Reese Witherspoon's 11 best movies – from Legally Blonde to Wild

Arguably Reese Witherspoon's most iconic film, Legally Blonde is a '00s classic that continues to inspire generations of young women to follow in the footsteps of law student Elle Woods.

This 2001 comedy stars Witherspoon as Elle – a pink-loving sorority girl who successfully applies to Harvard Law School in a bid to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner (Matthew Davis). While she heads to the Ivy League university for the wrong reasons, Elle smashes her classmates' stereotypes associated with blonde women and shows she's not a student lawyer you want to mess with.

A witty, fun watch that you'll revisit again and again, Legally Blonde may not be legally accurate but it does see Reese Witherspoon give one of her best performances – and with Legally Blonde 3 coming out later this year, there couldn't be a better time to stream this comedy.

This 2005 biopic won Reese Witherspoon an Academy Award for her portrayal of June Carter Cash – a singer and the wife of music legend Johnny Cash, played by The Joker himself Joaquin Phoenix.

Directed by James Mangold, the musical drama tracks Cash's early life, his rise to country music fame and his relationship with June Carter, his second wife. Boasting a stellar cast and captivating performances from its two leads, Walk the Line is an emotionally-charged portrait of the Ring of Fire singer.

Cruel Intentions may not be everyone's favourite film but it deserves a place on this list for being a '90s cult classic that kickstarted Witherspoon's career.

Also starring Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Selma Blair and Joshua Jackson and based on Dangerous Liaisons, this 1999 teen drama centres around narcissistic step-siblings Kathryn Merteuil (Gellar) and Sebastian Valmont (Phillippe), who make a bet over whether Sebastian can bed fellow student Annette (Witherspoon) after she writes an article about staying chaste until marriage.

A dark, raunchy drama with an impressive cast, Cruel Intentions is a guilty pleasure that's as seductive as it is flawed.

Election is a dark comedy that may be a bit too tame to satirise the political climate of today but still holds up as an excellent, intelligent film.

The film stars Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick, a teen running for student body president who is resented by school teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick). When Jim sets out to make sure Tracy loses the election, the two go head-to-head in a nasty political battle.

While this Alexander Payne comedy didn't too well at the box office, it's a sharp, poignant look at politics that's well worth a watch.

If you loved WandaVision, then why not check out one of the film's that inspired it – 1998 comedy-drama Pleasantville.

Written and directed by Gary Ross, this teen flick follows high school students David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) as they're transported into the black-and-white world of 1950s sitcom Pleasantville.

A high-concept comedy exploring similar themes to The Truman Show, which also came out in 1998, Pleasantville is a beautifully shot satire with a captivating cast, from Jeff Daniels and William H. Macy to J.T. Walsh in his final performance.

While many will remember Water for Elephants as one of the few Robert Pattison films to be released mid-Twilight Saga, it's also a romantic drama that gave us the rogue pairing that is the latest iteration of Batman and rom-com queen Reese Witherspoon.

Set in 1931, Water for Elephants stars Pattinson as Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student who joins the circus after his parents die and the Great Depression leaves him penniless. It's there that he meets Marlena, the wife of cruel ringmaster August (Christoph Waltz), and the two hit it off despite August's threatening presence.

Based on Sara Gruen's novel of the same name, Water for Elephants is a cinematic romance that isn't for everyone, but makes for an engrossing watch.

Buy the Water for Elephants novel on Amazon

Widely regarded as one of Reese Witherspoon's best performances, Wild is a gritty yet moving adventure drama that earned both Witherspoon and co-star Laura Dern Academy Award nominations.

Directed by Jean-Mar Vallée and based on Cheryl Strayed's memoir of the same name, Wild follows Cheryl Strayed (Witherspoon), a divorcée who sets out on a 1,100 mile journey of self-discovery across the Pacific Crest Trail, reflecting on the loss of mother, her drug addiction and the dissolution of her marriage in the process.

A raw, vulnerable look at a fascinating life story, Wild is one of the best films to come out of 2014, mainly due to Witherspoon's career-defining performance.

It's been 22 years since American Psycho premiered in cinemas however the black horror comedy is still talked about today and while Reese Witherspoon plays a small-ish role, you can't make a list of the star's best films and leave out this cult classic.

The Mary Harron film follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), an investment banker working in '80s New York who lives a double life as a serial killer, with Witherspoon playing his fiancée Evelyn.

A darkly funny, bloody satire, American Psycho sees Bale deliver one of his creepiest performances to date and it's safe to say you'll never hear Huey Lewis's Hip to Be Square in the same way again.

Reese Witherspoon is paired with rom-com king Mark Ruffalo for this 2005 film, based on Marc Levy's If Only It Were True.

Just Like Heaven follows David (Ruffalo), a widowed architect who moves into his new San Francisco flat to find that it's haunted by the ghost of a woman called Elizabeth (Witherspoon). As the pair try to work out what exactly happened to Elizabeth with the help of a local psychic, they – unsurprisingly – begin to develop feelings with one another.

A soppy, sweet rom-com with a fantasy twist, Just Like Heaven is a delightful watch – just don't examine its plot too closely.

One of Witherspoon's more recent films, Sing is an animated comedy with a star-studded cast, featuring the likes of Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly and Seth MacFarlane.

The musical film follows koala entrepreneur Buster Moon (McConaughey), the owner of a struggling theatre, who holds a singing competition to save his business from closing. When he accidentally offers up a prize of 100,000 for the winner, animals from all across the city audition to be in the show.

A fun, heart-warming family film with a catchy soundtrack and captivating characters, Sing needs to be added to your watchlist if you're a fan of the animated genre.