In honour of 420 – and really every Saturday and weekend in general – we’ve put together a list of 10 of the greatest stoner movies of all time.
To give you as solid a list as possible, we’ve compared our notes with rankings and reviews from imbd, Ranker, Complexand Thrillist. Combined, it’s a mix of movies about stoners, movies to get stoned to and the cult classics.
So order a pizza, pop some ‘corn, roll a few and prepare for a weekend of watching.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes. Ben Affleck, Eliza Dushku, Shannon Elizabeth, Will Ferrell, Ali Larter, Jason Lee, Chris Rock, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith
Written and directed by Kevin Smith who stars as Silent Bob, this stoner comedy follows two slacker friends hellbent on destroying a flick. It features a bunch of cameo appearances and with direct references to The Empire Strikes Back, you know it’s dope.
Grandma’s Boy (2006)
Director: Nicholaus Goossen
Starring: Linda Cardellini, Allen Covert, Nick Swardson, Doris Roberts, Shirley Jones, Shirley Knight
Alex, a 35-year-old video game tester, is forced to move in with his grandma and her two equally old roommates. It’s produced by Adam Sandler’s production company, Happy Madison, so it’s a certified stoner movie.
Pineapple Express (2008)
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Rosie Perez, Danny McBride
In no universe can we exclude Pineapple Expressfrom a stoner film list. Weed, dealers, hitmen, corrupt police and murder. But mostly a shit ton of laughter. Oh, and did we mention James Franco as Seth Rogen’s connect? It’s a must-watch.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Director: Amy Heckerling
Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus, Ray Walston
Before he was an Oscar winner, Sean Penn was Jeff Spicoli, a Southern California high school student-cum-surfer dude. Puffing, pizza and pissing off Mr Hand was the name of Spicolo’s game in this cultural phenomenon.
This is the End (2013)
Director:
Starring:
[YOUTUBE EMBED]Who knew James Franco would become a stoner film cult icon? And that one of the best stoner films would be about a party at his house? This is the Endis an apocalyptic stoner film featuring Rihanna, Kevin Hart, Aziz Anzari and Jonah Hill. Turning on one another. We literally don’t have to say anymore.
Dazed and confused
Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jason London, Ben Affleck, Wiley Wiggins, Parker Posey, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Rory Cochrane, Joey Lauren Adams, Marissa Ribisi, Cole Hauser
After Hollywood’s stoner genre lay dormant for some time, this classic school flick featuring a young Matthew McConaughey, heralded it’s return. Whether you were a jock, stoner, nerd or one of the hot girls, this movie will have you sit back, roll one and reminisce about your high school days.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro
This is like cream of the crop stuff. Jeff Bridge’s “The Dude” Lebowski is an old hippie who literally couldn’t be assed about adult responsibilities. He just wants to smoke joints, drink and bowl. But then someone breaks into his house and pees on his rug and Lebowski is forced to man up. They also pay homage to Up in Smoke– see if you can find it between all the haze.
Franchise: Harold & Kumar (2004, 2008, 2011)
Starring: John Cho and Kal Penn
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004); Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies (2004); Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008); A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011)
Before he was working in the White House (Designated Survivorguys), Kumar Patel was the Indian-American stoner friend to Korean-American officer worker Harold Lee. From a quest for burgers, making love to a bag of weed, to ending up in Guantánamo Bay and then burning down a prize Christmas tree, the Harold & Kumarfranchise has given us some of the best stoner comedy around.
Up in Smoke (1978)
It’s the quintessential stoner film, one that, arguably, birthed the genre. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong’s debut film is a must-watch.
Friday (1995)
Director: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tom Lister Jr., John Witherspoon
There’s so much we can say about why Fridayis a must-watch stoner film. But we’ll spare you, Basically, Ice Cube’s screenwriting debut is about smoking a dope dealer’s weed and trying to get his money back to him before 10pm that evening. It’s inspired in part by Cheech and Chong and spurned the pop culture phrase “Bye Felicia”
