Diksha Sundriyal
Stoner movies have been around since the ’70s. Classics like ‘Sausage Party,’ ‘Dazed and Confused,’ etc., are often considered benchmark stoner movies, albeit for no reason. Based on the potency of what a person smokes, we have also witnessed movies like ‘Dude, Where’s My Car?’, ‘Knocked Up,’ ‘Growing Op,’ etc., which have crossed all the limits of being called “stoned,” and they all stand way above the regular movies on the “stoned” index.
Netflix has a great collection of “stoner movies,” which includes not only great films that will blow your mind but also a documentary about marijuana usage and movies that, in one way or another, involve drugs. They are all going to surprise you in different ways.
24. White Chicks (2004)
When black FBI agents have to become rich white women to protect a couple of heiresses, things are bound to get weird and funny. This is exactly what happens in Keenen Ivory Wayans’ comedy starring Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans. FBI agents Marcus Anthony II and Kevin Copeland are tasked with protecting wealthy sisters Brittany and Tiffany Wilson from a serial kidnapper.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the detectives are forced to put on prosthetics and replace the sisters who are taken into hiding. However, exploring their feminine side is not easy, and the endeavor takes the shape of a string of hilarious situations. A custom-made stoner drama that makes sense only when your suspension of disbelief is at an all-time “high,” ‘White Chicks’ can be watched right here.
23. How High 2 (2019)
Rapper Lil Yachty and comedian D.C. Young Fly star as two stoners in Bruce Leddy’s ‘How High 2.’ A standalone sequel to ‘How High’ (2001), the film follows cousins Roger (Lil Yachty) and Calvin (D.C. Young Fly), who come across a “Weed Bible” that tells of a way to create a special kind of weed. Their new weed delivery service booms until the book gets stolen. How the two guys get it back while dealing with rival weed dealers and the Russian mob is what we find out in this whacky, over-the-top stoner flick that makes no sense. In other words, a necessary addition to our list. You can watch it here.
22. Soweto Blaze (2024)
Set in post-Apartheid Soweto, South Africa, ‘Soweto Blaze’ follows down-on-luck drug peddler Mo (Matli Mohapeloa), whose cash crunch eventually makes him take part in the kidnapping of the local gangster’s daughter, assisted by his dimwit pothead friends Dill (Sydney Ndlovu) and Pickle (Nyeleti Khoza). The film is a mindless stoner comedy that requires you only to watch and enjoy rather than put your mind to it. Directed by Bradley Katzen, ‘Soweto Blaze’ doesn’t take itself too seriously, and neither should you. It can be streamed here.
21. We’re the Millers (2013)
Rawson Marshall Thurber’s comedy ‘We’re the Millers’ sends small-time pot dealer David Burke (Jason Sudeikis) on the ride of his life, one that is bound to end with a bang, if not literal then metaphorical. After losing his stash to a bunch of young teens, David is tasked by his supplier to get a new shipment from the Mexican border, thereby clearing his debt. He ropes in his dysfunctional neighbors, stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston), street-cred teen Casey (Emma Roberts), and socially awkward Kenny (Will Poulter), for the journey and sets off on the journey in an RV for a Fourth of July weekend that is apt for stoner viewing. Adding to the mix are Aniston and Sudeikis’ performances, which are proof of their comedic talent. You can watch ‘We’re the Millers’ here.
20. They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
‘They Cloned Tyrone’ unfolds as a pulpy, sci-fi mystery caper, where an unlikely trio—Fontaine, a neighborhood drug dealer, Slick Charles, and Yo-Yo—finds themselves entangled in a web of eerie events hinting at a nefarious conspiracy beneath their community’s surface. Fontaine’s apparent death at the hands of rival Isaac takes a surreal turn when he wakes up unharmed the following day. Intrigued, the trio embarks on an investigation that unveils a vast underground complex. There, they discover a government-backed lab conducting experiments on the local Black population. As Fontaine grapples with the revelation that he’s a controlled clone, he transforms despair into determination, resolving to confront the oppressive institutional forces for the sake of his neighborhood. Feel free to stream it here.
19. Hard Feelings (2023)
Navigating the challenges of high school, two best friends find themselves contending with awkward new urges and inconvenient romantic feelings for each other. In this coming-of-age tale directed by Granz Henman, the duo grapples with the complexities of adolescence, friendship, and the unexpected emotions that threaten to redefine their relationship. As they strive to make it through the turbulent journey of high school, the film explores the humor and heartache inherent in the pursuit of self-discovery and the evolving dynamics of teenage friendships. You can watch the movie here.
