Skip to main content

3 underrated Jenna Ortega movies to stream in September

Jenna Ortega in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Warner Bros. Pictures

If Wednesday and the last two Scream movies hadn’t already proven it, then the big opening weekend of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has made it official. Jenna Ortega is a star on the rise, and it’s hard to believe that she’s  turning only 22 later this month. In fact, she had her Marvel movie moment just over a decade ago when she played a small role in Iron Man 3. But with the kind of success that Ortega has been enjoying, we’d be shocked if she doesn’t get a much bigger Marvel role in the future.

In her career to date, Ortega has only appeared in 18 films so far, many of which had small or limited releases. Thankfully, our picks for the three underrated Jenna Ortega movies that you should stream in September are pretty easy to find. That said, one of them is only available for rental.

Recommended Videos

The Fallout (2021)

Jenna Ortega and Maddie Ziegler in The Fallout.
Warner Bros. Pictures

The Fallout has what is arguably Ortega’s best performance to date, but hardly anyone saw this movie because it skipped theaters and went directly to Max. Ortega plays Vada Cavell, a high school student who is severely traumatized after living through a school shooting alongside her friends, Mia Reed (Maddie Ziegler) and Quinton Hasland (Niles Fitch).

Vada is simply not the same person after enduring that experience, and she’s so emotionally damaged that she pushes her friends and family away from her. Ortega’s depiction of Vada’s grief and ongoing psychological issues seems very genuine, and the film doesn’t go for a clean-cut resolution to all of her problems. Instead, it overtly indicates that Vada may never fully recover even if she does repair some of her relationships.

Watch The Fallout on Max.

X (2022)

Jenna Ortega in X.
A24

Since Jenna Ortega is a Scream Queen, it’s only fitting that one of her horror movies should be on this list. However, she’s grossly underused in the Scream franchise, so we’re going with her supporting role in X. Ortega’s fellow Scream Queen, Mia Goth, gets most of the screen time here with her dual role as Maxine and Pearl, but Ortega steals nearly every scene she’s in as Lorraine Day.

Lorraine and Maxine are part of a small film crew who attempt to shoot an adult movie on the farm that belongs to Maxine and her husband, Howard (Stephen Ure). And since this is a horror film, both Lorraine and Maxine end up fighting for their lives against the crazed couple. Although Ortega is clearly a bigger star than Goth, that dynamic is reversed in this film, and it makes Lorraine an underdog in the race to be the final girl of this story.

Rent or buy X on Prime Video.

Miller’s Girl (2024)

Jenna Ortega in Miller's Girl.
Lionsgate

Miller’s Girl caused a stir earlier this year because of the age difference between Ortega and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit). But the actual film isn’t the Lolita riff you may have expected. Ortega plays Cairo Sweet, a brilliant 18-year-old high school student whose knowledge of literature attracts the attention of her teacher, Jonathan Albert Miller (Freeman).

Jonathan is drawn to Cairo, but he refuses to give into the temptation of an affair with her even after she puts their potential love affair into a story of her own. And when Cairo feels that she’s been wronged by Jonathan’s rejection, she doesn’t just get mad. She gets even.

Watch Miller’s Girl on Netflix.

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
3 great Peacock movies to stream on Halloween
Happy Death Day

Every streaming service has put together a Halloween package that is perfect for those who are looking for something worth watching this spooky season, and Peacock is no exception. If you're looking through its Halloween collection and wondering which titles you should actually prioritize, though, then we've got you covered.

We've pulled together three great scary movies worth watching that are all available to stream on Peacock. This list is just a smattering of the great movies available on Peacock, but it represents a perfect cross section of Halloween titles no matter what you're looking for.

Read more
3 underrated movies you need to watch in November 2024
movies you need to watch november 2024 juror no 2 poster

November is a prime month for moviegoing. The Thanksgiving holiday offers a great opportunity for studios to release their fall tentpole pictures and for audiences to watch as many films as possible. This year is no different as blockbusters-to-be like Gladiator 2 and Wicked are waiting in the wings to dazzle eyeballs and gobble some dollars.

It's not all big movies in November, though. Oscar hopefuls and under-the-radar movies populate the release schedule, and the following three films have the potential to be not only entertaining, but also some of the year's best in cinema.
Juror No. 2 (November 1)

Read more
Don’t let these 3 October 2024 hidden streaming movie gems fly under your radar
hidden streaming movie gems under radar october 2024 a group of wolves in the company

October is finally here, which means horror lovers can rejoice in everything that spooky season will bring. Luckily for them, there's no shortage of content available to stream. The best horror movies on Hulu, Netflix, and pretty much every other major service will offer more than enough chills to satisfy those well-versed in the intricacies of the genre and those who are only looking to experience it because of the season.

However, while watching more mainstream offerings is perfectly OK, October also offers the chance to watch other, more underappreciated efforts. From genuinely terrifying tales of dread to more psychological series that favor atmosphere and gloom, these underrated horror gems will be perfect to watch in the days leading up to Halloween. So grab your popcorn and put on your witch hat because these movies call for it.
Witchfinder General (1968)

Read more