(Photo by Gramercy Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection. Thumbnail image: Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection; Universal/courtesy Everett Collection.)

25 Essential Stoner Movies Ranked

If your movie nights could take a few more hits, check out our guide to the best stoner movies! These are essential movies to the marijuana experience, ranging from counterculture classics (Up in Smoke, Easy Rider), top-shelf mainstream films (Pineapple Express, Friday), and cult comedies (Grandma’s Boy, Super Troopers), all featuring icons like Jeff Spicoli and The Dude. Then we took all the movies and sorted them by Tomatometer, lowest to highest.

If you’re seeking a trip guide, something to pair with whatever state you’re in, check out the 25 Essential Stoner Movies! (And don’t forget the 20 best movies to watch high.)

#25

Grandma's Boy (2006)
16%

#25

Adjusted Score: 17.423%

Critics Consensus: A gross-out comedy that's more gross than comedic, Grandma's Boy is lazy and unrewarding.

Synopsis: Alex, a 35-year-old video-game tester, is forced to move out of his apartment and in with his grandmother and her... [More]

Starring: Linda Cardellini, Allen Covert, Peter Dante, Shirley Jones

Directed By: Nicholaus Goossen

#24

Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)
17%

#24

Adjusted Score: 18.411%

Critics Consensus: The movie isn't funny, the plot is too thin, and the production values feel more like a TV sitcom than a movie.

Synopsis: The startling effects of chemically induced short-term memory loss provide the backdrop for this resinous teen comedy. Jesse (Ashton Kutcher)... [More]

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott, Jennifer Garner, Marla Sokoloff

Directed By: Danny Leiner

#23

Soul Plane (2004)
18%

#23

Adjusted Score: 20.346%

Critics Consensus: A raunchy sendup of Airplane! that never really takes off.

Synopsis: Why just fly when you can soar with soul? After a humiliating experience on an airplane, Nashawn Wade sues the... [More]

Starring: Tom Arnold, Kevin Hart, Method Man, Snoop Dogg

Directed By: Jessy Terrero

#22

How High (2001)
26%

#22

Adjusted Score: 27.199%

Critics Consensus: How High is a sloppily constructed stoner movie filled with lame, vulgar jokes.

Synopsis: A pair of real-life multi-platinum rap artists star in this genial substance abuse comedy recalling the pro-marijuana work of Cheech... [More]

Starring: Method Man, Redman, Obba Babatundé, Mike Epps

Directed By: Jesse Dylan

#21

Half Baked (1998)
29%

#21

Adjusted Score: 29.541%

Critics Consensus: You'd have to be high to dig Half Baked's half baked production and scattershot sense of humor -- although maybe that was the point of this Dave Chapelle-led joint.

Synopsis: It's dopey time, again, in this pat-addled buddy movie that will scare you straight with its lack of humor.... [More]

Starring: Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Díaz, Jim Breuer, Harland Williams

Directed By: Tamra Davis

#20

Super Troopers (2002)
35%

#20

Adjusted Score: 36.977%

Critics Consensus: A more-miss -than-hit affair, Super Troopers will most likely appeal to those looking for something silly.

Synopsis: A handful of state troopers are put in the uncomfortable position of having to actually enforce the law in this... [More]

Starring: Brian Cox, Daniel von Bargen, Marisa Coughlan, Lynda Carter

Directed By: Jay Chandrasekhar

#19

Reefer Madness (Tell Your Children) (Doped Youth) (1936)
39%

#19

Adjusted Score: 43.887%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: This is one of the '30s-era "out-for-your-best-interests" films. This one deals with the dangers associated with smoking marijuana and shows... [More]

Starring: Dorothy Short, Kenneth Craig, Lillian Miles, Lillian Miles

Directed By: Louis J. Gasnier, Herman Hertz

#18

Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams (1981)
43%

#18

Adjusted Score: 27.819%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Here, the dope-smoking duo are working on an ice-cream truck, and their specially treated confections are more than just a... [More]

Starring: Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Robert Chong, Stacy Keach

Directed By: Tommy Chong

#17

Up in Smoke (1978)
47%

#17

Adjusted Score: 48.269%

Critics Consensus: Oft-quoted but undeniably flawed, Up In Smoke is a seminal piece of stoner cinema thanks to the likability of its two counterculture icons.

Synopsis: Then professional potheads Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong teamed up for Cheech & Chong: Up In Smoke, which features the... [More]

Starring: Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Stacy Keach, Strother Martin

Directed By: Lou Adler, Tommy Chong

#16

We're The Millers (2013)
48%

#16

Adjusted Score: 53.861%

Critics Consensus: We're the Millers squanders its potential with an uneven, lazily assembled story..

Synopsis: David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer whose clientele includes chefs and soccer moms, but no kids-after all,... [More]

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter

Directed By: Rawson Marshall Thurber

#15

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
49%

#15

Adjusted Score: 52.431%

Critics Consensus: Visually creative, but also aimless, repetitive, and devoid of character development.

Synopsis: Journalist Raoul Duke and his lawyer Dr Gonzo drive from LA to Las Vegas on a drugs binge. They nominally... [More]

Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Gary Busey, Ellen Barkin

Directed By: Terry Gilliam

#14

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)
52%

#14

Adjusted Score: 55.845%

Critics Consensus: Tenacious D fan will find this movie hilarious; everybody else will see only a low-brow concept movie and a small assembly of jokes stretched past the 100 minute mark.