18. The Dirt (2019)
Directed by Jeff Tremaine, ‘The Dirt’ chronicles the sex, drugs, and rock and roll-filled tale of the heavy metal/glam metal band Mötley Crüe. The story begins in 1973 when Frank Carlton Feranna Jr. Leaves his mother’s home after enduring years of abuse. He built his career as a musician over several years before meeting drummer Tommy Lee around 1981. After guitarist Mick Mars and lead guitarist Vince Neil joined the prospective group, they decided on the name Mötley Crüe. The group begins experiencing success not long after. Their albums sell, and they earn millions only to spend them immediately. The more popular and wealthy they become, the more audacious and outrageous their lives get until they start to realize that they can’t go back and redo the past. You can watch the movie here.
17. Dude (2018)
Four high school friends who are entering their last year – Lily, Chloe, Amelia, and Rebecca – are generally fooling around, smoking weed, dealing with their family problems, and usually talking about strenuous relationships, boys, proms, vulgarity, and weed. As they head into their final year, they start dealing with the losses in their lives: the pain of losing their friends, the parting of ways owing to jobs, and the typical withdrawal symptoms one faces while leaving school for the last time. About the weed, there’s a donkey-kong-shaped bong named Donkey Bong that has been repeatedly focused upon throughout the film without any reason; however, apparently, it consumed a lot of the film’s budget. The movie was criticized and appreciated equally, and it remains one of the best Lucy Hale movies out there. You may watch the film here.
16. The Package (2018)
A black comedy at the outset, and with an IMDB rating of 5.5 (you’re the best judge), ‘The Package’ is mainly set around a group of five friends/crushes/acquaintances – Sean, Jeremy, and Donnie – the boys who were planning on going to this camping trip, which is later joined by Becky (Jeremy’s sister) and Sarah. During the booze-filled fun night the folks are having, with campfire, profanity, and everything, Jeremy happens to cut off his organ by accident. This sends everyone into a frenzy, with folks searching for his organ and aiming to take it to a hospital within 12 hours for penile reattachment surgery.
Everything happens with a comedy of errors and horrors, with the remaining four seemingly failing at every task they’re picking up. Long story short, ‘The Package’ is hilarious and, at the same time, a lot clichéd with jokes that we’ve previously seen in many other movies. Still, it is like a breath of fresh air compared to the movies we’ve had so far on the list. Feel free to check out the movie here.
15. The Do-Over (2016)
Max and Charlie are old buddies. As they are fed up with their routine lives, they hatch up an evil yet effective plan to get out of their shells and be something else. While on a boat trip, Max blows up their boat, and when Charlie wakes up, Max proposes that they can have a new and different life by assuming other identities. They relocate to Puerto Rico and assume the identities of Dr. Ronald Fishman and Butch Ryder, respectively. Soon, they start getting troubled by the pasts of their newfound namesakes. ‘The Do-Over’ is a typical Adam Sandler movie that would give you both moments of laughter and cringe. Yet, it is one of those stoner movies that can be watched over the weekend. You can watch ‘The Do-Over’ here.
14. Bad Trip (2021)
While the title may hint at a “stoner movie,” rest assured that this one is unquestionably just that and worth your time. Directed by Kitao Sakurai, ‘Bad Trip’ is a raucously riotous stoner comedy that’ll have you in stitches from start to finish. This hidden-camera prank-infused film follows two best friends, played by Eric Andre and Lil Rel Howery, on a cross-country road trip gone hilariously wrong. As they embark on their journey, they stumble into a series of outlandish and uproarious situations, all while actual unsuspecting bystanders become unwitting participants in their absurd escapades. With its blend of outrageous gags, genuine reactions, and a side-splittingly funny cast, ‘Bad Trip’ is a good enough eyecatcher for your next trip as it takes you on a wild ride through America’s absurdity. You can watch ‘Bad Trip’ here.
