15 Best Adam Sandler Movies Ranked

In case you've been living under a rock, Adam Sandler has been on quite a streak. From delivering an award worthy performance (that was sadly snubbed at the Oscars), to going back to his roots with great comedy specials and completely stealing the show in one of the best moments from the "SNL 50" anniversary special, it's a damn good time to be the Sandman. Well over 30 years into his career in entertainment, Sandler shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and this year won't be the exception.

On the horizon, Sandler's got two big movies hitting Netflix in 2025: "Jay Kelly," a dramedy written and directed by Noah Baumbach, will see Sandler team up on screen with George Clooney and Laura Dern, while fans of "Happy Gilmore" will finally get the long-awaited sequel, "Happy Gilmore 2," this summer. In case you've been debating doing a full marathon of Adam Sandler's best roles, these are the best films of his career that absolutely must make the watchlist... but maybe not in this exact order. You're gonna want a palate cleanser after "Uncut Gems." 

It's not surprising that "Hotel Transylvania" has become a major animated franchise, given that the first movie quadrupled its budget at the box office. Adam Sandler takes center-stage in the series as Count Dracula, with frequent collaborators like Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, and David Spade voicing Frankenstein, Wayne the Werewolf, and the Invisible Man, respectively. In this film, Drac owns and operates a hotel exclusively for monsters, until they're discovered by the dim-witted Jonathan (Andy Samberg), a human who falls for Drac's daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez). 

Some critics were harsh towards the movie's cheesy story and predictable plot, while others appreciated its family-friendly fun. It's definitely not the most high-brow film Sandler's been a part of, nor is it the most low-brow, either. As we at /Film retrospectively examined "Hotel Transylvania" during our Year of the Vampire series, it's "a surprisingly endearing story of a young woman discovering her independence, and a single father gradually coming to accept that his 'little girl' is no longer a child." If you're gonna watch any film in the franchise, however, you can't go wrong with the first. 

You wouldn't expect an actor like Adam Sandler to excel in a sci-fi drama based on a novel by Bohemian author Jaroslav Kalfař, but somehow, "Spaceman" works. Sandler spends most of the film on his own as Jakub, an astronaut separated from his wife (Carey Mulligan) on a space mission whose vessel is intruded on by a giant, talking spider he names Hanuš (Paul Dano), but rather than turn into an "Alien"-esque horror, Jakub and Hanuš become unlikely friends as Hanuš seeks to learn more about the human race. 

"Spaceman" isn't an action-packed space drama, but it's got a strong enough performance from Sandler and enough substance to keep you invested as to whether or not the spider is real or simply a figment of Jakub's imagination. In /Film's own review of the somber sci-fi saga, "We've seen [Sandler] do dramatic work before, but this is arguably one of his toughest performances ... the actor takes on the challenge of playing someone so depressed and lonely that his emotions are almost palpable." The film at least deserved a bigger release than it got on Netflix.

Prior to "Hotel Transylvania," Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison had experimented with animation by making "Eight Crazy Nights," but it wasn't until 2023 that they gave it another try with the Netflix original "Leo." Co-written and co-directed by Sandler's "SNL" compatriot Robert Smigel, "Leo" stars Sandler as the titular tuatara who offers advice to the many students that take him home as part of a group science project. Like "Hotel Transylvania," it's a cute feel-god movie for the family, as we at /Film wrote of the winning animated film, it "coasts on irresistible charm even when the plot is a bit light."

Furthermore, Sandler's backed by some strong voice talent, including Bill Burr as Leo's friend, a box turtle named Squirtle, Cecily Strong as the mean substitute teacher Ms. Malkin, and Jason Alexander as the accomplished father of student Jayda, voiced by Sandler's own daughter. If you had any affinity for Sandler's work in "Hotel Transylvania," then you'll surely enjoy the warm and mushy musical joy of "Leo." 

