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The 10 best Ben Stiller movies, ranked

These Ben Stiller movies show the actor at his best

Ben Stiller as White Goodman in Dodgeball

Ben Stiller used to just be known as the son of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Now that he has more than 25 years in the film industry as an actor, director, and producer, Ben is arguably the most known figure from the family. While he usually focuses his talents on comedy, he’s started to explore more deep, genre-rich work behind the camera. Most recently he became one of the main creative forces backing the Apple TV+ hit, Severance. Today we’ll go into the time machine and celebrate his best movies as an actor. From voice performances in Dreamworks films to indie films with great directors, here are the best Ben Stiller movies to stream and enjoy with friends, family, or by yourself!

10. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
10. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
92m
Genre Comedy
Stars Vince Vaughn, Christine Taylor, Ben Stiller
Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story follows the misadventures of a recreational dodgeball team. This exaggerated take on sports films allows Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn to show off everything they’ve got in their comedic toolboxes, although some viewers and critics took umbrage with the over-the-top storytelling. If you like seeing Stiller at his goofiest, this is a pretty good place to start in his catalog.
9. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
9. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
114m
Genre Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Stars Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn
Directed by Ben Stiller
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty tells the story of the titular character, played by Stiller, who travels the world in pursuit of a purpose. Along the way, he discovers the love and life he’s always daydreamed of, a perfect and relatable analogy for so many of the viewers watching from home. Stiller also directed this movie, a decision some critics felt led to uneven storytelling. I appreciate the feel-good arc of the main character and the change of pace Stiller accepted in this film compared to his other roles.
8. Zoolander (2001)
8. Zoolander
90m
Genre Comedy
Stars Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor
Directed by Ben Stiller
Not many characters Stiller plays are more famous than the fashion model Derek Zoolander. This movie with Ben Stiller follows the trials and troubles of Zoolander as he comes to grips with his place in the fashion industry after losing an award to Owen Wilson’s character, Hansel. The movie uses a lot of stereotypes and outlandish assumptions about people who work in the modeling industry, but it’s certainly good for many memorable laughs. An ill-received sequel was finally released in 2016, but we’d rather just remember the first movie here.
7. Flirting with Disaster (1996)
7. Flirting with Disaster
92m
Genre Comedy
Stars Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Téa Leoni
Directed by David O. Russell
Flirting with Disaster is one of the earliest hits of Ben Stiller’s career, and it still presents plenty of laughs more than 25 years later. Stiller plays a man in search of his biological parents, and he forces his wife to travel the country with him to track them down. The journey is as offbeat as can be expected, and the results of the search are equally wacky. This black comedy was one of the films that proved Stiller could carry a production as the lead man. Other actors include Alan Alda and Mary Tyler Moore.
6. Madagascar (2005)
6. Madagascar
86m
Genre Family, Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer
Directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
Voice acting takes a special kind of talent that not every big Hollywood star possesses. Stiller certainly adds some impeccably fun personality to this Dreamworks classic animated film about an escaped group of zoo animals that arrives on the shores of the island of Madagascar. Other voice actors include Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer. The franchise has become one of the studio’s most successful, with several sequels, spinoffs, and even video games.
5. Tropic Thunder (2008)
5. Tropic Thunder
107m
Genre Action, Comedy, Adventure, War
Stars Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr.
Directed by Ben Stiller
When it comes to movies that probably would be controversial if they were made today, Tropic Thunder is certainly on the top of the list. The satirical war film pokes fun at a myriad of Hollywood tropes, sometimes using outdated avenues like brown face to illicit laughs. Stiller portrays has-been actor Tugg Speedman, a former movie star who has to figure out how to get through the dangers of a real jungle with the help of his co-stars. Other big names in this one include Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, and Tom Cruise.
4. There's Something About Mary (1998)
4. There's Something About Mary
119m
Genre Romance, Comedy
Stars Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon
Directed by Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Cameron Diaz is the real star of this late 1990s romantic comedy directed by the Farrelly brothers, but Ben Stiller’s character’s affection for Diaz’s Mary is the catalyst for much of the humor in this film. Stiller plays Ted Stroehmann, the man who’s still trying to figure out how to get with his high school crush all these years later. Using some of the signature humor that the Farrellys are known for from other hits like Dumb and Dumber, this film was a true comedic hit at the box office.[/dt_media]
3. Night at the Museum (2006)
3. Night at the Museum
108m
Genre Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Stars Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke
Directed by Shawn Levy
I’m not sure if the comedic execution of Night at the Museum is all that legendary, but the concept of the film is one of the most creative of its era. Stiller plays museum night guard Larry Daley, a man who is flabbergasted at the fantastical elements of the American Museum of Natural History. The exhibits come to life after everyone goes home, leading to Daley befriending many of the historical figures on the premises. Robin Williams is the most iconic supporting actor in the film; he portrays former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
2. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
2. The Royal Tenenbaums
110m
Genre Comedy, Drama
Stars Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller
Directed by Wes Anderson
Although not one of Wes Anderson’s typically used actors, Ben Stiller really nails his role as Chas Tenenbaum, the son of a father who leaves during adolescence only to reappear later on in his children’s adult years to zany and absurdist results. Gwyneth Paltrow, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson are some of the other names you’ll be excited to see in this comedy-drama film from the early 2000s. The film remains of Stiller and Anderson’s best projects due to its indie feel and unique humor surrounding family issues.
1. Meet the Parents (2000)
1. Meet the Parents
108m
Genre Comedy, Romance
Stars Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo
Directed by Jay Roach
Ben Stiller is already a big star on his own. Add Robert De Niro to the mix and you have a legendary pairing that was sure to be a hit the second they were cast together. The best comedy pokes fun at the most relatable moments in our lives, and the plot of this classic 2000s family flick definitely has an innate understanding of the awkward reality of in-law relationships. Stiller and De Niro possess a golden chemistry as Stiller’s character tries to impress De Niro’s, enough to continue pursuing a relationship with his daughter. This movie spawned two sequels across more than a decade with Meet the Fockers and Little Fockers. These films never were able to quite capture the comedic magic of the original Meet the Parents, but this is often a regular occurrence when making follow-ups.

Editors' Recommendations

Movie images and data from:
Shawn Laib
Shawn Laib is a freelance writer with publications such as Den of Geek, Quote.com, Edge Media Network, diaTribe, SUPERJUMP…
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