Every Justin Timberlake Movie Ranked

A multitalented star the likes of which Hollywood rarely sees, Justin Timberlake is a singer and songwriter first. Coming up in the '90s as a member of the pop boy band NSNYC, he was a former Disney Mouseketeer who once dated Britney Spears and seemed to be destined for obscurity like so many other teeny-bopper superstars before him. But just as the bloom on the boy band rose was fading, Timberlake proved he was more than just a pretty face that could sing and dance.

From his fan-favorite appearances on "Saturday Night Live" to his big-screen outings, Timberlake has done it all, with a movie career that's delivered both hits and misses. He got a bumpy start with a few major clunkers but recovered with some well-received dramas that got the most out of his acting talent, and we even recently got another solid effort of his on Netflix. Well, from losers to all-time classics, we've tallied up Timberlake's filmography and ranked his movies from worst to best.

There have been plenty of TV directors who were able to parlay their success to the movies, but David J. Burke had no such luck. His 2005 film "Edison" at least had a bevy of big names, led by Morgan Freeman, LL Cool J, Kevin Spacey, and Justin Timberlake. It's a bland, run-of-the-mill thriller that Burke wrote and directed, and it wasn't good enough to get him a bigger career in Hollywood.

Timberlake stars as rookie reporter Joshua Pollack, who stumbles upon rampant police corruption. Hoping to make his name on a big story, he defies his editor, Ashford (Freeman), and decides to investigate further. When he ferrets out new evidence, Ashford has a change of heart, but getting to the truth isn't going to be easy when they're up against a group of veteran cops willing to kill to keep their dirty deeds under wraps.

"Edison" is nearly Timberlake's worst film, but what "Edison" has going for it that helps it edge out "Southland Tales" is a more straightforward story. If you like schlocky crime dramas, you might find this reasonably inoffensive, but it's really no better than a shrug-worthy episode of "Law & Order" — the franchise Burke served as producer on before "Edison" flopped.

You'll be forgiven if you've forgotten Brad Furman's 2013 crime thriller "Runner Runner," though it's somewhat incredible that it didn't get more attention. Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, it features a loaded cast that includes Ben Affleck, Gemma Arterton, and Anthony Mackie. Justin Timberlake himself pushed for the film to have an R-rating, which should have attracted some notice, but perhaps the reason it escaped most people's gaze is because it's simply not very good.

The film stars Timberlake as Richie Furst, an online gambler who loses everything in a high-stakes poker game. Unable to accept the loss, Richie flies to Costa Rica to confront Ivan (Affleck), the man behind the online operation, determined to prove he's been cheated. Impressed with his skills, Ivan hires Richie to work for him, promising him an endless flow of money, women, and power. Before long, the young gambler gets what he wants, but also finds himself neck-deep in a dark underworld of corruption, backstabbing, and blackmail that he might not be able to escape.

If that all sounds like it has the trappings of a thrilling drama, well, it's certainly possible. But with a messy script and a total lack of suspense, "Runner Runner" putters along with little more than some famous pretty faces to keep audiences invested.

"Wonder Wheel" was a big bomb in theaters, but wasn't really meant to be a box office smash, released on Amazon Prime around the same time it was playing theatrically. It was written and directed by Woody Allen and starred Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, and Juno Temple. A rare period piece for Timberlake, "Wonder Wheel" takes place in New York in the 1950s, specifically at Brooklyn's iconic Coney Island amusement park and boardwalk.

Timberlake, as an aspiring playwright and local lifeguard named Mickey Rubin, narrates the story. Working the beachside attraction, Mickey meets and falls in love with the unhappily married Ginny (Winslet), who waits tables at a boardwalk restaurant. Her stepdaughter, Caroline (Temple), meanwhile, is on the run from her gangster ex-boyfriend, and her father — Ginny's husband, Humpty (Jim Belushi) — reluctantly lets her take shelter with them. But when Mickey meets Caroline, a new attraction develops, putting him in the middle of a love triangle and a mob hit at the same time.

"Wonder Wheel" is a mildly meandering movie, and its slapdash mix of styles weighs it down. However, it's buoyed by its talented cast and lush cinematography. Much of the criticism went to Oscar-winning filmmaker Allen, whose wooden dialogue and groan-worthy plot beats are only overcome by the cast's sheer force of will.

Possibly the most iconic movie in Justin Timberlake's filmography, "Friends with Benefits," came out within weeks of "Bad Teacher," giving him two box office hits for 2011 (and a third was still to come later in the year). "Friends with Benefits" put him opposite "That '70s Show" alum Mila Kunis, while its impressive supporting cast included Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, and Woody Harrelson. 

An exploration of modern dating, "Friends with Benefits" finds Timberlake and Kunis playing Dylan and Jamie, platonic friends who decide to add sex to their friendship. When Jamie starts dating, though, it brings up all kinds of unexpected feelings, and of course, it turns out that they actually do love each other as more than friends. It's a trite story, to be sure, but it works, mostly because of the chemistry between Timberlake and Kunis. Critics and audiences agreed, giving it good reviews and calling out the two stars as a big reason why it works.

It may be full of old tropes, but "Friends with Benefits" and its commentary on 21st-century relationships touched a soft spot for millennials, who helped crown it a rom-com classic. Ironically, the similarly-themed "No Strings Attached" came out the same year, with Kunis' "70s Show" co-star Ashton Kutcher. While both were equally successful in theaters, "Friends with Benefits" is widely considered the better of the two.

