Will Ferrell's 10 best and 10 worst movies, according to critics
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- Between "SNL" and his movie career, Will Ferrell has been making us laugh for decades.
- He's been in some of the most beloved comedies of all time, like "Wedding Crashers" and "Anchorman."
- Most recently, he appeared in the Netflix documentary "Will & Harper."
After getting his start on "Saturday Night Live," Will Ferrell left the show to become one of the biggest stars in comedy of the 2000s and beyond.
His movies, which include "Anchorman," "Talladega Nights," "Step Brothers," "Barbie," and "Elf," have made hundreds of millions at the box office. He's easily one of the sketch show's most bankable stars.
But not all of his films have been successful with critics.
We've identified the 10 best and 10 worst movies that Ferrell has starred in, according to critics' scores on Rotten Tomatoes. See where your favorite Ferrell film lands.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty
Ferrell has been in over 50 films in his career. These are the ones deemed the worst by critics.
New Line Cinema
Using his earnings from a one-hit wonder, Jackie Moon (Ferrell) purchases the Flint Tropics, a basketball team in the American Basketball Association (ABA). But when an upcoming merger with the NBA threatens to dissolve the Tropics, Jackie pulls out all the stops to bring in fans and win some games.
David Ansen of Newsweek wrote, "The semi-funny 'Semi-Pro' is amiable enough, but you never feel there's much at stake."
myCinema
"Zeroville" follows Vikar (James Franco) on his journey across '70s Hollywood as he becomes more involved in the film industry. Ferrell has a small role as a big-time Hollywood producer, Rondell.
"This filth grates all the more because the film is so unbearably smug," wrote Little White Lies' Lillian Crawford.
Sony Pictures Releasing
In a meta remake of the TV series, Ferrell stars as actor Jack Wyatt, who wants to star in a revival of "Bewitched" as Darrin Stephens and is looking for the perfect costar. Enter Isabel Bigelow (Kidman), who is actually a witch, making her the ideal actor to play Samantha Stephens.
"Ms. Kidman and Mr. Ferrell are not an intuitive match, and the romantic side of the story is both half-hearted and half-baked," wrote Manohla Dargis for The New York Times.
Paramount Pictures
Models Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson) are thrust back into the limelight after a string of superstars are murdered. Ferrell returns as Zoolander's nemesis from the first film, Mugatu.
"One of the most unnecessary sequels of all time (yes, I've seen 'Speed 2')," wrote Max Weiss for Baltimore Magazine.
Paramount Pictures
In "Daddy's Home 2," Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg return as Brad and Dusty, former rivals and current co-parents whose bond is put to the test when their fathers enter their lives at Christmas. John Lithgow plays Brad's dad, Don, and Mel Gibson plays Dusty's dad, Kurt.
"Gibson could scarcely hope to play a character more like himself if he landed the lead in 'The Mel Gibson Story,'" wrote Ryan Gilbey for The New Statesman.
Warner Bros. Pictures
In "The House," Ferrell and Amy Poehler play a married couple who, after their town's community scholarship is dissolved, are unable to pay their daughter's college tuition. To make ends meet, they start an underground casino in their basement with the help of their friend Frank (Jason Mantzoukas).
"A dark, startlingly bloody journey into the bitter, empty, broken heart of the American middle class, a blend of farce and satire built on a foundation of social despair," wrote AO Scott for The New York Times.
Paramount Pictures
Ferrell and his "SNL" costar Chris Kattan reunited as the Butabi brothers in "A Night at the Roxbury." Their only objective is to get into Los Angeles' hottest club, the Roxbury ... and they'll stop at nothing to do it.
"The lame-o aspects of the whole campy setup are still lame-o," wrote Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum.
Paramount Pictures
"The Ladies Man" is based on a popular "SNL" sketch starring Tim Meadows as Leon Phelps, the titular Ladies Man. After he's fired from his job on TV giving relationship and romantic advice, he's forced to backtrack through his romantic relationships. Ferrell plays one of the many men whose significant others cheated on them with Leon.
"When Meadows's three-minute sketch persona is stretched out to cover a whole movie, the cracks soon start to show," wrote Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian.
