The 150+ Best Movies About Actresses, Ranked By Fans

There’s something deliciously meta about watching movies where the main character is an actress.
It’s Hollywood staring into a mirror, smudging its lipstick a little, and asking,
“So… how do I look?” From aging divas clinging to the spotlight to ingénues crushed
under the weight of their dreams, films about actresses give us drama, glamour, and
a surprising amount of emotional truth.

On fan-voted lists like The 150+ Best Movies About Actresses, Ranked By Fans,
movie lovers have weighed in on which stories about actresses hit hardest,
entertain the most, and stand the test of time. As of 2025, that fan list runs to
well over 150 titles, with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
sitting near the top alongside cult favorites like Death Becomes Her
and the sharp Hollywood satire Postcards from the Edge.

Below, we’ll break down why movies about actresses are so compelling, highlight some
of the essential titles that fans push to the top of the ranking, and share viewing
tips and experiences to help you build your own epic watchlist of actress-centric films.

What Makes a Great Movie About Actresses?

For a movie to stand out in a ranking of the best films about actresses, it usually
nails a specific mix of ingredients:

• A complex, layered female lead – No cardboard “starlet” stereotypes; we’re talking messy, flawed, fascinating women.
• Backstage or industry insight – The film shows how fame, casting, aging, and image really work (or at least feel real enough).
• High-stakes emotional conflict – Jealousy, rivalry, ambition, burnout, reinvention… it’s like therapy, but with better lighting.
• Strong performances – The irony is obvious: to sell a story about a great actress, the actress in the role has to be great.
• A point of view on fame – The best entries aren’t just about show business; they actually say something about it.

It’s no surprise that fans gravitate toward movies that blend these elements with
gripping storytelling. Many of the top-ranked titles also feature Oscar-nominated
or Oscar-winning performances, making these films essential viewing for anyone
who loves acting, Hollywood history, or simply excellent character-driven drama.

How Fans Built a 150+ Movie Ranking

Unlike critics’ lists, which are often decided in a conference room full of espresso
and existential dread, this 150+ movie ranking is powered by everyday film fans.
On sites like Ranker, users upvote and downvote titles on lists specifically dedicated
to movies about actresses, creating a living, evolving ranking that changes as people
discover new films or re-evaluate old ones.

That democratized approach means the list isn’t just stacked with “important” classics.
Sure, you’ll see canonized masterpieces like All About Eve and
Sunset Boulevard, but you’ll also find cult comedies,
psychological horror, biopics, and even glossy dramedies that critics may have
shrugged at but fans still quote years later.

The result? Over 150 movies about actresses that reflect how real people
watch films: some nights you want a cerebral exploration of fame; other nights
you want to watch Meryl Streep drag Hollywood and still look flawless doing it.

Classic Must-Watch Movies About Actresses

“All About Eve” (1950)

If you watch only one movie about an actress, make it All About Eve.
Bette Davis plays Margo Channing, a legendary stage star whose career and sense of self
are threatened by the seemingly sweet, terrifyingly ambitious Eve Harrington.
The film’s caustic look at female rivalry, aging in the spotlight, and the
power dynamics of the theater world has kept it relevant for 75 years,
and modern critics still point to it as a surprisingly sharp take on women, work, and image.

Fan lists about movies centered on actresses almost always put
All About Eve near the topand for good reason. It’s the template
so many later films steal from, whether they admit it or not.

“Sunset Boulevard” (1950)

Gloria Swanson’s Norma Desmond is the patron saint of doomed divas: a silent film
star refusing to accept that Hollywood has moved on without her. While the main
character is technically a struggling screenwriter, it’s Norma’s life and
delusion that dominate the film.

Fans who love movies about actresses rank this one highly because it captures
a particular fear: that the industry you gave your life to might outgrow you,
but still expect you to smile for the camera.
It’s dark, stylish, and endlessly quotable“I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”

“Opening Night” (1977)

On curated lists of films about actors and actresses, John Cassavetes’
Opening Night is a staple choice, praised for Gena Rowlands’
raw, almost frightening performance as a stage star spiraling during rehearsals
for a new play.

This isn’t a glossy Hollywood portrait; it’s messy, handheld, emotional filmmaking
that shows the toll of performance on mental health and identity. Fans who prefer
more indie, psychological takes on fame tend to vote this one up the list.