13. The Lonely Island Presents: The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience (2019)
‘The Lonely Island Presents: The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience’ is a zany, musical stoner extravaganza that dives headfirst into absurdity. Directed by Mike Diva, this mockumentary follows The Lonely Island members Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer as they transform into the fictional baseball duo, The Bash Brothers. Through a series of outrageously catchy songs and surreal visuals, the film hilariously parodies the ego-fueled excesses of ’80s sports culture. With its infectious tunes, offbeat humor, and mind-bending visuals, it’s the perfect concoction for a stoner movie night. The nonsensical plot and outlandish characters provide a trippy and comical experience that pairs wonderfully with an organically altered state of mind. You may watch the movie here.
12. Me Time (2022)
When they were in high school, Sonny (Kevin Hart) and Huck (Mark Wahlberg) used to be best friends, but things fell apart as they grew up, especially after an incident in which Sonny nearly died. In the present time, Sonny is a stay-at-home father with an architect wife. When he receives an invitation from Huck for the annual celebration, Sonny is reluctant to go, but his wife convinces him by taking the children on a holiday. It doesn’t take long for the shenanigans to begin after Sonny and Huck become reacquainted. Soon, Sonny finds himself defecating in hardware, is attacked by a mountain lion, and gets his finger broken by the hired muscle of a loan shark. To make matters worse, a wealthy potential client of his wife expresses interest in her. You can watch ‘Me Time’ here.
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11. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
A cult classic high school drama starring Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Penn, and Nicolas Cage, ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ is directed by Amy Heckerling. It is based on a script by Cameron Crowe, who adapted it from his book ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story.’ The movie explores the lives of a group of youngsters as they try to navigate love, sex, drugs, and all other raw urges of teenage at Ridgemont High School.
Thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ is a quintessential 80s love letter to high school from the POV of freshman Stacy Hamilton (Jason Leigh), who wants to date and ends up in a love triangle. Having made its way into the United States National Film Registry for preservation, the film is deemed historically and culturally important. The must-watch drama can be watched here.
10. Take the 10 (2017)
This is a story about two best friends who make it to a hip-hop concert on counterfeit tickets and manage to annoy many people on the way, including a dangerous drug dealer. This film has Josh Peck (of Drake & Josh fame) as Chris, Tony Revolori as Chester Tamborghini, and Andy Samberg, who somehow finds his way to movies like this. Chester Tam, who has written and directed the film, also plays the role of Jay Morrison. Did you notice that Chester’s character may have been named after Chester Tam himself? Not to be taken seriously, this film is simply an entertainer. You can check out the film here.
9. Brahman Naman (2016)
Netflix’s first Indian original movie is a story about four losers, neither of whom can manage to get a girlfriend or convince their parents that they are grown up to make their own decisions. All they are good at are quizzing, drinking, and thinking about sex (of which they don’t get any) all the time. The film is set in the 1980s in the south Indian city of Bangalore. These four boys do get a chance to be by themselves when they visit Kolkata for the finals of a national-level quiz, but misadventure follows them there as well. Despite being a sex comedy, the best part of this film is that it never glorifies sexual objectification and ultimately shows how entitled Indian upper-caste men can be. This is precisely why the director Quashiq Mukherjee highlights the leading character’s cast that he is a “Brahman” in the title of the film. You can watch ‘Brahman Naman’ here.
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8. Special Correspondents (2016)
Written and directed by Ricky Gervais, this Netflix original comedy film is the story of radio journalist Frank Bonneville (Eric Bana) and sound technician Ian Finch (Gervais), both of whom are assigned to visit Ecuador and cover the political uprising that is taking place in the country. When it comes to light that Finch has lost both their passports, the two men decide to hide in a cafe owned by a Spanish couple and fake their reports from there. To sensationalize their news, they invent a man called Emilio Santiago Alvarez and say that he is closely linked to the uprising that is taking place.
This alerts the U.S. government, which thinks that these two Americans might be in danger. Things soon begin to escalate out of hand as Bonneville and Finch worry that they will be found out. While Gervais’ humor is on point, it does not penetrate deep into social problems or any serious concerns, for that matter. Be that as it may, ‘Special Correspondents’ remains a highly entertaining film. You may watch it here.
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7. Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics (2020)
This documentary is a “trip” in itself- from the visuals to the stories. Watch celebrities talk about their experiences and experiments with psychedelics. Not only will this give you random trivia and the “ultra-stoned” anecdotes from some of the most interesting people, but it will be highly relatable (forgive the pun). Writer-producer Donick Cary shared that the reason for making a film like this is not to encourage or discourage it but simply to demystify the concept and introduce it as a rational and balanced point of conversation. Some of the people you will see in this documentary are Sting, Ben Stiller, Carrie Fischer, and David Cross, among many others. You can watch the movie here.
6. Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019)
Zack Galifianakis’ comedy talk show ‘Between Two Ferns’ had gained immense popularity on YouTube before Netflix decided to order a movie on the same. The film centers around Galifianakis, who plays himself and hosts ‘Between Two Ferns’ on public access television. However, when comedian Will Ferrell sees the show, he decides to upload it to his comedy platform Funny Or Die. Galifianakis and the show became a laughing stock after this, but he did get a chance to interview numerous celebrities all across America. The film follows Galifianakis and his many misadventures as he goes about the country and meets several well-known faces. If you have been a fan of the original YouTube show, you will have no problem understanding or relating to the humor of the film. Galifianakis’ deadpan humor works well with the ridiculous situations he finds himself in. You may watch the movie here.
5. The Legend of Cocaine Island (2018)
‘The Legend Of Cocaine Island’ is a documentary film, but it packs a powerful punch enough to give you the thrills you might expect from a feature production. The reason behind this is mainly the fact that ‘The Legend Of Cocaine Island’ recreates Florida-based business Rodney Hyden’s journey to make some quick money when the 2008 financial crisis destroyed his business. He wanted to locate a bag of cocaine worth around $2 million somewhere on the Caribbean shore. Some undercover cops sent him a picture of a bag and convinced him that it was full of cocaine. They then waited patiently to arrest Hyden once he met them to share the profits. This documentary shows us how desperate some people became after the economic crisis to save their lives from drifting down the drain. Highly entertaining with comical moments interspersed between the drama, this is a movie you must check out. Feel free to check it out here.
4. Grass Is Greener (2019)
Netflix has always been a company that manages to come up with content that is relevant for its time, and that will interest a large section of its viewers. The documentary ‘Grass Is Greener’ is something that several people are sure to be interested in since it deals with the history of marijuana in America, its socio-cultural effects, and how the government has always been after the users and distributors of the same. The film also points out to us how the crackdown on marijuana has been a racist ploy that has destroyed the lives of many young black males by putting them behind bars. The documentary features interviews of influential people like Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill’s B-Real and Sen Dog, DMC, and others who put forward their views regarding the United States’ culture around marijuana. You can watch ‘Grass Is Greener’ here.
3. Trailer Park Boys: The Movie (2006)
Based on the TV series ‘Trailer Park Boys, this series centers around the characters of Julian and his two friends, Ricky and Bubbles. They all live in a trailer park but dream of a better lifestyle. However, instead of working for the same, these boys plan to rob an ATM to get rich. Their plan backfires, and though Bubbles escapes, Ricky and Julian are sent to jail for 18 months. When the two of them return, they team up with Bubbles again and decide to carry out one big robbery, which they call “The Big Dirty,” after which they can give up their criminal lives. Do not expect any lofty ideas from the film, but be sure that it is hilarious, and you will have a great time watching it. It does justice to the original TV shows and went a long way in popularizing the characters to audiences worldwide. You may watch ‘Trailer Park Boys: The Movie’ here.
2. Game Over, Man! (2018)
Featuring stand-out performances by Adam DeVine, Anders Holm, Blake Anderson, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Aya Cash, ‘Game Over, Man!’ is an action comedy film directed by Kyle Newacheck. The movie revolves around three friends whose dreams of having their video game financed are dashed when one of their benefactors is kidnapped by terrorists. The trio realizes that now, not only is their future on the line, but many innocent lives can also be lost. Therefore, they join hands to save every hostage by putting their lives on the line. You can watch the movie here.
1. The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir (2015)
Bob Weir was a youngster from Palo Alto who rose to fame as the rhythm guitarist and singer for the rock band the ‘Grateful Dead.’ This documentary captures his journey to fame and his relationship with his bandmates. You will also hear some hidden treasures from the band’s archives, as Mike Fleiss, the director and producer of the film, confirms. As we know, musicians, especially in the 60s and 70s, were at the heart of the counterculture, where psychedelics and creativity were seen as some of the most definitive traits of the era. This documentary includes interviews with various people in Weir’s life as well as from Weir himself. This Netflix Original throws light on a person who usually would not stay in the limelight. You can stream ‘The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir’ here.
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