30 Essential Stoner Movies Ranked

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: This coming-of-age film follows the mayhem of a group of rowdy teenagers in Austin, Texas, celebrating the last day of high school in 1976. The… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Richard Linklater

Critics Consensus: Deftly balancing vulgarity and sincerity while placing its protagonists in excessive situations, Superbad is an authentic take on friendship and the overarching awkwardness of the high school experience.

Synopsis: High school seniors Seth and Evan have high hopes for a graduation party. The co-dependent teens plan to score booze and babes so they can… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader

Directed By: Greg Mottola

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

Synopsis: Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper), two Harley-riding hippies, complete a drug deal in Southern California and decide to travel cross-country in search of… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Antonio Mendoza

Directed By: Dennis Hopper

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: In Hollywood, actor James Franco is throwing a party with a slew of celebrity pals. Among those in attendance are his buddies Jonah Hill, Seth… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Samantha Ressler

Directed By: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

Critics Consensus: With ingeniously gross hidden-camera bits that often find their unsuspecting marks at their best, Bad Trip turns out to be a surprisingly uplifting ride.

Synopsis: Hidden cameras capture two best friends pulling hilarious and inventive pranks on an unsuspecting public.

Starring: Eric André, Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish, Michaela Conlin

Directed By: Kitao Sakurai

Critics Consensus: The Big Lebowski‘s shaggy dog story won’t satisfy everybody, but those who abide will be treated to a rambling succession of comic delights, with Jeff Bridges’ laconic performance really tying the movie together.

Synopsis: Jeff Bridges plays Jeff Lebowski who insists on being called “the Dude,” a laid-back, easygoing burnout who happens to have the same name as a… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Joel Coen

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: Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a pretty, but inexperienced, teen interested in dating. Given advice by her uninhibited friend, Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates), Stacy… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Amy Heckerling

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

Synopsis: Nerdy accountant Harold (John Cho) and his irrepressible friend, Kumar (Kal Penn), get stoned watching television and find themselves utterly bewitched by a commercial for… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Danny Leiner

Critics Consensus: Frenetic and frequently hilarious, Pizza Movie overloads itself with psychedelic toppings while remaining a tasty slice of gonzo comedy.

Synopsis: High college students face an unexpected journey when they must navigate two flights of stairs to retrieve their pizza delivery, turning a simple task into… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gaten Matarazzo, Lulu Wilson, Sean Giambrone, Sarah Sherman

Directed By: Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney

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: It’s Friday and Craig Jones has just gotten fired for stealing cardboard boxes. To make matters worse, rent is due, he hates his overbearing girlfriend,… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: F. Gary Gray

Synopsis: Marijuana abuse leads a wholesome teenager (Christian Campbell) and his virtuous girlfriend (Kristen Bell) down the road to ruin.

Starring: Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, Neve Campbell, Alan Cumming

Directed By: Andy Fickman

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: In a California beach community, private detective Larry “Doc” Sportello tends to work his cases through a smoky haze of marijuana. One day, Shasta, a… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Critics Consensus: Sympathetic characters and a clever script help The Wackness overcome a familiar plot to make for a charming coming-of-age comedy.

Synopsis: It’s summer in New York City, the year is 1994, and teenage marijuana dealer Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) is trading dime bags for sessions with… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby

Directed By: Jonathan Levine

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: When John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) was a little boy, he made a wish that Ted (Seth MacFarlane), his beloved teddy bear, would come alive. Thirty… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi

Directed By: Seth MacFarlane

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: Stoner Dale Denton’s (Seth Rogen) enjoyment of a rare strain of marijuana may prove fatal when he drops his roach in a panic after witnessing… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez

Directed By: David Gordon Green

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 (Anna Faris), a struggling but perpetually stoned actress, has a busy day ahead. She has several important tasks on her list, including buying more… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anna Faris, Danny Masterson, Adam Brody, Jane Lynch

Directed By: Gregg Araki

Synopsis: John, Paul, George and Ringo take a psychedelic bus trip through the English countryside. Songs include the title tune, “I Am the Walrus” and “The… View Full Synopsis

Starring: The Beatles

Directed By: The Beatles, Bernard Knowles

Critics Consensus: The role of a lifetime for Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum is set apart by Harmony Korine’s distinctive style, but that isn’t always enough to offset the unfocused story.

Synopsis: Moondog is a fun-loving, pot-smoking, beer-drinking writer who lives life on his own terms in Florida. If he can put down the drugs for just… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Stefania Owen

Directed By: Harmony Korine

Critics Consensus: Tenacious D fans 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: Musicians JB (Jack Black) and KG (Kyle Gass) begin a friendship that could lead to the formation of the greatest rock band in the world…. View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Black, Kyle Gass, JR Reed, Tim Robbins

Directed By: Liam Lynch

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: When Jay and Silent Bob learn that a Bluntman and Chronic movie is being made featuring their comic book counterparts, they drool at the thought… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeff Anderson, Diedrich Bader, Eliza Dushku

Directed By: Kevin Smith

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

Synopsis: Defying the very notion of good taste, Scary Movie out-parodies the pop culture parodies with a no-holds barred assault on the most popular images and… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Cheri Oteri, Shannon Elizabeth

Directed By: Keenen Ivory Wayans

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

Synopsis: Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas with a… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio del Toro, Craig Bierko, Ellen Barkin

Directed By: Terry Gilliam

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: An unemployed pot-smoking slacker and amateur drummer, Anthony Stoner (Tommy Chong) ditches his strict parents and hits the road, eventually meeting kindred spirit Pedro de… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Stacy Keach, Edie Adams

Directed By: Lou Adler

Synopsis: High-school principal Dr. Alfred Carroll (Josef Forte) relates to an audience of parents that marijuana can have devastating effects on teens. In his story, a… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dave O'Brien, Dorothy Short, Lillian Miles, Warren McCollum

Directed By: Louis Gasnier

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

Synopsis: Always looking for action, five over-enthusiastic but under-stimulated Vermont State Troopers raise hell on the highway, keeping motorists anxiously looking in their rearview mirrors. Between… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter

Directed By: Jay Chandrasekhar

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: When a member of their crew gets arrested for killing a New York City police horse by feeding it junk food, three slackin’ stoners are… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Tamra Davis

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

Synopsis: Multi-platinum rap superstars Redman and Method Man star as Jamal and Silas, two regular guys who smoke something magical, ace their college entrance exams and… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Jesse Dylan

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

Synopsis: Following a ridiculously awful flight that leads to his pet’s death, Nashawn Wade files a lawsuit against the airline, and wins a multimillion-dollar settlement. Determined… View Full Synopsis

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

Directed By: Jessy Terrero

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: Last night, two party-hearty Dudes had an unbelievably sweet time. Too bad, they can’t remember a thing, including where they parked their car. So, the… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott, Kristy Swanson, Jennifer Garner

Directed By: Danny Leiner

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

Synopsis: When he and his roommate can’t pay their rent, video game creator Alex finds himself homeless and moves in with Lilly, his wacky grandmother. Lilly… View Full Synopsis

Starring: Doris Roberts, Allen Covert, Shirley Jones, Shirley Knight

Directed By: Nicholaus Goossen