays Noelle, a fellow patient and love interest of the main character. While she’s not the lead, fans appreciate the film’s sensitivity toward mental health and the grounded, quietly affecting way she plays Noelle.
This is one of those movies that fans often “discover” later in her filmography and then evangelize to their friends. If you prefer character-driven stories over big, flashy plots, put this one high on your list.
#7. Aquamarine (2006)
Aquamarine is peak early-2000s teen fantasy: best friends, beach town, and a literal mermaid. Roberts plays Claire, one of two human BFFs helping a runaway mermaid prove love exists so she can avoid an arranged marriage. It’s sweet, silly, and drenched in turquoise and lip gloss.
For many fans, this is comfort cinema at its finest. It’s less about cinematic perfection and more about friendship, crushes, and the kind of movie you rewatch on a rainy afternoon just to feel 13 again.
#8. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (aka February, 2015/2017)
On the opposite end of the spectrum, The Blackcoat’s Daughter is a slow-burn horror film that showcases a darker, more unsettling side of Emma Roberts’s work. The story weaves together seemingly separate timelines at a snowed-in boarding school, and Roberts’s character gradually becomes central to the film’s eerie puzzle.
Horror fans praise this movie for its atmosphere and ambiguity. It’s not a jump-scare parademore like a lingering chill that sits in the back of your brain after the credits roll.
#9. Hotel for Dogs (2009)
If your ideal movie includes a warehouse full of rescue dogs and elaborate Rube Goldberg machines built out of chew toys, Hotel for Dogs is a must. Roberts plays Andi, a teen who secretly turns an abandoned hotel into a home for stray dogs. It’s a family film through and through, but fan affection for it is realespecially among younger viewers who watched it on repeat.
It’s not edgy or experimental; it’s just warm, energetic, and puppy-filled. Sometimes that’s exactly what you want.
#10. Paradise Hills (2019)
Paradise Hills leans into surreal sci-fi fantasy, sending Roberts’s character Uma to a pastel “reform” island where rich young women are reshaped into society’s idea of perfect. Things, obviously, are not what they seem. The film’s striking visuals and dystopian themes have made it a cult favorite among fans who like their Emma Roberts movies a bit weird.
While critics were divided, fans tend to appreciate its ambition, aesthetic, and the way Roberts plays a heroine determined not to be molded into someone else’s idea of perfection.
Underrated Emma Roberts Performances Fans Love
Who We Are Now (2017)
In this gritty indie drama, Roberts plays Jess, a young lawyer working with a woman trying to regain custody of her son after prison. It’s a smaller film, but fans who’ve seen it frequently mention it as proof she can do grounded, adult drama just as well as teen comedies and horror.
Adult World (2013)
Here, Roberts plays Amy, a wannabe poet forced to take a job at an adult bookstore while stalking her literary idol. It’s messy, awkward, and unexpectedly sweet, the kind of offbeat indie that quietly builds a small but vocal fanbase. If you want to see her play a deeply chaotic aspiring artist, add this to your queue.
About Fate (2022)
In this rom-com, Roberts leans into the genre she’s very comfortable in: meet-cutes, emotional misunderstandings, and a holiday-adjacent vibe. It’s not as universally adored as her earlier hits, but fans of modern romantic comedies often call it cozy and charmingespecially if you already like her on-screen persona.
The Not-So-Beloved: Emma Roberts Movies Fans Rank Lower
Even the most devoted Emma Roberts fans will admit that not every title in her filmography is a masterpiece. Some films show up lower on fan lists or get lower audience scores, usually because the script, tone, or concept doesn’t quite landregardless of how good she is in it.
Little Italy (2018)
This rom-com about rival pizza-shop families has a “so cheesy it’s almost a meme” reputation. Some viewers enjoy it as a guilty pleasure; others rank it near the bottom thanks to its clichés and over-the-top dialogue. Roberts brings energy to the role, but the movie itself tends to be more of a curiosity watch than a must-see.
Abandoned (2022)
A psychological horror/thriller set in a creepy farmhouse, Abandoned had the ingredients for a tense, atmospheric moviebut fan reaction has been mixed to negative. Many feel the story doesn’t fully deliver on its premise. If you’re completing her horror filmography, you might still watch it, but it’s rarely recommended as a starting point.
UglyDolls (2019)
As an animated musical based on plush toys, this one is aimed squarely at young kids. Roberts voices one of the characters, but older fans generally rank it low simply because it’s not built for them. If you’ve got children who love bright colors and songs, sure. If you’re doing an Emma Roberts marathon for yourself, you can safely skip or save it for later.
