Watch These 7 Best Stoner Comedies To Celebrate 4/20
April 20 is almost upon us, bruh, spelling out another exciting holiday centered around recreational hashish and cannabis usage.
While we certainly won’t pressure anyone into partaking in the holiday’s annual festivities, 4/20 can be enjoyed in a variety of ways outside of traditional marijuana use. For example, the average person might consider sitting back and watching any one of the classic stoner comedies within the entertainment industry, allowing viewers to celebrate 4/20 in their own special way.
From neo-noir comedic mysteries to coming of age cult classics, here are some of the absolute greatest stoner comedies to check out this holiday season, ranked in order from worst to best.
Friday (1995)
No offense to Jackie Chan, but for our money, Chris Tucker’s ideal comedic partner is none other than rapping legend/famously ornery N.W.A. alumni, Ice Cube, as seen through their repeated collaborations on the fan-favorite Friday series. Kicking the franchise off with a resounding bang, 1995’s Friday finds Tucker and Ice Cube’s L.A. slackers racing against the clock to pay off their embittered, possibly homicidal dealer. With each of its main stars demonstrating keen natural chemistry and inspired comedic sensibilities, Friday is a beloved buddy comedy perfectly deserving of its repeated praise, with even dedicated cinephile Quentin Tarantino singling the film out as his personal favorite movie from 1995.
Inherent Vice (2014)
The 21st century equivalent to The Big Lebowski, Inherent Vice also serves as a visionary adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s complex 2009 novel. A neo-noir mystery with a wacky sense of humor and a colorful cast of characters, Inherent Vice may not boast as clear-cut a narrative as most other stoner comedies, likely requiring a few repeated viewings to fully decipher and understand. But between its irreverent humor, atmospheric score, and hilariously eccentric characters, this 2014 comedy is more than worthy of your time and attention.
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
It’s hard to believe getting an order of White Castle sliders would ever be this difficult. But as Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle humorously shows us, the lengthy odyssey the title characters experience in search of their beefy delicacies is more than worth the effort. Encountering all kinds of odd characters over the course of their journey through suburban New Jersey, Harold & Kumar’s comedic story makes for one of the most creatively inventive entries in the stoner genre, whether looking at the duo’s hang glider getaway or their strange interactions with a depraved Neil Patrick Harris.
Pineapple Express (2008)
According to producer Judd Apatow, Pineapple Express’s genesis came about by imagining what a day in the life of Brad Pitt’s spaced-out stoner in True Romance might look like. From there, Superbad screenwriter Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg went to work creating an unforgettable comedy that’s both laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly action-packed. Incorporating Apatow’s usual troupe of actors like Rogen, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, and Bill Hader, Pineapple Express is the ultimate creative achievement from Rogen and Goldberg yet, favorably measuring up to their various collaborations on Superbad, This Is the End, and Sausage Party, among many other worthwhile projects.
Up in Smoke (1978)
Few films tackled the subject of recreational drug use in the late 1970s, with even fewer movies portraying the topic in a positive or ordinary light. But then the comedic partnership of Cheech and Chong came along, upending audiences’ expectations and creating the basic prototype for the traditional stoner comedy. Evoking their rebellious counterculture views for their first big screen outing, Cheech and Chong proved that marijuana usage was far from a moral evil or a reprehensible course of action. Rather, it was a passive means of enjoyment, relaxation, and thoroughly lax entertainment, allowing future generations to gain a new, more positive outlook on the topic in the decades ahead.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Can you remember how much simpler life was when you were in high school, free from the burdens of having a full-time job, paying rent, and agonizing over which piece of furniture looks best in your cramped living room? Transporting viewers back in time to the carefree days of their adolescence, Dazed and Confused also acts as an effective portrayal of late 1970s youth culture, complete with constant parties, rip-roaring rock and roll songs, and a heavy emphasis on recreational substances. A well-loved cult favorite worth watching every time the school season ends and summer begins, it’s an effortlessly enjoyable comedy viewers of every age will instantly connect with.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Quite possibly the most beloved cult film of all time, The Big Lebowski’s long-lasting success has ushered in a variety of distinct accolades, spawning all kinds of international film festivals, fashion trends, holidays, even entire religions (the aptly-named Dudeist philosophy). In spite of its continued critical success, one shouldn’t overlook the basic narrative accomplishments at the heart of The Big Lebowski. Led by a career-defining performance from Jeff Bridges, this 1998 cult classic comes loaded with the Coen brothers’ signature penchant for fast-paced dialogue and vivid characterization, allowing the siblings to weave together a neo-noir mystery unlike any other.
