All Melissa McCarthy Movies Ranked

Since breaking out on the big screen with her scene-stealing appearance in the hit 2011 comedy Bridesmaids, Melissa McCarthy has earned a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most fearless — and gut-bustingly funny — stars, proving her willingness to endure even the most awkward situations and ego-bruising pratfalls in follow-up efforts like The Heat, Spy, and Ghostbusters. But McCarthy isn’t just here to make us laugh — she’s also proven her dramatic chops in more subdued fare like St. Vincent and Gilmore Girls, and with a full docket of upcoming projects, we still haven’t seen everything she can do. We can, however, take a look back at everything she has done, using the Tomatometer as our guide, so read on see all Melissa McCarthy movies ranked from worst to best.

#22

Cook Off! (2017)
14%

#22

Adjusted Score: 4.555%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Reality-show shenanigans mix with the fiery-and-fierce world of competitive baking in the deliciously sly mockumentary COOK OFF! As a buffet... [More]

Starring: Cathryn Michon, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone

Directed By: Guy Shalem, Cathryn Michon

#21

The Back-up Plan (2010)
18%

#21

Adjusted Score: 21.727%

Critics Consensus: Jennifer Lopez is as appealing as ever, but The Back-Up Plan smothers its star with unrelatable characters and a predictable plot.

Synopsis: A romantic comedy centered on a woman who conceives twins through artificial insemination, only to meet the man of her... [More]

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Danneel Harriss, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins

Directed By: Alan Poul

#20

The Life of David Gale (2003)
19%

#20

Adjusted Score: 23.157%

Critics Consensus: Instead of offering a convincing argument against the death penalty, this implausible, convoluted thriller pounds the viewer over the head with its message.

Synopsis: The mystery of one man's guilt or innocence literally becomes a matter of life and death in this drama. David... [More]

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Matt Craven

Directed By: Alan Parker

#19

Identity Thief (2013)
19%

#19

Adjusted Score: 25.153%

Critics Consensus: Identity Thief's few laughs are attributable to Melissa McCarthy and Jason Bateman, who labor mightily to create a framework for the movie's undisciplined plotline.

Synopsis: Unlimited funds have allowed Diana (McCarthy) to live it up on the outskirts of Miami, where the queen of retail... [More]

Starring: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Amanda Peet

Directed By: Seth Gordon

#18

The Hangover Part III (2013)
21%

#18

Adjusted Score: 28.275%

Critics Consensus: Less a comedy than an angrily dark action thriller, The Hangover Part III diverges from the series' rote formula but offers nothing compelling in its place.

Synopsis: "The Hangover Part III" is the third and final film in director Todd Phillips' record-shattering comedy franchise. This time, there's... [More]

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong

Directed By: Todd Phillips

#17

The Happytime Murders (2018)
23%

#17

Adjusted Score: 33.135%

Critics Consensus: The Happytime Murders wastes its intriguingly transgressive premise on a witless comedy that blindly pushes buttons instead of attempting to tell an entertaining story.

Synopsis: No Sesame. All Street. THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS is a filthy comedy set in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles where... [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, Elizabeth Banks

Directed By: Brian Henson

#16

The Boss (2016)
22%

#16

Adjusted Score: 28.755%

Critics Consensus: Melissa McCarthy remains as fiercely talented as ever, but her efforts aren't enough to prop up the baggy mess of inconsistent gags and tissue-thin writing that brings down The Boss.

Synopsis: Academy Award (R)-nominated star Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Tammy) headlines The Boss as a titan of industry who is... [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Kristen Schaal

Directed By: Ben Falcone

#15

Tammy (2014)
24%

#15

Adjusted Score: 30.716%

Critics Consensus: Melissa McCarthy remains an engaging screen presence, but her efforts aren't enough to keep the jumbled Tammy on track.

Synopsis: Tammy (Melissa McCarthy) is having a bad day. She's totaled her clunker car, gotten fired from her thankless job at... [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Kathy Bates, Mark Duplass

Directed By: Ben Falcone

#14

Drowning Mona (2000)
29%

#14

Adjusted Score: 31.163%

Critics Consensus: Despite Danny De Vito's top billing, Drowning Mona drowns itself in humor that never rises about sitcom level. Contributing to the Mona's problems is that the characters are never really interesting, and there is a noticeable lack of energy in the character roles

Synopsis: Rage, jealousy, murder, and Eastern European automotive engineering combine in this offbeat black comedy. Verplanck, NY, is a small town... [More]

Starring: Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Neve Campbell, Jamie Lee Curtis

Directed By: Nick Gomez

#13

Life as We Know It (2010)
29%

#13

Adjusted Score: 32.859%

Critics Consensus: Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel make a charming couple with plenty of chemistry, but that isn't enough to make up for Life as We Know It's formulaic plot and poorly written script.

