Ever since beginning her film career at the age of 14 (with a minor role in the Academy-Award-nominated teen drama Thirteen), Vanessa Hudgens has steadily become a very lucrative actress. Her first big role was starring in the hit D-COM High School Musical, earning her a reputation as a talented actress.
From there she was able to successfully land several bankable film roles, starring in an array of action films and crime thrillers, and more recently she’s also appeared in a couple of well-received Netflix Christmas specials. But which of her many great films is her best? For us, of course, the only way to find out is with a list!
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
In 2012’s Journey 2, Hudgens is Kailani, a Palauan teenager who runs a helicopter tour guide business with her father. They run across Sean (Josh Hutcherson), an enthusiastic teenager in search of a mysterious island on which he’ll find his grandfather, and Hank (Johnson), his step-father, who is only coming along to prove to Sean the island doesn’t exist. Needing money to send Kailani to college, her father Gabato agrees to take the group to the island’s coordinates. An unforeseen dilemma occurs, however, when the four crash-land on the island after getting caught in a cyclone and are forced to find an escape method - because the island is sinking. The film received mixed reviews from critics (as its target audience is most likely teenagers), but several praised the acting and drama, and even the campy visual effects were given some positive attention.
High School Musical (2006)
Hudgens’ first major role, this made-for-TV film follows Troy (Zac Efron), a basketball star, and Gabriella (Hudgens), a talented academic, as they audition to sing together in the school musical after realizing each other’s singing talents during a chance meeting at a ski lodge. The jock/academic pairing causes divisiveness and rivalry in the school, Romeo-and-Juliet style, and Troy and Gabriella also have to deal with Sharpay, a jealous theater starlet who wants Gabriella’s place - and all this while having to keep their prior commitments to other school events. Now a cultural phenomenon, this top-notch D-COM easily deserves to be ranked one of Hudgens’ best roles.
The Frozen Ground (2013)
In this 2013 crime drama, based on real-life events, Hudgens plays a teenage prostitute who tells the police her story of narrowly surviving an encounter with Robert Hansen, a serial killer. After the officers wax skeptical, she teams up with state trooper Jack Halcombe (Nicholas Cage), the man who saved her from Hansen, to catch him.
But Hansen, an upstanding member of the local community, is willing to go to great lengths to keep from being discovered. The Frozen Ground received positive reviews from critics and audiences, with both Cage and Hudgens being praised for their acting.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2011)
The only film in the High School Musical franchise to be released theatrically, Senior Year came out in 2008 and follows the ensemble stars of the previous two films (Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, etc.) as they deal with the approaching separation that will occur between them when they depart high school for college. The group decides to face their insecurities by staging their last ever East High musical together, a massive spectacle that deals with their views on the future. The film was massively successful at the box office and received praise from fans and audiences, many of whom consider it a worthy successor to the original duo.
Dog Days (2018)
This 2018 rom-com, a sort of Love, Actually for people and their dogs, follows five Los Angeles residents and their canine companions as they navigate their own personal stories while unaware of the interconnected nature of each. Hudgens plays Tara, a spirited and imaginative barista who is infatuated with a buff veterinarian, Dr. Mike, while Garrett (Jon Bass), a shy animal care specialist and dog rescue owner who has feelings for her but can’t seem to confess them, is left in the cold. The film received sanguine reviews from critics and audiences, both of whom appreciated the final resolution of the plot and the acting performances of the five leads.
Spring Breakers (2012)
The 2012 crime film Spring Breakers follows a group of college girls (Faith, Brit, Cotty, and Candy) who discover the dangerous world of drug dealing during their spring break in Florida, thanks to an adventurous and suave local drug dealer named Alien (James Franco). This leads them into various drug-induced escapades, with Brit (Ashley Benson) and Candy (Hudgens’ party-girl character) eventually taking on the leader of a rival gang in a thrilling final sequence. The film’s messages and plot received positive reviews from critics, and it remains a cult classic with both fans of Hudgens’ work and crime film enthusiasts.
The Knight Before Christmas (2019)
This Netflix Christmas film follows Brooke (Hudgens), a science teacher searching for her “knight in shining armor” - never suspecting the champion male she desires to be an actual knight. But when she meets a knight transported through time from the 14th century, Sir Cole, he wins her over with his good looks and at-your-service charm.
This charming, if formulaic rom-com warmed the hearts of audiences with its characters and vibe, already becoming one of the best-loved Christmas specials of this year, although some critics expressed disdain for its one-note storyline.
The Princess Switch (2018)
This 2018 comedy - Vanessa Hudgens’ first Netflix Christmas film - follows a storyline that’s not recognizably “Christmassy”: the classic “prince and the pauper” trope. Stacey and Margaret (a bakery owner and foreign duchess respectively, both played by Hudgens) switch places to try out each other’s lives for a while: Stacey grows to love living in a palace with Margaret’s fiancee, Prince Edward; Margaret, meanwhile, enjoys her whiff of normal life and falls in love with Stacey’s best friend Kevin. The holly jolly Hallmark cheer comes from the places the story takes its characters: from meeting a sage-like elderly stocking seller to competing in a baking championship to taking part in a Christmas wedding at the film’s conclusion, the pleasant, wintery aura of the film was as refreshing to audiences as a mug of hot cocoa.
High School Musical 2 (2007)
In the middle chapter of the High School Musical franchise, Troy takes a job at Lava Springs, a country club owned by Sharpay’s (rich) family, in part because of his growing concerns about being able to pay for college. The job was set up by Sharpay, who is still gunning for Troy’s affection despite the events of the first film.
High School Musical 2 quickly became an even bigger hit than its predecessor, racking up D-COM viewership records and becoming one of Hudgens’ most critically successful films, with an unprecedented 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a very exceptional score for a film aimed at teenagers. Common praise from audiences stemmed from the film’s acting, sets, and music, as well as its overall bouncy and fun aesthetic.
Bandslam (2009)
Vanessa Hudgens shines brightest when she appears in films that showcase her musical spirit, and Bandslam does an exceptional job. The film, which follows a group of misfits (like Hudgens’ character, energetic guitarist Sa5m) who are lead by Charlotte, a gifted musician who wants to lead her ragtag team to Bandslam, an annual battle-of-the-bands that her ex-boyfriend will also be competing in. The film received positive reviews for avoiding cliches that plague many teen-oriented movies, as well as for the cast and performances. It’s a fine sample of Hudgens’ work for a new fan and a perfect companion to the somewhat more popular High School Musical franchise.
