Top 10 Will Ferrell Movies Of All Time
Will Ferrell has starred in many comedy films over the years (Devian Art)
Will Ferrell is one of America’s best comedy actors that has been in a multitude of high grossing films. He is an actor, producer, comedian and writer, and he has earned six Emmy Awards and won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He has had less success with his newer films, but his roles in the early 2000s were legendary and have marked his place in history as a comedic genius. Here are the top 10 best Will Ferrell movies ever that capture his hilarious essence and are sure to spark laughter and joy out of any audience.
10. The “Zoolander” Franchise
The Zoolander Series follows the world’s most famous male model, Derek Zoolander, (Ben Stiller) and his arch-nemesis turned partner in crime, Hansel (Owen Wilson). They are not only the most popular models in the world, they also double as secret agents and spies that somehow manage to always get involved with fashion designer Jacobim Mugatu’s (Will Ferrell) evil plan. In both the original, released in 2001, and the sequel, released in 2016, these laughably nonsensical models have to save the fashion world against evil. Mugatu wasn’t Ferrell’s typical role, there was a lot more eyeliner and eccentricism, not to mention he was just a side character, unlike many of Ferrell’s more entertaining roles. Zoolander 1 was much more successful than Zoolander 2, but neither were exceptional; they were original and ridiculous, but this role was nothing but a goofy cameo for Ferrall’s overall career.
9. “Old School”
This 2003 comedy follows three friends trying to relive their glory days in college. A depressed attorney (Luke Wilson), a newlywed (Will Ferrell), and a businessman/dad (Vince Vaughn), all have adult lives, jobs, and families, but their lives feel meaningless compared to their fun, carefree, crazy past. So, they buy a house on a college campus to try to find purpose in their lives and relive their college days. They host wild parties, start an illegal fraternity, and get into all sorts of trouble with the college dean, eventually having to fight the dean to keep the fraternity alive. Will Ferrell plays one of his classic roles of a normal guy trying to live a normal life, but somehow always ends up making the wrong, hilarious decisions. This movie catapulted Ferrell to stardom, and gave him the opportunity to star in so many other, arguably superior movies.
8. "Semi-Pro"
Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) is a one-hit wonder of the 1970s who uses the profits from his hit single to buy a semi-professional basketball team, the Flint Michigan Tropics. Not only is he the manager, he is also the head coach, starting power forward, pregame announcer and marketer. The Tropics are by far the worst team in the league, with a joke of a team and no fanbase, but when they learn the top three teams from their league will be merging with the NBA, they step it up to have the chance to make it in the big leagues. They acquire retired Boston Celtics bench-rider Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson) and stage desperate stunts to boost their attendance and make a run in the playoffs. This relatively minor 2008 film in Ferrell’s overall repertoire is one of the most underrated, but is a classic underdog sports movie incorporated with Ferrell’s famed comedic style to create a masterpiece.
7. “Blades of Glory”
What’s better than Will Ferrell and basketball? Will Ferrell and ice skating. When ice skating rivals Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) tie at the Winter Olympics and are forced to share the top spot on the podium and the gold medal, it ends in a heated fist fight between the two. They are stripped of their medals and banned from men’s singles skating forever, sending them both into a depressive spiral and a purposeless life. The only way they will ever be able to relive their glory days on the ice again, is to forget their past and skate together as a pair. This mismatched duo, Michael Michaels being a hotheaded bad influence, and MacElroy being a sweet goody two shoes, has to shove their differences and hatred for each other aside in order to redeem themselves on the rink. Released in 2007, this was another relatively minor movie in Ferrell’s career, but it has a star studded cast, a ridiculously original plot, and is filled with absurd characters in sparkly outfits.
6. “The Other Guys”
This 2010 action-comedy features one of comedy’s most dynamic duos: Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. These two play so-called useless NYPD detectives who are constantly in the shadow of their heroic counterparts. While the real detectives, Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Danson (Dwayne Johnson), get all of the cases, money, fame, and power, Allen (Will Ferrell) and Terry (Mark Wahlberg) idolize them from their desks. When they jump on a minor case that later proves to be an increasing threat to the city, though, they prove that they have what it takes to be real detectives. What starts as a basic scaffolding permit violation turns into a multi-million dollar scandal that Allen and Terry fall head first into. The film is filled with impressive action scenes along with big laughs that are sure to come from the comedic chemistry that Ferrell and Wahlberg have together.