Synopsis: Two people who can't stand each other are forced to care for the same child in this domestic comedy drama... [More]

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel, Josh Lucas, Alexis Clagett

Directed By: Gary Berlanti, Greg Berlanti

#12

The Third Wheel (2002)
33%

#12

Adjusted Score: 6.543%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: An unlucky-in-love bachelor lands his dream date, but finds that getting through the evening will be a difficult challenge indeed... [More]

Starring: Luke Wilson, Ben Affleck, Denise Richards, Jay Lacopo

Directed By: Jordan Brady

#11

Pumpkin (2002)
36%

#11

Adjusted Score: 37.445%

Critics Consensus: The messy Pumpkin wastes its premise by not making the satire sharp enough.

Synopsis: Adam Larson and Tony R. Abrams' directorial debut Pumpkin is an unconventional love story. College senior Carolyn McDuffy (Christina Ricci)... [More]

Starring: Christina Ricci, Hank Harris, Brenda Blethyn, Dominique Swain

Directed By: Tony R. Abrams, Adam Larson Broder, Anthony Abrams

#10

Life of the Party (2018)
37%

#10

Adjusted Score: 42.94%

Critics Consensus: Life of the Party's good-natured humor and abundance of onscreen talent aren't enough to make up for jumbled direction and a script that misses far more often than it hits.

Synopsis: When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna (McCarthy) turns regret into re-set by going back to college...landing... [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Gillian Jacobs, Maya Rudolph, Julie Bowen

Directed By: Ben Falcone

#9

This is 40 (2012)
52%

#9

Adjusted Score: 59.516%

Critics Consensus: Judd Apatow definitely delivers funny and perceptive scenes in This is 40, even if they are buried in aimless self-indulgence.

Synopsis: Writer/director/producer Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Funny People) brings audiences This Is 40, an original comedy that expands upon the... [More]

Starring: Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, John Lithgow, Megan Fox

Directed By: Judd Apatow

#8

The Nines (2007)
65%

#8

Adjusted Score: 66.203%

Critics Consensus: Though The Nines doesn't solidify as well as writer/director John August would hope for, Ryan Reynolds's strong performance makes each of the film's intriguing segments worth watching.

Synopsis: Writer/director John August ponders the metaphysical aspects of life and art in an episodic allegory that follows three artists as... [More]

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis, Melissa McCarthy, Elle Fanning

Directed By: John August

#7

The Heat (2013)
65%

#7

Adjusted Score: 71.236%

Critics Consensus: The Heat is predictable, but Melissa McCarthy is reliably funny and Sandra Bullock proves a capable foil.

Synopsis: Uptight FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) and foul-mouthed Boston cop Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy) couldn't be more incompatible.... [More]

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demian Bichir, Marlon Wayans

Directed By: Paul Feig

#6

Charlie's Angels (2000)
68%

#6

Adjusted Score: 72.911%

Critics Consensus: Mixing tongue-in-cheek cheesecake with glossy action set pieces, Charlie's Angels is slick and resonably fun despite its lack of originality.

Synopsis: They're beautiful, they're brilliant, and they work for Charlie. In a smart, sexy update of the 70's TV show, "Charlie's... [More]

Starring: Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Bill Murray

Directed By: McG

#5

Ghostbusters (2016)
74%

#5

Adjusted Score: 88.256%

Critics Consensus: Ghostbusters does an impressive job of standing on its own as a freewheeling, marvelously cast supernatural comedy -- even if it can't help but pale somewhat in comparison with the classic original.

Synopsis: Ghostbusters makes its long-awaited return, rebooted with a cast of hilarious new characters. Thirty years after the beloved original franchise... [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones

Directed By: Paul Feig

#4

St. Vincent (2014)
77%

#4

Adjusted Score: 83.889%

Critics Consensus: St. Vincent offers the considerable pleasure of seeing Bill Murray back in funny form, but drifts into dangerously sentimental territory along the way.

Synopsis: Maggie (McCarthy), a single mother, moves into a new home in Brooklyn with her 12-year old son, Oliver (Lieberher). Forced... [More]

Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher

Directed By: Ted Melfi

#3

Bridesmaids (2011)
90%

#3

Adjusted Score: 98.414%

Critics Consensus: A marriage of genuine characters, gross out gags, and pathos, Bridesmaids is a female-driven comedy that refuses to be boxed in as Kristen Wiig emerges as a real star.

Synopsis: This spring, Universal Pictures and producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) invite you to experience Bridesmaids. Kristen Wiig... [More]

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey

Directed By: Paul Feig

#2

Go (1999)
91%

#2

Adjusted Score: 93.844%

Critics Consensus: With its sharp dialogue and raucous visuals, Go entertains at an exhilarating pace.

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Ronna (Sarah Polley), accompanied by reluctant partner-in-crime and fellow supermarket checkout clerk Claire, is desperately looking to score some... [More]

Starring: Desmond Askew, Katie Holmes, Sarah Polley, Taye Diggs

Directed By: Doug Liman

#1

Spy (2015)
94%

#1

Adjusted Score: 103.122%

Critics Consensus: Simultaneously broad and progressive, Spy offers further proof that Melissa McCarthy and writer-director Paul Feig bring out the best in one another -- and delivers scores of belly laughs along the way.

Synopsis: Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst, and the unsung hero behind the Agency's most dangerous missions.... [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale

Directed By: Paul Feig