Since his early stints on Saturday Night Live, the famous American funnyman has made us roll over with laughter. But since those days, Will Ferrell has also been a fixture in film, television, and, if you can believe it, even online videos. Sure, not every movie became a success. Sketch comedy show skits don’t always translate to the big screen, after all–but who’s holding a grudge against Ferrell? His comedic wins far outweigh the flops! The comedian and actor has a collection of some great, memorable films. And that’s exactly why he’s earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and two Golden Globe nominations. Let’s just say that there’s no denying that Will Ferrell gave the world all the comedy we could ever need. Here is a rundown of the best Will Ferrell movies – very quotable films and absolutely rewatchable!
The 5 Top Will Ferrell Movies Ranked
Will Ferrell appeared in many of the best comedy films for decades. And for someone of his caliber, you can expect several dozens of hilarious films and performances under his name. And that’s quite a lot of choices when browsing for a Will Ferrell movie to watch. Just in case you want a shortlist of surefire side-splitting movies, we’ve narrowed it down to our top five picks of hilarious Will Ferrell movies. Stick to one of these epic films, and you will be crying with laughter in no time!
1. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Will Ferrell never fails to raise a few chuckles from his audience in all of his roles. But arguably, his most iconic role ever played is the famous anchor, the myth, and the legend – Ron Burgundy. After that, there are a few Anchorman movies, but the first one takes the cake. His comic personal knows no bounds and certainly has no restrictions. And that’s what you can expect from this movie. Oh, and plenty of one-liners too! With his sarcastic humor alongside the likes of Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner, this movie is utterly ridiculous. And in the very best way! There was no limit to the absurdity of how Will Ferrell stars in the comic persona of Ron Burgundy. The funnyman has an epic knack for delivering lines that makes everything hilarious, even when they shouldn’t be. It’s no wonder why the Anchorman is still considered as one of his greatest performances. Whether you’ve watched it or not, this quick-witted work of art will guarantee that you’ll be howling in ten minutes!
2. Elf (2003)
There are a lot of gust-bustingly good Will Ferrell movies, and there are even more Christmas movies. But when you combine the two together, you get one of the most iconic movies of all time. Simply put, you can’t talk about Christmas classic films without mentioning the epic comedy Elf. It’s a perfect combination of the classic elements of holiday movies but made even better with the chaos and madness from Ferrell’s portrayal of Buddy. Ferrell’s bubbly performance gives this film plenty of charm and belly laughs. You don’t see the famous actor playing a role. What you see is a grown man who thinks he’s one of Santa’s elves (and dressed like one too) in New York City looking for his biological parents. Related Reading: Best Melissa McCarthy Movies
3. Blades of Glory (2007)
This movie might already be 15 years old, but it certainly deserves your time and attention. Blades of Glory is pretty much Anchorman, only now Will Ferrell is on skates. If Ferrell was funny in Anchorman, his character as Chazz in this movie allowed him to let loose like never before. Blades of Glory is completely committed to its unabashedly ridiculous premise from the get-go. Two of the best professional male figure skater rivals, Will Ferrell and Jon Heder, got banned from men’s singles forever after all hell broke loose on the gold medal stand. And that’s just the start in this truly hilarious film. Besides the hilarious script, the cast is also packed: Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Rob Cordry, Nick Swardson, and Jenna Fischer. You may not win a gold medal for watching this movie, but Blades of Glory promises a golden performance from Will Ferrell in every scene.
4. Step Brothers (2008)
One thing’s for sure – Will Ferrell is hilarious on his own. But alongside his silly sidekick John C. Reilly, their comedic chemistry bubbles off the screen to induce fits of laughter. The comic duo play two middle-aged men who still live at home and were forced to buddy up as roommates when their respective single parents married. This pair of losers start as rivals, then develop an unlikely friendship over a truly wild ride of a film. If you’re in for a cinematic circus, Step Brothers, directed by Adam McKay, will keep you on your toes. You will never know what ludicrous shenanigans Ferrell’s Brennan Huff and Reilly’s Dale Doback are going to happen next. And did we forget to include that the entire movie consists of improvised scenes? This movie is truly Will Ferrell’s finest, one you should definitely not miss!
5. Old School (2003)
Old School was exactly what its director, Todd Phillips, intended and hoped it would be – moronic to a fault and side-splittingly funny. It’s not his most critically acclaimed movie, as the plot is lackluster at best. But you take Will Ferrell anywhere you can get him, and Old School happened to be one of his funniest movies to date. The performance of the trio – Will Ferrell, Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn – more than makes up for it. Old School might actually seem tame compared to raunchy R-rated comedies that followed it. But it’s the perfect depiction of humor used hilariously and smartly.
8 More of the Funniest Will Ferrell Movies (in No Particular Order)
As we’ve said, Will Ferrell has over two decades’ worth of movies under his belt. And we can’t just skip mentioning these movies! The comic actor is well-known for portraying characters in varying forms of idiocy – sometimes sweet (like Buddy in Elf) but mostly empty-headed. But there’s art and comedic genius in all of that stupidity. And if you think that the actor plays the same person in every film, that would be outrageously wrong – if somewhat understandable on a surface level. But one thing’s for sure, Will Ferrell’s silly antics and endearing humor will continue to make you laugh in this second part of the best Will Ferrell movies you shouldn’t miss (in no particular order).
The Other Guys (2010)
A Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg duo seem unlikely, but here we are. Their matchup resulted in an epic comic invention, starring two desk workers taking the places of two super-cop detectives killed in the line of duty. As opposite as the two are in real life, their characters in the movies have unmistakable comedic chemistry on the big screen. While other Will Ferrell comedy films are known for terrific but defiantly over-the-top gags, The Other Guys is light and provides its best jokes quietly and in the background. Just imagine two opposite types of detectives paired up. It’s meant to end in disaster but in the hippiest, funniest way possible. If you’re in for a buddy cop action movie with a healthy dose of comic antics, this movie should be on your list.