Even more so than "Leo," "You Are So Not Invited To My Bar Mitzvah" is a family affair for the Sandlers. The Netflix movie stars Adam Sandler's daughter, Sunny, as Stacy, whose upcoming joint bar mitzvah with her best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) is put in jeopardy as they both fall for the same boy in their class. Adam co-stars with Idina Menzel as Stacy's parents, while his real wife Jackie plays the mother of Lydia, and his older daughter Sadie plays Stacy's older sister Ronnie. It may come as a shock to die-hard fans, "Bar Mitzvah" was not only a Netflix hit, but one of Sandler's highest-rated films on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Despite Sandler being subject to a lot of harsh reviews throughout his career, especially recently, "Bar Mitzvah" was praised by critics for being a genuinely warm-hearted coming-of-age story. Not only was the direction of Sammi Cohen lauded, but as were the two Sandler daughters for their impressive performances, showing they've learned a lot from their famous dad. Especially if you've had your own bar mitzvah, this film will be incredibly relatable. 

Noah Baumbach's best movies have the ability to make their charismatic A-list stars to give some career best performances. That's no different for his 2017 Netflix film "The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)," in which Sandler stars as Danny, the divorced son of aging Meyerowitz patriarch Harold (Dustin Hoffman), whose health issues force Danny to reconcile his differences with siblings Matthew (Ben Stiller) and Jean (Elizabeth Marvel). The film got a lot of praise for Baumbach's screenwriting, but the real recipient of praise for this film was the Sandman himself. 

The film's performance at Cannes Film Festival got rave reviews for Sandler, with some even comparing his characterization of Danny to finding a Pablo Picasso painting in the back of a shed, a slight dig at Sandler's previous work. If Sandler's reputation has been on a huge upswing as of late, it all started with "The Meyerowitz Stories," which may not be the most fun or interesting film on this list, but is easy evidence for any doubters of the "SNL" veteran's talent.

When you put Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in a romantic-comedy together, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a hit on your hands. "50 First Dates" is certainly one of the most emotional that Sandler has ever been a part of, playing Henry, a marine vet in Hawaii who falls for Barrymore's adorable Lucy, only to discover she suffers from a rare form of amnesia from a car accident that causes her to forget the events of every day. Never to be dissuaded from true love, Henry seeks to romance Lucy every single day. 

Some reviews point out that the film's frequent use of crude humor muddies the genuinely sweet chemistry on display between Sandler and Barrymore, but much like Henry's determination to win over Lucy, some critics were nevertheless charmed by the film's likable characters and mushy tone. We still don't know if "The Wedding Singer 2" is happening, but in the event it sadly doesn't, it's a good thing we have some great romantic comedies starring Sandler and Barrymore to satiate our desire for one.

The Sandman's silly and musical charm on display in his recent special "Adam Sandler: Love You" is proof the guy knows how to twist our hearts into knots, but real fans knew he was capable of this with "Click." The film stars Sandler as Michael, a workaholic who is given a universal remote by a mysterious Bed, Bath & Beyond employee named Morty (Christopher Walken) that, true to its name, allows him to control the universe. It's a film that really explores the limits of its premise, as Michael uses the remote to manipulate life events and slowly realize the error of his ways.

In case you think you're getting a goofy comedy a la "Bruce Almighty," keep the tissue box nearby. Michael's abuse of the remote leads to some of the best dramatic work of Sandler's career, especially one scene he shares with Henry Winkler, who plays his father (if you've seen the movie, you know the one). Many reviewers at the time of its release cycled through classic complaints of Sandler's movies, from its sense of humor to overstuffed plot, but don't listen to them: "Click" is a stellar film if you give it a chance. 

For some of Adam Sandler's detractors, they may make the same argument that the actor always plays man-children in his movies. While they're not wrong for the most part, these haters are missing the one key ingredient that makes Sandler's portrayal of juvenile characters so great: genuine heart. That's what's on display in his 1999 comedy "Big Daddy," in which Sandler plays Sonny, a slacker in his 30s who adopts a five-year-old boy (Dylan & Cole Sprouse) to prove to his ex-girlfriend that he can be responsible. 

