The best stoner movies include Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke (1978), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Dazed and Confused (1993), Friday (1995), The Big Lebowski (1998), Half Baked (1998), Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) and Pineapple Express (2008). Below is a ranked list of classics and modern picks, plus a few films stoners love that are not about weed at all, including the kung fu spoof Black Dynamite.
This page started in 2018 as a quick review of Black Dynamite by a writer who liked a good movie after a session. We have kept that pick and built it into a full list. A “stoner movie” here means one of two things: a film where cannabis drives the plot or the characters, or a film that rewards a relaxed, slightly altered viewer with big visuals and quotable jokes. Streaming availability changes constantly, so we do not list services; check a search tool such as JustWatch before movie night.
Best Stoner Movies at a Glance
| Movie | Year | Starring | Why it makes the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up in Smoke | 1978 | Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong | The film that created the genre |
| Fast Times at Ridgemont High | 1982 | Sean Penn | Jeff Spicoli, the archetypal surfer stoner |
| Dazed and Confused | 1993 | Matthew McConaughey, Jason London | The most rewatchable hangout movie |
| Friday | 1995 | Ice Cube, Chris Tucker | Endlessly quoted comedy set on one block |
| The Big Lebowski | 1998 | Jeff Bridges | The Dude, cinema’s most famous slacker |
| Half Baked | 1998 | Dave Chappelle | Pure, silly weed comedy |
| Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle | 2004 | John Cho, Kal Penn | A munchies quest that became a franchise |
| Pineapple Express | 2008 | Seth Rogen, James Franco | Stoner comedy meets action movie |
| Black Dynamite | 2009 | Michael Jai White | Deadpan 1970s blaxploitation spoof |
The Classics
1. Up in Smoke (1978)
Directed by Lou Adler, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong’s first feature turned their stand-up act into a road movie about two burnouts who unknowingly drive a van made of cannabis across the border. Nearly every stoner comedy since borrows something from it: the hapless duo, the paranoid traffic stops, the loose plot. If you watch one film on this list for history, make it this one.
2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Amy Heckerling’s high school comedy is not a weed movie overall, but Sean Penn’s Jeff Spicoli, the surfer who orders pizza to history class, defined the laid-back stoner character for a generation.
3. Dazed and Confused (1993)
Richard Linklater follows a group of Texas teenagers on the last day of school in 1976. There is little plot, a great rock soundtrack and an early Matthew McConaughey performance that produced one of film’s most quoted lines. It plays best in a relaxed mood, which is the point.
4. Friday (1995)
Written by Ice Cube and DJ Pooh and directed by F. Gary Gray, Friday covers one day on a South Central Los Angeles street as Craig and his neighbor Smokey try to pay back a dealer. Chris Tucker’s Smokey carries the comedy, and the film spawned two sequels.
5. The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Coen brothers’ noir parody casts Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, a bowling, White Russian drinking, joint smoking slacker pulled into a kidnapping plot through a case of mistaken identity. It flopped on release, then became a cult film with its own fan festivals. It rewards repeat viewing more than almost anything else here.
Late-1990s and 2000s Favorites
6. Half Baked (1998)
Dave Chappelle co-wrote and stars as a janitor who starts dealing to raise bail for a friend. It is broad and goofy in the best way.
7. How High (2001)
Rappers Method Man and Redman play two friends who smoke a plant grown from a buddy’s ashes, ace their entrance exam and end up at Harvard. It is ridiculous by design.
8. Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
John Cho and Kal Penn play two roommates whose craving for White Castle sliders turns into an all-night odyssey across New Jersey. It is smarter than its premise and launched two sequels. If you have ever wondered why the munchies are so specific, our explainer on why weed gives you the munchies covers the science.
9. Smiley Face (2007)
Gregg Araki’s comedy stars Anna Faris as an aspiring actress who eats her roommate’s cannabis cupcakes and spends a day trying to fix a growing list of problems. It is one of the few stoner comedies with a woman in the lead, and Faris’s performance is the reason to watch.
10. Pineapple Express (2008)
Directed by David Gordon Green and co-written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, this one sends a process server (Rogen) and his dealer (James Franco) on the run after they witness a murder. It mixes buddy comedy with genuine action set pieces and remains the high point of Rogen’s stoner work.
Black Dynamite and Other Modern Picks
11. Black Dynamite (2009)
This was our original review pick, and it still earns its spot. Directed by Scott Sanders and starring co-writer Michael Jai White, it spoofs 1970s blaxploitation and kung fu films. Black Dynamite, an ex-CIA agent and martial artist, sets out to avenge his brother Jimmy and uncovers a ludicrous conspiracy. The joke is in the details: boom mics dipping into frame, flubbed lines left in, actors who obviously read cue cards. It is funny sober and, as our first reviewer put it, you may miss parts from laughing too hard otherwise. He gave it 4.5 out of 5 bowls. The film later inspired an animated series on Adult Swim.
12. This Is the End (2013)
Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill and friends play exaggerated versions of themselves stuck in a Hollywood house during the apocalypse. It is a cameo-packed, self-mocking capstone to the 2000s stoner comedy wave.
13. Inherent Vice (2014)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel follows a perpetually stoned private detective (Joaquin Phoenix) through 1970 Los Angeles. The plot is deliberately hazy. Viewers who want a more serious, atmospheric film will like it most.
14. The Beach Bum (2019)
Harmony Korine directs Matthew McConaughey as Moondog, a hedonistic Florida Keys poet. It divided critics, but it is a near-perfect showcase of McConaughey’s laid-back persona.
Films Stoners Love That Are Not About Weed
- Fantasia (1940): Disney’s animation set to classical music became a midnight favorite decades after its release.
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): the “Star Gate” sequence is a long-running reason people watch it in an altered state.
- Reefer Madness (1936): made as a scare film about marijuana, it is now watched for unintentional laughs. Our history of marijuana in the U.S. explains the era that produced it.
Prefer facts to fiction? See our list of the best marijuana documentaries, or browse the strain guides to plan a movie night that matches the mood. If you are buying, find a licensed store in our Washington or Oregon directories.
Best Stoner Movies FAQ
What is the first stoner movie?
Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke (1978) is generally credited with creating the stoner comedy genre. Earlier films such as Reefer Madness (1936) were anti-drug propaganda, not comedies.
What is the most famous stoner movie?
The Big Lebowski and Up in Smoke are the most widely cited, with Friday, Pineapple Express and Harold & Kumar close behind.
Is Black Dynamite a stoner movie?
Not in plot. It is a blaxploitation and kung fu parody, but its absurd humor and quotable lines make it a favorite for relaxed viewing.
What are good stoner movies with women in the lead?
Smiley Face (2007) with Anna Faris is the best known. Broad City, a TV series rather than a film, is another frequent pick.
What should I watch high if I don’t want a comedy?
Visually rich films work well: Fantasia, 2001: A Space Odyssey or the hazy detective story Inherent Vice.
For adults 21+ in legal states. General information, not medical advice.