Synopsis: In this musical comedy-adventure starring self-proclaimed greatest band in the world Tenacious D, a pair of aspiring rock superstars attempt... [More]

Starring: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, JR Reed, Troy Gentile

Directed By: Liam Lynch

#13

Scary Movie (2000)
52%

#13

Adjusted Score: 55.863%

Critics Consensus: Critics say Scary Movie overloads on crudity and grossness to get its laughs.

Synopsis: From the minds that brought you "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," "In Living Color" and "Don't Be A Menace In... [More]

Starring: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, Shannon Elizabeth

Directed By: Keenen Ivory Wayans

#12

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
53%

#12

Adjusted Score: 57.864%

Critics Consensus: Fans can expect a good laugh as the cast from Smith's previous films reunite for Jay and Silent Bob's last bow. The loose plotting and crude language may be too much for others though.

Synopsis: Once upon a time in a galaxy very, very close to New Jersey Jay and Silent Bob stumble upon something... [More]

Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Shannon Elizabeth

Directed By: Kevin Smith

#11

Smiley Face (2007)
67%

#11

Adjusted Score: 67.381%

Critics Consensus: Although many of the jokes have been done before, Anna Faris's bright performance and Gregg Araki's sharp direction make Smiley Face more than your average stoner comedy.

Synopsis: Jane F, an unsuccessful slacker actress, is having a bad day. And it's getting more outrageous and comically surreal by... [More]

Starring: Anna Faris, Roscoe Lee Browne, Danny Masterson, Ben Falcone

Directed By: Gregg Araki

#10

Pineapple Express (2008)
68%

#10

Adjusted Score: 75.753%

Critics Consensus: Both funny and scattershot, this loose-knit action/buddy/stoner comedy bridges genres and keeps a steady tempo of low-ball laughs.

Synopsis: Critically acclaimed director David Gordon Green takes a break from the brooding drama that defined such early efforts as George... [More]

Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride (IV), Gary Cole

Directed By: David Gordon Green

#9

Ted (2012)
69%

#9

Adjusted Score: 77.235%

Critics Consensus: Ted's "romance versus bromance" plot is familiar, but the film's held aloft by the high-concept central premise and a very funny (albeit inconsistent) script.

Synopsis: Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane brings his boundary-pushing brand of humor to the big screen for the first time as... [More]

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Giovanni Ribisi

Directed By: Seth MacFarlane

#8

Inherent Vice (2015)
73%

#8

Adjusted Score: 82.6%

Critics Consensus: Inherent Vice may prove frustrating for viewers who demand absolute coherence, but it does justice to its acclaimed source material -- and should satisfy fans of director P.T. Anderson.

Synopsis: "Inherent Vice," is the seventh feature from Paul Thomas Anderson and the first ever film adaption of a Thomas Pynchon... [More]

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

#7

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
74%

#7

Adjusted Score: 77.903%

Critics Consensus: The likable leads and subversion of racial stereotypes elevate Harold and Kumar above the typical stoner comedy.

Synopsis: Directed by Danny Leiner, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle follows the life-changing (and mind-altering) journey of Korean-American investment... [More]

Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Paula Garcés, David Krumholtz

Directed By: Danny Leiner

#6

Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
77%

#6

Adjusted Score: 81.527%

Critics Consensus: While Fast Times at Ridgemont High features Sean Penn's legendary performance, the film endures because it accurately captured the small details of school, work, and teenage life.

Synopsis: Based on 22-year-old Cameron Crowe's undercover exposé on life in a Southern California public high school, this groundbreaking effort presents... [More]

Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus

Directed By: Amy Heckerling

#5

Friday (1995)
78%

#5

Adjusted Score: 79.043%

Critics Consensus: What Friday might lack in taut construction or directorial flair, it more than makes up with its vibrant (albeit consistently crass) humor and the charming, energetic performances of its leads.

Synopsis: Hard-core rapper Ice Cube, after appearing in such hard-hitting films as Boyz 'N the Hood and Higher Learning, played his... [More]

Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tommy "Tiny" Lister

Directed By: F. Gary Gray

#4

The Big Lebowski (1998)
83%

#4

Adjusted Score: 89%

Critics Consensus: Typically stunning visuals and sharp dialogue from the Coen Brothers, brought to life with strong performances from Goodman and Bridges.

Synopsis: The plot of this Raymond Chandler-esque comedy crime caper from the Coen Brothers (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) pivots around... [More]

Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi

Directed By: Joel Coen

#3

This Is the End (2013)
83%

#3

Adjusted Score: 91.795%

Critics Consensus: Energetic, self-deprecating performances and enough guffaw-inducing humor make up for the flaws in This Is the End loosely written script.

Synopsis: The comedy This Is The End follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic... [More]

Starring: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel

Directed By: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

#2

Easy Rider (1969)
83%

#2

Adjusted Score: 89.594%

Critics Consensus: Edgy and seminal, Easy Rider encapsulates the dreams, hopes, and hopelessness of 1960s counterculture.

Synopsis: After scoring cocaine in Mexico, then re-selling it in California, two bikers set off on a cross-country trek to New... [More]

Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Sandy Brown Wyeth

Directed By: Dennis Hopper

#1

Dazed and Confused (1993)
92%

#1

Adjusted Score: 96.599%

Critics Consensus: Featuring an excellent ensemble cast, a precise feel for the 1970s, and a killer soundtrack, Dazed and Confused is a funny, affectionate, and clear-eyed look at high school life.

Synopsis: Like George Lucas' American Graffiti, Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused is an affectionate look at the youth culture of a... [More]

Starring: Jason London, Rory Cochrane, Sasha Jenson, Wiley Wiggins

Directed By: Richard Linklater