Sarah Michelle Gellar will likely always be known as an icon of genre work and supernatural teen dramas, but she’s given great performances besides her star-making role in Buffy The Vampire Slayer. While fans of Buffy will always see Gellar as the heroine of the beloved TV show, before, during, and after Buffy was on the air, Gellar lent her talents to plenty of projects of multiple genres. However, some of the best have leaned into her skills in horror, as she’s an expert at blending comedy into serious and violent moments, which always elevates a scary movie.
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Being able to communicate the nuances of horror and drama by incorporating tongue-in-cheek and self-aware elements into her performance is one of the actress’ best skills, as seen in Buffy. However, Sarah Michelle Gellar doesn’t want a Buffy The Vampire Slayer reboot, but that doesn’t mean the actress hasn’t been open about her love of the show. When an actor becomes synonymous with a role, it can be difficult to break out of that and establish themselves as a versatile performer. However, Gellar’s career is far from over, and she will continue to grow and shine as an actress.
10 Suburban Girl (2007)
As Brett Eisenberg
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Suburban Girl sees Gellar joined by Alec Baldwin in the classic 2000s-era rom-com. While the film treads familiar territory, it has a spark thanks to its central couple. The age gap between Gellar’s Brett and Baldwin’s Archie is a central theme in the film, and the way the narrative handles this difference was ahead of its time for 2007. Though the story is romantic, the ultimate message of the narrative is independence and self-acceptance on Brett’s part.
For a rom-com,
Suburban Girl
asks a lot of Gellar as Brett goes through intense emotional upheaval in all aspects of her life.
For a rom-com, Suburban Girl asks a lot of Gellar as Brett goes through intense emotional upheaval in all aspects of her life. Both personally and professionally, Brett struggles and fights to be better and is undeniably the star of the movie, as every piece of the narrative revolves around her. Gellar hasn’t had the chance to anchor as many films as the protagonist, so watching her take center stage in Suburban Girl is an exciting change of pace.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Suburban Girl (2007) |
50% |
31% |
9 The Grudge (2004)
As Karen Davis
The Grudge (2004) PG-13HorrorMysteryThriller
The Grudge is a 2004 remake of the popular Japanese horror film Ju-On: The Grudge. The film stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, and Clea DuVall. The Grudge follows Gellar’s character, a nurse in Tokyo who becomes victim to a deadly supernatural curse. The movie was directed by The Grudge creator Takashi Shimizu.
Director Takashi Shimizu Release Date October 22, 2004 Studio(s) Columbia Pictures , Ghost House Pictures Writers Stephen Susco , Takashi Shimizu Cast Sarah Michelle Gellar , Jason Behr , Clea DuVall , William Mapother Runtime 91 Minutes Franchise(s) The Grudge Expand
The Grudge is one of Gellar’s more recent additions to the horror genre and is one of the more successful American remakes of a Japanese horror film. Gellar plays Karen, a young woman who becomes involved in the horrible curse of a house where a woman died violently and remains to haunt the new residents. While the non-linear structure of the movie made some of the more nuanced plot points difficult to pick up on, Karen’s role as the hero and final girl carries through, and her bravery is clear.
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Gellar hasn’t been one of the best final girls in horror movies, as her characters typically die before the end of the narrative in film. However, The Grudge plays to her strengths and allows her to tap into the courage and leadership that defined her performance as Buffy. While The Grudge isn’t her best-remembered work today, it shouldn’t be overlooked, as the creepy atmospheric elements of the movie make it an enduring part of the scary movie canon.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
The Grudge (2004) |
40% |
46% |
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8 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
As Daphne Blake
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7.3/10 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed PGAdventureComedyMystery
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is the second live-action film in the Scooby-Doo franchise. Released in 2004, the film follows Mystery Inc.—Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo—as they confront a masked villain who reanimates monsters from their past cases. Set in the fictitious town of Coolsville, the group must once again use their sleuthing skills to save the day.
Director Raja Gosnell Release Date March 26, 2004 Studio(s) Mosaic Media Group Writers James Gunn Cast Freddie Prinze Jr. , Sarah Michelle Gellar , matthew lillard , Linda Cardellini , Seth Green , Peter Boyle , Tim Blake Nelson , Alicia Silverstone Runtime 92 Minutes Expand
Though Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed didn’t live up to the performance of the original movie, Scooby-Doo, time has been kind to the sequel. The follow-up to the first live-action adaptation of Scooby-Doo from 2002 mostly retread the same territory as the earlier installment, but that doesn’t make it any less fun. Gellar proves for the second time that she is the perfect choice to play Daphne, as she balances the strength, confidence, and comedy of the character with ease.
