Elizabeth Banks started her career in the 1980s with a small soap opera role and has since become a master of hats as both an actress and filmmaker. The actress has recently returned to the director’s chair for the upcoming outrageous comedy, Cocaine Bear starring Ray Liotta and Keri Russell.
Banks is a versatile actress known for her character roles like Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games but through the years, she has appeared in a range of movies including Slither, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man trilogy. From Call Jane to Catch Me If You Can, these are Banks’ best movies, ranked according to Rotten Tomatoes!
10 ‘Call Jane’ (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Joy is an all-American housewife in the 1960s who is overjoyed when she becomes pregnant with her second child, but her happiness is cruelly extinguished when the pregnancy becomes a threat to her own life. With no other options available to her, Joy comes across the Janes, an underground network of women who risk providing women with abortions.
Call Jane is a drama about a pivotal time in American history starring Banks as Joy, along with Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara and Chris Messina. Banks brilliantly portrays her character’s devastating conflict while also highlighting the extreme physical and emotional lengths women were forced to endure.
Call Jane
- Release Date
- January 21, 2022
- Director
- Phyllis Nagy
- Cast
- Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, Kate Mara, Wunmi Mosaku, Cory Michael Smith, Grace Edwards
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 121
Watch on Hulu
9 ‘The Hunger Games’ (2012)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
As punishment for a failed revolt, each of Panem’s 12 districts must select two tributes, a boy and a girl, to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games. The tributes can range from ages 12 to 18 and when Katniss’ little sister is chosen, she volunteers to take her place. While Katniss tries to survive the televised event, she finds the strength to change the game’s rules.
Banks is unrecognizable in The Hunger Games as the bright and eccentric Capitol chaperone, Effie Trinket who is more concerned with proper etiquette than people killing each other for sport. She proves her range as a character actress who takes advantage of Effie’s appearance to overly embellish her character’s personality and mannerisms.
The Hunger Games
- Release Date
- March 12, 2012
- Director
- Gary Ross
- Cast
- Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Jennifer Lawrence, Willow Shields, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 142
Watch on Fubo
8 ‘The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part’ (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
When Bricksburg is invaded by the LEGO Duplo, Emmet (Chris Pratt) and his friends are faced with another dangerous mission and must save the town from being destroyed. The heroes bravely travel to unknown worlds, but their mission’s complicated when they realize they have more in common with their new enemy than they thought.
Banks returns as Master Builder, Lucy/Wyldstyle in The LEGO Movie 2 which picks up immediately where the first film left off. The first film’s original cast reprise their roles including Will Arnett, Charlie Day and Alison Brie while bringing in some new stars like Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph.
The Lego Movie 2
- Release Date
- January 26, 2019
- Director
- Mike Mitchell, Trisha Gum
- Cast
- Margot Robbie, Alison Brie, Chris Pratt2, Elizabeth Banks, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 106
Watch on Max
7 ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin’ (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
Andy (Steve Carell) is a single, 40-year-old virgin who spends most of his time working at an electronics store or playing video games. When his friends find out his secret, they go to ridiculous lengths to help him find the perfect girl but when their attempts continue to fail, Andy meets a local shop owner, Trish (Catherine Keener) who turns out to be a great match.
In Judd Apatow‘s comedy, The 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Banks plays bookstore clerk, Beth who becomes infatuated with Andy and goes out with him. At first glance, Beth appears to be a traditional good girl, but after a night out, Banks flips a switch revealing the character’s wild side and antics that result in a series of outrageous moments.
The 40 Year Old Virgin
- Release Date
- August 11, 2005
- Director
- Judd Apatow
- Cast
- Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 116
Watch on Peacock
6 ‘Slither’ (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
In a small South Carolina town, residents become concerned when they start to discover mutilated livestock, but their worries turn to fear when a woman mysteriously goes missing. Sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion) discovers the missing woman as well as an alien parasite that has seeped into the town and threatens to destroy all life on Earth.
James Gunn made his directorial debut with the horror comedy Slither, which stars Michael Rooker and Jenna Fischer, who was also married to Gunn at the time. Despite the movie being a box office flop, Slither’s now-famous cast, as well as director, have earned the movie a cult classic following.
