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This post was originally published in 2015.
We have updated it with Ferrells subsequent work, includingYoure Cordially Invited.
Will Ferrell is now 57.
Hes won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
His post-SNLmovie career has been among the most momentous in the shows history.
He has headlined studio comedies for decades.
Although comedy remains his lane, hes had less success with it in recent years.
The body of work remains impressive, but his future is hardly certain.
This means that theres a trove of Ferrell movies to dig through and rank.
Which movie best captures the Will Ferrell Experience?
As always, this list is purely scientific and unassailable.
40.The House(2017)
Has Ferrell ever looked this dispirited and listless?
What if you threw an improv-comedy movie but no one bothered to show up?
This is what happens.
39.Holmes and Watson(2018)
Okay, its probably officially time to worry.
Theres no real angle on Sherlock here: Is he a genius?
(Happy suburbanite who just gets in trouble when exposed to the seedier side of life.)
This movie makes you want to force everyone in it to get a haircut and a real job.
This guy just jumps up and down a lot.
Youre better off just forgetting Ferrell was in this.
Spoiler Alert: Theyre like their kids, just far more cartoon-y!
The first film had charm and heart, whileDaddys Home 2is mostly a tacky, tasteless affair.
(The idea of casting Gibson as a guys-guy jerk isnt clever or edgy.)
Lets hope theres not a third installment.
Instead, we get awkward penis jokes and a middle-aged white doofus trying to act black.
33.Bewitched(2005)
A textbook example of hownotto use Ferrell.
Ferrell appears in the first twoAustin Powersfilms as Mustafa, an ethnically ambiguous henchman to Dr.
However, Ferrells one of the few in the ensemble who escapes with his dignity.
Thats a bummer for a movie thats otherwise pretty damn delightful.
As by-the-numbers as these kiddie sports comedies get, this one is particularly empty and rote.
You would think that Ferrell spending two hours screaming LIAR!
at children trying to play soccer would be a lot funnier than this is.
Suffice it to say: This will probably the final collaboration between Ferrell and Robert Duvall.
Hes a star, but he doesnt bring a lot toStrays.
It feels like a movie he decided to do, rather than one he truly loved.
And that feels like its been happening a lot lately.
This is Ferrell tamping down everything that makes Ferrell great and calling it acting.
Hes best when paired with Pitt, who isnt in the movie nearly enough.
Still, the performance, like the movie, is more setup than execution.
22.Downhill(2020)
In some ways, this remake ofForce Majeureis among Ferrells trickier dramatic performances.
Hed become famous for exploring his oversize id soon enough.
(Invariably, said movie will be scored by plaintive acoustic-guitar music.)
But Downeys drug problems made him uninsurable, which helped Ferrell land the role.
And at least he doesnt try imitating the filmmakers wimpy whine a la Kenneth Branagh inCelebrity.
Nonetheless, this is pleasantly undemanding fare targeting younger kids, and Ferrell is quite charming in the role.
Anytime Ferrell and a treadmill are in close proximity,happy things happen.
Still: a little better than you remember.
Spottier and more bloated, the sequel isnt nearly as hysterical as the original.
But its most assuredly the second-funniestAnchormanmovie ever made.
This is as earnest as Ferrell has been in a comedy role since, jeez,Elf?
And it very much suits him.
Ferrell (who co-wrote the movie) clearly loves Eurovision, and his enthusiasm is infectious.
(Also, this is maybe the best Dan Stevens has ever been?)
The whole performance is worth it just for thebrainwashing scene, really.
7.The Lego Movie(2014)
Oddly, this may be Ferrells best dramatic performance.
May we humbly suggest thatSpiritedoffers a path forward?
This is the right direction for Ferrell.
More of this, like.
But you may have forgotten just how great Amy Adams is as Rickys mousy, unlikely love interest.
What also helpsElfs reputation: Everybody involved had the good sense not to make a sequel.