Though Gellar’s Daphne and her friends make their fair share of goof mistakes, this only endears them further to the audience when they solve the case.
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As always, Gellar and her costars are the standouts of Scooby-Doo 2, bringing to life the cartoon characters as if they were born to play the roles. The Scooby-Doo franchise is known for the elaborate tricks the villains pull off to convince the gang that there are supernatural forces at work. However, the true culprit is never as sneaky or smart as Mystery Inc. Though Gellar’s Daphne and her friends make their fair share of goof mistakes, this only endears them further to the audience when they solve the case.
|
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) |
23% |
41% |
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Related Sarah Michelle Gellar Found Her Perfect Buffy Replacement Right As The 7-Season Show Was About To End
Sarah Michelle Gellar is undoubtedly most known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she quickly landed her replacement role as the show was ending.
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7 The Crazy Ones (2013–2014)
As Sydney Roberts
The Crazy Ones
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*Availability in US
Gellar is joined by the late seminal actor Robin Williams in one of his last screen performances in The Crazy Ones, the workplace-family sitcom. The actors have a warm and charming chemistry, with Gellar often being the serious, exasperated daughter, Sydney, in contrast to her larger-than-life father, Simon (Williams). Though working with a heavy-weight performer like Williams can be intimidating, Gellar holds her own and brings plenty of heart to her role. Their father-daughter dynamic is fraught and complicated, but Gellar makes it work.
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Though the series had decent ratings, it received mixed reviews and was ultimately canceled, but part of this was due to the changing television landscape of the early 2010s. The series revolved around the advertising world, which has been touched upon many times in film and TV, but Gellar and Williams managed to put a fresh spin on the fast-paced world of marketing. In another life, The Crazy Ones might have enjoyed a longer run as a classic but interesting sitcom.
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Season |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
1 |
54% |
67% |
6 Wolf Pack (2023)
As Kristin Ramsey
Wolf Pack DramaFantasyHorrorSupernatural
Wolf Pack is a Paramount+ original series created by Jeff Davis, creator of the new Teen Wolf Series, though the properties are not connected. Wolf Pack is based on the novels by Ed Van Belkom and follows a group of teenagers whose lives are changed when a wildfire in California awakens a beast sleeping in the wilderness and attacks them. When four teenagers from different parts of life all come together inexplicably, they discover they share the same secret – the werewolf blood runs through them.
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*Availability in US Release Date January 27, 2023 Writers Jason Ensler Cast Sarah Michelle Gellar , Rodrigo Santoro , Armani Jackson , Bella Shepard , Chloe Rose Robertson , Tyler Lawrence Gray Seasons 1 Network Paramount Streaming Service(s) Paramount+ Directors Jason Ensler Expand
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Gellar’s latest TV show, Wolf Pack, might have been short-lived, canceled after season 1, but it allowed Gellar to return to the genre of supernatural investigations. While Wolf Pack deals with werewolves instead of vampires, it still places Gellar in the center of the mystery as she searches for answers in the wake of a forest fire that ends up increasing the number of werewolves in town. It’s interesting to see her in the role of the interloping adult while the teenage characters fall deeper into the supernatural realm.
Though
Wolf Pack
drew comparisons to
Teen Wolf
, the series distinguished itself as a unique offering, and Gellar’s performance anchored the story.
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Unlike Buffy, Wolf Pack doesn’t have the luxury of a 22-episode season that provides some one-off episodes that build the characters throughout the overarching plot. However, this makes the story fast-paced and lean, propelling the plot forward to keep the audience engaged. Though Wolf Pack drew comparisons to Teen Wolf, the series distinguished itself as a unique offering, and Gellar’s performance anchored the story. Even though many of the big events revolve around the teens, the narrative shines when it locks in on Gellar.
