This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

List of Annette Bening Movies: Ranked Best To Worst

1. American Beauty (1999)
106
21
American Beauty
R
106
21

Middle-aged magazine executive Lester Burnham abhors his job, is unhappy with his loveless marriage to ambitious real estate agent Carolyn, and is hated by his moody teenage daughter Jane. Unaware of his wife's extramarital affair, Lester suddenly falls for Jane's sexually experienced classmate Angela, which affects his life and those around him in a tragic way.

Role:
Carolyn Burnham
Starring:
Kevin Spacey, Allison Janney, Chris Cooper, Scott Bakula, Mena Suvari, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Directed By:
Awards:
BAFTA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
2. Open Range (2003)
16
5
Open Range
R
16
5

Boss, an open range cattleman, is driving his cattle across the country with his three hired hands; Charley, a civil war veteran, Mose, and Button. On the way, Mose is sent to Harmonville to get supplies; but when he does not return Boss and Charley decide to enquire and find him in jail, badly injured.  They somehow get him out and decide to take revenge. 

Role:
Sue Barlow
Starring:
Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Diego Luna, Kim Coates, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter
Directed By:
3. 20th Century Women (2016)
11
4
20th Century Women
R
11
4

20th Century Woman tells the story of a teenage boy, and his mother, in 1979 Santa Barbara, and two other women who help in raising him.   

Role:
Dorothea Fields
Starring:
Directed By:
Mike Mills
4. Richard III (1995)
9
3
Richard III
R
9
3

Due to his lust for the British throne, Richard III starts descending into madness. Though England is torn apart by a civil war, he aspires to rise to dictatorship, but for this, he needs to remove the obstacles to his ascension.

Role:
Queen Elizabeth
Starring:
Directed By:
Richard Loncraine
5. Ruby Sparks (2012)
15
6
Ruby Sparks
R
15
6

Calvin, a successful writer struggling with a writer’s block, has done very little work in the last decade. His personal life, too, is not so great after his breakup with a long-time girlfriend. When eventually he manages to create a character Ruby, something strange happens. This fictional character comes to life. Also, Calvin realises that he can manipulate Ruby as per his wish.

Role:
Gertrude
Starring:
Steve Coogan, Antonio Banderas, Chris Messina, Zoe Kazan, Paul Dano
Directed By:
Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
6. Mother and Child (2009)
8
3
Mother and Child
R
8
3

The film revolves around the lives of three women, Karen, Elizabeth, and Lucy. Karen is a physical therapist who regrets giving up her daughter for adoption during her teenage years. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, who was adopted as a child, is now having a successful career as a lawyer, but she is unhappy with her personal life. The film also tells the story of Lucy and her husband, who decides to adopt, after failing to conceive.

Role:
Karen
Directed By:
Rodrigo García
7. The Report (2019)
10
4
The Report
R
10
4

The Report is a historical drama thriller film which revolves around FBI agent Daniel Jones, who performs investigation into the use of torture on suspected terrorists by the CIA. This soon leads him to shocking secrets.  

Directed By:
Scott Z. Burns
8. The Kids Are All Right (2010)
16
7
The Kids Are All Right
R
16
7

Nic and Jules are a lesbian couple raising their two children Laser and Joni together. When the children contact the sperm donor Paul, to get to know him better, he becomes a part of their family and even starts having an affair with Jules. Complications arise leading the family to a confrontation. 

Role:
Nic
Directed By:
Lisa Cholodenko
Awards:
Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
9. Danny Collins (2015)
9
4
Danny Collins
R
9
4

Danny Collins is an aging rock star who decides to change his life after he discovers a 40-year-old letter written to him by John Lennon. He even reunites with his illegitimate son and his family, but over time, his past demons return and start to haunt him.

Role:
Mary Sinclair
Directed By:
Dan Fogelman
10. Being Julia (2004)
8
3
Being Julia
R
8
3

Julia Lambert is an aging actress, who starts having an affair with a younger actor named Tom. However, she is outraged when she learns that Tom wants to only use her to advance his career. She soon starts planning revenge against him.

Role:
Julia Lambert
Starring:
Directed By:
István Szabó
Awards:
Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
11. Valmont (1989)
8
3
Valmont
R
8
3

A widow asks her ex-lover to corrupt a recently married woman. Valmont tries to seduce her, but in the process, ends up falling in love with her.

