From the heartwarming romance of Bros to the meta antics of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent to the multiversal martial arts battles of Everything Everywhere All at Once, a lot of this year’s finest films seem like they must’ve been a lot of fun for the cast and crew to make.
There are many great movies that Redditors believe were a blast to shoot, like the improvisational rock mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, the darkly comedic crime biopic The Wolf of Wall Street, and the absurdist ‘70s-set satire Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Ben Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr., and Jack Black teamed up to lampoon the vapidity of their own profession in Tropic Thunder, about the cast of a war movie who unwittingly become stranded in a real warzone.
Redditor u/Jmen4Ever writes that “it certainly seems they had a blast on the Tropic Thunder set,” making fun of public perceptions of their line of work.
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
With his turn as lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel in Rob Reiner’s satirical rockumentary This is Spinal Tap, Christopher Guest pioneered a style of improvisational mock-docs that he continued to apply in his own directorial work, starting with Waiting for Guffman.
According to Redditor u/LeonardSmallsJr, “All of those improv movies look like a really fun time for everyone: Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show.”
A Knight’s Tale (2001)
Heath Ledger gave one of his most memorable performances as the lead character in A Knight’s Tale, a squire who poses as a knight and earns friendships with historical icons like Geoffrey Chaucer and Edward the Black Prince. According to Redditor u/twEEdJ_cket, “Everything about this film screams fun and passion!”
The Redditor writes, “It is so clearly visible that everyone who made the movie had a great time. Every actor is giving their A-game, the sound guys absolutely killed it, the story is wonderful and heartwarming.”
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Jason Segel wrote the starring vehicle Forgetting Sarah Marshall for himself. It’s a romcom about a lonely musician who goes to Hawaii to move on from a breakup – only to find his ex and her new beau staying at the same resort. The film features scene-stealing supporting turns by such gifted comic actors as Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Mila Kunis.
Redditor u/thewhitebuttboy writes that Forgetting Sarah Marshall is “one of my favorite movies because everyone in that movie seemed to vibe so well. I didn’t want it to end. I need more Jason Segel in movies.”
The Sting (1973)
After co-starring in the hilarious anti-western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Paul Newman and Robert Redford reunited with director George Roy Hill for the equally hilarious crime caper The Sting, about a couple of quick-witted con artists.
Redditor u/simonf75 writes, “I always felt like Paul Newman and Robert Redford were having a blast together” in their on-screen collaborations.
The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s biopic of unscrupulous stockbroker Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street, might not be their finest collaboration, but it’s undoubtedly their funniest. Supporting players like Jonah Hill and Jon Bernthal leaned heavily into the film’s pitch-black comic tone.
According to Redditor u/Doppelfrio, “The cast of Wolf of Wall Street was absolutely just having a good time” when they shot the movie.
Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Adam McKay and Will Ferrell transferred their idiosyncratic brand of absurdist comedy from Saturday Night Live to the big screen in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. They brought over several SNL colleagues, like David Koechner and Chris Parnell, and gave early film roles to Steve Carell and Paul Rudd.
According to Redditor u/Transatlanticaccent, “Anchorman seems like everyone is having a f****** blast just cracking each other up.”
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Steven Soderbergh’s modern remake of the Rat Pack heist movie Ocean’s Eleven assembled a star-studded cast full of beloved A-listers: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac – the list goes on.
Redditor u/TalkRevolutionary330 claims that the Ocean’s cast simply enjoy each other’s company: “They even said that they did the sequels just to get everyone together again.”
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
The perfect intersection between smart and silly, A Fish Called Wanda stars former Python John Cleese (who also wrote the screenplay) as a barrister who gets scammed by a femme fatale, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. Vanity Fair reports that the movie was so funny, it made one audience member laugh so hard that it killed them.
According to Redditor u/stevewmn, this movie must’ve been a joy to make: “Jamie [Lee Curtis] and Kevin Kline [got] to work with Michael Palin and John Cleese from Monty Python in their prime in a very goofy and fun movie.”
School Of Rock (2003)
Richard Linklater put his indie edge in the backseat when he helmed the fun-filled feel-good family-friendly comedy School of Rock. Jack Black scored the role of a lifetime with Dewey Finn, a wannabe rocker who cons his way into a substitute teaching gig for some quick cash and ends up inspiring his students (and being inspired by them).
According to Redditor u/OrcSoldat, “Jack Black looked like he had the time of his life in School of Rock,” and the same enthusiasm can be seen in all his young co-stars.