In the summer of 2011, Justin Timberlake had a pair of romantic comedies that lit up the box office, but he wasn't done yet. Just a few months later in October, he returned to theaters, but this time he switched genres with the science-fiction thriller "In Time." Directed by "Gattaca" helmer Andrew Niccol, the film reunited Timberlake with Amanda Seyfried, his co-star from 2006's "Alpha Dog" (but more on that one later) and features Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer, and Ethan Peck.

Skirting the edges of cyberpunk, "In Time" is set in a dystopian world where citizens are implanted with a clock that counts down a set amount of time they are allowed to live. In this world, transactions among individuals that give them extra time are common, but when Will (Timberlake) receives a hundred years of life as a thank you for helping a stranger — who promptly expires — he becomes the target of the authorities who believe he may have murdered the man. On the run, Will takes a hostage (Seyfried) and gets caught up in a vast conspiracy that sits at the heart of their very society.

A fast-paced sci-fi adventure, "In Time" may not reach the heights of movies like "Blade Runner" or "The Matrix," but its social commentary and unique futuristic world are an intriguing mix worthy of the genre.

Just dipping his toes into the world of movies in the 2000s, Justin Timberlake chose some rather interesting early projects. Around the same time he starred in a pair of dreadful flicks, "Southland Tales" and "Edison," he also starred in "Alpha Dog," which was thankfully a step up, and gave him at least one decent movie in his early career. A true ensemble picture, "Alpha Dog" follows a group of criminal kids and is surprisingly based on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood and the murder of Nick Markowitz.

Written and directed by Nick Cassavetes ("The Notebook"), "Alpha Dog" stars Timberlake as Frank Ballenbacher, best friend to Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch), a lowlife drug dealer who lives it up like he's a millionaire rap star. But Johnny is in over his head when Frankie — who is also his muscle in the drug-dealing game — kidnaps Zack (Anton Yelchin), the younger brother of Jake (Ben Foster), a buyer who owes them money.

The movie has a sprawling cast of future stars that also includes Olivia Wilde and Amber Heard, alongside supporting roles for heavyweights Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone, "Alpha Dog" divided critics. But it's easily Timberlake's first solid film, a strong showing for the actor looking to prove his dramatic chops.

They may have been hottest in the '80s and early '90s, but in 2016, the colorful little Troll dolls got their own animated movie, "Trolls," from DreamWorks. An all-star voice cast led by Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick also featured Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, James Corden, and Gwen Stefani. The film is a magical family-friendly adventure, introducing audiences to the happy-go-lucky world of Troll Village whose people love to sing, dance, and be merry. But they're also being menaced by the sinister Bergen, monsters from rival Bergen Town who eat Trolls to be happy.

In Troll Village, 20 years after escaping the clutches of the Bergen, Princess Poppy (Kendrick) is proud to have kept her community hidden from sight. But when they're discovered and a group of her people is taken prisoner as the Bergens' next meal, it's up to Poppy and a shrewd survivalist Troll named Branch (Timberlake) to save them.

Though based on an old toy line, "Trolls" was a breath of fresh air, with a vibrant fairy-tale story full of adventure and whimsy. It was also a big success, critically and commercially — taking in more than $300 million — while sparking a new animated franchise that includes two animated small-screen spin-offs, two TV specials, and a pair of theatrical sequels.

As Apple TV+ was looking to recruit big stars for its original movies, producers settled on Justin Timberlake to lead the 2021 drama "Palmer." Directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Fisher Stevens (whom most will remember for his role in "Short Circuit"), "Palmer" was once on the Hollywood Black List, a collection of would-be movie scripts that studios often fight over. Alongside Timberlike, the film stars Juno Temple, Alisha Wainwright, and June Squibb.

In "Palmer" we meet Timberlake as Eddie, a down-on-his-luck ex-con who once was a major college football star. But after getting in trouble with the law and serving 12 years behind bars for attempted murder, Eddie is back in the world and struggling to pick up the pieces of his once-promising life. Despite the decade-plus in prison, his past continues to haunt him, but Eddie finds a new purpose when he unexpectedly becomes a surrogate father to a young boy (Ryder Allen) whose mother (Temple) abandoned him.

Praised for its poignant, moving story of a man looking for meaning, "Palmer" doesn't take many chances. But in playing with familiar themes, the film provides some real meaningful moments.

Written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, "The Social Network" dramatizes the events that led to the creation of one of the biggest social media empires. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook wasn't exactly the product of one man, and the story of how it came to be is more sordid than you'd expect. The fact that almost everyone involved was barely old enough to buy a beer just makes it all the more fascinating. 

"The Social Network" features a cast led by Jessie Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, Armie Hammer as both Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and of course Justin Timberlake as the company's first president, Sean Parker. And it follows not just the creation of Facebook but the legal fallout that ensued too, as the various parties fight for control, credit, and financial rewards in the wake of its unparalleled success.

Beyond the sparkling script by Sorkin (which won an Oscar) and the impeccable direction by Fincher (who was nominated), what really makes "The Social Network" so good is its impressive cast, who are all at the top of their game, Timberlake included.