5. “Elf”
Released in 2003, Elf is one of the most well-known and loved Christmas films of all time. It is lighthearted and festive, but still incorporates Ferrell’s witty comedic style. Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) is a human that is raised in the North Pole and believes he is an elf until his mid 20’s, when he learns that his real family lives in a far away place called New York City. Determined to find his family and live in his own world, he travels there and quickly realizes that New York is completely different from the magical and merry land he grew up in. While trying to connect with his father, who’s name resides on the naughty list, and find his way in this new world, and save Christmas, Buddy embarks on a number of chaotic, yet heartwarming adventures. This is a much more family-friendly role for Ferrell than many of his other movies, but it is still some of his best comedic work.
4. “Step Brothers”
This 2008 comedy film follows Brennen Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly), two aimless, unemployed middle aged men who still live in their parents’ basements. When Brennen’s mom and Dale's dad get married, the now step brothers are forced to become roommates, despite their initial unadulterated hate for each other. At first, they fight over everything, most notoriously Dale’s drum set, but when Dale punches Brennen’s arrogant, corporate older brother, Brennen gains a new respect for Dale and they eventually bond like normal brothers would. Their childish antics are sure to have any audience cracking up, but it eventually tears the family apart, until Brennen and Dale later join forces to bring their parents back together again. Another legendary comedy duo, Ferrell and Reilly pack this movie full of obscene, iconic moments, and make every single scene funnier than the last.
3. The “Daddy’s Home” Franchise
Two of the most underrated Will Ferrell movies ever are the Daddy’s Home duo. These films, released in 2015 and 2017 respectively, bring back the ultimate comedic pairing of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, as they play two co-dads trying to figure out how to parent their kids right. Brad Whitaker (Will Ferrell) is a genuine, rule-following guy just trying to be a good step-dad to his wife’s (Linda Cardellini) two kids, when the kids’ actual father, Dusty Mayron (Mark Wahlberg), appears back into their lives. He is a motorcycle-driving freeloader who competes with Brad as they try to be the better dad to their kids, resorting to extreme measures that result in hilarity for all viewers. The Christmastime sequel introduces both Brad’s and Dusty’s dads, leading to more funny family feuds as they all spend Christmas Vacation together at a cabin. This franchise is definitely more family friendly than many of Ferrell’s other movies, but his goofy character and beloved comedic flair still put it near the top of the list.
2. The “Anchorman” Franchise
One of Will Ferrell’s most iconic roles is Ron Burgundy, jazz flute enthusiast and San Diego’s favorite news anchor. The franchise follows the rise and fall and rise again of Ron Burgundy and his hilariously entertaining news team of Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), and Champ Kind (David Koechner). In the first movie, which came out in 2004, they fight to keep their composure and their news channel at the top of the rankings as an ambitious newswoman (Christina Applegate) becomes Burgundy's co-host. After Burgundy slips up on live television, he is fired, leaving him in a depressive spiral on the streets, until a huge breaking news story pulls him back into the spotlight. In the sequel, released in 2013, the crew takes on a new job at a 24 hour global news channel in New York, grappling for a spot on primetime television with rivaling anchors. In both, massive news channel battles, iconic 70s hairstyles, unforgettable quotes, and extreme satire are guaranteed.
1. “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”
The best Will Ferrell movie of all time is Talladega Nights. A 2006 comedy classic filled with hilarious one liners, absurd plotlines, and, of course, NASCAR. The story follows Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell), the best race car driver in NASCAR with the perfect life: his best friend, Cal Naughton Jr (John C. Reilly), racing by his side, a trophy wife, and all of the money and fame he could ask for. When French Formula One champion Jean Girard comes into the NASCAR scene, Ricky Bobby spirals out of control and loses all of his glory. Bobby has to reconnect with his formerly absent father to get his head back in the game and cement his legacy back onto the racetrack. Talladega Nights is the epitome of a perfect Will Ferrell movie: it's witty, outrageous, guaranteed to spark uncontrollable laughter and is loaded with iconic lines you’ll never stop quoting. If you ain’t first, you’re last, and this movie is unarguably first in the ranking of all-time Will Ferrell films.