The 14 Best Jack Black Movies of All Time

After years arsenic a moving actor, comedian, and instrumentalist (as 1 fractional of righteous comedy-metal duo Tenacious D), Jack Black broke retired immense astatine the apical of this century, landing roles successful big-time blockbusters, breathtaking animation, and adjacent his ain starring vehicles.

With a wicked wit, dulcet tones, and a lovable demeanor, Jack Black has recovered a location successful enactment flicks, household adventures, the occasional drama, and -- of people -- memorable comedies. So, we've looked implicit Jack Black's immense movie catalog and pulled retired 14 of our favourite movies.

From awesome animated sagas to rowdy music-making to the genuinely unusual and offbeat, these are the 14 champion Jack Black movies of each time.

14. King Kong (2005)

Image credit: Universal Pictures

Jack Black played a movie manager determined to movie existent monsters connected Skull Island successful Peter Jackson's King Kong remake. Starring alongside Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Kyle Chandler, Colin Hanks, and a swirling torrent of beasts trying to rip them each limb from limb, Black represented the decaying motivation compass of Hollywood, consenting to get the changeable nary substance whose beingness was enactment astatine risk. A afloat spectacle, King Kong is an epic retelling of a classical story.

13. The House with a Clock successful Its Walls (2018)

Image credit: Universal Pictures

Based connected the 1973 caller by John Bellairs, and directed by Eli Roth, The House with a Clock successful Its Walls is rollicking blend of family-friendly bosom and wit starring Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Hamilton's Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kyle MacLachlan, and young Owen Vaccaro. This fantastical communicative of a lad sent to unrecorded successful his uncle's warlock-haunted location is simply a blast and a fractional (and Roth's first-ever non R-rated movie). Black and Blanchett teamed up with Roth again for Borderlands, though you won't find that disasterous video crippled adaptation connected this list.

12. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

Image credit: Sony Pictures

Jack Black nailed the body-swap crippled successful this Jumanji reboot-quel blockbuster, arsenic a portly prof video crippled avatar inhabited by popular, vain teen Bethany (Madison Iseman). Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle grossed adjacent to a cardinal dollars acknowledgment to a large cast, a amusive twist, and susceptible heart. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan rounded retired the quartet present successful this superb update/upgrade to the Jumanji franchise.

11. The Polka King (2017)

Image credit: Netflix

“Weirdly enjoyable” is however The Guardian described 2017’s The Polka King, and that is correct. This isn’t the lone clip connected this database that Jack Black plays a lovable transgression based connected a existent story, but helium shines arsenic Jan Lewan, who lives his imagination by forming a polka set with Jason Schwartzman and dating Jenny Slate… each portion moving a Ponzi scheme. Black’s beaming enthusiasm and joyousness for euphony and show interruption done portion besides managing to fto you hide that he’s besides swindling guiltless people. Is determination immoderate histrion much likeable, relatable, and easier to basal for than Jack Black? Spoiler alert arsenic this database goes on: No.

10. Tropic Thunder (2008)

Image credit: DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures

2008’s Tropic Thunder is simply a wild, raunchy, so-wrong-it-might-actually-be-right action-comedy featuring an all-star cast. The movie tackles topics similar fame and the authorities of big-budget Hollywood, and features Black arsenic a thinly-veiled Chris Farley/Adam Sandler/Eddie Murphy-inspired quality who wants to beryllium helium tin truly enactment portion dealing with a cause addiction. So of people helium ends up bare connected a h2o buffalo, which is conscionable 1 of galore carnal drama scenes to which helium commits. Hard.

9. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Image credit: Universal Pictures

Jack Black stole the amusement successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie arsenic the sinister, serenading (how could 1 ever hide 'Peaches'?) villain, Bowser. He was 1 of our favourite parts of the film, actually, with our 8/10 reappraisal stating that, "Jack Black’s Bowser feels similar the standout vocal show arsenic the actor’s trademark bombast fits good with the Koopa King’s outsized consciousness of self."

8. Nacho Libre (2006)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Jared and Jerusha Hess' follow-up to 2004's sleeper deed Napoleon Dynamite was a amusive fable featuring Jack Black arsenic a Catholic friar who secretly moonlights arsenic a luchador to gain wealth for a struggling orphanage. Nacho Libre is charming introduction successful Black's catalog, 1 that finds himself toning down his more-familiar, manic persona for a mild-mannered heroic turn. Army of the Dead and The Forever Purge's Ana de la Reguera co-stars, on with precocious Lucha Libre fable Silver King.

7. Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Image credit: New Line Cinema

This isn’t the astir acclaimed introduction connected this list, but Jack Black is perfectly coagulated successful it, and Be Kind Rewind is sold by his scrappy, saccharine vigor astatine the halfway of things. Black stars arsenic a weirdo who accidentally erases each the VHS tapes successful an on-its-last-legs rental store that needs to beryllium saved from demolition, and truthful helium and Mos Def determine to remake “sweded” versions of each movie idiosyncratic wants to rent, becoming a municipality sensation. Black’s thrown-together “let’s bash it anyway, it mightiness adjacent beryllium great!” optimist vibe carries the consciousness of the movie and makes you judge thing truthful ridiculous mightiness really beryllium possible.

6. Orange County (2002)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Jake Kasdan's Orange County, written by School of Rock's Mike White, is simply a clever teen drama that managed to beryllium original, funny, and heartfelt successful amidst a scenery of raunchy American Pie clones. Starring Colin Hanks arsenic an aspiring writer with dreams of going to Stanford and Jack Black arsenic his dim-witted stoner brother, Orange County is smart, saccharine and filled with drama luminaries similar John Lithgow, Harold Ramis, Catherine O'Hara, Chevy Chase, and Gary Marshall.

5. Bernie (2012)

Image credit: Millenium Entertainment

Richard Linklater's existent transgression acheronian drama Bernie was a superb side-step for Jack Black, who plays Texas mortician Bernie Tiede, a antheral convicted of murdering his companion, a affluent 81-year-old widow named Marge Nugent (Shirley MacLaine). Black received immoderate of the champion reviews of his vocation present successful this affluent and rewarding emotion missive to Southern eccentricities. Matthew McConaughey and Gabriel Luna co-star successful this cunning, playful film.

4. The Holiday (2006)

Image credit: Sony Pictures

Jack Black's ne'er truly been formed successful rom-coms, but the 1 clip helium was helium damn good brought it home. Nancy Meyers' The Holiday features Black arsenic Miles, a Hollywood movie composer who adorably helps Kate Winslet's lovesick Iris get implicit her problematic romanticist obsession and find emotion stateside. Meyers created Miles aft seeing Black successful School of Rock, recognizing his charm and relatability. Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Eli Wallach besides prima successful this touching communicative of 2 women who find caller loves aft swapping houses (and countries).

3. Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Kung Fu Panda, and its 3 sequels, correspond immoderate of Jack Black's champion work, and besides 1 of the best-fitting characters for his benignant of bosom and humor. As Po, a lazy panda carnivore dreaming of martial arts greatness, Black embodies a pure, charismatic underdog tone successful 1 of the champion animated franchises of the past 2 decades. With wondrous visuals, breathtaking combat sequences, and Black starring the complaint with thing but his dependable talent, Kung Fu Panda is simply a beautiful, blazing feast for the eyes and spirit.

2. High Fidelity (2000)

Image credit: Buena Vista Pictures

After spending the '90s doing spot roles successful notable films similar Waterworld, The Cable Guy, and Dead Man Walking -- and Tenacious D adjacent appearing successful Bio-Dome -- Jack Black was washed successful a question of acclaim for playing prickly euphony snob/record store idiosyncratic Barry successful Stephen Frears' High Fidelity. It was a relation that showcased some his comedic and philharmonic talents. Witty and wise, High Fidelity would beryllium a large stepping chromatic toward Black getting headlining roles implicit the adjacent decade.

1. School of Rock (2003)

Image credit: Paramount Pictures

Only a fistful of movies person been capable to seizure each that is magical astir Jack Black and 1 of them, School of Rock, did it truthful good that an full concern concatenation was created to capitalize connected kids wanting to larn to footwear ass successful a band. School of Rock is simply a hilarious crowd-pleaser, with Black playing a struggling rocker, Dewey Finn who sees an accidental to triumph a Battle of the Bands utilizing reluctant prep schoolhouse students. This Richard Linklater movie is tonally perfect, featuring a top-notch cast, a winning script, and infectious energy.

Upcoming Jack Black Movies

Jack Black is showing nary signs of slowing down and continues to enactment connected caller movies. Below are each of the biggest upcoming movies featuring the histrion that we presently cognize about.

• A Minecraft Movie (April 4, 2025)
• Anaconda (2025)

That's it for our picks of the champion Jack Black movies of each time! Let america cognize what you deliberation of our ranking, and whether we missed your favorite, successful the comments.

Looking for much large films? Check retired our different movie prima lists:

• Best Ryan Reynolds Movies
• Best Keanu Reeves Movies

Matt Fowler is simply a writer for IGN, a subordinate of the Television Critics Association, and co-host of We Enjoy Wrestling. Follow him connected Twitter astatine @TheMattFowler and Facebook astatine Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Note: This database was updated with our latest Jack Black picks connected April 1, 2025. It primitively ran connected August 3, 2022.