Slither
- Release Date
- March 31, 2006
- Director
- James Gunn
- Cast
- Don Thompson, Nathan Fillion, Gregg Henry, Xantha Radley, Elizabeth Banks, Tania Saulnier
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 96
Rent on Apple TV
5 ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutchinson) return home after surviving the Hunger Games, but just as they start to settle back into their lives, they’re quickly swept up by the Capitol again for a Victors Tour. While traveling around to each district, Katniss senses a possible rebellion but President Snow (Donald Sutherland) ensures he’s still in charge by adding new rules to the next Hunger Games.
Banks reprises her role as Capital escort, Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire adorned in new, breathtaking costumes that fail to disappoint. While Effie is a visually stunning character, her appearance serves as a vital symbol of the Capitol’s rich and powerful as well as the naive and oblivious bliss that robs them of empathy.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
- Release Date
- November 22, 2013
- Director
- Francis Lawrence
- Cast
- Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Jack Quaid, Taylor St. Clair, Sandra Ellis Lafferty, Woody Harrelson
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 146 minutes
Watch on Fubo
4 ‘Love & Mercy’ (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
In the late 1960s, Beach Boys member, Brian Wilson (Paul Dano) decides to stop touring with the band to produce the album, Pet Sounds and starts to lose his grip on reality. Years later, Wilson (John Cusack) has found himself under the supervision of a controlling therapist (Paul Giamatti) and with the support of his girlfriend, finds hope and strength to reclaim his life.
Love & Mercy is a biopic about Beach Boys‘ founder and lead member, Brian Wilson who struggled with his mental health during the 1960s and1980s. Banks plays Wilson’s second wife and talent manager, Melinda Ledbetter, who met Wilson while working at a Cadillac dealership in 1986 and is one woman someone would be sorry to judge by their cover.
Love and Mercy
- Release Date
- May 29, 2015
- Director
- Bill Pohlad
- Cast
- Elizabeth Banks, John Cusack, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Jake Abel, Kenny Wormald
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 120
3 ‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
When his wife is killed in an accident, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) blames Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) for her death and transforms into a cyborg with metal tentacles, Doc Oct, to seek his revenge. While the Doc searches for Spidey, Peter Parker struggles with his best friend, Harry’s (James Franco) deep hatred for Spider-Man and Mary Jane’s (Kristen Dunst) recent engagement to another man.
Spider-Man 2 features Banks as The Daily Bugle secretary, Betty Brant. The short, brown hair makes it hard to believe it’s Banks but her witty sarcasm and deadpan humor quickly brush away any doubt. According to The Guardian, Banks originally auditioned for the role of Mary Jane in the 2002 film but was told that she was too old to play Spider-Man’s love interest.
Spider-Man 2
- Release Date
- June 25, 2004
- Director
- Sam Raimi
- Cast
- Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 127
Watch on Netflix
2 ‘The LEGO Movie’ (2014)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Emmet (Pratt) an average, rule-abiding, LEGO is mistaken as the Special, who is destined to save the world. He’s recruited by a group of Master Builders on a mission to stop Lord Business (Will Ferrell) who is planning to take over Bricksburg as well as the entire world.
The LEGO Movie is an incredibly clever animated comedy that also stars Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Nick Offerman. Banks took on her first voice-over role as the tough-as-nails, Lucy/Wyldstyle who helps Emmet find the confidence to step outside his comfort zone and unlock his imagination.
The LEGO Movie
- Release Date
- February 7, 2014
- Director
- Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
- Cast
- Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 101
Watch on Max
1 ‘Catch Me If You Can’ (2002)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
After his parents divorce, Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) decides to run away and goes on to pull off some of the wildest cons including impersonating a pilot and passing dozens of counterfeit checks. Frank continues scamming his way around the country but F.B.I. agent, Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is slowly closing in on him.
In Steven Spielberg‘s movie, Catch Me If You Can, Banks plays bubbly bank teller, Lucy, who goes out with Frank and unknowingly helps him in developing a new form of check deception. Her character might not have a ton of screen time, but Lucy plays a significant part in the grand scheme of Frank’s plan and is considered to be one of Banks’ breakout roles.
Catch Me If You Can
- Release Date
- December 25, 2002
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 141
Watch on Netflix