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Season |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
1 |
44% |
85% |
5 Do Revenge (2022)
As the Headmaster
Do Revenge TV-MAComedy
Camilla Mendes and Maya Hawke star in Do Revenge, a Netflix comedy film about two high schoolers that after experiencing social bullying on a spectacular scale, become social outcasts. When Drea (Mendes) has a private video of hers leaked out across the internet by her boyfriend, her social life and brand are irreparably tarnished, leaving her outside her prior social circle. Eleanor (Hawke) experiences a similar situation when her bully, a girl named Carissa (Ava Capri), spreads a rumor that she tried to hold her down and kiss her. When the two form an unexpected friendship, they plan to “do revenge” against each other’s bullies in an elaborate scheme to tear them down.
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*Availability in US Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson Release Date September 16, 2022 Studio(s) Netflix Writers Jennifer Kaytin Robinson , Celeste Ballard Cast Camilla Mendes , Maya Hawke , Sophie Turner , Rish Shah , Sarah Michelle Gellar , Austin Abrams , Eliza Bennett , Ava Capri Runtime 118 minutes Expand
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The hilarious teen-comedy Do Revenge taps into Gellar’s roots as a teen icon in the 1990s and early 2000s, as the film is in conversation with ground-breaking stories that explore the pangs of adolescence. However, Do Revenge also has deeper themes of mystery and betrayal, expanding on how the ups and downs of high school are some of the most emotionally grueling periods of a person’s life. Much of the story takes place at the school that the main characters attend, where Gellar plays the Headmaster.
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Do Revenge is one of the movies that perfectly defines Gen Z, as it touches upon how social media and technology have only made the harsh realities of teenage years more immediate. Gellar’s role in Cruel Intentions most likely played a part in her being cast in a film about young women playing games with each other. It’s fun to see her subverting this part of her past and embodying the authority figure the main characters manipulate into getting what they want.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Do Revenge (2022) |
85% |
78% |
4 I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
As Helen Shivers
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9/10 I Know What You Did Last Summer RHorrorMystery
Loosely based on Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel I Know What You Did Last Summer, this 1997 slasher follows a group of friends who, after covering up a car accident, are stalked by a killer wielding a hook. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr., Johnny Galecki, and Bridgette Wilson star with a script from Scream writer Kevin Williamson.
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*Availability in US Director Jim Gillespie Release Date October 17, 1997 Studio(s) Amazon Studios Writers Kevin Williamson Cast Ryan Phillippe , Freddie Prinze Jr. , Muse Watson , Sarah Michelle Gellar , Jennifer Love Hewitt Runtime 101 minutes Expand
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Though Jennifer Love Hewitt is the protagonist of I Know What You Did Last Summer, Gellar’s Helen is often the most compelling character in the film. As a former beauty queen whose life is upended by the inciting accident of the story, Helen gets stuck in her hometown and doesn’t know how to move forward. She plays well off of Love Hewitt’s performance as Julie, as the central friends have a believably close relationship, and their investigation together is a compelling piece of the narrative.
Helen’s fate ends up being one of the most impactful moments of the movie.
I Know What You Did Last Summer follows the classic teen-slasher formula, but it’s a fun addition to the genre and includes plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments while taking its emotional arc seriously. Helen has some of the most genuine character development in the film, as she becomes more earnest and emotionally available as she grows up and takes responsibility for her actions. Helen’s fate ends up being one of the most impactful moments of the movie.
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|
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
I Know What You Did Last Summer |
46% |
41% |
3 Scooby-Doo (2002)
As Daphne Blake
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8/10 Scooby-Doo (2002) AdventureComedyFamily
Scooby-Doo is a 2002 film that reimagines the beloved Hanna-Barbera cartoon. Starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard, and Linda Cardellini, the movie follows Mystery Inc. as they reunite to solve a puzzling supernatural mystery at Spooky Island. Directed by Raja Gosnell, the film combines live-action and CGI to bring the iconic characters and their comedic escapades to life.
Director Raja Gosnell Release Date June 14, 2002 Writers James Gunn , Craig Titley , William Hanna , Joseph Barbera Cast Freddie Prinze Jr. , Sarah Michelle Gellar , matthew lillard , Linda Cardellini , Rowan Atkinson , Isla Fisher , Miguel A. Núñez Jr. , Steven Grives Runtime 86 Minutes
The campy and somewhat goofy sensibilities of the live-action film adaptation of the beloved cartoon Scooby-Doo didn’t astound critics and audiences, but the movie holds up well today. Scooby-Doo‘s narrative successfully expands upon the original beats of the cartoon and plays with the familiar murder-mystery narrative. Overall, the casting has been highlighted as one of the best facets of the movie, as Gellar isn’t the only actor who fits their role perfectly and draws audiences into the story.
