The Stoner Comedy Film subgenre resides in the Comedy genre and typically includes other film subgenres such as Raunchy & Sex Comedies, Buddy Comedies, Teens & College Comedies and Slapstick & Screwball Comedy Films.
Films about Stoners got its start with Easy Rider (1969) but didn’t really take off as a subgenre until the comedy act of Cheech and Chong started a Stoner Film franchise in the late 1970’s. Up in Smoke (1978), Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie (1980), Nice Dreams (1981), Things Are Tough All Over (1982), Still Smokin (1983) and Cheech & Chong’s The Corsican Brothers (1984) would cement the duo as the de facto stoners of their time.
In the 1980’s, two classic films of the subgenre were released with stoner Jeff Spicolo in Fast Time at Ridgemont High (1982) and the stoned (and often clueless) high school teenagers Bill & Ted in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989). The other notable film to be released during this decade featured Cheech Marin and Eric Roberts in Rude Awakening (1989).
The 1990’s saw the popularity of Stoner Comedies increase with the release of arguably the best stoner film of all time – The Big Lebowski (1998). The 1990’s would also release other classic films of the Stoner Film subgenre with Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991), Dazed and Confused (1993), The Stöned Age (1994), Friday (1995), Half Baked (1998) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). Other notable subgenre films this decade included PCU (1994), Airheads (1994), Mallrats (1995), Homegrown (1998), Human Traffic (1999) and Outside Providence (1999).
The Golden Age of Stoner Films would begin in the 2000’s with the parallel rise in popularity of Raunchy & Sex Comedy Films. Dude, Where’s My Car (2000), Super Troopers (2001), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), How High (2001), Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Grandma’s Boy (2006), Smiley Face (2007), Knocked Up (2007), Strange Wilderness (2008), Harold & Kumar Escape Guantanamo Bay (2008) and Pineapple Express (2008) were all Stoner Comedies that also had elements of the Raunchy & Sex Comedies subgenre. Other notable films of the subgenre from this decade included Killer Bud (2001), Soul Plane (2004) and Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (2006).
The 2010’s would continue the trend of Stoner Comedies mixed with Raunch & Sex Comedy elements with Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), Your Highness (2011), A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2011), Ted (2012), This Is the End (2013), Neighbors (2014), Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015), Moonwalkers (2015), Ted 2 (2015), The Night Before (2015), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016) and Never Goin’ Back (2018). Other notable Stoner Films of the 2010’s included Our Idiot Brother (2011), Inherent Vice (2014) and The Beach Bum (2019).
The 2020’s has only had one notable Stoner Comedy to date with Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020).
Our list of Stoner Comedies includes over 53+ films from 1969 – 2020. Most of the films from this subgenre list can also be found in other subgenre lists such as Raunchy & Sex Comedies, Buddy Comedies and more. For our list of Top Stoner Comedies You Haven’t Seen, we selected a variety of Stoner Films from different film subgenres that we hope you will enjoy!
We have embedded a compilation video of our Top Stoner Comedies You Haven’t Seen and more details on these films can be found in the list below. Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
#10
Killer Bud
Plot: Two dimwits break into a convenience store but can’t get out.
KBZ’s Take: This isn’t a particularly good film, but it’s a cult-classic film of the subgenre. Starring TV actors David Faustino (from Married… with Children) and Corin Nemec (from Parker Lewis Can’t Lose), the film follows usual Stoner Film tropes – some to often hilarious comedic effect. While general comedy film fans might not see the humor in this film (or find any type of plot), its more of a film for fans of the subgenre that will likely enjoy it while being as high as their film counterparts.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3HICaF5
Plot: Two 1970’s stoner buddies search for parties with babes.
KBZ’s Take: A cult classic of the Stoner Films subgenre, while watching this film you might wonder if it was inspired by SNL’s Wayne’s World skits. Like other films of the subgenre, this film has the standard “stoners looking for chicks” plot, but it’s the interaction between the stoners and the situations they find themselves in that provide the laughs. This is a low-budget comedy film but still recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://tubitv.com/movies/348950/the-stoned-age
#8
Smiley Face
Plot: Stoned actress has a series of misadventures in Los Angeles.