Role:
Merteuil
Starring:
Colin Firth, Meg Tilly, Fairuza Balk, Siân Phillips
Directed By:
12. The Grifters (1990)
9
4
The Grifters
R
9
4

The Grifters is a crime drama thriller film which tells the story of Roy Dillon, a conman, whose life gets complicated when his estranged mother returns home, and doesn’t seem to like his girlfriend. Soon both women seem to battle for Roy’s attention.

Role:
Myra Langtry
Starring:
Steve Buscemi, John Cusack, James Thomas Patrick Walsh, Martin Scorsese, Jeremy Piven, Anjelica Huston
Directed By:
13. Jerry & Marge Go Large (2022)
10
4
Jerry & Marge Go Large
PG-13
10
4

Based on a true story, this comedy drama film tells the story of Jerry and Marge Selbee, a married couple, living in Evart, Michigan. Jerry, who works as a production line manager, retires after forty two years of service. Their lives take a turn when he comes up with a way through which they can win the lottery again and again. After their plan is a success, they decide to use their money to revive their small town.

Role:
Marge
Starring:
Bryan Cranston, Rainn Wilson
14. The American President (1995)
10
5
The American President
PG-13
10
5

The US President Andrew Shepherd is running for re-elections and has a high approval rating. As the widower with a young daughter meets environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade, both are drawn towards each other. But this gives a chance to his opponent, Senator Bob Rumson, to question the popular president’s character. With plummeting approval rating, Shepherd has a hard decision to make.

Role:
Sydney Ellen Wade
Starring:
Michael Douglas, Michael J. Fox, Richard Dreyfuss, Martin Sheen, Aaron Sorkin, Anna Deavere Smith
Directed By:
15. Bugsy (1991)
8
4
Bugsy
R
8
4

This biographical crime drama film revolves around Bugsy Siegel, a notorious gangster, who moves to Hollywood and gets involved with a film star. He soon starts gambling and comes up with the idea of developing a gambling haven in Las Vegas.   

Role:
Virginia Hill
Starring:
Harvey Keitel, Warren Beatty, Ben Kingsley, Bebe Neuwirth, Elliott Gould
Directed By:
Barry Levinson
16. Life Itself (2018)
8
4
Life Itself
R
8
4

Life Itself is a romantic drama film which tells the story of multiple couples from different parts of the world, and their connection to a single event.

Role:
Dr. Cait Morris
Starring:
Mandy Patinkin, Oscar Isaac, Jean Smart, Olivia Wilde, Samuel L. Jackson, Antonio Banderas
Directed By:
Dan Fogelman
17. The Search (2014)
7
3
The Search
7
3
Role:
Helen
Starring:
Bérénice Bejo, Maksim Emelyanov, Abdul Khalim Mamutsiev, Zukhra Duishvili
Directed By:
Michel Hazanavicius
18. Regarding Henry (1991)
9
4
Regarding Henry
PG-13
9
4

Regarding Henry is a romantic drama film, which tells the story of a successful lawyer who starts to suffer from amnesia after he is shot. With the help of his loving wife and daughter, he tries to rediscover his identity and his career.

Role:
Sarah Turner
Starring:
Harrison Ford, John Leguizamo, Rebecca Miller, Michael Haley, Stanley Swerdlow, Julie Follansbee
Directed By:
19. Postcards from the Edge (1990)
7
4
Postcards from the Edge
R
7
4

Suzanne is an actress who is a recovering drug addict. Her production company says that she has to stay with her mother, if she wants to continue working. However, the problem is that her mother, who is a former actress, still treats her like a child. In addition, she is manipulative and self-absorbed.  

Starring:
Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Mary Wickes, Gene Hackman, Rob Reiner, Richard Dreyfuss
Directed By:
20. Hope Gap (2020)
7
3
Hope Gap
PG-13
7
3
21. Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017)
7
3
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
R
7
3
Role:
Gloria Grahame
Starring:
Vanessa Redgrave, Kenneth Cranham, Julie Walters, Jamie Bell
Directed By:
Paul McGuigan
22. The Great Outdoors (1988)
9
5
The Great Outdoors
PG
9
5

Chet Ripley, who lives in Chicago, is on a vacation with his wife and two kids. They are having a great time till they are joined by Ripley’s obnoxious brother-in-law Roman Craig along with his wife and two daughters. 

Role:
Kate Craig
Starring:
John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Chris Young, Stephanie Faracy
Directed By:
Howard Deutch
23. Guilty by Suspicion (1991)
6
3
Guilty by Suspicion
PG-13
6
3

Guilty by Suspicion is a drama film which tells the story of film director David Merrill, a film director, who faces various struggles in his life, after he is forbidden from Hollywood, due to his alleged involvement with communists.

Role:
Ruth Merrill
Starring:
Adam Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Chris Cooper, George Wendt, Patricia Wettig
Directed By:
Irwin Winkler
24. Mars Attacks! (1996)
21
12
Mars Attacks!
PG-13
21
12

Earth is surrounded by a fleet of Martians spaceships who initially claim to have come in peace. But they soon kill the entire U.S. Congress and later assassinate President James Dale. Earth survives when it is accidentally discovered that Martians die on hearing Slim Whitman’s song “Indian Love Call” which is then played all over the world. 

Role:
Barbara Land
Starring:
Martin Short, Jack Black, Danny DeVito, Glenn Close, Christina Applegate, Jim Brown, Pam Grier
Directed By:
25. The Siege (1998)
10
6
The Siege
R
10
6

After a series of escalating terrorist attacks in Brooklyn, FBI Special Agent Anthony Hubbard teams up with CIA Agent Elise Kraft to find the terrorists. But martial law has been declared and the sadistic racist US Army General William Devereaux has started arresting anyone of Arab descent and torturing or killing them for information.

Role:
Elise Kraft / Sharon Bridger
Starring:
Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, Wood Harris, Tony Shalhoub, Sami Bouajila
Directed By:
Edward Zwick
26. Ginger & Rosa (2012)
6
4
Ginger & Rosa
PG-13
6
4

Ginger and Rosa are two inseparable teen girls growing up in the 1960s, who are inseparable friends. However, things get complicated between them after Rosa begins a relationship with Ginger’s father, shortly after his divorce. Ginger is disturbed by this, and she starts to think about leaving her house.

Starring:
Elle Fanning, Jodhi May, Alessandro Nivola, Christina Hendricks
Directed By:
Sally Potter
27. The Face of Love (2013)
6
3
The Face of Love
PG-13
6
3

Nikki is a young widow who is still struggling with the death of her husband Garret who had died in a drowning accident. She visits an art gallery which she often frequented with her husband, and is shocked to see a man who looks just like Garret. She gets acquainted to him, but she chooses not to tell him about his resemblance to her late husband. They soon become lovers, but this upsets Tom, her neighbor, who had hoped to attract her interest after Garret passed away.

Role:
Nikki Lostrom
Starring:
Robin Williams, Amy Brenneman, Ed Harris, Linda Park, Jess Weixler
Directed By:
Arie Posin
28. Running with Scissors (2006)
7
4
Running with Scissors
R
7
4

Augusten Burroughs has an alcoholic father and a mother who suffers from mental illness. Therefore. he faces a very difficult childhood. Eventually his mother, who claims that her husband is the reason for her unhappiness, sends Augusten to live with Dr Finch, her eccentric and unconventional psychiatrist.

Role:
Deirdre Burroughs
Starring:
Jill Clayburgh, Kristin Chenoweth, Joseph Fiennes, Evan Rachel Wood, Alec Baldwin, Gwyneth Paltrow, Dagmara Dominczyk
Directed By:
Ryan Murphy
29. Georgetown (2018)
5
3
Georgetown
R
5
3
Role:
Amanda Brecht
Starring:
Christoph Waltz, Vanessa Redgrave
30. Mrs. Harris (2005)
5
3
Mrs. Harris
TV-MA
5
3
Role:
Jean Harris
Starring:
Ben Kingsley, Cloris Leachman, Mary McDonnell, Frank Whaley
Directed By:
Phyllis Nagy
31. Love Affair (1994)
5
5
Love Affair
PG-13
5
5
Role:
Terry McKay
Starring:
Harold Ramis, Garry Shandling, Pierce Brosnan, Katharine Hepburn, Warren Beatty, Rebecca Miller
Directed By:
Glenn Gordon Caron
32. Girl Most Likely (2012)
5
4
Girl Most Likely
PG-13
5
4

After failing in her career as a playwright and being left by her partner, a young woman attempts suicide. She eventually returns to her home in New Jersey but must now deal with her eccentric mother. She soon learns that her father never died but left to pursue a PhD.

