Her career began in her native country with roles in the telenovelas Siempre tuya Acapulco (2013), Tanto amor (2015), and the Netflix-produced series Club de Cuervos (2017). She gained further recognition for her lead role in the Starz drama series Vida (2018–2020).
Barrera earned wider praise with her role as Vanessa in the musical drama film In the Heights (2021), based on the Lin-Manuel Miranda stage musical, and her starring role as Sam Carpenter, the protagonist of the new storyline in the Scream franchise started with the fifth installment, Scream (2022). For her role in the franchise, she has been dubbed a "scream queen". She was removed from the series in late 2023 as a result of commenting on the Israel-Hamas War on social media.
She got engaged to Paco Zazuela, a musician and her longtime boyfriend, in 2017; they later married in 2019. They first met on the set of La Academia, a Mexican reality show where Barrera made her television debut.
Filmography
Film
- All the World is Sleeping (2021) as Chama
- In the Heights (2021) as Vanessa
- Scream (2022) as Samantha "Sam" Carpenter
- Scream VI (2023)
- Bed Rest (2022) as Julie Rivers
- Carmen (2023) as Carmen
- Your Monster (2024) as Laura Franco
- Abigail (2024) as Joey
Television
- Club de cuervos (2017) as Isabel Cantù
- Vida (2018-20) as Lyn Hernandez
- Keep Breathing (2022) as Olivia "Liv" Rivera
