Every Rachel Zegler Movie, Ranked by Rewatchability

Rachel Zegler has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most exciting young stars. She made a stunning debut in Steven Spielberg‘s West Side Story and followed it up with major roles in big-budget franchises. Despite a brief filmography, Zegler’s star power and undeniable vocal talent have always been highlights in all her movies. She recently made a splash with her Oliver Award-winning performance as Evita in the West End musical, which will soon come to Broadway. She also has several projects lined up including the musical Octet, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

In this list, we take a look at how rewatchable her movies are. From her debut film to her blockbuster film, this list does not only look at Zegler’s role in the movies, but the movies as a whole. We’ll take a look at which movies offer the most essential viewing experiences and which ones are less compelling.

6

‘Y2K’ (2024)

Image via A24

Set on New Year’s Eve in 1999, Y2K follows a group of high schoolers who attend a party on the night before the new millennium, only to find themselves fighting for their lives when the Y2K computer bug causes all technology to become sentient and attacks humanity. Rachel Zegler stars as Laura in the film alongside Jaeden Martell and Julian Dennison.

Despite its genre-blending nature and fun premise, Y2K is a messy film that does not know what it wants to be. While the film has a specific, nostalgic aesthetic and features a collection of absurdist gags that some viewers may enjoy, the film struggles mix its comedy and horror genres. The film is also unsure how to mix the high school comedy story and the sci-fi aspects of it. So, it naturally ranks the lowest in rewatchability. The film also bombed at the box office and was barely noticed by the audiences. Zegler is still the main draw in this film though.

5

‘Snow White’ (2025)

Image via Disney

Snow White reimagines the classic 1937 animated film. This film follows Snow White (Rachel Zegler), whose beauty threatens and enrages her wicked stepmother, the Evil Queen (Gal Gadot). After being forced to flee into the forest, Snow White finds refuge with seven dwarves and must eventually face her stepmother to reclaim the kingdom.

Putting aside all the off-screen controversies surrounding the film, Snow White is objectively a lackluster Disney film. With its flat story and uncanny visuals, it lacks the magic of the animated film and fails to trigger any sense of wonder. Rachel Zegler still shines with the limited amount of material she’s given. She has a showstopper song titled “Waiting on a Wish” that utilizes her beautiful voice. The same cannot be said of her screen partner, Gal Gadot, who constantly fumbles her musical numbers. Its target audience may choose to watch better Disney live-action films or even stick to the 90-year-old original film.

4

‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ (2023)

Shazam! Fury of the Gods follows Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his foster siblings, who transform into adult heroes, led by Batson’s Shazam (Zachary Levi). This time, they face off against the Daughters of Atlas, Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu), and Anthea (Zegler) as they try to revive the God’s Realm and destroy the Earth in the process.

Depending on your affinity to DCEU or superhero movies in general, this Shazam sequel could be the most irritating film or one of the more entertaining offerings of the genre. Directed by David F. Sandberg, it has a certain degree of visual flair and some fun action sequences. The family aspect of the film remains the film’s biggest strength and Zegler’s character Anthea is probably the most realized one among the ensemble cast. It’s still a fun movie to watch when you don’t think about the bigger picture of the shared DC Universe and that makes it more rewatchable than a couple of Zegler’s films.

3

‘Spellbound’ (2024)

Image via Netflix 

Spellbound follows Princess Ellian of Lumbria (voiced by Rachel Zegler), who must embark on a quest to break the spell that has turned her parents into monsters and divided her kingdom into two opposing halves, the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness. The film boasts a star-studded voice cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem and John Lithgow.

Featuring a timeless story and music by Alan Menken, Spellbound has all the elements to be a massive hit, but unfortunately the film was only released on Netflix. With its lukewarm reviews, the film failed to make any ripple outside the Netflix charts. The film however has a rich, colorful animation and vibrant original songs. Zegler’s role as the princess leans to her strength: her singing voice. On top of that, she’s able to convey so much through her voice, making her character so appealing. For families and children, this Netflix animated film could be immensely rewatchable, if they finally stopped rewatching KPop Demon Hunters.

2

‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ (2023)

Image via Lionsgate

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbird & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth), decades before he becomes the President of Panem. In the 10th Annual Hunger Games, he is selected to mentor one of District 12’s female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird (Zegler). The film shows Snow’s descent into darkness as he strategizes to ensure Lucy Gray’s victory and his ruthless ideas that become staples in the Games.

This Hunger Games prequel is a welcome return to the dystopian world created by Suzanne Collins. The film was met with strong box office performance and a positive reception from audiences and critics. Snow’s compelling arc and Lucy Gray’s fascinating and enigmatic journey make it always entertaining to revisit. The film offers the usual Hunger Games thrills but also ends it in an unexpected, ambiguous note for one of the characters. Once again, Zegler is given a space to flex her singing talent, with several songs in this film. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbird & Snakes won Zegler a People’s Choice Award and is currently her highest grossing film.

1

‘West Side Story’ (2021)

Image via 20th Century Studios

West Side Story centers on the forbidden love between Tony (Ansel Elgort), a member of the Jets gang, and María (Zegler), the sister of the leader of the rival Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks. Despite all the warnings from both sides of the gangs, Tony and Maria’s romance blooms until it meets its tragic end. The film is a remake of the 1961 film, and the story itself is inspired by Romeo & Juliet.

Steven Spielberg‘s West Side Story is Rachel Zegler’s debut film. She is widely praised for her performance and powerful singing voice, earning her a Golden Globe. The film itself is a vibrant adaptation of the stage musical. The elaborate musical numbers are a constant draw in every viewing. It is filled with stunning visuals courtesy of Spielberg’s longtime collaborator Janusz Kaminski and the director’s masterful direction and long shots. Many audience and critics even deem it superior to the original film. Even though it bombed at the box office, it is still one of the best films released in the past few years.

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West Side Story

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Release Date

December 10, 2021

Runtime

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156 minutes

Writers

Tony Kushner

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