Judd Apatow has had a remarkably successful career in Hollywood. In part, this is because he seems to have a knack for getting the perfect people to star in his movies. Just as importantly, however, he also has a style that is all his own. His characters are often not very likable, and in fact they are often struggling to just be functional adults. What’s more, he also often leans into the more unruly aspects of comedy moviemaking.
These traits are in evidence not just in the films he has directed, but also those that he has produced, and so it is worth taking a look at his notable ventures, especially for those who may not be familiar with his work.
The Bubble (2022)
One of the key elements of Judd Apatow’s style is his ability to craft movies that are very much of their moment. That is certainly true of The Bubble, which takes his signature point of view and applies it to the pandemic period of moviemaking and the toxic nature of stardom.
As the title suggests, it focuses on the cast and crew of a movie as they struggle to make a film during a pandemic lockdown. It has a bit of a bitter edge to its humor, which is of a piece with its essential message about the bleak days of the pandemic.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
One of Apatow’s thematic interests has always been American masculinity, and this is evidenced in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The movie is one of Steve Carell’s best movies, as it showcases his extraordinary talent as a comedic actor.
While the movie obviously focuses on Carell’s character, Andy Stitzer, and his efforts to finally lose his virginity, it also is at times strangely touching. It ultimately concludes that there is a possibility of love for anyone. And, given that it’s Apatow, it has a broad sense of humor that is a good introduction to his style.
Knocked Up (2007)
Even though Apatow is known for the raunchy edge to his comedies, they all often have a layer of poignancy to them as well. That is true of Knocked Up, which follows two characters who have to contend with the realities of an unintended pregnancy after a one-night stand.
There’s undeniable chemistry between Seth Rogen (playing one of his best characters) and Katherine Heigl, and both ultimately realize, after many misadventures, that they do truly love one another and are compatible.
Funny People (2009)
Aside from his straight-up comedies, Apatow is also known for directing movies that fall into the nebulous category of the dramedy. That is the case with Funny People, which is the moving story of a terminally ill comedian who works to repair the relationships with those in his life.
It stars Adam Sandler in one of his best rom-coms, he brings out the remarkable complexity of his character, and there is an undeniable chemistry between him and Seth Rogen (the movie’s other star). It is arguably one of the most mature of Apatow’s works.
This Is 40 (2012)
In many ways, This Is 40 is the perfect place to begin with Judd Apatow. It has all of his thematic hallmarks–specifically an investigation of middle-age masculinity–focusing as it does on a married couple who have to contend with the reality that they are about to turn 40.
The cast is uniformly excellent (it is one of Paul Rudd’s best), though the movie also features one of Apatow’s other trademarks, i.e. a running time that allows the plot to at times meander rather than staying tightly focused.
Trainwreck (2015)
Trainwreck is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to its cast, starring as it does both Bill Hader and Amy Schumer. There is palpable chemistry between the two leads, for while Schumer is her signature self as a free-wheeling writer, Hader has nervous energy as an orthopedic surgeon and her first serious relationship.
Apatow knows how to allow these character types to play off of one another, and the movie ends up being a demonstration of how well he can direct a romantic comedy.
The King Of Staten Island (2020)
As he has matured as a filmmaker, Apatow has shown how skilled he is at moving between different registers within the same movie. The King of Staten Island is another of his dramedies, which follows Pete Davidson’s Scott Carlin as he struggles to get his life together and also deal with his mother’s decision to begin her romantic life anew.
Apatow brings out a particularly nuanced performance from Davidson, who articulates a troubled, yet funny and touching, vision of millennial masculine angst.
Bridesmaids (2011)
Even though he has attained his greatest success as a director, Apatow has also been successful as a producer, and many of these movies also show signs of his artistic touch. This is especially true of Bridesmaids.
Focusing on a group of female friends who reunite for a wedding, it is a movie that zeroes in on the power, and the stresses, of female friendship, with a healthy dose of raunchy comedy. It also features an extraordinary cast, with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Maya Rudolph showing fantastic chemistry with one another.
Step Brothers (2008)
Step Brothers is another movie that Apatow didn’t direct but still bears the signs of his unruly comedic style. Starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as a pair of stepbrothers who refuse to grow up and continue to play numerous pranks on one another, it brings out the best in both of its leads.
What’s more, it also shows some of the key thematic interests of Apatow, focusing as it does on men who struggle to deal with the pressures of adulthood.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
The 2000s was a bit of a golden age for the particular comedic style of Apatow and directors of his type. An exceptionally good example, and one of the best comedies of the 2000s, is Talladega Nights.
It features a perfect melding of producer, director, and star, and it is a very strong showcase of the comedic talents of Will Ferrell. It is a hilarious satire of the masculine culture of race car driving that still holds up today.