Role:
Zelda
Starring:
Kristen Wiig, Natasha Lyonne, Matt Dillon, Darren Criss, Julia Stiles, Julia Stiles
Directed By:
Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
33. Rules Don't Apply (2016)
5
4
Rules Don't Apply
PG-13
5
4

Rules Don’t Apply is a romantic comedy drama film which tells the story of Maria Mabrey, an aspiring actress, who is under a contract with RKO Pictures, owned by Howard Hughes. She meets Frank Forbes, a driver working for Hughes, who is assigned the task of picking her up to take her to her singing and dancing classes. Even though her contract forbids her from dating an employee, over some time, she begins to fall for Frank.

Starring:
Lily Collins, Alden Ehrenreich, Paul Sorvino, Taissa Farmiga, Matthew Broderick, Steve Coogan, Martin Sheen
Directed By:
34. What Planet Are You From? (2000)
5
4
What Planet Are You From?
R
5
4

This science fiction comedy film tells the story of Harold, an extraterrestrial, whose planet plans to take over Earth. He is sent on a mission to earth as a human clone, with the goal to impregnate a human being and take the child back to his planet. However, things get complicated when Harold ends up falling in love.

Role:
Susan
Starring:
Judy Greer, Jane Lynch, Ann Cusack, Greg Kinnear, John Goodman, Sarah Silverman, Garry Shandling
Directed By:
35. In Dreams (1999)
5
4
In Dreams
R
5
4

In Dreams is a psychological horror film which tells the story of a Claire, a mother, whose world turns upside down after her daughter is murdered brutally. One night, she starts to dream of the man who killed her daughter, who is also responsible for the deaths of several children.

Role:
Claire Cooper
Starring:
Aidan Quinn, Robert Downey Jr., Paul Guilfoyle, Katie Sagona
Directed By:
Neil Jordan
36. The Women (2008)
5
5
The Women
PG-13
5
5

Mary Haines, a successful designer and happily married woman, is shocked to learn about husband Stephen’s affair with a Saks salesgirl. Her close friends, though having their own romantic or professional issues, rally around in support. Realizing that at sometime or the other, everyone has faced a similar rough patch, she finds strength to figure out how to achieve what she wants in life. 

Role:
Sylvie Fowler
Starring:
Meg Ryan, Eva Mendes, Cloris Leachman, Carrie Fisher, Jada Pinkett Smith, Meg Ryan
Directed By:
Diane English
37. Hostage (1988)
6
3
Hostage
6
3
Role:
Jill
Starring:
Carol Burnett, Ardon Bess, Doris Belack, Mike Anscombe
Directed By:
Peter Levin
38. PoliWood (2009)
5
3
PoliWood
5
3
Role:
Herself
Starring:
Stephen Baldwin, Rachael Leigh Cook, Ellen Burstyn, Richard Abramowitz
Directed By:
Barry Levinson
39. The Seagull (2018)
5
4
The Seagull
PG-13
5
4
Role:
Irina
Starring:
Mare Winningham, Brian Dennehy, Elisabeth Moss, Corey Stoll, Saoirse Ronan
Directed By:
Michael Mayer
40. Manhunt for Claude Dallas (1986)
4
3
Manhunt for Claude Dallas
4
3
Starring:
Claude Akins, Lois Nettleton, Frederick Coffin, Matt Salinger
Directed By:
Jerry London

Animation Movies

Liberty's Kids: Est. 1776
12
3
Liberty's Kids: Est. 1776
TV-Y7
12
3
Starring:
Liam Neeson, Dustin Hoffman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Stiller, Michael York
Directed By:
Judith Reilly

TV Shows

American Crime Story
20
4
American Crime Story
TV-MA
20
4
Starring:
Connie Britton, Cuba Gooding Jr., Courtney B. Vance, Sarah Paulson, John Travolta, David Schwimmer, Nathan Lane
Directed By:
Ryan Murphy, Anthony Hemingway
Wiseguy
7
2
Wiseguy
7
2
Starring:
Debbie Harry, Mariska Hargitay, Jerry Lewis, Tim Curry, Maximilian Schell, Chazz Palminteri, Glenn Frey
Directed By:
Miami Vice
9
3
Miami Vice
TV-14
9
3
Starring:
Viggo Mortensen, Edward James Olmos, Tommy Chong, Isaac Hayes, Laurence Fishburne, Helena Bonham Carter, Ian McShane

Annette Bening Awards

Golden Globe Awards
The Kids Are All Right Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical 2011
Being Julia Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical 2005
BAFTA Awards
American Beauty Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 2000