Modern Fan Favorites About Actresses

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019)

On the fan-driven ranking that inspires this article,
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has emerged as a top contender,
sometimes occupying the #1 spot among movies about actresses.

Though the film centers on a fading TV actor and his stunt double,
Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate is the emotional core, representing the pure joy
of getting to be an actress right before Hollywood history changes forever.
Fans respond not just to the film’s revisionist ending, but to the way it
quietly honors Tate’s optimism, talent, and love of the craft.

“Black Swan” (2010)

Technically, Nina Sayers is a ballerina, not a movie actress but
Black Swan shows the darker side of performance in ways that echo
earlier actress-centered classics. Film critics have even described it as a
modern fusion of The Red Shoes, All About Eve, Showgirls,
and psychological horror staples.

Fans who vote Black Swan high on actress-centric lists tend to gravitate
to its obsession with perfection, its brutal look at competition, and Natalie
Portman’s Oscar-winning turn as a performer disintegrating under pressure.
It’s not about Hollywood, but it might be one of the most accurate movies
about what ambition can do to a performer’s mental health.

“Postcards from the Edge” (1990)

Based on Carrie Fisher’s semi-autobiographical novel,
Postcards from the Edge pairs Meryl Streep as a working actress
recovering from addiction with Shirley MacLaine as her overbearing, showbiz-royalty mother.
Modern retrospectives on MacLaine’s career often single out this film as one of her
most potent and layered performances.

Fans rank it highly because it’s funny, brutally honest, and emotionally generous.
It doesn’t just expose the dysfunction of Hollywood families; it shows the small,
awkward ways people try to love each other while working in an industry that rewards
image over honesty.

“Death Becomes Her” (1992)

If you’ve ever wanted a satirical horror-comedy about aging actresses literally
breaking their bodies to stay young and relevant… congratulations,
Death Becomes Her was made for you.

On fan lists about actresses, this one tends to rank unexpectedly high because it
feels bizarrely ahead of its time: Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn weaponize vanity,
plastic surgery, and undead immortality in a way that speaks directly to modern
anxieties about beauty standards, online image, and staying “marketable” forever.

Other Fan-Favorite Titles

When you scan across fan-created lists and cinephile-curated IMDb collections focused
on actresses, certain titles repeat again and again:

• Being Julia – A veteran stage actress navigates love, betrayal, and a perfectly executed revenge monologue.
• The Star – Bette Davis again, this time as an aging actress trying to relaunch her career.
• What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? – A vicious sister act about former child and adult stars trapped in a decaying mansion and their own resentments.
• Judy – Renee Zellweger’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Judy Garland in her later years resonates with fans of biopics about actresses under crushing pressure.
• Blonde and May December – More recent, divisive titles that tackle celebrity image, scandal, and the blurred line between private person and public persona.

These films reflect how fans use rankings: not just to crown one “best” movie about
actresses, but to map out an entire galaxy of stories about stardom, burnout,
reinvention, and the price of living your life in front of an audience.

Why Fans Love Ranking Movies About Actresses

Part of the fun of a list like “The 150+ Best Movies About Actresses” is that it
invites debate. Is All About Eve more iconic than Sunset Boulevard?
Should a film like Black Swan count even though it’s about a dancer?
Does a movie need to be set in Hollywood, or is any story about a woman whose
career depends on performance fair game?

Fan rankings tend to:

• Elevate cult favorites that critics underestimated.
• Blend old and new – you’ll see 1950s classics alongside 2020s festival darlings.
• Reward rewatchability – quotable lines and big performances often win out over “respectable” boredom.
• Reflect personal connection – people upvote the movies that made them fall in love with a particular actress.

So while the exact order changes, the top tiers of the list tend to cluster around
films that do three things exceptionally well: showcase a knockout performance,
reveal the machinery of show business, and tell a story that still stings a little
even after the credits roll.

