Not sure how to spend your weekend? How about watching Jenny Slate’s entire filmography?

From the moment she dropped the F-bomb on Saturday Night Live, the world should’ve known Jenny Slate was destined for greatness. She’s done comedy, drama, voice-acting, and she actually graduated from Columbia. Let’s celebrate that by going through a few of her most notable movie roles: 

• Gifted (2017)

From the director of 500 Days of Summer comes a movie to remind you that Chris Evans does, in fact, look better with a beard. Also, math is really hard. Gifted follows the story of Frank (Evans) and Mary Adler (Mckenna Grace), a short-tempered man and his kid-genius niece. In order to give her a normal childhood, Frank enrolls Mary in school, just as his mother decides to draw him into a custody battle. If you’re big on dramas and you wished Matilda was less whimsical and fun, this is for you.

This movie is far from perfect. The court-drama aspects don’t always work and it feels derivative of something like Goodwill Hunting, but it might make you cry and that’s worth something. Jenny Slate does her best Miss Honey impression and you know what…it kinda works. Her chemistry with Evans is palpable (the two dated after filming!), and Octavia Spencer’s role as nice-lady-next-door Roberta is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings. If you want to gaze at a rugged Chris Evans and you have an hour and forty to spare, give it a watch. 

• Venom (2018)

Normalize Tom Hardy making out with his alien-symbiote boyfriend. In this movie, Hardy plays a reporter who dedicates himself to uncovering the unethical practices of the “Life Foundation,” only to contract a powerful alien-parasite in the process.

This movie is not good. The script is laughable, the actors are clearly taking it too seriously, and the direction is borderline perplexing. I’d like to know how much Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed were getting bad to take part in it. On the plus side, our girl Jenny is the only person who knows what movie she’s in. Slate plays a scientist working for Ahmed who forms a conscience halfway through and decides to help take him down. I don’t know why you would want to watch this but if you look at it as a rom-com, it’s not that bad!

• Obvious Child (2014)

What other movie can claim responsibility for singlehandedly launching Jake Lacy’s career as the “nice boyfriend?” In this the most slept on A24 feature, Jenny Slate plays a stand-up comedian who, after being brutally dumped, has unprotected sex with a guy named Max (Lacy) and has to get an abortion. Despite the endless poop and fart jokes, this movie is sweet, honest, and simply feels good to watch.

Slate gives a vulnerable, sympathetic performance, and at just 84 minutes, you’ll wish you had more to watch. The romance isn’t too heavy-handed, the supporting actors (Gaby Hoffman, David Cross) give impressive performances, and it’s mumblecore enough to feel natural but not too mumblecore to be boring. Whether you’re a rom-com hater or you’re normal, you will enjoy this. Besides, who would pass up the opportunity to see Jake Lacy simp for an hour and a half? I watched all of that High Fidelity show in 24 hours, I know how that goes. 

• Zootopia (2016) 

With such fun voice acting, I felt this animated feature needed to be included on the list. If you haven’t already seen it, Zootopia follows Judy Hopps, a rookie bunny cop (yikes) eager to prove herself. Judy teams up with a con-artist fox to solve a mystery when she jumps to conclusions and things go awry. Shockingly enough, the movie tackles several social issues including racial profiling and discrimination.

Slate voices Assistant Mayor Bellweather, a shy and overworked sheep who just wants to help (or does she?). With her kind tone and perfectly-timed voice cracks, Slate excels at the role. The movie also features the voices of Idris Elba, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, and SHAKIRA. If you want the kids you’re babysitting to learn something, this is what you should play. The original song “Try Everything” is also, I admit, a bop. 

• Landline (2017) 

New York City in the ‘90s baby!!! In this dramedy, also directed by Gillian Robespierre from Obvious Child, Ali (Abby Quinn) is a brooding teen with little regard for her parents. When she and her sister (Slate) find out their dad is having an affair, they both begin to question their beliefs about love, monogamy, and family.

The thing to watch for in this movie is the performances. The family, with Edie Falco and John Turturro as the parents, is just as compelling as it is dysfunctional. Slate and Quinn complement each other well and if you have a sister, you’ll know that their portrayal in the film is as accurate as it gets. Although it isn’t a perfect film, it gets at something that its contemporaries don’t always land: the need to be gentle to yourself and those you love. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder if you should start smoking cigarettes.

That’s all for Jenny Slate! Ms. Slate… it has been an honor.

Photos courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons