Few actors are as polarizing as Adam Sandler. To many, he is one of the best comedy actors in Hollywood and is responsible for some of the funniest movies of the past three decades. To others, however, his blunt and often crass attempts at humor have no place in modern cinema and are about as funny as a poke in the eye. Whichever camp one falls into though, it's difficult to argue that he isn't good at what he does.
Despite decades of poor reviews, Adam Sandler movies continue to perform strongly both at the Box Office and, more recently, on streaming sites. In fact, Netflix was so impressed by the actor's ability to put bums on seats that it signed him up for a multi-movie deal back in 2014. The resulting movies were something of a mixed bag, although performed well enough to secure the actor another lucrative deal in early 2020.
7 The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
The Ridiculous 6 certainly lives up to its title, but not in the way that Sandler and Netflix might have hoped it would. Save for a few cheap one-liners here and there, it is a comedy movie that's completely bereft of humor and might just be the least funny comedy movie of the past decade; perhaps even this century.
Adam Sandler flicks have never been renowned for their sophisticated humor, nor are audiences likely to be expecting a cohesive or engaging narrative. The Ridiculous 6 marks a new low in these respects though. It's loaded with juvenile and insensitive gags that would make even a teenager cringe and its derogatory take on Native Americans is both offensive and disrespectful.
6 The Do-Over (2016)
For as bad as The Do-Over is at times, it's actually a bit of a step up from many of the other post-2000 Adam Sandler movies. Sure, the acting is sub-par and the story has about as much substance as a television commercial, but it does at least provide laughs at a fairly consistent rate.
To be clear, it still falls a little short as a comedy on account of its overwhelming puerility, but there's perhaps an argument to be made that this is what modern Adam Sandler fans are really paying to see. If that's the case, then they will definitely find it here, although anybody searching for a well-written and clever comedy would be better served elsewhere.
5 Murder Mystery (2019)
Every now and again, Adam Sandler stumbles out of his comfort zone and signs up for something with a little more substance. It doesn't always work out for him, but it's always refreshing to see him at least try and do something different from time to time. Murder Mystery is definitely different.
It's a movie that attempts to combine elements from a few different genres and while it ultimately fails, it does get quite a few things right in the process. The Sandler-Aniston pairing once again proves to be fruitful and neither the writing nor the plot require too much thought from viewers. This simplicity can at times border on mundanity, but, given the price of admission, it's hard to complain too much about this.
4 Sandy Wexler (2017)
Sandy Wexler is one of those Adam Sandler characters that it's difficult not to like. Sure, his voice can be incredibly annoying at first, but his bumbling yet kind-hearted nature feels incredibly genuine. What's more, the story isn't half bad either. There are certainly better movies on Netflix, but there are also plenty that are worse.
Despite being billed as a comedy, it's the dramatic elements of the movie's narrative that really make it worth watching. In fact, the humor is actually pretty subtle for an Adam Sandler movie and most of it is written around the plot rather than injected into it through cheap one-liners.
3 The Week Of (2018)
The Week Of is exactly what one might expect from a movie starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. It's far from the first time that the pair have worked together and it's unlikely to be the last. Given how well they compliment each other though, this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Unlike in some of their previous shared outings, their characters are far from friends and the friction between them provides some genuinely funny moments. Not all of the jokes land perfectly and the plot is hardly original either, but there are definitely far worse ways to kill a few hours on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
2 Hubie Halloween (2020)
Anybody who goes into Hubie Halloween expecting a well-crafted comedy with a substantial plot is probably going to walk away disappointed. Those who take the movie for what it is though - a collection of cheap gags wrapped around a generic "spooky" plot - should be fairly well-satisfied with this Halloween-themed flick.
Hubie Dubois is a little reminiscent of some of Sandler's earlier characters like Bobby Boucher and Happy Gilmore and it's perhaps this air of helplessness that makes him so relatable. While far from the actor's finest material, the humor is at least good-natured this time out and is unlikely to offend even the most sensitive of viewers.
1 The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected) (2017)
The Meyerowitz Stories features some pretty big names, but it is perhaps Noah Baumbach who deserves the bulk of the praise for the movie's success. Getting the very best out of Adam Sandler isn't always easy, but the screenwriter and director manages to do so here without ever having to compromise his vision.
There really is a lot to like about this movie, from its fantastic story to its excellent dialogue, although it is arguably the characters who really make it all come together. The subtle hints of humor also work well; typically complimenting the movie's narrative rather than overwhelming or cheapening it.