Daddy’s Home (2015)
From mismatched buddy cops to cool bro-dad alliance, here’s another comedy in an art form with the unlikely but now well-loved Ferrell and Wahlberg matchup. This movie, directed by Sean Anders, is a pretty entertaining comedy. The setup is pretty familiar – a head-to-head dad-off between a strait-laced dad and the cool dad. But again, Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg sell it. With Wahlberg’s rugged appeal and Ferrell’s usual comedic charms, their team-up brought something very unique to the movie. If you’re in the mood to have a good laugh after a long, tiring day or a long week, Daddy’s Home can give you a good time. Related Reading: Best Dad Jokes
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Before there was a Wahlberg-Ferrell tandem, the favorite comedy duo for ages was Ferrell and John C. Reilly. They were the original PB&J in buddy comedy movies together again in this wild, raunchy NASCAR classic by director Adam McKay. Like most of his movie roles, Will Ferrell plays another overconfident idiot trope, Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver with his pal Cal played by Reilly. And together, they called themselves Shake and Bake. But the hilarious bromance was shaken by none other than Sacha Baron Cohen and also Amy Adams. Fun Fact: Talladega Nights is one of Will Ferrell’s biggest box office successes. In fact, only Elf outperformed this sports satire in box office gross, and largely because it was a Christmas film.
The LEGO Movie Series
Before its release, a movie about LEGO would have sounded a quick cash grab, but the 2014 film proved to be more than that. Nevertheless, the LEGO Movie is arguably the SNL alum’s most critically acclaimed films, and he didn’t even have to wear garish costumes or play another air-headed, egotistical man onscreen. The delightfully animated flick cast Will Ferrell as the voice for Lord Business. He also appeared in the live-action sequence in the movie, playing the man upstairs, starring alongside a tremendous voice cast: Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, and Elizabeth Banks.
Megamind (2010)
Another really entertaining animated movie with Will Ferrell’s name on it! This comedy gold was all possible with just the comedian’s voice for the main character and anti-hero, Megamind. If you’re in for fun animated films about what happens to the world if a supervillain wins, this one is for you. Not to mention, the voice cast includes fantastic names like Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, and Tina Fey.
Zoolander (2001)
Zoolander is a particularly enjoyable film, especially with Will Ferrell’s elaborately coiffed character as Mugatu. The psychotic fashionista villain effectively stole Ben Stiller’s starring role, especially in the satire of the modeling world. The movie was fairly successful the year it came out, but Zoolander’s reputation has grown exponentially since. From being a cult favorite, it’s now considered a comedy classic, and Ferrell’s portrayal of Mugatu is one of the biggest reasons for its popularity.
Get Hard (2015)
Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart teamed up to form another comedy bromance filled with funny moments and plenty of hilarious scenes. Although, that’s expected from two of the biggest names in the modern comedy world. Although it does some pretty offensive expressions, the verdict is nearly unanimous that you can’t stop Ferrell and Hart from being funny.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
This sweetly goofy film brings the same delightfully silly comedy we know from Will Ferrell but with a nice, charming addition of Rachel McAdams. And for the most part, the mismatched goofy man-child and the underrated range of Rachel McAdams gives plenty of funny accidents best left unspoiled. It also reunites the SNL alum to his Wedding Crashers director, David Dobkin. And if you love musical comedies, definitely add this to your must-watch list of Will Ferrell movies.
Will Ferrel Serious Movie Recommendations
Ferrell made plenty of classic comedy movies and some others where the biggest joke was merely the sight of him wearing a weird outfit or a goofy wig. But, Will Ferrell’s big-screen career is more than perfectly timed jokes and epic one-liners. He’s proved to be a prolific actor in drama movies as well. Related Reading: Top Dark Humor Jokes And if you doubt it, check this share of Will Ferrell’s serious movies ranked for your pleasure.
1. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Zack Helm’s clever script directed by Marc Foster brought Will Ferrell’s first dramatic role on the big screen with Maggie Gyllenhaal as his love interest. Ferrell’s casting was a little strange, but, in the end, his performance alongside Oscar winners like Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman deserves merit. The famous comedy actor provided a more restrained performance as he plays an IRS worker whose mundane life turns upside down when he starts hearing some voice narrating his life as it happens. Stranger Than Fiction is arguably one of Will Ferrell’s best performances yet – essential viewing beyond his comedic antics.
2. Winter Passing (2006)
Will Ferrell once again traded a little bit of comedy for drama/black comedy for Winter Passing, starring alongside Zooey Deschanel, Ed Harris, and Amelia Warner. It’s probably the saddest role the SNL alum has ever played. If your mood is looking for a bit somber and depressing, Ferrell’s Winter Passing is worth a look. Looking for more humor that makes you think? Check out our list of the best Wes Anderson movies.
3. The Shrink Next Door (2021)
This one is not exactly a movie, but a miniseries we can’t help but include in this list for many great reasons. Judging from the title and the comedy-heavyweight cast – Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell – you probably think it would be a silly laugh riot act. But it’s absolutely not! The Shrink Next Door is more sad than funny. In fact, it turns surprisingly dark and creepy episode after episode. All in all, the main reason this miniseries is part of this list is that it adds another flavor to Will Ferrell’s acting range – definitely worth checking out.
Final Thoughts – Best Will Ferrell Movies
So, that’s our list of the top Will Ferrell movies! Sure, not every Will Ferrell movie is equal, but the SNL alum remains an iconic figure in American comedy. Do you have a favorite Will Ferrell film? Don’t forget to share it in the comments. We’ll take your favorite Will Ferrell quote too!
