With a colorful career spanning three decades, Milla Jovovich is a model who became an esteemed actress and action star. After making her big-screen debut in the 1988 film Two Moon Junction, she went on to gain recognition in the ‘90s with roles in beloved classics like Dazed and Confused and The Fifth Element, establishing herself as a powerful leading lady. Jovovich was cast as the zombie-killing superhuman heroine Alice in the action-horror franchise Resident Evil, becoming a certified superstar and later being dubbed the “reigning queen of kick-butt” by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Updated: November 2022: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Dylan Reber.

Jovovich would go on to appear in exciting and unique flicks like Zoolander, Paradise Hills, and A Perfect Getaway, demonstrating to viewers her ability to embrace every film genre. Outside the cinema, she is a respected singer and was at one point the highest-paid model in the world. Having amassed an impressive and diverse acting resume across her lucrative Hollywood career, these are the best Milla Jovovich movies.

11 Monster Hunter

Milla Jovovich in Monster Hunter (2020)
Sony Pictures Releasing
Screen Gems Releasing

Based on Capcom's iconic video game series, 2020's Monster Hunter wasn't quite the success its studio hoped it would be, but it's worth checking out for Jovovich's performance alone. She plays US Army Ranger Natalie Artemis, a hardened soldier tasked by the United Nations to search for missing soldiers in a remote desert. But things go awry when Artemis and her team are pulled through a portal into a world of (you guessed it) monsters. In the role, Jovovich channels Alice from Resident Evil and proves to audiences that she's as capable as ever when it comes to action and stunt work.

10 The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc

The Messenger_ The Story of Joan of Arc
Gaumont Buena Vista International 

Featuring an A-list cast headlined by Milla Jovovich and the great John Malkovich, the 1999 epic historical drama The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc tells the inspiring story of the eponymous martyr and heroine who valiantly went to battle for the sake of her country of France and its people, ultimately playing a pivotal role in the Hundred Years’ War.

To play the part of the revered saint, Jovovich cut her hair short and wore heavy armor in several exciting and extensive battle scenes; director Luc Besson wanted to depict the emotional aspect of Joan of Arc, focusing on the message of the story as opposed to strict history. Despite an underwhelming reception from critics and audiences, Jovovich’s performance garnered a good deal of praise and helped further establish her as a leading lady.

9 Dirty Girl

Milla Jovovich Dirty Girl
The Weinstein Company

Though not particularly well-regarded, Dirty Girl is notable for featuring Jovovich in a role she had never played before: the role of a mother. In this coming-of-age story, Jovovich plays the mom of the daughter who comes of age. Viewers used to seeing Jovovich in stunt-heavy action roles would have been surprised to see her playing someone so unapologetically domestic. So, if you want to get a sense of Jovovich's range as a performer, Dirty Girl is a good place to start - just don't expect any backflips, gunfights, or martial arts.

8 Paradise Hills

Paradise Hills
Alfa Pictures

The 2019 Spanish sci-fi thriller Paradise Hills follows a group of young women who are sent to a mysterious island known as Paradise, a center for ladies who must undergo behavioral modification treatment after disappointing their families. In the film, Milla Jovovich shares the screen with Eiza Gonzalez, Emma Roberts, and Awkwafina, portraying the secretive administrator of the reform school known as The Duchess.

Paradise Hills had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was lauded for its innovative storytelling and spellbinding cinematography and atmosphere; The Los Angeles Times commended first-time director Alice Waddington, writing in their review, “A clever if somewhat under-realized mash-up of The Prisoner, The Hunger Games and The Stepford Wives, the movie has such confidence - and such an impressive sense of design - that its simplistic narrative isn't much of a drawback.”

7 Dummy

Dummy
Artisan Entertainment 

Milla Jovovich joined Adrien Brody and Vera Farmiga in the quirky 2002 romantic dramedy Dummy, which follows the socially awkward, aspiring ventriloquist Steven Schoichet as he attempts to turn his newfound passion into a career. Jovovich appears as the punk rocker Fangora “Fanny” Gurkel, Steven’s ultimate confidante, who marches to the beat of her own drum while trying to find her place in the world. The charming and heartfelt flick features a superb performance by Brody, who had no prior experience as a ventriloquist and ultimately was able to do all the puppetry himself after being coached by a special consultant.

6 A Perfect Getaway

A Perfect Getaway
Universal Pictures

David Twohy directed the 2009 thriller A Perfect Getaway, centering on a group of couples on a romantic Hawaiian vacation who come to the shocking realization that one of the pairs might be murderers. With a dazzling ensemble cast (including Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, and the great Chris Hemsworth), the riveting picture has Jovovich playing newlywed Cydney Anderson. Anderson, who is on her honeymoon with her new husband Cliff (Zahn), begins to fear for her safety when bodies start dropping on the island. A Perfect Getaway is jam-packed full of stellar performances and includes a genuinely brilliant plot twist. In a review, Variety calls it, “A big-reveal thriller with surprises that really do surprise -- and are worth waiting for through an audaciously long buildup.”

