Sarah Michelle Gellar had some of the most iconic roles of the '90s and early 2000s. From Buffy to Kathryn to Daphne to Helen, she commanded the screen and made you love her or love to hate her. The best Sarah Michelle Gellar movies and TV shows always left an impression. Her characters highlighted their knack for saving the world (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or showed their versatility and ability to embrace a goofy premise (Scooby-Doo). These films and shows, even decades later, remain a major part of our streaming habits.
Who doesn’t love to rewatch the best Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes? Or mourn what Ringer or The Crazy Ones could have been by streaming them? Sarah Michelle Gellar’s career continues to evolve but some of her most beloved and best TV shows and movies have found new audiences through the power of streaming services.
Therefore, if you already love the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress or have just discovered her work, here are some of the best Sarah Michelle Gellar movies and TV shows and where to watch them.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a series based on a movie of the same name. The show follows Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), a teen girl chosen to fight vampires and other demons. The show ran for seven seasons and had one spin-off series, Angel.
“In every generation, there is a chosen one. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the slayer.” You can’t hear that opening and not automatically think of Sarah Michelle Gellar. In a not-so-distant future, there may be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot that actually happens, but it’s hard to imagine anyone embodying Buffy the way Sarah Michelle Gellar did — even though she didn’t originate the character.
Buffy and Sarah Michelle Gellar are forever linked in the eyes of many fans. There is no true Buffy without her.
Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu.
Rent/buy Buffy the Vampire Slayer digitally on Amazon.
Cruel Intentions (1999)
Cruel Intentions follows two rich step-siblings who make a bet and an indecent proposal. It’s also all about how they use and mistreat other students until one falls in love and has a change of heart. Cruel Intentions stars Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. It’s a modern retelling of the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
All My Children fans know that this isn’t Sarah Michelle Gellar’s first bad-girl role but it may be her most well-known. Cruel Intentions proves that she can completely take on any role and nail it.
Stream Cruel Intentions on Paramount+.
Rent/buy Cruel Intentions on Amazon.
The Scooby-Doo Movies (2002, 2004)
The Scooby-Doo movies are live-action versions of the popular mainly-'70s cartoon series. Scooby-Doo: The Movie premiered in 2002 and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed premiered in 2004. They star Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, and a CGI dog as the famous Scooby gang and Scooby himself.
The original animated series is about a dog and humans solving crimes while driving around in a colorful van called The Mystery Machine. It’s a very unserious show. The films embrace this by being playful and silly. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Daphne and gives one of her goofiest performances. I loved every second of it.
Rent/buy Scooby-Doo: The Movie on Amazon.
Rent/buy Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed on Amazon.
The Grudge (2004)
Based on the Japanese horror modern classic Ju-on: The Grudge, The Grudge follows Karen Davis (Sarah Michelle Gellar) as she must try to escape vengeful ghosts and a deadly curse before it consumes her and others.
The Grudge is not the best horror movie of all time but it’s scary and interesting enough to keep you engaged. Also, it’s one of the few Sarah Michelle Gellar horror movies where she makes it at least to the sequel.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
I Know What You Did Last Summer follows a group of friends who accidentally kill a man and then cover up the incident. A year later they’re stalked and hunted by a mysterious figure who knows their crime. It stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ryan Phillippe.
I Know What You Did Last Summer happened during the rise of slasher films in the '90s. It also happened when Sarah Michelle Gellar was in her horror-movie queen era. If you enjoy slasher films, it’s definitely an entertaining entry into the genre. Also, it’s the film that began Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s friendship that grew into love and a 20+ year marriage. It’s a must-watch for giving us this iconic celebrity couple.
Stream I Know What You Did Last Summer on Netflix.
Rent/buy I Know What You Did Last Summer on Amazon.
Simply Irresistible (1999)
Simply Irresistible is an underrated romantic comedy starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery. It’s a romantic comedy that involves some magic and plenty of horny people eating food. Amanda (Sarah Michelle Gellar) develops the magic ability to cook irresistible food. This power brings her and those around her love.
