15 Movies Like Pineapple Express That Comedy Fans Need To See

Seth Rogen and James Franco's age-old tale of process server and hippie dealer on the run from criminal types while becoming best (cough) buds was always going to be a hit. Throw in Craig Robinson, Gary Cole, and Rosie Perez, hang the whole thing on Rogen and Franco's comedic chemistry, and you've got a cannabis-fueled comedy like no other. Also, did we mention the mental-as-ever Danny McBride? "Pineapple Express" is a perfect weed movie and a rare classic of the genre, but it isn't your only option if you're in the mood for high comedy. And not all weed movies have actual weed in them, though — in fact, many of the components that make a green movie great show up in a lot of comedies. So if you want to know what "Shaun of the Dead" could possibly have in common with "Pineapple Express," read on — and prepare to add a bunch of new entries to your viewing queue.

"This Is the End" serves as the last entry in a loose series of films that features Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, and their pals goofing around — except in this movie, they're playing fictionalized versions of themselves, and instead of dealing in the slightly murky world of drug dealing or underage drinking, they're facing the end of the world. The setup is simple: a party at Franco's house takes a turn for the apocalyptic when a series of Biblical-level catastrophes is unleashed.

In the midst of all this, tons of people are being airlifted to Heaven, courtesy of a divine shuttle service not that dissimilar to the tube technology seen in "Futurama." In no time, society completely breaks down — McBride becomes a cannibal king, with Channing Tatum as his willing gimp. On the way, Michael Cera gives a career-best performance as the creep you always hoped he'd be, Rihanna makes Craig Robinson actually blush — who knew that was even possible? — and Jonah Hill does a Woody Harrelson impression that will stay with you forever. An absolute must-see for anyone who likes the idea that Heaven is a stoner's paradise.

Endlessly quotable, genuinely hilarious and containing one of the best music video parodies ever committed to film, "Dude, Where's My Car?" really is a dumb, fun way to spend 90 minutes. Essentially a lost night story, the film tells the tale of pals Jesse and Chester, who can't find the broken jalopy that passes for their car the morning after. During their hunt they meet a smoking dog, a bizarre cult, and some of the most Danish aliens you'll ever see. But the story is really immaterial.

Co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott give genuine, touching, and downright hilarious performances from start to finish. The pair are clearly having a blast all the way through — from the genius tattoo argument to "Bust a Move" and basically every other scene they share, their chemistry is dynamite. The film also gives you the opportunity to revel in the best, most hilarious, and most memorable cameo of Brent Spiner's career. It's worth the price of entry alone.

"We're the Millers" differs from most weed-fueled comedies in that it has a woman in a leading role. Admittedly that woman is playing a stripper who gets paid by a male drug dealer to pretend she's his wife, but we'll take progress where we can get it, you know? When David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) is forced to drive a mega-ton of drugs across the border, it's obvious that what he needs to make the trip really pop is a fake family to help fool the border cops. Enter the aforementioned stripper (Jennifer Aniston) and two teenagers (Emma Roberts and Will Poulter).

The "Millers" make their way south as the movie goes where we know it's really headed — namely, the place where this rag-tag bunch of outsiders suddenly realizes they really are a family. And that's what's so unique about "We're the Millers": it's almost a family-friendly stoner flick. It's also warm and full of humor, with a cast that's eminently watchable and funny, and a story that reminds us that even middle class types smoke the green — and suggests that despite what you see on the news, white people can smuggle way more drugs than anyone else.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that the '90s invented stoner comedies. Your parents — even your grandparents — were watching them long before that, and it's largely thanks to the charms of the most famous smokers of the '70s: Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. The first of seven films the duo has made together, 1978's "Up in Smoke" took in over $44 million against a $2 million budget with a rambling story that follows the high as a kite pair through ups and downs including a stint in jail for possession and a battle of the bands competition that sees them singing "Earache My Eye." Yes, it's nonsense, but it's sublime nonsense.

From comically large joints to inappropriate uses for a laundry hamper, burrito-eating dogs, and being rudely awoken by what feels like a thousand small kids, the fun comes from how naturalistic the lead actors are. That chemistry has stood the test of time: Having influenced possibly every stoner comedy that came after, the pair still tour together and can often be found spoofing their familiar personas in the likes of "From Dusk Till Dawn" and "That '70s Show."

Any of Kevin Smith's New Jersey movies could fit on this list, such is their association with the herb. "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," however, features not one but two of the best cameos in the View Askewniverse. 

Jay and Silent Bob are forced to leave their comfortable storefront when the movie version of the comics version of their lives threatens to ruin their existence. And that's before it's even wrapped. From diamond heists and nuns that look a lot like Princess Leia but definitely do not behave like her, to larger-than-life characters that look a lot like Luke Skywalker and behave a bit like him, "Strike Back" is a straight-up gagfest. And no, those are not the two cameos we're talking about.