Despite receiving poor reviews like many films from the underrated comedy star, "Big Daddy" was one of the biggest box office successes for Sandler, and it received praise from some generous critics for its supporting ensemble and satisfying story. But if that's not enough to consider it among Sandler's best films, take it from none other than Paul Thomas Anderson, who loves "Big Daddy" so much that he decided to cast Sandler in a future entry on this list. Go ahead, try to argue that you have better taste in movies than the director of "There Will Be Blood," we dare you!

Lots of film fans know by now that Quentin Tarantino originally wrote the Bear Jew in "Inglorious Basterds" for Adam Sandler, but the actor sadly turned it down because he was already committed to Judd Apatow's 2009 dramedy "Funny People." It's one of the most vulnerable roles for Sandler, who plays George Simmons, a successful comedian diagnosed with cancer who befriends a young stand-up named Ira (Seth Rogen). Like many of Apatow's best movies, it's less a plot-heavy examination of the world of comedy than a sort of hang-out movie starring incredibly funny, albeit broken, characters. 

Reviewers were taken aback by "Funny People," some of whom declared it one of the best films starring Sandler. Others critiqued its runtime, but if you're watching an Apatow feature, that's par for the course. Its supporting cast of celebrity cameos is stacked with both comedy legends like Norm Macdonald and Sarah Silverman, as well as then-up-and-comers like Aubrey Plaza, Bo Burnham, and Aziz Ansari. Above all else, it's clear that "Funny People" is possibly Apatow's most personal movie, and even though some might call it sacrilege, Sandler made the right call turning down "Inglorious Basterds" for this role. 

Don't be fooled, there are some people who will watch "Billy Madison" and see nothing but a crude comedy about a man-child with Adam Sandler grossly over-acting. However, the film's release in 1995 came hot off the coattails of Sandler's newfound fame from "Saturday Night Live," making the role of a grown man forced into expediting first grade through high school in order to satisfy his father's will and inherit the family business perfect for the comedian. Even better, it's chock full of hilarious bits that rope in Sandler's "SNL" buddies, such as Norm Macdonald, Chris Farley, and even veteran writer Jim Downey. 

It's not surprising that some of "Billy Madison's" best moments were last-minute additions by Sandler, given that the film really seems to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks. Despite mixed reviews at the time, citing its juvenile sense of humor and poor character motivations, it's now seen as a generation-defining film of the mid-90s. If you were one of the people who hated "Billy Madison" when it first released, you do have it to blame for the decades of Sandler's comedy dominance that followed.

Anyone who knows Adam Sandler knows that the guy loves basketball. He's been frequently spotted by fans and paparazzi playing pickup games, and he even cast Shaquille O'Neal in a scene-stealing role in "Grown Ups 2." However, Sandler really got to flex his love for the sport with a dramatic performance in Netflix's "Hustle," in which he plays an NBC recruiter who discovers a talented new protege in Bo Cruz, played by professional basketball player Juancho Hernangómez in his acting debut. 

Nevertheless, the spotlight wasn't stolen from Sandler, who gives one of his best performances in what we at /Film called a predictable underdog sports story that still manages to charm, writing that "Hustle" is "the type of movie that reminds us that Sandler is actually a pretty darn good actor when he wants to be." Perhaps it was the actor's genuine love for the sport that translated so well on screen, but thankfully, it led to what many critics consider one of the most intimate performances of his career. 

"Happy Gilmore" is one of the most beloved on Adam Sandler's early movies, taking his propensity for playing rage-filled man-children on "Saturday Night Live" and placing it in the typically-mundane world of professional golf. Sandler plays the titular hotheaded Gilmore, a failed hockey player who makes a career shift to golf in order to save his grandmother's house from foreclosure, butting heads with the cocky Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) and taking a reluctant mentee role with retired star golfer Chubbs, played by the late great Carl Weathers, a role that left the actor in excruciating pain. 