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Related Sarah Michelle Gellar’s $275M Mystery Movie Being A Streaming Hit 22 Years Later Proves It’s Time To Finish Her Trilogy
Sarah Michelle Gellar’s 2002 movie is now trending on Max, and it’s proof that she should reprise her beloved role to solve one last mystery.
Gellar is joined by her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr., who plays her love interest, Fred, and their chemistry is one of the most fun parts of the film. Daphne’s character is made more complex and interesting in the narrative as she escapes her role of always being the story’s victim. It’s a fun subversion of the damsel in distress archetype and ties into her roots as a strong female hero in Buffy. Gellar gets to be funny, strong, and smart while playing Daphne, bringing new levels to the famous character.
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|
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Scooby-Doo (2002) |
32% |
40% |
2 Scream 2 (1997)
As Casey “Cici” Cooper
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8/10 Scream 2 rHorror
Scream 2 is the follow-up to Wes Craven’s meta film Scream and was released a year after the original. In the sequel, Sidney (Neve Campbell) moves to college but can’t escape her legacy as a survivor of Ghostface. Things become even more complicated for Sidney and her friends when a new Ghostface haunts her campus.
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*Availability in US Director Wes Craven Release Date December 12, 1997 Studio(s) Dimension Films Distributor(s) Dimension Films Writers Wes Craven Cast Neve Campbell , Courteney Cox , Timothy Olyphant Runtime 120minutes Franchise(s) Scream Expand
I Know What You Did Last Summer wasn’t the only horror movie that Gellar lent her talents to in 1997, with the highly anticipated follow-up to Scream, Scream 2, releasing the same year. The Scream franchise is known for poking fun at the horror genre and making meta-commentary on the tropes and archetypes that are frequently used in the horror formula. In Scream 2, Gellar only plays a small role as Cici, but she makes an impact and cements herself as a horror icon.
It’s always enjoyable to see Gellar in a scary movie, even if she isn’t the hero.
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Gellar gets to exercise her comedic timing as Cici, as though she is one of the many victims who fall at the killer’s hand in the film, Scream 2 is too self-aware to make her a simple casualty of the narrative. While Scream 2 doesn’t enjoy the iconic legacy of the original movie, it’s an impressive sequel and, if anything, the newly introduced characters like Cici could have benefited from even more screen time. However, it’s always enjoyable to see Gellar in a scary movie, even if she isn’t the hero.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Scream 2 (1997) |
81% |
58% |
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1 Cruel Intentions (1999)
As Kathryn Merteuil
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16 8.3/10 Cruel Intentions RDramaDocumentaryRomanceThriller
With a screenplay and direction by Roger Kumble, Cruel Intentions is a Romance and Teen Drama film that stars Selma Blair, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and Ryan Phillippe. The plot revolves around a group of teens, with a man betting one of them that he can seduce a girl successfully.
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*Availability in US Director Roger Kumble Release Date March 5, 1999 Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Columbia Pictures , Sony Writers Roger Kumble Cast Sarah Michelle Gellar , Ryan Phillippe , Reese Witherspoon , Selma Blair , Louise Fletcher , Joshua Jackson Runtime 97 minutes Expand
Even though a Cruel Intentions TV remake is on the horizon, it’s unlikely that it will make the original 1999 movie less iconic. Though Cruel Intentions is an adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, the 1988 film based on the French novel, Cruel Intentions successfully modernizes the story and makes it relevant for younger audiences. Gellar steps outside her typical heroic typecasting as Kathryn, one-half of the pair of step-siblings who torment New York City’s elite. She’s the mastermind behind the most terrible acts in the film.
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While some parts of Cruel Intentions haven’t aged well, it still deserves its cult-classic status and doubtlessly features Sarah Michelle Gellar’s strongest role outside of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She is just as believable as the manipulative Kathryn, who revels in cruelty while commenting on how her position in society as a woman played a part in pushing her to act with malice toward others. It’s a compelling and nuanced part that the actress deserves to be recognized for as her career progresses.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Cruel Intentions (1999) |
53% |
80% |