How to Build Your Own Watchlist from the 150+ Best Movies

You don’t have to binge all 150+ titles in one weekend (unless you really enjoy
not sleeping). Instead, use the fan ranking as a roadmap and then personalize it:

1. Start with the cornerstone classics.
   Make sure you’ve seen All About Eve, Sunset Boulevard,
   Opening Night, and at least one Bette Davis performance where she
   glares someone into another dimension.
2. Add a modern psychological piece.
   Slot in Black Swan or a tense indie where the lead actress navigates
   fame, anxiety, or online attention.
3. Balance heavy drama with satire or comedy.
   Follow something bleak with Death Becomes Her or a lighter dramedy
   like Postcards from the Edge.
4. Include at least one biopic.
   Biographical films like Judy or fictionalized biopics about
   Marilyn Monroe and other icons give a different angle on what it means to be an actress whose life is public property.
5. Let your favorites guide you.
   Love Natalie Portman, Margot Robbie, or Meryl Streep? Follow their filmographies
   through actress-themed roles and see how fans rank those titles across different lists.

By the time you’ve sampled a dozen or so of the highest-ranked films, you’ll start
noticing patterns: how stories about actresses evolve across decades, what kinds of
characters audiences embrace, and where Hollywood keeps repeating itself.

of Real-World Viewing Experiences & Tips

Watching movies about actresses hits differently depending on where you are in your
own life. If you’re in your early twenties, Black Swan or a similar
psychological drama might feel like a horror story about perfectionism and burnout.
If you’re later in your career, Sunset Boulevard or All About Eve
might sting in a more specific, midlife kind of way.

One of the most interesting things fans report in reviews, comments, and ranking
votes is how their relationship to these films changes over time. When you first
watch All About Eve, Eve might feel like the villain: a scheming young
actress climbing over everyone else to get ahead. Revisit it years later, and you
might catch yourself quietly understanding her desperation. The same goes for Margo;
what once seemed like diva behavior can look a lot more like justified fear of being
discarded by an industry obsessed with youth.

In online communities where movie fans trade recommendations about “showbiz films,”
people often talk about how these titles helped them better understand their own jobs,
even outside of entertainment. You don’t have to be an actress to relate to:

• Feeling replaceable when someone younger or cheaper shows up.
• Having your value measured by metrics you don’t control (ratings, box office, likes, followers).
• Needing to perform a version of yourself to keep clients, bosses, or audiences happy.

That’s part of why the best movies about actresses feel so universal. Yes, there are
gowns and stage lights and red carpets, but underneath it all you’re watching people
wrestle with identity, ego, aging, and the fear of becoming irrelevant things most
of us think about at 2 a.m. when we can’t sleep.

If you’re planning a themed marathon around “The 150+ Best Movies About Actresses,”
try grouping titles by mood or theme:

• Ambition & Rivalry Night: All About Eve, Black Swan, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
• Aging & Reinvention Night: Sunset Boulevard, The Star, Judy.
• Satire & Survival Night: Death Becomes Her, Postcards from the Edge, plus a more recent dark comedy or limited series episode about celebrity.

Make it social if you can. Part of the joy is hearing wildly different reactions.
Someone might think Norma Desmond is terrifying; someone else might say, “Honestly, she has a point.”
After Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, half your group might love Tarantino’s
dreamy vision of late-1960s L.A., while others focus entirely on Margot Robbie’s
Sharon Tate and wish there were a whole separate film just about her daily life.

Finally, don’t treat the fan ranking as sacred. Lists with 150+ entries are best
used as suggestion engines, not commandments. Let them introduce you to titles
you’ve never heard of a forgotten Bette Davis melodrama here, an overlooked
European drama about an actress there and then decide for yourself where each
film would land on your personal top 10.

The real magic happens when you start connecting the dots: noticing how
Sunset Boulevard influences What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?,
how their DNA shows up in Black Swan, and how all of them quietly echo
through newer projects about actresses dealing with social media fame, streaming-era
stardom, and 24/7 scrutiny. By the time you’ve followed the trail through even a
fraction of the 150+ titles, you may not just understand Hollywood betteryou may
understand yourself a little better, too.

Conclusion

Movies about actresses are more than just glossy behind-the-scenes stories.
They’re reflections of how we treat women in the spotlight, how we talk about aging,
ambition, and beauty, and how performance shapes identity. Fan-made rankings of the
150+ best films about actresses are a fantastic way to discover new favorites, revisit
classics, and argue (politely… or not) about which diva, ingénue, or character actress
deserves the crown.

Whether you’re here for Bette Davis’ cutting one-liners, Natalie Portman’s
psychological unraveling, or Meryl Streep casually redefining the word “iconic,”
there’s a movie on that list that will stick with you long after the spotlight fades.