Our 15 Rachel McAdams Movies That Still Hold Up

What kind of actor can make you laugh in one film, break your heart in the next, and then completely reinvent herself again just a year later?

Rachel McAdams has spent more than two decades doing exactly that, moving effortlessly across genres with a versatility few performers can match.

Some stars find a signature role – she keeps rewriting hers.

Important: This article reflects an editorial perspective on Rachel McAdams’ filmography and the staying power of certain performances.

1. Mean Girls (2004)

Regina George walks the halls like she owns them, and honestly, she kind of does.

McAdams turned what could have been a one-note villain into the most quotable character in teen comedy history. Her delivery is so sharp it could cut through lockers.

On fetch Wednesdays or any lazy Saturday, this movie hits differently every single time. The humor ages like fine cheese, getting better and funkier with each viewing.

You’ll find yourself quoting Regina’s put-downs before you even realize it.

2. The Notebook (2004)

Like a faded diary discovered in an attic, Allie and Noah’s romance unfolds with memory and longing guiding every moment. Rachel McAdams fills the story with equal parts vulnerability and fire, convincing audiences that forever might exist even when reason argues otherwise.

Cinema romance found a new benchmark once that rain-soaked kiss etched itself into pop culture history.

While everyday reminders demand groceries and errands, the film offers a glimpse of passion that feels larger than routine life. Keeping tissues nearby becomes less a suggestion and more a requirement for the experience.

3. Wedding Crashers (2005)

What might have been a forgettable romantic role instead becomes memorable through Claire Cleary’s sharp wit and steady warmth. Rachel McAdams adds enough backbone to challenge Owen Wilson’s chaos, refusing to let the character fade into the background.

That balance keeps the sweetness grounded, avoiding anything overly sentimental or artificial.

After a long day filled with wedding plans or awkward family conversations, the story offers an easy, comforting escape.

Sparkling chemistry carries every scene forward, fizzing like soda bubbles racing up a glass.

4. Game Night (2018)

Annie takes game night as seriously as a championship playoff, and McAdams plays her competitive streak for maximum laughs.

When their regular trivia session turns into a real kidnapping mystery, she pivots from board games to actual danger without missing a beat. Her comic timing is razor-sharp, especially opposite Jason Bateman’s straight-man energy.

The film twists and turns like a Jenga tower right before collapse, and she rides every ridiculous moment with commitment that sells the absurdity perfectly.

5. Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Few characters manage to challenge the world’s greatest detective the way Irene Adler does, trading victories with him move for move.

With cunning elegance, Rachel McAdams turns the role into far more than a standard romantic figure drifting through a foggy Victorian adventure. Intellect becomes her greatest weapon, allowing her to outmaneuver Holmes even while Robert Downey Jr.’s version operates at full speed.

Across their encounters, attraction and rivalry intertwine, creating a dynamic that feels both strategic and electric.

Every exchange plays out like a chess match unfolding over a candlelit dinner, where each glance carries as much meaning as the next calculated move.

6. Red Eye (2005)

Trapped at thirty thousand feet with a charming stranger whose agenda turns dangerous is not exactly ideal travel conditions.

McAdams plays hotel manager Lisa with the kind of resourcefulness that makes you root for her from takeoff to landing.

She transforms from polite professional to fierce survivor without losing believability for a second. Watching her outsmart Cillian Murphy’s villain feels like watching someone win at the world’s most dangerous game of chess.

Your own commute suddenly seems pretty manageable by comparison.

7. The Family Stone (2005)

Protective instincts run high in Amy Stone, who refuses to welcome an overly proper outsider into a tightly guarded family Christmas. A complicated mix of loyalty and quiet anxiety about change shapes McAdams’s performance, allowing rough edges and imperfect reactions to feel completely authentic.

Around the dinner table, holiday gatherings finally resemble real life, where strained smiles and lingering stares reveal how uneasy everyone becomes when a new person disrupts familiar traditions.

8. Spotlight (2015)

Sacha Pfeiffer listens to survivors tell their stories with a compassion that never crosses into pity.

McAdams earned an Oscar nomination for playing the Boston Globe reporter who helped expose systemic abuse within the Catholic Church. Her performance is understated but powerful, letting the truth speak louder than theatrics.

The film treats journalism as sacred work, and she embodies that dedication with every quiet interview and late-night research session. Some stories demand to be told, no matter how uncomfortable.

9. State Of Play (2009)

Relentless curiosity pushes Della Frye forward, chasing truth while newspapers struggle to survive in a fading era.

Opposite Russell Crowe, McAdams plays a blogger turned reporter learning old-school journalism with modern hustle. Her determination feels grounded instead of staged.

Energy builds like morning coffee finally kicking in, keeping the political thriller sharp and focused. Chasing leads through parking garages and government offices, every surge of adrenaline lands right alongside her.

10. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

Loving someone who vanishes without warning takes patience most of us can’t imagine. Clare waits, adapts, and builds a life around unpredictable absences with grace that breaks your heart.

McAdams conveys years of longing in single glances.

The film asks what love means when time itself becomes the obstacle, and she answers with quiet resilience. On calm mornings when your own routine feels predictable, this reminds you that stability is actually a gift.

11. Morning Glory (2010)

Manic determination fuels Becky Fuller as she throws herself into morning television with the energy of someone running on years of missed sleep.

With infectious enthusiasm that never turns irritating, McAdams brings an ambitious producer to life while juggling oversized egos and collapsing ratings. Workplace chaos starts to resemble an extreme sport under her watch.

Through network hallways, a coffee cup in hand turns every frantic sprint into a version of Monday morning pushed to sitcom intensity.

Optimism spreads easily even when reality pushes back.

12. Midnight In Paris (2011)

Inez wants fancy restaurants and shopping, not her fiancé’s nostalgic rambling about the 1920s. McAdams plays her as materialistic but not villainous, just fundamentally incompatible with Owen Wilson’s dreamer.

She’s the reality check that ruins the fantasy.

The film uses her character to show how two people can want completely different lives while standing on the same cobblestone street. Sometimes love isn’t enough when your souls are browsing different centuries entirely.

13. About Time (2013)

Unexpected romance pulls Mary toward a man who can rewind every awkward moment, yet affection grows because of who he is rather than his time-travel advantages.

Warmth and sincerity shine through McAdams’s performance, grounding the relationship even as the premise turns whimsical.

A steady emotional center holds a story built around second chances and learning to value the present.

Quiet rituals like morning tea or evening walks carry surprising emotional weight, gently reminding viewers that ordinary moments often matter most.

14. Doctor Strange (2016)

Christine Palmer is a surgeon who stays grounded even when her ex-boyfriend starts bending reality like origami.

McAdams brings humanity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, reminding Stephen Strange what he’s fighting for when mystical threats get overwhelming. She’s the tether to the normal world he left behind.

Her skepticism feels earned, not dismissive, and she gets some of the film’s best reaction shots when magic crashes into medicine. Superhero stories need regular people to make the extraordinary matter.

15. Southpaw (2015)

A fighter’s life spirals after tragedy strikes hard and fast, with Maureen Hope grounding the emotional fallout.

McAdams gives depth to a role that could have remained a simple supportive spouse.

Serving as his conscience and anchor, she becomes the reason he keeps fighting at all.

Boxing scenes hit hard, yet her moments land harder by showing what truly hangs in the balance beyond championship belts. Love and loss share the same ring in a bruising drama that never pulls its punches.