Top 11 Rachel McAdams Movies

CJ Tiernan
13 hours ago
5 min read

By CJ Tiernan

Canada has exported an incredible number of actors. Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Michael J. Fox, Keanu Reeves, John Candy, both Ryans Gosling and Reynolds, and Donald Sutherland are some of the laundry list of Canadian actors we've had the pleasure of being entertained by. Rachel McAdams belongs on the list. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and has starred in some of the best movies of the last two-plus decades. Below is a list of my Top 11 Favorite Movies Featuring Rachel McAdams that I’ve ever seen.

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Wedding Crashers (2005)

This is one of the funniest movies of all time. While the conceit is a little single-note, the execution is perfection. Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are an incredible comedy duo (look no further than their recent Xfinity commercials) but this movie displays them at the peak of their powers. Rachel McAdams is the love interest and driving force of the story and conflict. It was one of her earlier roles and one of her best.

2. About Time (2013)

Cool time travel movie alert! If you haven’t seen this movie, do yourself a favor and get on it. It is one of the best rom coms of all time and one of the best time travel movies. Domhnall Gleeson (pronounced as though the ‘m’ isn’t present. Also, he’s the son of the guy that plays Mad Eye Moody) plays a guy who has gotten the ability to travel in time genetically and attempts to use it to improve his life. Rachel McAdams once again stars as the love interest.

3. Spotlight (2015)

It will not surprise you to find that this movie is incredible. It won the Academy Award for best picture in a strong year that included The Martian, Sicario, Mad Max: Fury Road, Everest, and The Big Short. It is a tough subject that is portrayed in a really fascinating way. “Spotlight” follows a small group of journalists inside The Boston Globe that help unearth a local coverup inside of the Catholic church. What are they covering up? The rampant sexual abuse of children. It is a devastating movie that is top notch from start to finish. This was Rachel McAdams lone Oscar nomination, a Best Supporting Actress nod.

4. Midnight in Paris (2011)

Cool. Let’s follow up a story about the sexual abuse of children with a movie written and directed by Woody Allen. I’m a big separate the art from the artist kind of guy, but if you’re not than your list probably looks a little different. This movie, the second time travel movie in the first four here, follows Owen Wilson (another second in the first four) as a writer who, while on vacation with his fiancée (Rachel McAdams), transports back on time while going on midnight walks from his hotel. The movie is steeped in nostalgia and introspection, which can be difficult to portray on film, but is absolutely nailed here.

5. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

I love this movie. It is very weird. It follows Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as lifelong friends in Iceland who enter the Eurovision Song Contest, despite the outside pressure and commentary that they aren’t good enough. Both actors play it so straight it is perfection. As an added bonus, the music is genuinely great.

6. Game Night (2018)

John Francis Daley (Sweets in “Bones”) co-directed this movie. He was also involved in the writing and/or directing of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Horrible Bosses. It was an underrated gem. Co-starring Jason Bateman, Lamorne Morris, Kyle Chandler, and Jesse Plemons, this movie follows the titular couple activity going completely off the rails. It’s worth your time and quite rewatchable.

7. Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Guy Ritchie movies, amirite? You know what you’re stepping into when you go to one of these. In a word: hyper-stylized violence. It’s awesome. Robert Downey Jr. is your Sherlock and Jude Law serves as your Watson. Rachel McAdams plays the femme fatale that hires Sherlock to find a missing dude, kicking off the plot. This is a fun one.

8. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (2023)

This was based on the book of the same name. I didn’t read the book. I don’t know how it stacks up against the book. All I can tell you is the movie is incredible. They did a great job of casting in this one. The kids are incredible. Kathy Bates is wonderful. Rachel McAdams plays the mother of the main character and is fantastic. I highly recommend this movie, even if you aren’t a young woman navigating puberty. Added bonus, the sometimes-best friend of Margaret is named Nancy Wheeler (where my Stranger Things fans at?).

9. Doctor Strange (2016)

This was not the strongest offshoot of the MCU but it was still pretty great and exposes a lot of the mythos and lore required during the Avengers movies. Benedict Cummerbund looks dope as a doctor turned wizard and Rachel McAdams plays a fellow doctor and (stop me if you’ve heard this one before) love interest. Some of the magical stuff is tough to follow but, again, Benedict Cucumber looks dope.

10. Mean Girls (2004)

I graduated High School in ’06. This movie was quoted an awful lot in my periphery back in the day. It was well deserved. The movie, written by Tina Fey and based on the book “Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman,” features kids in cliques trying to make it to graduation. Rachel McAdams plays the Queen Bee and Lindsay Lohan (remember her?) plays a naïve transplant that is caught between friend groups. It’s one of the better High School movies out there (although it didn’t make my Top 11 High School Movies) and worth checking out.

11. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

A lot of things happen in this movie. It’s all over the place and that results in its place behind the first movie on this list. However, some of the stuff is really cool. Elizabeth Olsen is an Avenger that largely plays the bad guy. The MCU brass also crammed in a bunch of new characters like a recasting or rehashing of some superheroes from other movies. The best character is a new one they added for the movie named America Chavez. Rachel McAdams’ Dr. Palmer gets a little bit more to do in this movie but it’s not the most exciting plotline. Fun Fact: the movie was directed by Sam Raimi of Evil Dead fame.

Rachel McAdams is in an incredible number of great movies. It kind of sneaks up on you how many great ones she’s been in because she is rarely the star of the show. Her performances are spot on time and time again and she makes great choices. Sing her praises! Below is a list of the three movies I’ve seen of hers that didn’t make my list. Thanks so much!