The Best Mariah Carey Movies

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Updated August 11, 2023 1.1K votes 227 voters
Over 200 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Mariah Carey Movies
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List of the best Mariah Carey movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Mariah Carey's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Mariah Carey movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Mariah Carey movies will be at the top of the list. Mariah Carey has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Mariah Carey movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Mariah Carey films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Mariah Carey role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Mariah Carey performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

List includes Lovers & Haters, Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast and more.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Mariah Carey movies?" and "What are the greatest Mariah Carey roles of all time?"

Notable directors that have worked with Mariah Carey include names like Brett Ratner, Dennis Dugan and Spike Lee. If Mariah Carey movies are your thing, then check out the greatest movies by Whitney Houston and Ashanti too.

Ranked by
  • WiseGirls
    1

    WiseGirls

    Mira Sorvino, Mariah Carey, Melora Walters
    61 votes
    • Released: 2002
    • Directed by: David Anspaugh
    Low on money and fresh out of hope, aspiring doctor Meg Kennedy (Mira Sorvino) is forced to return home to Staten Island, N.Y., where she finds work as a waitress at Santalino's, a boisterous Italian restaurant. Soon, Meg befriends coworkers Raychel (Mariah Carey) and Kate (Melora Walters) and begins to start a new life. But, after Meg discovers that Santalino's is a mob front, she finds herself deep in danger, and is recruited by the police to spy on her criminally connected boss.

    Available On:

    free

  • Fantasy:Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden
    2
    • Released: 1996
    • Directed by: Lawrence Jordan
    Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden is Mariah Carey's fourth DVD/home video release. It presents Carey performing live at the Madison Square Garden on October 10, 1995. The home video was originally released in early 1996, and the DVD was released in late 2004. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures. Originally shown as a television special on November 29, 1995 on Fox, the video presented Carey performing a concert to celebrate and promote her fifth studio album, Daydream, and to help prepare her and her crew for her 1996 Daydream World Tour. Carey performed five songs from Daydream—"Fantasy", "One Sweet Day", "Always Be My Baby", "Open Arms", and "Forever"—in addition to six of her older hits: "Vision of Love", "Make It Happen", "I'll Be There", "Dreamlover", "Hero", and "Without You". The concert featured a number of guest stars. Boyz II Men performed "One Sweet Day" with Carey, and Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men also performed "I'll Be There" with her. Although he did not perform with Carey, Ol' Dirty Bastard came out and rapped some of his lines to the Bad Boy Remix of "Fantasy".
  • Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
    3

    Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

    Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton
    65 votes
    • Released: 2009
    • Directed by: Lee Daniels
    Set in 1980s Harlem, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is a stirring drama featuring Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), an illiterate, overweight teenager pregnant with her second child. The film unfolds Precious's journey from despair to hope under the guidance of her alternative school teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton). Mariah Carey gives a notable performance as Mrs. Weiss, a social worker determined to help Precious. Directed by Lee Daniels and winner of two Academy Awards, this film is an unflinching portrayal of abuse and redemption.

    Available On:

  • Glitter
    4

    Glitter

    Mariah Carey, Maxton Beesley, Da Brat
    87 votes
    • Released: 2001
    • Directed by: Vondie Curtis Hall
    Music legend Mariah Carey makes her feature film debut in this love story set against the backdrop of the New York club scene. Carey plays a young singer who overcomes a turbulent childhood and begins an exciting but often volatile and precarious journey to superstardom.

    Available On:

    subscription

  • MTV Unplugged+3
    5

    MTV Unplugged+3

    Mariah Carey
    36 votes
    • Released: 1992
    • Directed by: Lawrence Jordan
    MTV Unplugged +3 is the second live DVD/video release by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released in the United States on June 26, 1992 by Columbia Records. Following the success of Carey's previous two albums and the growing critical commentary on her lack of concert tours and unsubstantial televised performances, Sony BMG organized a performance show at the Kaufman Astoria Studios, New York on March 16, 1992. The show, titled MTV Unplugged, originally aired on MTV to help promote Carey's then album Emotions. However, after its success, the show was released to the public as an EP, with an accompanying VHS titled MTV Unplugged +3. In an attempt to prove Carey's live vocals were not derived from studio synthesizers, the performance earned generally positive review from music critics. They praised Carey's live vocal ability, and felt the EP and video helped showcase her talent. MTV Unplugged +3 topped the Music Video sales chart of Billboard, and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of over 100,000 copies throughout the country.
  • Around the World
    6

    Around the World

    Mariah Carey, Olivia Newton-John, Trey Lorenz
    30 votes
    • Released: 1999
    Around the World is Mariah Carey's fifth DVD/home video release. The DVD showcases Carey traveling around the world as she explores and performs in various locations such as New York, and on her Butterfly World Tour in Hawaii, Japan, Taiwan and Australia. The DVD was released in April 1999. Like the television special, which premiered in late 1998 on UPN, the DVD uses edited performances of songs. Many songs were edited down to half their length. The songs so abbreviated include "Emotions", "Dreamlover", "My All", "I'll Be There", and "Whenever You Call". Other songs are not edited, as "Fantasy", "I Still Believe", "Honey", and "Hero" are more or less kept to their original length. The performance of "Hero" on this program is derived from three separate live performances. The DVD also shows lengthy behind-the-scenes footage including scenes showing Carey exploring Japan, Hawaii, and Australia. Footage is also shown in New York as Carey goes to attend a party thrown for her #1's album, and as she shares deep conversations with her mentor Brenda K. Starr.