Jessica Alba has been in the entertainment industry since the late 1990s, and her screen presence has earned her a well-deserved fan following. Breaking out with Max Guevara in Dark Angel to Sue Storm in Fantastic Four, Alba has shown the ability to be a lead star in blockbuster thrillers as well as the ability to pull off character-driven screenplays.
There are many unnoticed performances throughout Alba’s filmography, as fans mostly remember her as a superhero and action movie actress. Let’s take a look at these lesser-known films to see other aspects of her acting besides the roles that put her on the map.
5. Idle Hands (1999)
This is a quirky horror-comedy movie in which Jessica Alba featured before joining Hollywood’s big league. Idle Hands is about an idle teenager whose hand gets possessed and goes on a killing rampage all around. Alba’s character Molly is the girlfriend of the protagonist who gets caught up in the bizarre supernatural happenings.
Alba got the hang of mixing comedy into other genres, which was a break from the movie’s potential monotony and also prevented her character from being one-dimensional. She takes an otherwise ordinary horror-comedy and adds a touch of romance through her interactions with Devon Sawa.
The movie bombed at the box office, earning about $4.1 million worldwide while having a production budget of $25 million (via Box Office Mojo). It has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 18% by the critics and 58% by the audience as of now.
As much as Idle Hands was ignored by audiences at its time of launch, it has developed a considerable cult following today. The film is both violent and humorous at times, and its late ‘90s aesthetic brings a sense of nostalgia to the viewers of the genre.
Idle Hands is available to buy or rent on Prime Video.
4. Awake (2007)
In this psychological thriller, Alba portrays Sam Lockwood, whose true personality is revealed as the story progresses with more twists. While the protagonist of the story, played by Hayden Christensen, develops anesthetic awareness during a heart surgery, Alba’s character with a complex past moves the plot in different directions.
The progression from a caring partner to a somewhat morally questionable character could be seen in her performance. Alba was able to show her ability to handle complex and dramatic material quite naturally. Unfortunately, having an interesting concept and well-performed characters did not help Awake find its audience.
The lack of a marketing campaign during the busy holiday season affected the movie’s fate. Critics gave it a low rating of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the movie earned $32 million worldwide after a production budget of $8 million (via Box Office Mojo). Its limited success failed to be Alba’s career-changing movie as it could have been.
Awake is available to stream on Prime Video.
3. The Eye (2008)
The Eye gave Jessica Alba the opportunity to step into the horror genre as the remake of a hit Hong Kong picture. She portrays Sydney Wells, a blind woman who is a violinist, who receives a corneal transplant and starts having nightmares. The premise only marks a departure from her typical roles, which lets her focus on playing with the psychological aspects of horror rather than the physical elements only.
Alba portrays the fear and confusion of a person who got both her sight and supernatural abilities along with it at the same time. Viewers experience the same struggle Alba has to go through when differentiating between reality and a nightmare. Even though Alba showed her commitment to the film, The Eye became overshadowed by similar horror films released at the time.
The movie earned about $58 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) and has a current Rotten Tomatoes rating of 22% from the critics and 43% from the audience. The movie also failed expectations as it was compared with other Asian horror remakes like The Ring, which was a bigger hit at the time.
The Eye is available to stream on Prime Video.
2. Honey (2003)
Honey was Jessica Alba’s first leading role as Honey Daniels, a hopeful dancer who had to deal with her big dreams while dealing with reality. Daniels, who wants to be a hip-hop choreographer, does bartending and other odd jobs, while her mother forces her to teach ballet.
Alba was able to show her skills in dancing and also prove that she has the ability to carry a feature film. Her acting made her capture the character genuinely in a way that was more enjoyable for the younger audience. That role helped Alba to gain some reputation as a leading lady, despite the critics’ consensus that the plot of Honey was clichéd.
And while Honey was a box office hit, earning over $62.2 million after a production budget of $18 million (via Box Office Mojo), it’s not much of a critical darling. The film has a critics’ rating of just 19% on Rotten Tomatoes. But rooted in themes of perseverance and the importance of community work, the film is worth revisiting.
Honey is available to buy or rent on Prime Video.
1. An Invisible Sign (2010)
Possibly one of the most overlooked films of Alba, An Invisible Sign gives her a new identity of Mona Gray, who is a socially awkward teacher struggling with some personal trauma after getting forced to move out by her own mother. This indie drama allowed Alba to get rid of her typical image and do something more subdued and introspective with her character.
The movie shows the journey of how Alba’s character goes through self-discovery while struggling with her own past. It is an example of how Alba uses a subtle approach to embrace risks with character-focused narratives beyond the mainstream. Besides, it came after her much more popular role in the Fantastic Four movie series.
An Invisible Sign has a critic rating of 0% out of 15 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience rating of 33%. It was released on video on demand before getting released theatrically and earned only $51.1 thousand at the box office worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
An Invisible Sign is available to stream on Prime Video.
Although these movies are less popular, they are important in Jessica Alba’s filmography as they reveal to the fans what she is capable of as an actress and how she takes risks trying different roles, despite her mainstream image.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