5 He Got Game

He Got Game
Buena Vista Pictures

The renowned Spike Lee directed the 1998 sports drama He Got Game, telling the moving story of an incarcerated father who must convince his gifted basketball star son to attend the governor’s alma mater in order to receive a reduced prison sentence. Denzel Washington is exceptional as Jake Shuttlesworth, a man who has spent the past six years behind bars for the accidental death of his wife, and who is given a week of parole in order to persuade his son Jesus to play college basketball.

Milla Jovovich delivered an outstanding performance as the abused prostitute Dakota Burns, a struggling woman who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Jake while they're both staying in a run-down motel. He Got Game was raved about by critics and audiences alike, earning nominations at the NAACP Image Awards and winning an MTV Movie Award.

Related: Best Denzel Washington Movies, Ranked

4 Zoolander

Milla Jovovich in Zoolander (1)
Paramount Pictures

Ben Stiller’s star-studded 2001 comedy Zoolander features the actor as the eponymous, clueless supermodel Derek Zoolander, who becomes brainwashed by the diabolical Jacobim Mugatu to assassinate the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Zoolander joins forces with rival-turned-ally Hansel and journalist Matilda Jeffries to expose Mugatu and save the life of the Prime Minister, with over-the-top hilarity naturally ensuing.

The comedy staple features many famous faces, including Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Christine Taylor. Jovovich appears as the evil Katinka Ingabogovinana, Mugatu’s equally devious right-hand woman who helps brainwash the hapless Zoolander. The actress clearly has a lot of fun in the role, and sends up her butt-kicking but sexy image with great comedic timing. Zoolander has gone on to amass a passionate fan following, and its success led to the 2016 sequel Zoolander 2.

3 Dazed and Confused

Dazed and Confused
Gramercy Pictures

The beloved 1993 coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused follows a group of Austin, Texas teenagers on their last day of school in 1976, chronicling the entertaining hijinx and misadventures of the colorful gang of misfits. In an interview with Maxim, director Richard Linklater expressed: “I want to make this teenage rock'n'roll spree. I knew I wanted the story to take place on one day in the spring of 1976, but at one point it was much more experimental. The whole movie took place in a car with the characters driving around listening to ZZ Top.”

Dazed and Confused had a large ensemble cast of then up-and-coming talent, most notably Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck and Milla Jovovich, with the latter portraying the laid-back, marijuana loving Michelle Burroughs. The ‘90s comedy has since become a cult film and landed on Entertainment Weekly’s “Funniest Movies of the Past 25 Years” List.

Related: These are Richard Linklater's Best Films

2 The Fifth Element

Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element
Buena Vista Internationa

Luc Besson’s 1997 spectacular sci-fi action extravaganza The Fifth Element takes place in a stunningly realized 23rd century. The film depicts the efforts of New York taxi driver Korben Dallas and alien super-being Leelo as they fight to protect Earth from an approaching attack by a malicious cosmic entity. Headlined by Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, and Gary Oldman, the aesthetically gorgeous picture was first written by Besson out of boredom when he was just 16, with the director continuing to work on the sci-fi flick over the course of two decades.

Jovovich said she “worked like hell: no band practice, no clubs, no pot, nothing” to nab the highly-coveted role, and the actress co-created and mastered the 400-word fictional alien language to play Leelo. The Fifth Element was polarizing for critics but was a box office success, going on to win British Academy Film Awards and César Awards, gradually earning praise over the years and now being considered one of the best sci-fi movies.

1 Resident Evil Franchise

Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich pointing two guns
Sony Pictures Releasing

Based on the video game series of the same name, the 2002 action horror film Resident Evil first introduced audiences across the world to the tough and resilient heroine Alice, a zombie-killing bioweapon who fights against the nefarious Umbrella Corporation throughout the thrilling franchise. To prepare for the physically grueling role, Milla Jovovich trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, combat-training, and karate, and performed almost all the stunts depicted in the movie (via Bloody Elbow). Funnily enough, the actress accepted the now iconic part because she and her brother had been huge fans of the video games.

Jovovich would go on to star in six exciting Resident Evil films, displaying her impressive physical and emotional range as a performer while garnering a large fan following. Resident Evil is a high-grossing franchise that has earned more than $1 billion at the box office. It currently holds the record for the most live-action adaptations for a video game series.