Neither are Jon Stewart, Judd Nelson — remember him? — or Will Ferrell. Nope. They're all outranked by Seann William Scott, whose self-righteous animal rights activist is pure comedy gold. And if that isn't enough, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's self-deprecating appearance is always good for a laugh. All together now: Lion face! Lemon face! Lion face! Lemon face!

"The Big Lebowski" is a stoner movie classic, but it's also so much more. This acclaimed Coen brothers outing tells a twisted noir-style tale in which Jeffrey Lebowski, OG hippie and rug lover, is caught up in a torrid marriage breakdown involving nihilists, underwear, bowling, and the most surreal use of Kenny Rogers' music ever conceived. Jeff Bridges, as Lebowski, is aided and abetted by an outstanding cast that includes John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, and a deeply disturbing John Turturro.

Having been mistaken for a different Lebowski — the rich husband of a wayward trophy wife — Bridges' character is then charged with finding said missing spouse. As he traverses all the ins and outs of the case, the true nature of the Lebowski family is slowly and hilariously revealed. Along the way, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll learn new and exciting ways to insult your friends, and you'll never look at purple jumpsuits in quite the same way again.

If you had to pick one reason "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" deserves its spot on this list, we all know what you'd pick. Three words: Neil. Patrick. Harris. No other cameo appearance has so totally changed the course of an actor's career, as well as the way the public sees them. Outrageous, hilarious and downright criminal in places, it well and truly closed the book on the "former child actor" phase of Harris' career. Of course, other stuff also happens on the road to White Castle.

John Cho is hilarious here, and Kal Penn's not half bad himself. So when the perpetually baked pair's munchie-seeking adventures eventually wind up basically serving as a 90-minute setup for a "Dude, Where's My Car" reference — the movies, perhaps unsurprisingly, share a director — it's entirely forgivable. Come for the stoner comedy, stay for the funny, charming, warm and absolutely convincing performances, and prepare for Harris to blow your mind all over again.

They may not actually get high in the movie, but "Shaun of the Dead" main characters Shaun and Ed possess many Hollywood-style stoner traits. They're underachievers. Kinda apathetic. They'd rather play video games than work. They haven't really changed since college. You get the idea. A caper dressed up as a zom-rom-com, it's also one of the finest, funniest British comedies of all time, expertly crafted by master scriptwriters and performed by an absolutely stellar cast.

When Londoners suddenly start turning into zombies, it's up to our titular hero to get his friends, enemies, girlfriend, and mom to the presumed safety of the local pub — and then keep them alive until the military can rescue them. But before that can happen, they have to fight off zombies and jealous would-be partners while eating more pig snacks than can possibly be healthy. And they do it all to an awesome soundtrack, which reaches its zenith during the group beating of a zombie choreographed to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now." Packed solid with gags, pop culture references, truly touching scenes, and some of the 21st century's most quotable dialogue, "Shaun" is without doubt a modern classic. How's that for a slice of fried gold?

When Ice Cube set out to make a stoner movie, he said he wanted it to be as influential as "Up in Smoke." And, boy, did he ever deliver with "Friday." Everybody loved it — a box office take nearly nine times its budget shows how true that is. But it goes so much deeper than that. Does "Up in Smoke" have its own meme? Does "Dude Where's My Car?" get quoted on "Drag Race"? No other weed movie has quite transcended audiences and platforms in the same way.

While the premise — stoners "accidentally" owe dealer money — might not be the most original ever conceived, it's something many smokers can relate to. It's the gags, the dialogue, the energy, and the crazy talented cast that make "Friday" so beloved. Tiny Lister? Check. John Witherspoon? Check. Nia Long? Check. Bernie Mac? Check. And that's before we talk about Chris Tucker and Cube himself. And we don't think it's playing with your emotions to say that the fourth-wall-busting ending is a touch of genius. Truly the standard by which all subsequent pot comedies should be judged.

Smart, funny, satirical, and sweet, "Dazed and Confused" can make you nostalgic for a time before you were born. Also, we just can't get enough of Matthew McConaughey in pink trousers. Focusing on the last day of school in '70s Austin, Texas, "Dazed" takes us on a "Breakfast Club"-style journey through the social (and antisocial) groups celebrating their freedom. From that last morning bell to dawn on the first day of summer, the teenagers smoke, drink, fight, and talk themselves through one wild — and wildly entertaining — night.

The performances are so naturalistic, so funny, so downright believable. Rory Cochrane turns in what might be his finest comedy performance as the none-more-stoned Slater, and steals every scene he's in. Parker Posey, Sasha Jensen, and Adam Goldberg also get special mention for their superbly funny takes on teen angst. The script is a joy, the soundtrack is absolutely pitch perfect, and we all want a party at the Moontower. If you've never seen this movie, what have you been doing with your life?

On paper, "Half Baked" looks a lot like your average stoner movie: Wacky setup plus harebrained stoner scheme equals plenty of laughs and a morally ambiguous ending. Here, the wacky setup involves the death of a police horse via an overdose of junk food, leading to a main character's arrest. As a result, his friends plot a harebrained scheme to rob the local medical marijuana lab to raise the million-dollar bail bond. There's plenty of room for cameos, including Jon Stewart, Snoop Dogg, Tommy Chong, and Willie Nelson, but the movie's most effective active ingredient is Dave Chappelle.

"Half Baked" was filmed before Chappelle's first brush with network TV, and he didn't just star in it — he co-wrote it with longtime partner Neal Brennan. You wouldn't have known it at the time, but the movie was definitely something of a warmup for the pair's wildly successful and much-missed sketch show. Mellow out, kick back, and bask in this surreal and hilarious trip into the mind of one of America's greatest comedians.

Take one teen rom-com, add weed, demon limb possession, and some of the grossest sandwich-making you'll ever see, and you're close the plot of "Idle Hands." Sprinkle in a ton of hilarious gags, a couple of comedy zombies, and a weird "Addams Family" vibe, and you've got a weed movie with a gothic twist. Taking its title and most of the story from the old adage "The devil makes work for idle hands," the film centers on Devon Sawa's weed-loving teenager Anton, who finds himself with a murderously possessed hand, intent on harming his nearest and dearest at every opportunity. What follows is a gloriously gory tale about the devil-related dangers of being a slacker and how to woo influential schoolmates. (Hint: Don't try to kill them.)

Sawa gives what might be his best performance, while Jessica Alba does what she can with very few clothes and fewer lines, and Seth Green and Eldon Henson steal most of the show with their highly entertaining take on the recently deceased. The rest of the film is ripped from their grasp by Vivica A. Fox as she punches, screams, and insults her way to her demon-killing destiny.

Kicking off with a random group of teens arriving for detention on a Saturday, John Hughes' classic "The Breakfast Club" unfolds over the course of eight hours, during which its young main characters laugh, smoke, dance, refuse to conform, and generally have a fantastic time bonding over the injustice of it all. Stereotypes are explored, ignored, and subverted, friendships blossom and die, and one character walks away with a diamond earring at the end. Nothing like any detention we ever went to, but it's endlessly entertaining anyway.

The film has drawn criticism in recent years for its class and gender stereotypes, among other things. But as a snapshot of white, upper-middle-class teen '80s angst, it still has a ton of value — including the group toke-up scene that remains a classic if for no other reason than girls are allowed not just to be present, but to partake. For that and so many other reasons, the "Club" will always have a place in our hearts.

Long before Jack Black started making kids' movies, he was in a rock band. A good one, too. In fact, even before Black surprised the world at the end of "High Fidelity" by showcasing a rock/soul voice most people would kill for, he and his partner in crime in Tenacious D, Kyle Gass, were cult favorites for their impeccable musicianship and skewed sense of humor. Their self-titled first album is well worth streaming — and it all led to the world's first comedy whose plot hinges on Satan's teeth.

In "Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny," Black and Gass set off to find the titular pick, which is made from a piece of one of Satan's teeth and is said to make the holder an otherworldly genius with any stringed instrument. (Any and every rock star you can name once held the pick aloft.) As long as the pick stays out of the devil's mouth, the world will survive. Dave Grohl plays Satan, proving you can be one of rock's nicest guys and still be born to play the devil, but the real magic here comes from Black and Gass, Tenacious as ever.

"Superbad" has all the hallmarks of a classic stoner movie. When Seth and Evan, two chronically unpopular seniors, are charged with the unlikely responsibility of providing the booze for a high school blowout, they move heaven and earth to make it happen. What follows is a juvenile, foul-mouthed and downright hilarious journey through the highlights of what we're sure was an interesting adolescence, given that the script was written by longtime creative partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg starting when the two were still teens. 

The semi-autobiographical story is told with wit and warmth, resulting in a movie that's so much more than the sum of its parts. Yes, the characters have some questionable ideas about sex and women, but so do a lot of teenagers. What makes "Superbad" so special for many people is its clear love for that awful time between being a kid and moving into adulthood, presented with honesty, humor, and Bill Hader. Goldberg and Rogen are to be commended for turning their teen foibles into a comedy that's refreshingly free of ego — and laugh-out-loud funny.