10 Overrated Julia Garner Movies You Might Want to Skip

Julia Garner’s filmography stretches from indie debuts to studio fare, and it covers a lot of ground across genres and countries. If you are trying to decide what to watch next, it helps to know what each project is about, who made it, and where it fits into her career timeline. This list gathers ten titles she appears in and lays out the essentials so you can choose wisely.

You will find plot setups, key collaborators, release and festival notes, and the role Garner plays in each project. There is no need to guess at the basics when you can scan the facts and decide whether a title matches your mood or your watchlist plans today.

‘Electrick Children’ (2012)

Rebecca Thomas wrote and directed this coming of age drama with Julia Garner in the lead as Rachel, a teenager from a fundamentalist Mormon community who believes a song on a cassette changed her life. The film was produced on a modest budget and shot in Utah and Nevada, with Garner acting opposite Rory Culkin and Liam Aiken.

It premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and later reached United States audiences through a day and date release that combined theaters and video on demand. The independent distributor handled a rollout that brought the film to multiple international festivals before its wider availability.

‘We Are What We Are’ (2013)

Jim Mickle directed this American remake of a Mexican horror film, with Garner playing Rose Parker in a secluded family that hides a disturbing tradition. The production features Bill Sage and Ambyr Childers alongside Garner, and it was designed as a slow burn story centered on family ritual.

It screened at Sundance and then appeared in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes, which helped position the release for genre audiences. The film ran about one hour and forty five minutes and was distributed in North America by a specialty label focused on independent features.

‘The Last Exorcism Part II’ (2013)

Ed Gass Donnelly directed this sequel that follows Nell in New Orleans, with Julia Garner in the supporting role of Gwen. The story continues directly from the earlier film and trades the found footage approach for a traditional presentation.

The release arrived in early March across the United States through a wide distribution by a major mini studio. The running time stays under ninety minutes, and the production was made on a relatively small budget that it recouped with a worldwide gross well above costs.

‘Hairbrained’ (2013)

This campus comedy drama from director Billy Kent stars Alex Wolff and Brendan Fraser, with Garner credited as Shauna Holder. The premise centers on a teenage quiz bowl prodigy who enrolls at a less prestigious college and finds an unlikely friendship with an older freshman.

The film played a limited theatrical run and on demand release handled by an independent distributor. It was produced outside the studio system and kept to a compact running time under one hour and forty minutes, typical for a small scale comedy in that period.

‘I Believe in Unicorns’ (2014)

Leah Meyerhoff wrote and directed this impressionistic coming of age story starring Natalia Dyer and Peter Vack, with Julia Garner appearing as Cassidy. The narrative follows a young woman who leaves home and falls into a complicated relationship on the road.

The film premiered at South by Southwest and later reached theaters through a boutique distributor known for indie releases. It runs about eighty minutes and uses practical photography and intimate locations rather than large sets or visual effects.

‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ (2014)

Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller co-directed this follow-up set in the black and white graphic world of Basin City, with Julia Garner as Marcie. The cast features Joseph Gordon Levitt, Eva Green, and Josh Brolin among many returning and new characters.

The release arrived in late August in multiple formats including 3D and RealD 3D through a wide rollout. Despite the high profile ensemble and stylized production, the worldwide box office total landed below the reported budget, and the film’s premiere took place at the TCL Chinese Theatre days before domestic opening.

‘Grandma’ (2015)

Paul Weitz directed this single day road movie led by Lily Tomlin, with Julia Garner as Sage, the granddaughter who seeks help and sets the story in motion. The film includes supporting turns from Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox, and Sam Elliott.

It premiered at Sundance before a late summer theatrical release. The production was completed quickly with a short shooting schedule and a budget well under one million dollars, and it drew interest for its compact structure and veteran lead performance.

‘One Percent More Humid’ (2017)

Liz W Garcia wrote and directed this drama about two friends reconnecting during a sweltering summer in upstate New York, with Garner as Catherine and Juno Temple as Iris. The story addresses a shared trauma and the choices both young women make as they drift into risky relationships.

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and later released through independent channels. It runs just under one hundred minutes and was produced with a small ensemble cast, emphasizing location photography over large build sets.

‘Everything Beautiful Is Far Away’ (2017)

Directed by Pete Ohs and Andrea Sisson, this minimalist science fiction adventure pairs Julia Garner with Joseph Cross in a sparse desert setting. Garner plays Rola, who joins a traveler and a robot head on a journey to find a rumored water source.

It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, where it received a cinematography award in the U.S. Fiction section. The film was later acquired by an indie label for digital release and maintains a lean running time around ninety minutes.

‘Tomato Red’ (2017)

Also known as ‘Tomato Red: Blood Money’, this crime drama was written and directed by Juanita Wilson and adapted from the Daniel Woodrell novel. Julia Garner plays Jamalee Merridew opposite Jake Weary and Anna Friel in a story set around class tensions and small town crime.

The film is an Irish and Canadian co production and released in 2017 through regional markets before reaching broader digital platforms. It keeps a straightforward visual approach, favors practical locations, and clocks in at just under two hours.

Share which Julia Garner titles you would actually watch and which ones you would skip in the comments.