Jennifer Lopez Reveals Her Top Four Favourite Films

When Jennifer Lopez isn’t gracing luxury yachts or performing at lavish weddings for eye-watering sums, she occasionally steps back into the world of acting. Yet, if pressed, many would struggle to recall any of her recent screen appearances since the well-received Hustlers in 2019. This is perhaps due to her focus on music, including lucrative Las Vegas residencies, and a string of film projects tied to streaming platforms. These recent titles—such as 2024’s Unstoppable, the sci-fi Atlas, The Mother from 2023, and the comedy Shotgun Wedding—often seem to appear quietly, discovered late at night by viewers searching for something new, only to wonder if they’d ever heard of them before.

Despite this quieter period, Lopez was once among the most sought-after and highly paid actors in the industry. Her earlier career featured major romantic comedies like Maid in Manhattan, the stylish thriller Out of Sight alongside George Clooney, the psychological sci-fi The Cell, and even a turn with Jason Statham in Parker, which was, as it happens, rather better than expected.

Lopez’s Personal Film Favourites

But what does Lopez herself enjoy watching when she’s not in front of the camera? Recently, on the red carpet, she was asked by Letterboxd to name her four favourite films of all time. She responded with the kind of nonchalance one might expect from someone who’s answered similar questions countless times before.

Her first pick was West Side Story, presumably the 1961 original rather than the more recent Spielberg version. Adapted from the 1957 stage musical, itself inspired by Romeo and Juliet, the film explores the rivalry between gangs in New York’s Upper West Side—now a rather more gentrified part of the city. Starring Natalie Wood, it remains a cinematic classic, having won ten Oscars from eleven nominations.

Romance and Grit: The Next Choices

Lopez’s second choice was The Notebook, the rain-soaked romantic drama starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The film, a favourite for many, was perhaps best summed up by The Guardian’s review at the time:

Dentistry in the Renaissance couldn’t have been more painful than watching this

—a line that captures the film’s divisive reception.

Her third selection was A Bronx Tale, Robert De Niro’s directorial debut from 1993, featuring Chazz Palminteri. This gritty coming-of-age story follows a young boy navigating the moral complexities of life in a mob-influenced neighbourhood. Lopez’s pride in her Bronx roots is well known, as she once sang,

No matter where I go, I know where I came from (Southside Bronx, from the Bronx)

—a nod to her enduring connection to her hometown.

A Touch of Fantasy

Rounding off her list was Prelude to a Kiss, a lesser-known romantic fantasy from 1992 starring Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan. The film, which involves a body-swap scenario after a kiss between Ryan’s character and an elderly man, offers a quirky twist on the genre, reminiscent of classics like Freaky Friday.

Jennifer Lopez’s four favourite films are: West Side Story (Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, 1961), The Notebook (Nick Cassavetes, 2004), A Bronx Tale (Robert De Niro, 1993), and Prelude to a Kiss (Norman René, 1992).