The Farrelly Brothers' 5 Best Movies Ranked
For a generation of moviegoers, the Farrelly Brothers name means something. Specifically, it means a very pointed combination of gross-out comedy and emotional sentiment — films that are more than happy to dabble in literal excrement and ask you honestly shed a little tear over the characters embarking on some kind of emotional journey. The headlines and the buzz are always about the nastiest gags and grossest moments (she puts what in her hair?), but audiences often who showed up hoping to be appalled often found themselves lulled into something weirdly gentle and sweet. Sometimes, the combination doesn't work at all and the result is an unpleasant, tonal disaster. But when it does work? Well, that's when you get something that feels very specific to Peter and Bobby Farrelly, two of the most memorably mainstream, lowbrow auteurs to emerge from the '90s.
Because there are such extreme highs and lows across the Farrelly filmography, the /Film team decided to stick to the positive with this list. These are the essential films, the five that, once you see them, you'll thoroughly understand what the Farrellys represent as filmmakers. The rest of their movies beyond these five are optional. But you can't write a history of the modern Hollywood comedy without this duo and, arguably, these films. Yes, even that number five pick. Sorry.
5. The Three Stooges (2012)
"The Three Stooges" received a critical thrashing when it was released in 2012, but at least it was also a major box office bomb, right? Although instantly rejected by audiences of all tastes, the film has spent the years since revealing itself to be ... actually really interesting and actually quite faithful to the original shorts from which is borrows its title characters.
This film was Peter and Bobby Farrelly's passion project, a film made to pay tribute to the classic comedy trio that defined modern slapstick and physical comedy, and therefore, defined large portions of the Farrelly Brothers' own filmography. And even if the film isn't your cup of tea, it's hard to deny that the film really does capture that very specific energy of the original Three Stooges shorts, and that stars Sean Hayes, Chris Diamantopoulos, and Will Sasso are uncanny in how they slip into the guises of Larry, Moe, and Curly. This is a film made with so much love, the kind of movie that only filmmakers with plenty of actual hits under their belt could've made. They got away with something.
"The Three Stooges" doesn't exist for modern audiences. It exists for audiences from nearly a century ago, and the handful of comedy nerds who are still interested in the kind of comedy audiences loved back then. It's a tribute, made with plenty of throwback craft, and easily the most interesting movie the Farrellys ever made. (Jacob Hall)
4. Me, Myself & Irene (1998)
Though "Dumb & Dumber" may be the better Farrelly Brothers movie, Jim Carrey might just be better overall in "Me, Myself & Irene." Though aspects of the film haven't aged so well, especially in how it portrays schizophrenia (or Dissociative Identity Disorder), Carrey delivers a tour de force performance as mild-mannered Rhode Island State Trooper Charlie Baileygates, who suddenly finds his life thrown into upheaval by the sudden arrival of an arrogant split personality who calls himself Hank Evans and seems to have inherited all of Charlie's suppressed rage that he's buried over the years.
Not unlike "Dumb & Dumber," Charlie ends up involved in a criminal scheme when a greenskeeper named Irene (Renée Zellweger) is wanted by corrupt law officials for a crime she didn't commit. Charlie tries to keep her safe, but his missteps frequently result in Hank taking over with a better plan. Unfortunately, that plan usually comes with a lot of hilariously inappropriate raunch and fury that typically ends up getting them into more trouble. Meanwhile, Charlie also has a trio of beefy men (played by Anthony Anderson, Jerod Mixon, and Mongo Brownlee) who are trying to track him down, and their ribbing and wisecracking brings plenty of laughs.