Sony Pictures Releasing
Ferrell and Reilly became the latest pair of actors to take on the iconic duo of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, but their version was much less revered than Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman or Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.
Richard Propes of The Independent Critic called it "one of the worst films of 2018."
Artisan Entertainment/Nordisk Film/Motion Picture Corporation of America
After best friends Jerry (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and Nick (Horatio Sanz) make homophobic comments in front of a gay travel agent (Ferrell), they're sent on a gay cruise to open their minds.
"This tacky and unfunny movie is another teen comedy, I suppose: but teen in the sense that this is the demographic it's aimed at. There are no teenagers actually in it, just grown men who ought to know better," wrote Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian.
Steven Ferdman/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Ferrell has a small part as a homeless person in "Drunk Parents," which stars Salma Hayek and Alec Baldwin as a married couple on the verge of losing their house. They decide to rent out their neighbor's house, which they're house-sitting, to make some quick cash. However, when they rent it to a registered sex offender (Jim Gaffigan), they re-think their options.
"Even with a cast this stacked, nothing about 'Drunk Parents' works," wrote Decider's Jade Budowski.
Sony Pictures Releasing
When a former '80s group reunites at the wedding of one of their members, a record executive (Jennifer Love Hewitt) convinces them it's time to give it one more go. Ferrell plays Gil, the Suburbans' bass player.
"Unlike 'That Thing You Do,' 'The Suburbans,' lacks innocence and a personable storyline, causing insufficient interest in the characters," according to MovieGuide.
Dominik Bindl/WireImage
It could be argued that Ferrell's best work has been on the small screen, based on just awards. He's been nominated for 20 Emmy Awards, winning six. However, these films prove that his movie career hasn't just been critical misfires.
Paramount Pictures/DreamWorks Animation
Ferrell voices Megamind, an alien who landed on Earth and grows up to become a supervillain. Another baby alien who fell to Earth simultaneously grew up to become the superhero Metro Man (Brad Pitt). But when Megamind seemingly defeats Metro Man once and for all, he discovers that there's more to life than villainy.
"I do love Ferrell, whose absurdist man-child routine has always been a matter of taste," wrote Amy Biancolli for the Houston Chronicle.
New Line Cinema
The first "Austin Powers" film, "International Man of Mystery," introduced audiences to Austin Powers (Mike Myers), a clear parody of '60s-era James Bond and other spy films. Ferrell — in brownface — plays henchman Mustafa, a stereotypical Arab wearing a fez who is seemingly impossible to kill.
"Hugely influential at the time — but getting old relatively quickly — 'Austin Powers'-mania was a major force in the late 90s and early 2000s, especially when the sequels arrived in 1999 and 2002," wrote Stephen Silver of Tilt.
Sony Pictures Releasing
Ferrell stars as Harold Crick, an IRS agent who lives his life with set rules and routines. But when he begins hearing a disembodied voice in his head who seems to be narrating his life (Emma Thompson), he learns there's more to life than just following the same daily pattern.
"The ending may be mush, but the rest has surprising bite," wrote Anthony Lane for The New Yorker.
Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions
In "Everything Must Go," based on the 1978 short story "Why Don't You Dance," Ferrell plays Nick Halsey, a recovering alcoholic who, after relapsing, loses his job, his wife, and his money. To make some money and move on, Nick and his AA sponsor, Frank (Michael Peña), organize a yard sale for Nick's belongings.
"Make a note about Will Ferrell. There is depth there," wrote Roger Ebert.
Netflix
Based on the Funny or Die series of the same name, "Between Two Ferns" sees Zach Galifianakis (as himself) take his low-budget, public access interview show "Between Two Ferns" on the road. Ferrell plays a version of himself who offers Zach a bigger show and the chance to be the president of Funny or Die.
"It's fascinating, and very funny, but it completely punctures the entire conceit. Be warned," wrote NPR's Glen Weldon.
Gemma LaMana/Paramount
Almost 10 years after we last saw Ron Burgundy, reconciled with his co-anchor and girlfriend Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) and back to anchoring on his beloved KVWN in San Diego, Ron and Veronica return along with his friends for "Anchorman 2."
