10 Underrated Drew Barrymore Movies You Must See

Drew Barrymore started acting as a child in ‘E.T. the Extra Terrestrial’ and went on to build a career that spans horror, comedy, drama, and even directing. She has worked as an actor, producer, and filmmaker, and her company Flower Films backed projects that helped shape modern pop culture, including titles like ‘Donnie Darko’ and ‘Never Been Kissed’.

This list highlights feature films that are often overlooked next to marquee hits such as ‘Charlie’s Angels’ and ‘The Wedding Singer’. Each entry notes the role she plays, who made the film, and other concrete details so you can decide what to watch next without any guesswork.

‘Cat’s Eye’ (1985)

This anthology from director Lewis Teague adapts two Stephen King short stories and adds an original segment called ‘General’. Drew Barrymore appears in the wraparound and in the final story as a young girl menaced by a tiny intruder, while a stray cat links all three parts. The other segments feature performances from James Woods and Robert Hays, with practical effects driving the creature work.

The film uses a triptych structure that jumps from a smoking cessation outfit with extreme methods to a vertigo inducing wager on the ledge of a skyscraper before landing in a suburban bedroom showdown. Barrymore’s material anchors the closing chapter, which relies on in camera tricks, wirework, and miniature sets to sell the fantasy elements.

‘Far from Home’ (1989)

Director Meiert Avis places Barrymore opposite Matt Frewer as a daughter and father stranded in a nearly empty Nevada town after a fuel stop goes wrong. A series of killings around a crumbling trailer park turns their detour into a survival story, with Andras Jones and Jennifer Tilly among the supporting cast.

Known for music videos before this feature, Avis leans on stark desert exteriors and neon lit interiors to give the thriller a distinct look. Barrymore’s character, Joleen, navigates unwanted attention and escalating danger as the plot blends coming of age beats with a whodunit that circles the town’s young suspect.

‘Poison Ivy’ (1992)

Katt Shea directs this psychological thriller about a lonely teen who befriends a classmate and moves into her household with unsettling results. Barrymore plays Ivy, Sara Gilbert plays Sylvie, Tom Skerritt plays the father, and Cheryl Ladd plays the mother, creating a tight family dynamic that the story methodically tests.

The film premiered at a major festival and went on to launch a franchise with multiple follow ups that expanded the central premise to new characters. Los Angeles locations, a moody score, and an emphasis on diaries and secrets push the narrative forward while the camera keeps returning to shared spaces like bedrooms and porches where shifting loyalties become clear.

‘Doppelganger’ (1993)

Director Avi Nesher blends horror and neo noir as Barrymore’s character Holly flees cross country, convinced a malevolent double is shadowing her. George Newbern plays the aspiring writer who takes her in, and the story uses apartment hallways, night shoots, and dreamlike inserts to escalate the uncertainty around what is real.

The production works a mix of body horror makeup and subjective camera to depict split identity and paranoia. Police investigations, therapy sessions, and cryptic phone calls stack up as plot drivers, while the score and sound design emphasize whispers, breathing, and sudden silence to keep viewers on edge.

‘Bad Girls’ (1994)

Jonathan Kaplan directs this western led by an ensemble of four women who break from a brothel and ride toward independence after a violent confrontation. Barrymore joins Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Andie MacDowell, with the group facing outlaws, a Pinkerton pursuit, and a banker who stands in their way.

Horses, steam trains, and frontier towns provide classic genre texture, while the story gives each lead a defined skill set that comes into play during robberies and rescues. The production highlights period costumes, open range locations, and stunt work with practical squibs and saddle falls rather than digital tricks.

‘Boys on the Side’ (1995)

Herbert Ross directs this road movie that pairs Whoopi Goldberg and Mary Louise Parker with Barrymore’s character after an impulsive decision reroutes all three lives. The cross country trip folds in a moving portrait of illness, friendship, and caregiving as new homes and chosen families form along the way.

Don Roos wrote the screenplay, and the film features a strong needle drop soundtrack that tracks the shifting relationships through bars, kitchens, and living rooms. Courtrooms and hospital rooms appear as key settings that move the story, while supporting roles from actors like Matthew McConaughey and James Remar widen the world around the trio.

‘Home Fries’ (1998)

Written by Vince Gilligan and directed by Dean Parisot, this dark romantic comedy centers on a fast food worker named Sally played by Barrymore and a National Guard helicopter pilot played by Luke Wilson. A bizarre airborne incident ties their lives together, and family pressure turns every decision into a test.

The film mixes sweet scenes at a burger counter with tense sequences involving headsets and rotor blades, creating a contrast that matches the script’s odd tone. Jake Busey appears as a volatile brother, and Cathy Moriarty plays the matriarch whose plans drive many of the twists that complicate the central relationship.

‘Riding in Cars with Boys’ (2001)

Penny Marshall adapts the Beverly Donofrio memoir with Barrymore playing Bev across multiple life stages. Steve Zahn plays Ray, Brittany Murphy plays Fay, and the story follows Bev’s determination to write while navigating motherhood, work, and a turbulent partnership.

The production charts changing fashions, music, and decor as time passes, using hair and makeup to age characters in ways that track personal milestones. Classroom scenes, publisher meetings, and family gatherings serve as markers for goals met or missed, while location shifts highlight the pull between small town roots and creative ambition.

‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’ (2002)

George Clooney directs this stylish adaptation of Chuck Barris’s book, with Sam Rockwell playing the game show creator at the center of an espionage tale. Barrymore plays Penny, the partner who witnesses the public success and private chaos around him, and Julia Roberts appears as a handler whose motives are difficult to read.

Production design recreates television sets, audition rooms, and control booths with an eye to period detail, while cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel uses bold transitions that move between fantasies and missions. The film cuts between broadcast tapings and covert trips, letting the editing rhythm carry the push and pull between fame and secrecy.

‘Whip It’ (2009)

Barrymore makes her feature directing debut with this roller derby comedy drama based on Shauna Cross’s novel ‘Derby Girl’. Elliot Page plays Bliss, a small town teen who discovers a local league and joins under an alias, while Barrymore appears on screen as Smashley Simpson alongside Kristen Wiig and Juliette Lewis.

The production recruited real derby athletes for skating sequences and staged bouts with rule accurate pack play, penalties, and track layouts. Training montages, warehouse practices, and locker room strategy sessions lay out how teams operate, and the soundtrack leans on indie rock to match the energy of the sport.

Share your favorite underappreciated Drew Barrymore film in the comments and tell everyone what made it stand out for you.