Other Roles

Cuthbert starred in the Canadian television movie Lucky Girl in 2001 and was awarded a Gemini Award for her performance. She auditioned for the role of Mary Jane Watson in the Spider-Man film, though the role eventually went to Kirsten Dunst. Cuthbert took a pair of minor roles early in her Hollywood career as young, desirable women in Old School and Love Actually. Cuthbert's next film, The Girl Next Door, cast her in her first lead role as a burgeoning porn star, Danielle, alongside Emile Hirsch. Cuthbert had initial reservations about taking the part, but was persuaded by director Luke Greenfield into accepting. She researched the role, speaking to actual adult actresses from Wicked Pictures and Vivid Entertainment. Upon its release the film received comparisons to Risky Business — although Cuthbert claims her character was not directly based on De Mornay's character — and was noted for Cuthbert's sex appeal. Critics were divided; some praised the film for its boldness, while others, notably Roger Ebert, decried it for being gimmicky and exploitative. Ebert wrote that he saw Cuthbert's character Danielle as "quite the most unpleasant character I have seen in some time."

In her next big-screen outing, Cuthbert starred with Paris Hilton and Chad Michael Murray in the 2005 remake of the classic horror film House of Wax. Cuthbert, along with the rest of her cast mates, was made up to look haggard and frightened. In one scene, her character was to attempt to open her mouth while her lips were sealed with glue. For the sake of realism, Cuthbert opted for real superglue over prosthetics. Despite her efforts, House of Wax was largely panned, with critics citing a range of flaws. It was called "notable for having some of the most moronic protagonists ever to populate a horror film," though out of those characters reviews tended to think Cuthbert "fares the best". Others noted Cuthbert as an "exception" playing her role "earnestly" and "fine".

Following House of Wax, Cuthbert became involved in her third project where she took on the duties of co-star and co-producer of the indie film The Quiet, contributing to its US$900,000 budget. She played Nina, a temperamental cheerleader who suffered from sexual abuse. Playing the character disturbed Cuthbert, who described the role as "dark and heavy." Cuthbert studied her younger sister, Lee-Ann, to further understand the character. The Quiet, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and received a limited release in Los Angeles and New York City on August 25, 2006, before expanding regionally on September 1.