After killing it as Misty in Showtime’s Yellowjackets and appearing in the smash The Matrix Resurrections, some think we’re living in a Christina Ricci Renaissance that some critics have dubbed the Riccisance. In honor of the star, we decided to compile a list of Christina Ricci movies for you to try after you’ve finished Yellowjackets but still need more Ricci. We all need more Ricci, right?
The actor has been performing in front of the camera for decades. She first appeared on a TV show called H.E.L.P. in 1990 when she was just 9-years-old. She’s been acting ever since and has appeared in a number of iconic films that saw her thrust to stardom as a child and continuing through her teenage years. From classics like Mermaids and The Addams Family to hidden treasures like Bastard Out of Carolina, we’ve got all the best Christina Ricci movies for you to try and the best places to rent or stream them!
Watch These Christina Ricci Movies to Celebrate the Riccisance (Renaissance)!
Black Snake Moan (2006)
First things first, this pitch-black comedy is not for the faint of heart. It is wild! Secondly, you might remember how horrible Justin Timberlake‘s performance is in this. If you can get past it and stay for the movie’s real stars, Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson, you’re in for a treat. The film finds Jackson as a down-and-out Bluesman who tries to cure Ricci’s character’s nymphomania. It goes off the rails in the best sort of way. Currently, this film is available to rent on your favorite platform.
Mermaids (1990)
What do you get when you cast a film with Cher and a young Winona Ryder and younger Christina Ricci? Movie magic. Set in the 1960s, Cher plays an eccentric, single mother who relocates to a Massachusetts town with her two daughters. The move kicks off a number of events that both put the family’s bond to the test and subsequently strengthen it. It’s one of the first Christina Ricci movies to exist. In fact, it was her debut film. The film is streaming on Tubi or Pluto TV.
The Ice Storm (1997)
Set in the 1970s, The Ice Storm finds the Hood family fraying at the edges as they enter the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Ricci plays Wendy Hood whose father’s drinking is out of control. Her mother is at her wit’s end over it. Wendy is left on her own and she roams the neighborhood looking for something but not knowing what she will find. Then, an ice storm hits, and things will never be the same. The movie is currently available to rent on your favorite platform.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
There are some issues with Sleepy Hollow, chief among them, there’s not enough Ricci in it! Although she stars opposite Johnny Depp, her performance is fantastic and leaves you really wanting more. This horror movie is a retelling of the curse of Sleepy Hollow with a headless horseman on the loose decapitating the town’s citizens and causing chaos. It’s one of the Christina Ricci movies that earned her some awards. She won a Saturn Award for her performance as Katrina Van Tassel. The movie is currently streaming on Starz.
The Addams Family (1991)
The creepy family you know and love got a reboot in the 1990s with Christina Ricci playing Wednesday Addams. Her moody and mysterious performance found the actor exploring her dark side. In this comedy, we’re introduced to the family who is actively trying to be conned into accepting a “lost uncle” into the family. It’s campy and ridiculous and might be just the thing to revisit soon. The film is currently streaming on Peacock.
Addams Family Values (1993)
Some people regard the second installment of The Addams Family as superior to the first. One thing’s for certain, it’s one of the most iconic Christina Ricci movies as Wednesday Addams really goes full-on evil at a summer camp. Meanwhile, Fester Addams is dealing with some serious love life drama. The film is currently available to rent on your favorite platform.
The Laramie Project (2002)
The Laramie Project is a 2000 play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about the reaction to the 1998 vicious hate crime of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. Christina Ricci stars in the film adaptation of the play. She portrays Romaine Patterson, an activist and friend of Shepard. It’s one of the most potent Christina Ricci movies that will break your heart. The movie is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Monster (2003)
Another one of the Christina Ricci movies based on real-life, Monster tells the story of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Ricci plays her lover and friend, Selby. Although Wuornos was convicted of several murders there’s so much more to her story including substance abuse and a history of violence against her. Monster is currently streaming on the Tubi.
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The Opposite Sex (1998)
The Opposite Sex is one of the Christina Ricci movies that saw her moving from child star to young adult. She was only 18 at the time of filming and she gives an exceptionally self-assured performance as Deedee Truitt. In the movie, Deedee is a 16-year-old who decides to visit her gay half-brother only to seduce his partner and cause absolute chaos in their lives. It’s a quirky movie with offbeat characters that’s totally worth your time. The film is available to rent on your preferred platform.
Penelope (2006)
If you like a silly romp then Penelope is one of the best Christina Ricci movies for you. She stars as Penelope Wilhern, an aristocratic heiress who is born under a curse that gives her a pig snout instead of a normal nose. To break the curse, she must find true love. The movie is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, and Pluto TV.
Casper (1995)
Casper is another one of the lighter Christina Ricci movies. She plays Kat in the film, the daughter of an afterlife therapist. They move into a crumbling mansion and Kat meets Casper, the friendly ghost, who helps her work through the sadness she still carries from losing her mother. Along with the good ghost, there are some baddies who Kat and her father most help crossover to the other side. The movie is available to rent on your favorite platform.
Now and Then (1995)
A personal favorite among Christina Ricci movies when I was a kid, Now and Then tells the story of four 12-year-old girls who grow up together during a very eventful summer in a small town in 1970. Much of the story is told through flashbacks. Ricci plays the kid version of Roberta while Rosie O’Donnell plays the same character aged thirty years on. The film was directed by legendary filmmaker, Lesli Linka Glatter and it’s worthy of a watch. You’ll find this movie streaming on HBO Max.
Prozac Nation (2001)
Based on an award-winning novel, Prozac Nation is a romantic drama film that tells the story of a young woman, Elizabeth, studying at Harvard, who is struggling with depression during her first year. Ricci plays the character with such care. It’s one of the great Christina Ricci movies and performances that most have missed out on. Give it a shot! You can rent the movie on your favorite platform.
Pumpkin (2002)
Pumpkin was a polarizing movie that some critics loved and others completely panned. Its brand of black comedy went over some heads but if you have a dark sense of humor, it’s one of the must-see Christina Ricci movies. Ricci plays a sorority girl who finds herself with a crush on a mentally-challenged man. It’s an indictment of society’s misconceptions about those with intellectual disabilities. It’s offensive and that’s sort of the point. It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
We saved the best for last. You might have missed 1996’s Bastard Out of Carolina. The film finds Ricci teamed up again with Anjelica Huston (from The Addams Family) instead of acting in the film, Huston made her directorial debut with this Emmy-winning movie. While Ricci is not starring, her appearance as Dee Dee will surely make an impression. The film is a heavy-hitting movie about abuse and how one person can enter a family and tear it apart. This movie is available to rent.
If you’re not ready to let go of Misty, turn to Christina Ricci movies to fill the void that Yellowjackets has left in its wake. She is such a talented performer with varied roles in a variety of movies from horror to romantic comedy. Long live the Riccisance!