Simply Irresistible is a charming romantic comedy that shows the power of good food and following your heart. Sarah Michelle Gellar should have been a romantic comedy leading lady, but, unfortunately, Simply Irresistible is one of her few entries into that genre. It’s not one of the best romantic comedies of all time but definitely worth a watch just for something different in the romantic comedy world.
Stream Simply Irresistible on Starz.
Ringer (2011-2012)
Sarah Michelle Gellar plays twins, Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin on Ringer. It was a CW crime thriller that involved murder, impersonations, affairs, and many other scandalous things. Though this series was definitely not a Shakespearean-level drama, it had its charms.
Ringer had a great cast that included Ioan Gruffudd, Nestor Carbonell, Mike Colter, Zoey Deutch, Justin Bruening, and Jason Dohring. It also included guest appearances by Misha Collins, Jonathan Banks, and Amber Benson. The series had an intriguing mystery that ended on a cliffhanger because it happened during a time when the CW did more canceling than renewing (history seems to be repeating itself). Ringer was a show that could have been great with enough time to figure itself out.
Stream Ringer on The CW app.
Buy Ringer on Vudu.
Do Revenge (2022)
Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke) team up and decide to exact revenge on everyone who they deemed has wronged them. The pair instantly bond as they try to ruin lives. Sarah Michelle Gellar plays their school’s headmistress. Do Revenge is a fun black comedy with plenty of teen movie references.
It’s a film that makes you nostalgic for that era and genre of movies, and it makes you appreciate those who made them great, such as Sarah Michelle Gellar. It’s one of Netflix’s best original movies because it highlights the absurdity of late-'90s and early-2000s teen films, while also loving and respecting them.
The Crazy Ones (2013-2014)
David E. Kelley created The Crazy One, a CBS sitcom that followed a father-daughter duo who ran an ad agency in Chicago. It starred Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar. The supporting cast included James Wolk, Amanda Setton, and Hamish Linklater.
The Crazy Ones is a show that was canceled far too soon. It was a fun series that was charismatic, sincere, and entertaining. It was an entertaining show that could have been great if the team behind it was allowed to develop it past one season. The Crazy One joins the club of good shows canceled after a single season.
Wolf Pack (2023 - )
Wolf Pack is a Paramount+ original series that follows a group of young werewolves. Though by the creator of Teen Wolf, Jeff Davis, it is not a spin-off show. It’s its own werewolf series. Wolf Pack is based on Edo van Belkom’s book of the same name.
The series includes an array of young actors, including Armani Jackson, Bella Shepard, Chloe Rose Robertson, and Tyler Lawrence Gray. Rodrigo Santoro and Sarah Michelle Gellar also star. Gellar plays Kristin Ramsey, She’s the Chief LAFD arson investigator. Though we thought there wasn’t enough of her in the first episode, she still has a major role in Wolf Pack.
Stream Wolf Pack on Paramount+.
Veronika Decides To Die (2009)
Veronika Decides to Die is based on Paulo Coelho’s book of the same name. Veronika (Sarah Michelle Gellar) attempts to die by suicide. She overdoses on some pills and ends up in a psychiatric hospital. Her attempt to die leaves her with an aneurysm that will kill her in weeks.
Veronika’s time in the hospital allows her to gain a new appreciation for life and living. Veronika Decides to Die is one of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s lesser-known projects, so it may be a good film to watch if you’ve seen all her previous works and looking for something new to stream.
Stream Veronika Decides to Die on Tubi.
The Air I Breathe (2007)
The Air I Breathe features an ensemble cast that includes Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. The film’s writer and director Jieho Lee based the film's concept on a Chinese proverb that puts life into four categories: happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love.
Each of the film’s characters represents one of those emotions. They are also all linked, as these emotions cannot exist without others or in isolation. The Air I Breathe is also a lesser known Sarah Michelle Gellar film, so you should add it to your to-watch list if you haven’t seen it already.
Stream The Air I Breathe on Tubi.
Rent/buy The Air I Breathe on Amazon.
With her appearances in Do Revenge and Wolf Pack, we hope Sarah Michelle Gellar will start to take on more projects. We can’t wait to see this list grow with other great future Sarah Michelle Gellar projects.
