10 Best Sabrina Carpenter Movies & TV Shows, Ranked

She ruled the Billboard charts in 2024 with her hit songs "Espresso," "Please Please Please," and "Taste." Her "Short n' Sweet" world tour filled arenas across the United States and Canada. To top it all off, she walked away from the 2025 Grammys with two awards for Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album. Of course, we're talking about the entendre-loving pop superstar and short queen, Sabrina Carpenter. 

To the casual pop culture consumer, it might seem like Sabrina Carpenter popped up out of nowhere in 2024 to take the music world by storm, but that's hardly the case. Carpenter has been a dedicated performer since she was a pre-teen, finding success as a star on the Disney Channel and releasing her debut album, "Eyes Widen Open," all the way back in 2015. However, it wasn't until her 2022 record, "Emails I Can't Send," that established her as a mainstream pop star in the making, marking a new chapter for Carpenter's career. 

For newer fans of Carpenter that have been introduced to the 25-year-old through her latest hit singles, there's over a decade of work in film and television to be discovered. Unlike fellow pop star and former tour mate Taylor Swift's acting roles, Carpenter is quite an experienced actress. 

From her earliest brushes with stardom on Disney to her more recent forays into acting as a pop star with the talents of a comedian, these are Sabrina Carpenter's best movies and TV shows.

The 2019 Netflix film "Tall Girl" was lampooned when it came out for its sadly unironic take on the difficulties of being a "tall girl" in high school. The very vertically-challenged Sabrina Carpenter starred in the film as Harper, the older yet shorter sister of Jodi, played by Ava Michelle. On the plus side, "Tall Girl" introduced Carpenter to future boyfriend Griffin Gluck, who she dated from 2019 to 2020. 

To surprise of many of critics, a sequel that was released in 2022 had slightly better reviews, striking a better tone. The film was also particularly praised for its improved characterization of all involved, which is quite a step up from the criticism of the previous film's poor writing. Carpenter reprises her role in the film as Harper, and was praised by Paste Magazine for "[nailing] it in the comedic department, performing a recurring bit, where she stares wistfully out of the window whenever she recalls a memory, to perfection." 

While neither "Tall Girl" nor its much better sequel "Tall Girl 2" center Carpenter as the main star, they showcase the strong comedic timing she'd later take advantage of as a pop star. "Tall Girl 2" is far from the best rom-com on Netflix, but if you're a fan of seeing Carpenter steal scenes, it's worth the watch (or, perhaps, just looking up Carpenter's best moments on YouTube, we won't tell anyone). 

If you have yet to see "Clouds," that's likely because its theatrical release was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, moved to a streaming release on Disney+ before being removed from the service in 2023. Thankfully, it's still available to rent on other platforms, giving Sabrina Carpenter fans the ability to watch this surprisingly touching musical drama. Based on a heartbreaking true story, "Clouds" follows a teenager named Zach Sobiech (Fin Argus), whose terminal illness prompts him to pursue his dream of starting a band with his best friend Sammy (Carpenter), A Firm Handshake, which achieves the duo viral success albeit at the cost of Zach's health. 

Many reviews praised the chemistry between Carpenter and Argus, while The Los Angeles Times called her a "standout" of the cast. It's not too surprising that Carpenter works really well in this film, given its emphasis on music, and Carpenter also lends her one-of-a-kind singing voice to several songs on the soundtrack written by the real-life Zach and Sammy, including the titular "Clouds" and a solo performance in the song "Blueberries." 

It should go without saying for anyone aware of the real-life story of Zach Sobiech, but this film is quite the tearjerker, making even Carpenter's most heartfelt songs look like stand-up comedy routines. We definitely recommend watching it if you're a fan of Carpenter's singing, but be careful with listening to the soundtrack afterwards, as it might just remind you of how crushingly tragic the story is. 

Many fans of Sabrina Carpenter first met the future pop star when she was on Disney Channel's "Girl Meets World," a spin-off of "Boy Meets World" starring Rowan Blanchard as Riley, the daughter of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel). Premiering in 2014, Carpenter had a series-long role as Maya, Riley's best friend, joining the cast when she was only 13 years old. Sadly, "Girl Meets World" was cancelled after three seasons, when Carpenter was 17.

Although there was light criticism towards Maya's characterization when "Girl Meets World" first premiered, she quickly won over audiences as the rebellious best friend. While Carpenter slowly started proving herself as a future comedic force of nature, she also impressed critics with her ability to handle emotional scenes, even at a young age.