Watching Jim Carrey swiftly and crisply switch back and forth between Charlie and Hank is mesmerizing, especially when it comes to his physical performance. In particular, when Charlie gets into a fight with Hank, Carrey throws himself around in a spectacular fashion. It's the Jim Carrey show, and we're lucky to have a ticket. (Ethan Anderton)
3. There's Something About Mary (1998)
"Dumb and Dumber" and "Kingpin" are beloved comedies, but "There's Something About Mary" was a legitimate cultural phenomenon. The R-rated, gross-out romantic comedy is loaded with moments now considered iconic, like Ben Stiller's testicle getting caught in a zipper, and of course, Cameron Diaz's use of "organic" hair gel. The film follows Ted (Stiller), a grown man who never gave up on his high school dream date, Mary (Diaz), and hires a sleazeball private detective (Matt Dillon) to track her down for a second chance. Mary is one hell of a catch, so he lies to Ted to keep him away from her to try and "win" her for himself. Things get even more complicated when pizza delivery driver Norm Phipps (Lee Evans) also becomes smitten with Mary, in addition to Mary's obsessive ex-boyfriend Dom "Woogie" Woganowski (Chris Elliot).
It's a movie about a bunch of losers who don't deserve a great gal, and the Farrelly Brothers have no problem torturing these men in a series of misadventures and outrageous physical comedy bits. It, like all comedies, has certainly not aged with the times, but upon its release, the lengths the performers were willing to go for a laugh was revelatory. Ben Stiller taking a fishing lure to the face and Lin Shaye's excessive tan will always be funny, and Diaz proves that she was the definitive comedic lead of the '90s, even if she never gets the credit she deserves. (BJ Colangelo)
2. Kingpin (1996)
After the success of "Dumb and Dumber," the Farrelly Brothers had their pick of any project they wanted, and the sports comedy "Kingpin" proved there was no such thing as a sophomore slump. While there are plenty of great zingers and punchlines, the true power is in the film's larger-than-life character work and elaborate set pieces. Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) is a former bowling champion who is double-crossed in a con game by the womanizing, smart-mouthed scumbag Ernie "Big Ern" McCracken (Bill Murray), and loses his bowling hand in the process. Relegated to life as an alcoholic small-time hustler, everything changes for Roy when he crosses paths with Amish bowling prodigy Ishmael (Randy Quaid) and decides to train him to take down Big Ern once and for all.
The execution is as ridiculous as the premise, but it somehow all works together with ease. Have many of the jokes aged horrendously? Absolutely, but there's a balls-to-the-wall charm of just how absurd this film is, especially because this cartoonish style of characters doesn't really exist anymore. Not to mention, it doubles as a legitimately great underdog sports movie, regardless of comedy antics. On paper, "Kingpin" shouldn't work, but in the hands of the Farrelly Brothers, it's a gravy train with biscuit wheels. (BJ Colangelo)
1. Dumb & Dumber (1994)
Not only is "Dumb & Dumber" easily the best film from the Farrelly Brothers, but it's one of the greatest comedies of all time. That's pretty impressive, since it was the first film for the directing duo, which they also co-wrote with Bennett Yellin. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, two dim-witted friends on an unknowingly dangerous road trip to return a mysterious briefcase to Mary, one of Lloyd's limo passengers (Lauren Holly). Lloyd and Harry are simply too stupid to realize they've gotten themselves caught up in a kidnapping scheme by accidentally snatching Mary's ransom intended to pay off criminals who have abducted her husband, and they miraculously manage to evade the felons by being completely oblivious to their pursuit.
"Dumb & Dumber" mixes screwball comedy, criminal intrigue, and even hopeful romance into a wholly unique comedic package. There are gross-out laughs like Harry's laxative-fueled use of a broken toilet. There are slapstick pratfalls like Lloyd falling out of an airport jetway onto the tarmac. But there are also moments of what we'll call sharp idiocy, such as tricking a group of rowdy truck stop good ol' boys to pay for a diner tab or carelessly spending hundreds of thousands of ransom dollars with the misguided hope of paying it back by keeping meticulous track of spending by way of IOUs (don't forget the one for the Lamborghini for $275,000, might want to hold on to that one). This is just a certified classic comedy. (Ethan Anderton)