Except the team is broken up, Ron's relationship has fallen apart, and he's quit his all-star job in New York City. But you can't keep Ron Burgundy down for long.
"There's no question that, despite all the low-brow anarchy, the film is driven by anger at what happened to TV news during the 1980s," wrote Donald Clark for The Irish Times.
New Line Cinema
"Wedding Crashers" stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn as two friends, John and Jeremy, who are dedicated to crashing weddings to find women to sleep with. But when John meets Claire (Rachel McAdams), he discovers that his crashing days might be over for good.
Ferrell has an unforgettable cameo as Chazz, who taught John and Jeremy everything they know about wedding crashing. But his arrested-development lifestyle convinces the two friends they need to grow up.
Alexa Moses of The Sydney Morning Herald called the film "an easy, breezy, lanky Hollywood rom-com with a brain, for most of its running time."
Columbia Pictures
Ferrell and Wahlberg costar as two NYPD officers who get no respect from their colleagues; Terry (Walhberg) because he accidentally shot Derek Jeter and Allen (Ferrell) due to his meek nature.
But when two of the NYPD's most high-profile cops jump to their deaths, it's up to Terry and Allen to crack the case.
"This is the fourth feature that Will Ferrell and writer-director Adam McKay have collaborated on, and once again they deliver laugh-out-loud if ultimately disposable comedy with mixed messages about arrested male development," wrote Joshua Keaton for the Chicago Reader.
Hulu
"Quiz Lady" stars Awkwafina and Sandra Oh as sisters short on cash after their mother runs out on a loan shark. Jenny (Oh) decides to submit her sister to the "Jeopardy!"-esque quiz show "Can't Stop the Quiz" to earn the money. The show is hosted by Terry McTeer, played by Ferrell doing his best Alex Trebek impression.
"There's a smart casting twist to this modestly enjoyable comedy about a pair of mismatched sisters thrown back together," wrote Craig Mathieson of The Sydney Morning Herald.
Warner Bros. Pictures
After being defeated in "The Lego Movie," Lord Business (Ferrell) is now President Lord Business and has been reformed into a better leader. Instead of facing off against him, Emmet (Chris Pratt) and his friends must battle the new Duplo figures that have appeared in their world to prevent Armageddon.
"If you're willing to let the quantum mechanics slide, you'll have a pretty awesome time," wrote Hanna Flint for Time Out.
New Line Cinema
In "Elf," Ferrell plays Buddy, an orphaned human who makes his way to the North Pole and is adopted by Santa and his elves. But when he finds out his birth father, Walter (James Caan), has ended up on the Naughty List, he travels to New York City to find out what went wrong.
"Will Ferrell gives my favorite, underrated brand of acting performance: Adult capturing the wonder of a child without being patronizing," wrote Kevin Fallon for The Daily Beast.
Warner Bros. Pictures
"Barbie," one-half of the "Barbenheimer" movie craze that swept the nation in 2023, is a story of self-discovery as Barbie (Margot Robbie) travels from Barbie Land to the real world to figure out who she really is. Ferrell plays the well-meaning, if a little strange, CEO of Mattel.
"'Barbie' is surprisingly spiritual, treating the messiness and contradictions of womanhood with reverence," wrote The New Republic's Grace Segers.
Warner Bros. Pictures
"The Lego Movie" is about Emmet (Chris Pratt), a seemingly average resident of Bricksburg who is called to join the fight against Lord Business (Ferrell), the tyrannical leader of their entire world.
Ferrell also has a live-action part in "The Lego Movie" as the dad of Finn, the 8-year-old boy who's been acting out the film's events with his Lego bricks.
"The movie is a wonderful surprise, cleverly written and executed brick by brick with a visual panache," wrote Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Courtesy of Netflix
Ferrell's best-reviewed film doesn't involve him acting at all — it's a documentary about his evolving friendship with comedy writer Harper Steele. Steele came out as transgender when she was 61 years old, 27 years after she met Ferrell on "Saturday Night Live."
After Steele came out, Ferrell suggested that the two take a road trip across America and document it.
"It's as wholesome, and as American, as it gets," wrote Slate's Sam Adams.