12 Best Alexandra Daddario Movies, Ranked

Over the last ten years or so, Alexandra Daddario has established herself as one of the recognizable new talents on the scene. Across this last decade and change, she’s kept herself busy between a wide range of projects, from massive blockbusters with big movie stars, to leading indie dramas and genre flicks.

Whether you count yourself among a new wave of fans after binge-watching The White Lotus, or are someone who has admired her for years, there is more than enough room for all who want to celebrate a star who seems to just be getting warmed up.

12

‘When We First Met’ (2018)

Appeared as Avery Martin

Adam DeVine, Alexandra Daddario, Shelly Hennig, & Robbie Amell sitting in a photo booth in When We First Met — Image via Netflix

Groundhog Day is turned into a Netflix rom-com about the antiquated “friendzone” in When We First Met, where Adam DeVine‘s Noah repeats the same Halloween party over and over again where he meets Avery (Daddario). In the original timeline, Avery had “friendzoned” Noah that night, and three years later, was engaged. Noah is trying to change his fate so he can be with Avery.

What makes this film different to the traditional Groundhog Day formula, though, is that after each cycle, we see the implications of each decision he makes as he wakes up years into the future. While many of the concepts and jokes are a little outdated in this film, DeVine puts on his usual performance to make it a fun watch. Despite Daddario playing a fairly one-dimensional character, we see some of her charm at work, something that would later define most of her rom-com roles and is played against in her more serious ones.

When We First Met

Release Date: February 9, 2018
Runtime: 97 minutes
Writers: John Whittington

11

‘Bereavement’ (2010)

Appeared as Allison Miller

Alexandra Daddario as Allison looking off camera in Bereavement. — Image via Mena Films

Before she garnered popularity as a potential scream queen in Texas Chainsaw 3D, Daddario led another slasher horror in 2010: Bereavement. The film was the second installment in director Stevan Mena‘s trilogy, as it provided a backstory to the first film’s villain. It follows a serial killer who abducts a young boy with a medical condition that prevents him from feeling pain and turns him into an unwilling accomplice as he kills young women in a town.

Daddario plays Allison, who spies the young boy through a window and tries to help him, leading to the inevitable bloody cat-and-mouse hunt between her and the killer. Though the film was critically panned, we see precursors in Daddario’s performance that would later make her a talented horror lead in Texas Chainsaw 3D, as she easily relays fear and pain throughout this ruthless and tense horror.

Bereavement

Release Date: July 16, 2010
Runtime: 103 minutes

10

‘Texas Chainsaw 3D’ (2013)

Appeared as Heather Miller

Nikki (Tania Raymonde) and Heather (Alexandra Daddario) smile in 'Texas Chainsaw 3D'. — Image via Lionsgate

As part of a long-running and infamous horror franchise, Texas Chainsaw 3D certainly did not live up to its predecessors and was lambasted in every way. But some still found some perverse enjoyment in the film, turning it into one of those “dumb fun” films you can turn your mind off to. Daddario takes the lead as Heather, who goes on a road trip with her friends (and an obligatory hitchhiker) to see the house she unexpectedly inherited. If you’ve ever watched one of these movies, you’ll know who was secretly hiding in the house, waiting patiently with his buzzing chainsaw.

Though the movie cycles through clunky tropes and an un-scary atmosphere, Daddario is one of the film’s main draws, especially after the chilling twist. Her character is slightly more complex than a regular slasher victim, and she plays the role well, conveying Heather’s internal struggle while still fighting for her life. It may not have crowned Daddario as a scream queen, but it has opened the path to more twisted roles like in Why Women Kill or We Summon the Darkness.

Texas Chainsaw 3D

Release Date: January 3, 2013
Runtime: 92 Minutes
Director: John Luessenhop
Writers: Debra Sullivan, Kirsten Elms, Adam Marcus

9

‘Lost Girls & Love Hotels’ (2020)

Appeared as Margaret

Margaret (Alexandra Daddario) on the street in Lost Girls & Love Hotels (2020). — Image via Astrakan Film AB

A little too preoccupied with trying to sound existential and appear sensual than to be much of either, Lost Girls & Love Hotels is a 2020 erotic drama that isn’t quite as smart or exotic as it thinks it is. However, it’s an example of something several other movies that rank a bit higher on this list: Daddario is ready for bigger things.

While she’s had luck in girl-next-door-type roles, rom-coms, and as the occasional Final Girl, this sexual drama of a woman spending her night aimlessly traversing Tokyo’s nightlife looking for love connections is her at her most physically and emotionally vulnerable. Often one of a larger ensemble, here it’s certainly her show, and while the movie itself is a mixed bag, it’s certainly worth watching for anyone interested in seeing Daddario challenging herself.

Lost Girls and Love Hotels

Release Date: September 18, 2020
Runtime: 97 minutes
Director: William Olsson
Writers: Catherine Hanrahan

8

‘Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ (2010)

Appeared as Annabeth

A teenage boy stands in a museum with a shield with two of his friends behind him looking up at something. — Image via 20th Century Fox

More successful than a lot of YA blockbusters but not quite as big as Harry Potter or Twilight, the quality of the first Percy Jackson movie falls into a similar kind of category: Better than many, but not as good as the best. The first of the two movies to adapt Rick Riordan’s series of books moves at such a speedy pace that it sacrifices plenty of character development, but when it gets going, this family-friendly adventure in Greek mythology moves quickly and finds the fun with some adventure and even a bit of camp (see Uma Thurman’s Medusa).

