Must-see stoner films that are perfect when smoking a joint
Being a stoner requires a few things in life: cannabis, snacks, and lots of movies. LOTS of movies. Where else is your mind supposed to wander to?
To guide you along your journey, we’ve put together a list of must-see stoner films you should press play to while smoking a joint.
The Cabin in the Woods
Why we picked it: It flips the stoner character trope in horror movies on its head.
If you’re looking for a good scare AND to have your mind screwed with a little bit, look no further than “The Cabin in the Woods.” No spoilers, but “The Cabin in the Woods” is a horror film with a weird twist at the end that will…well, make you think about it for a long time whether you want to or not.
The movie starts with a group of friends headed out for a camping trip. It’s a usual horror movie set-up of characters: the blonde, the hunk, the virgin, the stoner, and the friend, but as the film introduces each character trope, there’s definitely something a little…suspicious going on. As with any horror movie, obviously, everything is going to go wrong if you stay at a cabin in the middle of nowhere, but we’re guessing things weren’t meant to go QUITE this wrong for this crew of friends.
The Big Lebowski
Why we picked it: It’s a classic.
We tried veering away from the stereotypical stoner movie for this list, but “The Big Lebowski” is just too good. It’s Jeff Bridges and, well, literally every other fantastic actor and actress of our time at their best no matter how big or small the role. To name a few: John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, and Philip Seymor Hoffman.
If the cast isn’t enough to convince you, maybe the plot will. Jeff Bridges plays The Dude, a man who wants to be left alone with his life’s greatest joys: pot, White Russians, and bowling. Things get a bit complicated when a couple of thugs mistake The Dude for a millionaire whose wife owes their boss money. In the process, The Dude’s rug gets destroyed when one of the thugs pees on it, which launches The Dude into action for retribution. He gets more than he bargains for, however, when he finds himself neck-deep in kidnapping, pornography, nihilism, and a hefty ransom.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Why we picked it: The musical fight scenes
“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” has it all: sappy, lovestruck Michael Cera, epic fight scenes, and visuals that make you feel like you’re watching a real-life anime play out. Scott Pilgrim has fallen in love with the elusive Ramona Flowers. There’s just one problem: He’ll have to defeat all of her exes if he ever wants a shot with her, seven of them to be exact.
Watch this one after you’ve taken an edible and you’ll know what we’re talking about when we say this is a perfect stoner movie. Each battle will have you reaching for more moving snacks (because you’ll obviously have the munchies) as Scott faces down each villain that has an intimidating set of superpowers to boot. You’ll never feel so close to living out a comic book.
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Why we picked it: It was destiny.
Another classic stoner movie we just couldn’t resist. What can we say? Jack Black knows what’s what and “Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny” isn’t any different. Rocker fiend JB sets off for Hollywood to pursue his career as a rock ‘n’ roll star. Along the way, he meets his friend, mentor, and partner KG, and the two set out to become the world’s best rockers.
Problem is, they need to battle the devil himself for the one thing that will guarantee their success: the Pick of Destiny.
Sorry, not sorry, but you’ll probably need to be high to follow this one along, at least for the scene where JB takes a stroll through the woods to get to the Rock and Roll Museum. You might want to be stoned for the epic rock battle at the end as well now that we think about it. Or maybe you should just plan on lighting up for the whole thing.
The Cell
Why we picked it: Just watch it. You’ll see why.
While this science fiction suspense film doesn’t exactly focus on stoners, you can catch the protagonist of the film, Catherine Deane, played by Jennifer Lopez, smoking a joint after a particularly difficult day at the office. Well. Not an office per se, but a laboratory where she uses a virtual reality machine to enter the minds of her comatose patients. We won’t spoil it for you, but essentially, Catherine must dig through the mind of a serial killer in order to save his latest victim.
This movie is a trip whether you’re watching it stoned or sober. The visual effects and pure fantastical imagination of the dreamscape Lopez’s character must survive in will make you wonder if you’re high even if you haven’t touched cannabis all day. Think of it as a more screwed-up version of “Inception” if you were to swap out the son of an industry tycoon for a sadistic and masochistic serial killer.
