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, leading up to a Best Lead Actress Oscar nomination for Can You Ever Forgive Me?.

Now, we’re ranking all Melissa McCarthy movies by Tomatometer!

#1

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
98%

#1

Critics Consensus: Deftly directed and laced with dark wit, Can You Ever Forgive Me? proves a compelling showcase for deeply affecting work from Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy.

Synopsis: Lee Israel is a frustrated, hard-drinking author who can barely afford to pay her rent or bills in 1990s New [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Richard E. Grant , Dolly Wells , Ben Falcone

Directed By: Marielle Heller

#2

Spy (2015)
95%

#2

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: Despite having solid field training, CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) has spent her entire career as a desk jockey, [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Jason Statham , Rose Byrne , Miranda Hart

Directed By: Paul Feig

#3

Bridesmaids (2011)
89%

#3

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: Annie (Kristen Wiig) is a single woman whose own life is a mess, but when she learns that her lifelong [More]

Starring: Kristen Wiig , Maya Rudolph , Rose Byrne , Ellie Kemper

Directed By: Paul Feig

#4

Ghostbusters (2016)
74%

#4

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: Paranormal researcher Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and physicist Erin Gilbert are trying to prove that ghosts exist in modern society. [More]

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

Directed By: Paul Feig

#5

The Heat (2013)
65%

#5

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

Synopsis: FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) is a methodical investigator with a long-standing reputation for excellence -- and arrogance. [More]

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

Directed By: Paul Feig

#6

The Nines (2007)
63%

#6

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: Three actors (Ryan Reynolds, Hope Davis, Melissa McCarthy) tackle the principal roles in a trio of stories. In "The Prisoner," [More]

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

Directed By: John August

#7

This Is 40 (2012)
52%

#7

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

Synopsis: After many years of marriage, Pete (Paul Rudd) is the sole male in a household that includes his wife, Debbie [More]

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

Directed By: Judd Apatow

#8

Life of the Party (2018)
38%

#8

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 and dedicated housewife Deanna turns regret into reset by going back to college. [More]

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

Directed By: Ben Falcone

#9

Pumpkin (2002)
36%

#9

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

Synopsis: Carolyn's (Christina Ricci) sorority sisters set their sights on the Sorority of the Year award and coaching challenged athletes is [More]

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

Directed By: Adam Larson Broder , Anthony Abrams

#10

The Third Wheel (2002)
33%

#10

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When Stanley met Diana, he hadn't been on a date in years. She was easily the most appealing woman he'd [More]

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

Directed By: Jordan Brady

#11

Superintelligence (2020)
30%

#11

Critics Consensus: You won't need Superintelligence to steer clear of the latest forgettable comedy to fail to take full advantage of Melissa McCarthy's talents.

Synopsis: When an all-powerful Superintelligence, played by James Cordon, chooses to study the most average person on Earth, Carol Peters, played [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Bobby Cannavale , Brian Tyree Henry , James Corden

Directed By: Ben Falcone

#12

Life as We Know It (2010)
30%

#12

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: After a disastrous first date, the only things Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) have in common [More]

Starring: Katherine Heigl , Josh Duhamel , Josh Lucas , Christina Hendricks

Directed By: Greg Berlanti

#13

Cook Off! (2017)
25%

#13

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: As a buffet of quirky contestants prepares for the renowned Van Rookle Farms Cooking Contest, the heat is on to [More]

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

Directed By: Guy Shalem , Cathryn Michon

#14

Tammy (2014)
24%

#14

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

Synopsis: For Tammy (Melissa McCarthy), a burger-joint waitress, a bad day keeps getting worse. She wrecks her car, loses her job [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Susan Sarandon , Kathy Bates , Allison Janney

Directed By: Ben Falcone

#15

The Happytime Murders (2018)
23%

#15

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: Detective Phil Philips is a down-on-his-luck puppet who used to work for the Los Angeles Police Department. When two puppets [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Elizabeth Banks , Maya Rudolph , Leslie David Baker

Directed By: Brian Henson

#16

The Kitchen (2019)
24%

#16

Critics Consensus: With three talented leads struggling to prop up a sagging story, The Kitchen is a jumbled crime thriller in urgent need of some heavy-duty renovation.

Synopsis: Between 8th Ave. and the Hudson River, the Irish mafia runs 20 blocks of a tough New York City neighborhood [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Tiffany Haddish , Elisabeth Moss , Domhnall Gleeson

Directed By: Andrea Berloff

#17

The Boss (2016)
22%

#17

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: Wealthy CEO Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy) always gets her way, until she's busted for insider trading and sent to federal [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Kristen Bell , Peter Dinklage , Ella Anderson

Directed By: Ben Falcone

#18

Thunder Force (2021)
22%

#18

Critics Consensus: It's got a few chuckles, but Thunder Force is largely a superhero comedy that's neither exciting nor funny -- and an egregious waste of its co-stars' talents.

Synopsis: In a world where supervillains are commonplace, two estranged childhood best friends reunite after one devises a treatment that gives [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Octavia Spencer , Jason Bateman , Melissa Leo

Directed By: Ben Falcone

#19

The Hangover Part III (2013)
21%

#19

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: It's been two years since the gang known as the Wolfpack narrowly escaped disaster in Bangkok. Now, Phil (Bradley Cooper), [More]

Starring: Bradley Cooper , Ed Helms , Zach Galifianakis , Justin Bartha

Directed By: Todd Phillips

#20

Identity Thief (2013)
20%

#20

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: Florida resident Diana (Melissa McCarthy) has a luxurious lifestyle as the queen of retail, buying whatever strikes her fancy -- [More]

Starring: Jason Bateman , Melissa McCarthy , Jon Favreau , Amanda Peet

Directed By: Seth Gordon

#21

The Starling (2021)
20%

#21

Critics Consensus: Burying its talented cast and worthy themes under mounds of heavy-handed melodrama, The Starling is a turkey.

Synopsis: After Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) suffers a loss, a battle with a territorial bird (The Starling) over dominion of her garden [More]

Starring: Melissa McCarthy , Chris O'Dowd , Kevin Kline , Timothy Olyphant

Directed By: Theodore Melfi

#22

The Back-up Plan (2010)
17%

#22

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: Tired of waiting for Mr. Right while her biological clock ticks away, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) decides it's time to make [More]

Starring: Jennifer Lopez , Alex O'Loughlin , Michaela Watkins , Eric Christian Olsen

Directed By: Alan Poul