If any of Sabrina Carpenter's prior acting roles are required viewing for fans of her music, "Girl Meets World" is probably at the top of the list. The show is what gave her the platform to start making music, even if it eventually led her to controversy. As Carpenter told Teen Vogue in 2020, she has no regrets about the show, but says "I think the beauty of the show was that we really were at the age that we were playing and we were coming into ourselves as we were playing characters that were coming into themselves." Thankfully, Carpenter also enjoys trolling fans who tag her in old clips of her on the show. 

"Work It," another film from Sabrina Carpenter that released in 2020, never had plans to hit theaters, largely thanks to Netflix (predating the streaming service buying movie theaters). Carpenter stars in "Work It" as Quinn, a high schooler who is fired as the technical director of her school's dance team, but she eventually earns her way into being a part of the team as a way to stand out in college admissions. The film's supporting cast includes influencer Liza Koshy, who plays Quinn's best friend Jasmine, and Jordan Fisher, who plays Quinn's love interest. 

It might not be the most original or innovative film on Netflix's library, but many reviewers praised "Work It" for being an entertaining if predictable teen comedy. Carpenter's performance in the film as both a dancer as well as a comedic and dramatic actor was also applauded by some, with Variety calling it a "winning turn," which is to be expected from an actress who in a few years would be showing off her dancing chops on stage at Madison Square Garden. 

What's most impressive about "Work It" is how Carpenter had to learn how to dance poorly, in order for her character to become better as the film goes on. As she told Elle, it's the perfect film for the pandemic, saying, "It's like a ball of hope and fun energy, and it really makes you feel good ... I'm just excited for whoever needs it to find it."

No, you're not mistaken, Sabrina Carpenter was not in the 1987 film "Adventures in Babysitting," considering she'd have had to be negative 12 years old. During the years Carpenter was starring in "Girl Meets World," "Adventures in Babysitting" was remade as a Disney Channel original movie, starring Carpenter as Jenny, an aspiring photography student who becomes involved in a comedy of errors when she realizes she swapped phones with Lola (Sofia Carson) just before the two start babysitting. 

Although there's often a stigma against Disney Channel original movies, the "Adventures in Babysitting" remake was surprisingly well-received by critics, praising i's enjoyable kid-friendly story and Carpenter's on-screen chemistry with Carson. Although it was hard for a young Carpenter to fill the shoes of Elisabeth Shue's role in the original movie, Silver Screen Surprises wrote that she "has a bright future ahead of her and will be a star," calling her character "a nice contrast to the wild child with a heart of gold she plays on 'Girl Meets World.'"

While there's a lot to like about the 2016 "Adventures in Babysitting," there is one scene where Carpenter's character performs a rap, which the actress told Cosmpolitan is "a bit triggering for me ... because this has resurfaced online in times where I don't need it to." Nevertheless, if you're nostalgic about the original film, this may be the kind of kids movie that adults will also love – well, at least the ones who also love Sabrina Carpenter. 

While most of Sabrina Carpenter's filmography in film and television has involved Disney Channel comedies and teen dramas, 2019's "The Short History of the Long Road" is an outlier. The drama premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and set a theatrical release of the summer of 2020, which was predictably thrown off by COVID-19. However, it's definitely worth a watch for all movie lovers, especially fans of Carpenter, given that it might be one of the actress' best dramatic performances on-screen. 

"The Short History of the Long Road" stars Carpenter as Nola, a teenage nomad living with her father (Steven Ogg) who travels to Albuquerque to meet her mother (Maggie Siff) and forms an unlikely friendship with a car repairman (Danny Trejo). The film garnered a lot of acclaim for its cinematography and direction, but of its most notable attributes, Variety wrote, "it is Carpenter's restrained performance and air of wisdom, permeating the screen with an astutely soulful quality that's tough to turn away from."

Compared to Carpenter's other work, "The Short History of the Long Road" is an incredibly tragic and dark examination of the price of freedom, meaning it might not appeal to the diehard fans of "Girl Meets World." However, it's worth watching if only to see a surprisingly transformative performance from Carpenter, who had been looking to challenge herself after years of Disney Channel hijinks and pop stardom. But don't be disappointed — it does have a blooper reel. 

Every so often, a star comes along to "Saturday Night Live" and proves that they're the type of celebrity who was made for the iconic sketch show. Even though Sabrina Carpenter has yet to properly host an episode of "SNL," she's definitely already shown she'd be a natural. Carpenter first appeared as the musical guest on "SNL" in its 49th season alongside host Jake Gyllenhaal, performing her songs "Espresso" and a mash-up of "Feather" and "Nonsense." She also made a standout appearance in an incredibly violent "Scooby-Doo" sketch playing Daphne. 

