Freddie Prinze Jr. is a decorated American actor who made his screen debut in a 1995 episode of Family Matters. A few short years later, Prinze Jr. quickly became one the most popular Hollywood actors by appearing in the hit slasher movie I Know What You Did Last Summer and the beloved teen comedy She's All That.
In 2006, Prinze Jr. gravitated toward television to star in his own sitcom, Freddie, yet has continued working on the big screen between his TV projects. As rumors about Prinze's possible appearance in the upcoming reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer continue to swirl, it's only right to reflect on Prinze Jr.'s best movies to date, as constituted by Rotten Tomatoes.
10 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) - 22%
Despite earning over $180 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed couldn't escape the wrath of critics when it was released in 2004. Prinze Jr. plays Fred and leads the familiar Mystery Inc. Gang cast in a plot that finds a masked villain terrorizing Coolsville, prompting him, Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, and Velma to investigate and identify the culprit.
While a few critics cited Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini for giving impressive performances as Shaggy and Velma, respectively, the consensus lambasted the movie for being too broad, loud, messy, and uninspiring. Many critics felt the movie went against the overall spirit of the original Scooby-Doo animated franchise and made too much of an effort to appeal to young kids rather than the whole family.
9 Jack and Jill vs. The World (2008) - 25%
Jack and Jill vs. The World is a romantic comedy set in New York City. Prinze Jr. plays Jack, an ad exec who produces TV commercials. When Jack meets Jill (Taryn Manning), a bright-eyed newbie to the city, the opposites soon hit it off and co-author a romantic how-to guide for single New Yorkers to live by. Alas, problems arise when Jack breaks one of the rules and betrays Jill's trust.
Although some critics found the film to be a pleasant enough diversion to pass the time, others felt the film was riddled with too many tired and trampled rom-com tropes and tenets and could not overcome its multitude of clichés. Prinze Jr. was praised for the emotional honesty he was able to express as Jack, even if the moral center of the movie was cited for being too preachy and manipulative.
8 Scooby-Doo (2002) - 32%
Co-written by James Gunn, Scooby-Doo is a live-action adaptation of the beloved Hanna-Barbera cartoon. Prinze Jr. famously played Fred opposite his real-life wife Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played Daphne. The story concerns the Mystery Inc. Gang forced to reunite after a messy breakup to intestate the supernatural phenomena at an island hotel.
Scooby-Do became a monumental hit, earning over $275 globally (via Box Office Mojo). Yet, despite resonating among the masses, the film largely took a critical drubbing. Once reviewers got past the novelty of the spot-on casting and comedic chemistry among the leads, they noted how flat the jokes were and how predictable the ending was. Those who defended the Scooby-Doo movie cited the vivid colors, campy tone, and appeal to young children as the movie's main draws.
7 She's All That (1999) - 41%
One of the movies that launched Prinze Jr.'s career, She's All That is a cult-classic romantic comedy co-starring Rachel Leigh Cook. Prinze Jr. plays Zack, a popular high school athlete who makes a bet with his friends that he can turn any girl in school into the prom queen. His friends select Laney, an outcast art student who teaches Zack about the value of being true to oneself.
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Often considered among the all-time popular so-bad-it's-good movies, She's All That has many defenders and detractors on Rotten Tomatoes. Those who love the film praise it for being a definitive snapshot of teen culture in the late '90s, with the onscreen rapport between Prinze Jr. and Cook carrying the movie a long way. Others feel the movie is mean-spirited and loaded with romantic-comedy platitudes. Even so, the movie has a high replay value whether laughing with it or laughing at it.
6 Brooklyn Rules (2007) - 45%
Brooklyn Rules is a crime drama that follows three friends in New York in 1985. In a much different role than he's used to playing, Prinze Jr. narrates the film as Michael, a charismatic con man who chronicles how he and his two best friends became involved with the mafia. Meanwhile, Michael falls for an upstanding woman at college who drives his loyalties in different directions.
Despite being a box office bomb, earning just $458,000 against an $8 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), the performances in Brooklyn Rules were among the primary plaudits. The underrated mafia movie was also hailed for accurately recreating the look, mood, and feeling of 1980s New York and captivating viewers with its undeniable atmosphere. However, the story itself was dismissed for being far too derivative and failing to add anything new to the mafia crime genre.
5 I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) - 45%
Co-written by Scream's Kevin Williamson, I Know What You Did Last Summer is a slasher whodunit that starts with a bang before fizzling into mediocrity. The plot follows a group of drunk teenagers who accidentally hit a man on the road and decide to dump his body in a harbor to avoid jail time. Soon, the teens are systematically stalked by a hook-handed madman. Prinze Jr. plays Ray, one of the teenagers who become implicated as the story unfolds.
With plenty of pros and cons ascribed to the film, I Know What You Did Last Summer was praised most for its smart script, central mystery, and throwback '80s slasher movie nostalgia. While many found the story to be a rote, boilerplate affair that's been seen many times before, others noted how well Williamson faithfully adapted Lois Duncan's source novel. Thanks to the captivating young cast, the film was received much better than its abysmal sequel (7%).
4 Sparkler (1997) - 55%
Sparkler is a little-known road trip comedy that follows Melba (Park Overall), a woman who discovers her husband's infidelity and moves back in with her mom. At home, Melba receives news from a psychic that she will meet three kings who will change her life. Prinze Jr. plays Brad, one of the so-called kings that Melba follows to Las Vegas, where she reunites with an old friend named Dottie and reconciles old wounds.
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A small intimate affair with compelling performances, Sparkler drew acclaim for its rich characterizations, engaging story, and fun-filled road trip that exposes the seedy underworld of Las Vegas. While criticized for having a loose and unfocused plot, most critics felt the film excelled thanks to its quirky offbeat humor and heartfelt depiction of a woman finding her own sense of agency at a crucial time in her life.
3 The House of Yes (2000) - 62%
In just his second feature film, Prinze Jr. went toe-to-toe with Parker Posey in the wickedly dark romantic comedyThe House of Yes. The twisted plot follows Jackie-O, a woman who believes she is Jackie Kennedy. When her brother Anthony (Prinze Jr.) arrives at home with his new girlfriend Lesly (Tori Spelling), Jackie-O spirals into a jealous rage and threatens lethal violence.
The House of Yes is a disturbing movie that deals with the prospect of incest, assassination, and challenging familial drama that will make viewers squirm. Yet, thanks to the tour-de-force turn from Posey, the caustic zingers, witty dialog, and unpredictable story beats, most critics found the film to be a unique and rewarding experience. Interestingly, Rachel Leigh Cook plays Young Jackie-O, marking the first time she and Prinze Jr. worked together before She's All That two years later.
2 Clerks III (2022) - 63%
Although it's yet to be added to his Rotten Tomatoes page, Prinze Jr. made a heartfelt cameo in Kevin Smith's Clerks III. The plot concerns Randall attempting to make his own autobiographical movie after suffering a heart attack in the Quick Stop convenience store. When Randall holds casting auditions, Prinze Jr. shows up and gives a hilarious line reading of Jason Mewes' impression of Frank Booth from Blue Velvet.
In many ways, Clerks III serves as one large in-joke that appeals most to lifelong Kevin Smith fans. Full of heart and nostalgia, the meta-movie was extolled most for Smith's ability to bring his very first movie characters and their iconic setting full circle in emotionally resonant ways. Critics who followed and admired Kevin Smith's entire film career were touched and moved by Clerks III much more than casual or fairweather fans who felt that Smith hadn't grown much since the original Clerks.
1 Christmas with You (2022) - 65%
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Christmas with You is Freddie Prinze Jr.'s best movie. The wistful Netflix romantic comedy follows Angelina (Aimee Garcia), a burnt-out pop singer who decides to take a break from her hectic life by spending Christmas in a small town to honor a young fan's wish. There, she meets and falls for Miguel (Prinze Jr.), the fan's single father with a heart of gold.
While dismissed by some, most critics found Christmas with You to be an undeniably enchanting and sweet-natured holiday romance that lives and dies with Garcia and Prinze Jr.'s effortless chemistry. The movie leans into its familiar tropes rather than sidestep them, which many critics appreciated. Even if viewers know exactly where the story is heading, Angelina and Miguel are so pleasant and likable together that most viewers are able to forgive the movie's glaring shortcomings.