KBZ’s Take: As with most Stoner Films, there’s not much of a plot here and it’s more a vehicle to showcase Anna Faris’ acting and comedic talents. The film is primarily different sequences stitched together – some which don’t work and others, when they do work, are very very funny. Recommended film for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3RkRydX
Plot: Five Twenty-something friends spend a drug-fueled weekend in Cardiff, Wales.
KBZ’s Take: If you turned on this film without knowing anything about it, you’d likely swear it was directed by Danny Boyle. While the Justin Kerrigan directed Human Traffic has many visual similarities to Trainspotting (1996), it’s a more tamed-down version of both the UK drug and rave cultures of the time period. It’s still a great film and one that shouldn’t be missed by any fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XR3ZR8
#6
How High
Plot: Two regular guys smoke magical weed and find themselves admitted to Harvard.
KBZ’s Take: This Stoner Film is also a film of the Fish Out of Water subgenre and it’s often quite hilarious. While the film does follow overused Fish Out of Water film tropes, how it incorporates the supernatural effect of their weed makes many of these sequences funnier than they should be. This is already a popular film of the subgenre, but if you’ve somehow missed it, it’s a great subgenre film to check out.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3jl2agn
Plot: Two stoner waitresses try to come up with some much-needed cash for rent.
KBZ’s Take: Stoner Films using the Buddy dynamic often heavily rely on the chemistry of the leads – and Maia Mitchell and Camila Morrone have that ‘it’ chemistry in this film. Both actresses are amazing in their roles as the stoned waitresses that can’t seem to do anything right. It doesn’t help that they’re also surrounded by dimwits but that’s partly what makes their trial and tribulations throughout this film hilarious. It’s a more recent (but lesser known) film of the subgenre and highly recommended.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3YbBkWI
Plot: Two stoners go on a search for Bigfoot to help the ratings of their Wilderness TV show.
KBZ’s Take: Despite an all-star cast with Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Justin Long, Jonah Hill and Ashley Scott, this Happy Madison-produced film has a very defined ‘love it or hate it’ rep. It has many veterans of the Stoner Film subgenre and the plot is ridiculous. While this film has more raunchier comedy than similar films of its kind, it still has many hilarious moments that are laugh out loud funny. Count us in the group of “love it” viewers and hope you get a chance to check out one of the funnier films of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Yb8B4i
Plot: Unemployed pot smoker meets his kindred spirit and they embark on a series of misadventures.
KBZ’s Take: We had to include one Cheech & Chong film on this list as their films not only started the Stoner Film subgenre, but also created many of the templates that other films have used (over and over again). Up in Smoke is their first film and the best to check out if you still haven’t seen any of these classic franchise films of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3wGBtWt
#2
Moonwalkers
Plot: In 1960’s London, a CIA agent has to put together a team to fake the moon landing.
KBZ’s Take: This is a little-known gem of a film that is also a Stoner Comedy – and this is one hilarious film. It’s a bit hard to describe but it features stoners, gangsters, a fake moon landing (with stoned actors), an unstable CIA agent (played by Ron Pearlman), and a search for Stanley Kubrick. Highly recommended comedy of the subgenre.
Additional Lists: Top Films About The Film Industry You Haven’t Seen #9
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3XW8PNi
Plot: 35-year-old slacker gets kicked out of his apartment and has to live with his grandmother.
KBZ’s Take: This is another Happy Madison-produced film (similar to Strange Wilderness) that a lot of people haven’t seen. Anytime we get recommendation requests for comedies, we always mention this film – especially if you’re a fan of Adam Sandler’s films. It has the same type of humor and uses well known Sandler film tropes – lovable loser overcomes the odds to win over a woman. Grandma’s Boy though has more Stoner Comedy elements than any Sandler film and you’ll likely recognize many of the actors in this film (who play smaller parts in all of Sandler’s other films). It’s a very funny film and shouldn’t be missed by any Adam Sandler film fans or fans of the Stoner Film subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3WQdMFN