Daddario is sort of the “Hermione” of the group as Annabeth, a daughter of Athena, who trades her Harry Potter comparison’s intellectual genius for combat mastery. An early, fun role for Daddario that’s neither her best movie nor even her best blockbuster, but she delivered more than enough to solidify her soon-to-be star status in a series that perhaps deserved a stronger cinematic outing.

7

‘San Andreas’ (2015)

Appeared as Blake Gaines

Alexandra Daddario looking shocked in San Andreas. — Image via Warner Bros.

Who says Roland Emmerich gets to have all the fun making our planet crumble via natural disasters? Brad Peyton stakes his claim as a maestro of catastrophic destruction with this Dwayne Johnson vehicle, in which Daddario plays his daughter, Blake.

While this is certainly a show belonging to the hulking lead, Daddario fits into her role nicely as a young woman shaken by the destruction she’s caught in the middle of, but keeps a cool, methodical head as she leads her and her companions to safety as best she can. If you’re someone who loves Daddario or destruction on a monumental scale à la The Day After Tomorrow, I would suggest this as a good one to check out.

San Andreas

Release Date: May 29, 2015
Runtime: 114minutes
Writers: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes, Carlton Cuse, Allan Loeb

6

‘Lost Transmissions’ (2019)

Appeared as Dana Lee

Close up of Alexandra Daddario as Dana Lee propping her hand against her head in Lost Transmissions. — Image via Gravitas Ventures

Much like Lost Girls & Love Hotels, this indie drama with Daddario flew under the radar in 2020 and is also an imperfect drama. And yet, this one is a far more compelling watch thanks to outstanding leading work from Juno Temple as a songwriter living in California, and Simon Pegg as her friend suffering from relapsing schizophrenia.

While not as big a role as those two, Daddario still gets to flex a bit more range than she has in the past as a Katy Perry-esque pop star named Dana Lee, a diva who acts as a potential gateway into the upper echelon of the music industry that Temple’s character must contend with, all while trying to get Pegg’s character the help he needs. Daddario’s role both makes use of her beauty and likable allure, while at the same time giving her room to be a bit abrasive, both playing into roles she’s fit into before while simultaneously subverting them. An imperfect film with a trio of excellent performances, it’s further proof Daddario is ready for some of those meatier roles.

Lost Transmissions

Release Date: March 13, 2020
Runtime: 105 minutes
Director: Katharine O’Brien
Writers: Katharine O’Brien

5

‘Wildflower’ (2022)

Appeared as Joy

Reid Scott as Ben and Alexandra Daddario as Joy in Wildflower. — Image via Morning Moon

Wildflower was based on filmmaker Matt Smukler‘s unreleased documentary about his niece, who was a neurotypical teenager looking after her neurodivergent parents. Kiernan Shipka takes the lead in this film, which was screened at TIFF, as Bea, and delivers a nuanced, mature, and compelling performance. It opens up with Bea in a comatose state, narrating how she got to this point as she talks us through the ups and downs of her life.

Daddario enters this film as Bea’s concerned and wealthy aunt, who believes Bea’s parents shouldn’t be raising a child. Though she is far more understated in this role, it adds to the complexity of this film, which enthralls us with its slice-of-life, quotidian atmosphere. The coming-of-age story may not be anything new, but Shipka’s captivating performance and Bea’s lifestyle all make for a thoughtful and sharp piece, one that fans of the actors will certainly enjoy.

Wildflower

Release Date: March 17, 2023
Runtime: 105
Director: Matt Smukler
Writers: Jana Savage, Matt Smukler

4

‘Superman: Man of Tomorrow’ (2020)

Appeared as Lois Lane

Lois Lane, voiced by Alexandra Daddario, holds a notebook and pen in Superman: Man of Tomorrow. — Image via Warner Bros.

One entry in a long line of excellent movies in the DC Animated Movie Universe, Superman: Man of Tomorrow takes a different approach to the origins of Clark Kent/Superman (voiced by Darren Criss) as he learns to become the Man of Steel in Metropolis. Having to confront incoming alien threats like Lobo as he discovers his own past, Supes sometimes learns the painful way what it means to be Earth’s protector. Voicing reporter Lois Lane, Daddario gets to voice a take on the character who is also rising in the ranks of the journalism world—even if it means being ostracized by fellow Daily Planet workers.

Daddario voices her unfettered drive, giving that needed tenaciousness, spunk, and resilience when on the job, and that bit of budding flirtation between scenes with her and Clark. The sheer nature of the movie means it probably won’t go down as one of her most notable works, but she does admirable work breathing life into an iconic character in an excellent Superman tale.

3

‘We Summon the Darkness’ (2019)

Appeared as Alexis

Alexandra Daddario as Alexis holding a lighter while smiling maniacally in We Summon the Darkness. — Image via Saban Films

Genre flicks like Bereavement and Texas Chainsaw 3D have found Daddario outrunning one killer or another, but We Summon the Darkness gives her the chance to be the one doing the hunting and have a blast doing it. Taking that kind of charm and humor that have made her a fine fit for some rom-coms, Daddario goes bonkers as a member of a cult looking to murder some poor fools and make it look like the work of Satan worshippers.

Playing into the gonzo humor of the situation and the character, Daddario and castmates Maddie Hasson, Johnny Knoxville, and others make for a wild ride of a midnight thriller that sparks a bit of madness into the home invasion genre.