Adam Sandler Netflix Movies, Ranked
Comedy legend and baggy-shorts icon Adam Sandler has had a career full of ups, downs and magical remote controls. Back in 2014, Sandler’s Happy Madison production company struck a lucrative deal with Netflix for the Sandman to crank out comedies for the streaming service. Of course, his Netflix output has varied in quality, so we’ve decided to navigate the Netflix-era Sandler flicks.
Note: We’re only ranking movies specifically made for Netflix, not his older ones that happen to be on there or films acquired by the streamer for distribution, like The Meyerowitz Stories or Uncut Gems.
Sandler’s first Netflix project is also the worst; a dull Western spoof full of lazy (and frequently racist) jokes. The only memorable thing about The Ridiculous 6 is the stunt casting of Vanilla Ice as literary icon Mark Twain, and even that is somehow less funny than it sounds.
Sandy Wexler
Sandler impressively found a voice more irritating than Little Nicky’s for Sandy Wexler, the confounding story of a forgotten Hollywood manager, reportedly inspired by Sandler's real-life manager Sandy Wernick — yeah, the whole thing is basically one interminable in-joke. Not even a surprise cameo from “Weird Al” at the end can save it.
The Week Of
Does anyone actually remember this movie coming out? Is this a reverse-Mandela Effect? Sandler’s daughter is marrying Chris Rock’s son in this harmless family comedy directed by Robert Smigel that, for some reason, goes on for an hour and 56 minutes. Perhaps the only movie in existence in which Steve Buscemi tearfully confesses to his dying father about the time he masturbated with a vacuum cleaner.
The Do-Over
Sandler and David Spade are old high school buddies who fake their deaths but steal the identities of two guys who are in deep trouble. Of course, this plan involves relocating to Puerto Rico, fulfilling Sandler’s “free vacation with my buddies” script requirement.
Hubie Halloween
At the risk of going full Ernest P. Worrell, Sandler made a goofy comedy about a town simpleton battling sinister forces on Halloween. Yeah, it’s dumb, but Hubie Halloween still has a lot going for it, including a supporting cast that includes Maya Rudolph, Tim Meadows and Ray friggin’ Liotta. Plus, it reunited Sandler with Happy Gilmore’s Julie Bowen.
Murder Mystery
The only one of Sandler’s Netflix movies to spawn a sequel (currently in production), Murder Mystery is the kind of adult comedy Hollywood barely makes anymore. Sandler and Jennifer Aniston play a married couple who find themselves in the middle of a good old-fashioned whodunnit while vacationing in Italy. It’s Knives Out for people who know all the words to “Lunch Lady Land.”
Hustle
No doubt the most grounded of Sandler’s Netflix offerings, with nary a Vanilla Ice cameo to be found, Hustle stars Sandler as a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who discovers a potential star player playing pick-up games for money in Spain. Come for the throwback sports drama; stay for the chemistry between Sandler and Queen Latifah, who plays his wife. Clearly, Sandler wanted this one to be good, hence the reason why he didn’t rewrite the script, so it took place in, like, Fiji.
Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh
An expertly assembled chronicle of Sandler’s stand-up tour, which took him from tiny clubs to giant arenas, 100% Fresh is a goddamn delight — and surprisingly touching.
While some other aging comedians use their platform to bemoan cultural progress and flail against their own fading relevance, Sandler is mostly just interested in being as delightfully silly as possible and earnestly connecting with his fans. Sure, the title is a dig at the poor Rotten Tomatoes scores his movies have gotten over the years, but this special truly is one of the best things he’s ever done — though frustratingly sitting at just 90 percent Fresh. It’s a fantastic reminder — or an introduction if you only know him from sketches and acting — of how good he is at stand-up.
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