However, her most recent appearance in the "SNL 50" anniversary special sets her up to be a future all-timer of the show. Carpenter opened one of the biggest nights in TV history alongside Paul Simon, duetting a rendition of "Homeward Bound" that Simon previously performed on the show with George Harrison in 1976. Of course, Carpenter couldn't leave Studio 8H without making a long-anticipated appearance in a "Domingo" sketch with Marcello Hernandez, a character whose debut last fall parodied her song "Espresso," joined by the likes of Andy Samberg, Pedro Pascal, and Bad Bunny.

After her stand-out night on "SNL 50," The Ringer ultimately wrote in their review of the special, "Carpenter is the latest young star to intuitively grasp the show's ethos." Given that Carpenter had yet to appear on "SNL" as of a year ago, it's incredible to see how she's already been a part of its history. 

What makes Sabrina Carpenter's appearance in "Emergency" interesting is that by the time she joined the cast in 2021, she had already debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 with her single "Skins." Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in 2022, "Emergency" is a captivating thriller starring RJ Cyler and Donald Elise Watkins as two black college students who discover a passed-out underage white girl and try to get her to safety, while her sister Maddy, played by Carpenter, risks her life to go looking for her. 

The film got glowing reviews after its premiere at Sundance, praising its tonal shifts from comedic to suspenseful, the strong performances, and portrayal of modern social issues and Gen Z-aged characters. Collider particularly praised Carpenter for the role's departure from her previous work, writing that "she turns in a great performance, flipping between the worry of a girl who's looking for her sister and the outright dangerous, self-centered morality of someone who's determined to fulfill a goal no matter the cost."

Of her own character's ignorant behavior, Carpenter told CinemaBlend that she felt she could relate to the concept of misunderstandings and rash decision-making, saying, "[It] says a lot about the world, even social media and how we assume. We get like one little piece of information that's out of context and we think we know everything, and we usually don't." If you love comedy-thrillers, "Emergency" is more than a great time, and features lots of fun moments for fans of Carpenter. 

"The Hate U Give" may not heavily feature Sabrina Carpenter as much as the other films on this list, but as an overall film, it's the type of teen drama there should be more of in Hollywood. Released in 2018, the adaptation of Angie Thomas' young adult novel centers on Amandla Stenberg as Starr, a high schooler who witnesses a police shooting, inadvertently making her a major part of a national news story, becoming a public voice against police brutality. Carpenter's supporting role in the film is as Hailey, one of Starr's best friends who is guilty of racist remarks that puts their friendship to the test. 

The film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival saw it receive lots of acclaim for tackling many important issues of its release year, with Stenberg winning Outstanding Actress at the NAACP Image Awards. Forbes even declared the film should be a front-runner for Best Picture, and praised Carpenter's performance, saying "[she] deftly handles a tricky role as Starr's white schoolmate whose support is merely skin deep."  

While some critics wrote Carpenter's character off as annoying, the actress emphasized the importance of Hailey's bigotry in this story, telling Hero Magazine that her character "exists because there are people in the world like her. That's one of the reasons we really hope that people watch it." Of the touchy subject matter in the film, Carpenter was used to it, given she made her screen debut in an episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

If 2024 was the Year of Sabrina Carpenter, then Netflix's "A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter" was a victory lap. The pop singer previously showcased her affection for the winter holidays with her Christmas-themed remix of her song "Nonsense," as well as a holiday EP, "fruitcake," in 2023. But 2024 topped the prior years' celebrations with a Netflix special, featuring sketches by "SNL" writers Jimmy Fowlie and Fran Gillespie, cameo appearances by "Abbott Elementary" creator and star Quinta Brunson and "Lord of the Rings" MVP Sean Astin, and musical performances by Carpenter and the likes of Chappell Roan, Shania Twain, and Kali Uchis. 

If you're a fan of Sabrina Carpenter and the work she put out in the past year, odds are "A Nonsense Christmas" is already going to be a staple of future holiday watch-parties, with The Guardian praising, "Santa hats off to Sabrina Carpenter for coming up with a holiday special that feels entirely of the moment, right down to its starry duets, carefully curated off-the-cuff moments and internet-baiting comedy skits." 

There are plenty of stand-out moments in "A Nonsense Christmas," not limited to Carpenter's rendition of "Last Christmas" with Roan, a musical sketch about what to get your brother-in-law (featuring Kyle Mooney), and lots and lots of memorable quips and innuendos courtesy of the pop star herself. Much like Carpenter's latest music releases, "A Nonsense Christmas" feels like the brain-child of the former Disney Channel star herself, proving that no role of hers is better than when she's just being herself.