Madame Web (2024)
Part of the expanding comic-book universe, Madame Web gave Roberts another high-profile project, but fan and audience reactions have been, let’s say, “spicy.” Superhero completists may still want to see it, but in Emma Roberts movie rankings, it often sits closer to the bottom than the top.
The important thing to remember: a “worst” ranking doesn’t mean she’s bad in the filmjust that fans think other projects showcase her talent much better.
Where to Start with Emma Roberts’s Filmography
If you’re new to Emma Roberts and staring at a long filmography, here’s a simple roadmap:
- For nostalgic teen vibes: Start with Wild Child, Nancy Drew, and Aquamarine.
- For horror and thrillers: Queue up Scream 4, The Blackcoat’s Daughter, and Nerve.
- For laughs: Go with We’re the Millers and Hotel for Dogs.
- For serious acting chops: Try It’s Kind of a Funny Story, Who We Are Now, and Adult World.
Together, these picks give you a balanced look at Emma Roberts as a comedic lead, horror star, indie favorite, and rom-com regularall the reasons fans keep ranking and re-ranking her movies year after year.
of Pure Fan Experience: Binge-Watching Emma Roberts Movies
So what is it actually like to binge an Emma Roberts movies list, ranked best to worst by fans? Imagine this: it’s Friday night, you promise yourself you’ll watch “just one,” and suddenly it’s 2 a.m., you’ve accidentally watched four movies, and you’re emotionally invested in a fictional British boarding school, a mermaid, and a dare-based app that would absolutely get banned in real life.
You kick things off with Wild Child, because everyone says you have to. At first, Poppy’s over-the-top attitude makes you roll your eyes, but by the time she’s forming real friendships and facing the consequences of her behavior, you’re unironically rooting for her. You get that warm, fizzy teen-movie feeling that says, “I too will reinvent myself by September.”
Next up is Nancy Drew. You expect it to feel dated, but it’s surprisingly refreshing. Emma’s Nancy is unapologetically dorkyshe wears penny loafers and solves crimes while other teens are worrying about popularity. At some point, you realize you’re watching a movie that quietly celebrates being smart and strange, and you kind of wish you had seen it earlier in life.
Feeling bold, you switch gears to Nerve. Now you’re tense, slightly sweaty, and suddenly suspicious of every app on your phone. The movie’s bright, cyber-neon visuals keep you glued to the screen, and Roberts’s turn from cautious observer to high-stakes risk-taker gives you just enough wish-fulfillment to imagine what you’d do for an anonymous online audience. (Hopefully less than what happens in the film.)
Because you deserve a laugh after all that adrenaline, you move on to We’re the Millers. It’s crass, ridiculous, and exactly what your brain needed. Roberts plays the jaded, street-smart teen who slowly warms up to the idea of this fake family, and by the time the credits roll, you’re a little surprised how emotionally attached you are to a group of people who started out as total strangers committing a major felony together.
At this point you tell yourself you should go to bed. Instead, you put on The Blackcoat’s Daughter, because you made some choices. The tone flips: gone are the bright colors and goofy hijinks, replaced by quiet hallways, snow, and creeping dread. Roberts’s performance here is all about restraintshe doesn’t oversell the fear, and that makes it even more unsettling. When the film’s pieces snap together, you pause for a second, staring at the screen like, “Oh. Oh.”
By the end of the night (or early morning), you realize why fans feel so strongly about ranking these movies. Emma Roberts isn’t just doing the same role on repeat; she’s jumping from mermaid bestie to troubled teen to horror anti-hero without losing that specific sharp, slightly sardonic energy that makes her instantly recognizable. Whether you land on the side of teen comedies, horror films, or quirky indies, you can feel the through-line of her personality in every performance.
And that’s the real joy of working through an Emma Roberts movies list ranked best to worst by fans: even the “worst” entries still offer somethingan interesting choice, a fun line delivery, a glimpse of how her career is evolving. You don’t just watch her characters grow up on screen; you watch her career grow with them.
Conclusion
From boarding schools and mermaids to haunted halls and meta slashers, Emma Roberts has built a filmography that fans keep returning toand arguing about. Looking at an Emma Roberts movies list ranked best to worst by fans shows how wide her range really is. The top spots are packed with comfort movies and cult favorites, while the lower ranks remind us that even when a project doesn’t fully land, she’s still experimenting and trying new things.
Whether you’re building a weekend binge plan or just curious why people talk so much about her teen and horror roles, this ranking gives you a fan-powered map through her career. Start at the top, dip into the indies, peek at the messy curiosities near the bottom, and you’ll understand exactly why Emma Roberts keeps showing up in people’s watchlistsand in their hearts.