At the time, many critics felt similarly about "Happy Gilmore" as they did about the prior year's "Billy Madison," though some critics felt there was a clear evolution to Sandler's characterization of a man-child whose life is spiraling out of control. Obviously, it's now renowned as one of the great comedy films of the 1990s, so much so that it's got an upcoming sequel on Netflix, "Happy Gilmore 2," one of the most highly-anticipated films in the Adam Sandler cinematic universe. Personally, I can't wait to see more of Ben Stiller's sadistic orderly Hal. 

Before there was "50 First Dates," Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore played likable romantic opposites in the 1998 rom-com "The Wedding Singer," a film which has stood the test of time in the "SNL" star's filmography. In the film, set in the mid-1980s, Sandler plays the titular wedding singer, Robbie Hart, whose own wedding to Linda (Angela Featherstone) ends with leaving him alone at the altar, only for the heartbroken Robbie to slowly start to fall for Julia (Barrymore), a waitress who is engaged to the extremely unlikable Glenn (Matthew Glave) despite his poor treatment of her.

As far as Sandler's rom-coms go, "The Wedding Singer" is quite sappy, but remains one of Sandler's best movies, as we wrote for /Film, "There aren't any insanely over-the-top characters played by Sandler's usual suspects, stupid pratfalls are completely absent, and it has a big beating heart at the center of it." People still love "The Wedding Singer" so much, that talks between Sandler and Barrymore over "The Wedding Singer 2" happening are enough to make the most nostalgic fans rewatch it for the hundredth time. 

Remember earlier when we mentioned that "Big Daddy" inspired Paul Thomas Anderson to write a movie for Adam Sandler? Well, it was actually Tom Cruise who helped Sandler get one of his best roles, after working with PTA on "Magnolia." Together, Sandler and Anderson made "Punch-Drunk Love" in 2002, in which Sandler plays the nervous wreck Barry, a man who owns a toilet accessory company and is set up by his sister Elizabeth (Mary Lynn Rajskub) with his ideal woman, Lena (Emily Watson), and tries at all costs to avoid losing her as a result of his uncontrollable anger issues. 

Even though Sandler was worried he would ruin "Punch-Drunk Love" by starring in a film above his skill level, he clearly proved to critics he was capable of much more than they had assumed. Many reviews singled out Sandler's impressive performance, as well as Anderson's usual brilliant directing and screenwriting, turning what could've been a disaster in Sandler's mind into one of the best performances in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. If that's not enough to convince you, there's a scene in which Sandler and Philip Seymour Hoffman scream at each other over the phone. Who doesn't want to watch that?

If you were to have told film fanatics before that in 2019 that Adam Sandler would give a performance that would be wrongly snubbed by the Academy Awards, few would've believed you. Nevertheless, "Uncut Gems" is not only one of the best movies of 2019, but far and away the best movie of Sandler's filmography. It's a complete transformation for him as the now-iconic New York City jeweler Howard Ratner, whose never-ending addiction to gambling (and seemingly growing debts to loan sharks) is complicated when he lends a priceless gem to basketball legend Kevin Garnett. 

The tense saga from the Safdie Brothers got rave reviews, with us at /Film writing that Sandler's over-the-top performance as the eccentric Ratner as well as the brilliant editing creates "an overall atmosphere of darkly comedic dread. The entire film feels like a guillotine blade hovering over our heads, just waiting to drop." It may take the entire 135-minute runtime, but drop it does, making "Uncut Gems" one of the most thrilling and suspenseful films of the past decade. With the whole thing resting on Sandler's shoulders, it's a shame he didn't get an Oscar nod, but at least he gave us one absolutely killer speech at the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards.