This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

List of Melissa McCarthy Movies: Ranked Best To Worst

1. The Life of David Gale (2003)
16
5
The Life of David Gale
R
16
5

David Gale, an anti-capital punishment advocate, is charged with the brutal rape and murder of his fellow activist. Few days before his execution, he agrees to give an exclusive interview to an investigative reporter, Elizabeth Bloom, on certain terms. Meanwhile, she also receives evidence that might prove Gale’s innocence. Bloom needs to figure out the truth before it is too late.

Starring:
Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Alan Parker, Cleo King, Constance Jones
Directed By:
2. St. Vincent (2014)
16
6
St. Vincent
PG-13
16
6

After separating from her husband, hardworking single mother, Maggie, and her adoptive son, Oliver, move in next door to Vincent MacKenna, a grumpy and alcoholic Vietnam War veteran. When Maggie is forced to leave Oliver in Vincent's care due to work pressure, the naive boy and his flawed mentor develop an unlikely bond with each other.

Role:
Maggie
Directed By:
Theodore Melfi
3. Go (1999)
12
5
Go
R
12
5

This crime comedy film tells us the story of three friends who somehow get involved in a drug deal just before Christmas. Together they try to find a way to get out of this mess, before their lives get ruined. 

Starring:
Jane Krakowski, Katie Holmes, Taye Diggs, Robert Peters, Sarah Polley
Directed By:
Doug Liman
4. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
11
5
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
R
11
5

Lee Israel used to be a well-known celebrity biographer. However, when her career starts declining and she starts finding herself in financial trouble, she decides to turn her art form to deception. She starts forging letters from deceased authors and playwrights.

Role:
Lee Israel
Starring:
Lucy DeVito, Jane Curtin, Richard E. Grant, Anna Deavere Smith
Directed By:
Marielle Heller
5. White Oleander (2002)
9
4
White Oleander
PG-13
9
4

White Oleander is a drama film, which tells the story of a teenage girl named Astrid who is highly dependent on her single mother Ingrid. However, Ingrid gets arrested and is eventually sentenced to prison for poisoning her boyfriend, after which Astrid goes through a series of different foster homes.  

Starring:
Michelle Pfeiffer, Robin Wright, Billy Connolly, Renee Zellweger, Amy Aquino, John Billingsley, Elisa Bocanegra
Directed By:
Peter Kosminsky
6. Spy (2015)
25
9
Spy
R
25
9

Spy is about an unpretentious, desk-bound CIA analyst Susan Cooper, who actually is the unacknowledged backbone of many risky missions of the Agency. She supports the field agent by live-monitoring him, but when he gets removed from the scene, Cooper turns an undercover agent to track down Bulgarian arms dealer Rayna Boyanov and the nuclear device, to avert a worldwide disaster

Role:
Susan Cooper
Directed By:
Paul Feig
8. Bridesmaids (2011)
28
12
Bridesmaids
R
28
12

Annie’s life is in a mess – her bakery business has failed, her boyfriend has left her and she has to share her room with two not so likeable people. So when her best friend Lillian invites her to be the maid of honour at her wedding, she is happy. But then, she has a rival in the affluent and beautiful Helen who too considers Lillian as her BFF.          

Directed By:
Paul Feig
Awards:
MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Gut-Wrenching Performance, MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Comedic Performance
9. The Heat (2013)
22
9
The Heat
R
22
9

This action comedy film tells the story of Sarah, an FBI agent, who comes to Boston to track down an elusive drug lord, so that she can gain a promotion. However, she is forced to work with Shannon, a skilled but foul mouthed and hot-heated police detective. Although they don’t like each other, they try to work together to bring down the drug lord.  

Role:
Mullins
Starring:
Directed By:
Paul Feig
10. Life as We Know It (2010)
16
8
Life as We Know It
PG-13
16
8

Life as We Know It centres around a man and a woman who dislike each other but end up with the responsibility of taking care of their best friends' baby after their friends die in an accident. It stars Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel as the baby's godparents whose mutual hate turns into acceptance after the arrival of the baby.

Starring:
Josh Duhamel, Katherine Heigl, Kumail Nanjiani, Jean Smart, Josh Lucas, Alexis Clagett, Brynn Clagett
Directed By:
Greg Berlanti
11. The Starling (2021)
13
6
The Starling
16
13
6

The Starling is a comedy drama film which tells the story of Jack and Lilly Maynard, who are devastated after the death of their baby daughter. While Jack ends up in a residential mental hospital, Lilly remains at home, trying to deal with her feelings. She works at a grocery store, and tries to hold it together until Jack’s return from the facility. Things get even more complicated for her, when a starling, living in a nest in a tree in her backyard begins to harass and attack her.

Role:
Lilly Maynard
Starring:
Kevin Kline, Elisabeth Rohm, Keanu Reeves, Isla Fisher
12. This Is 40 (2012)
14
8
This Is 40
R
14
8

A spin-off of the movie Knocked Up, the comedy follows Pete and Debbie, whose complicated married lives are under severe stress as they both turn 40. Besides a stale marriage, they also need to contend with financial struggles and two bickering young daughters Charlotte and Sadie, and not kill each other.

Starring:
Megan Fox, Leslie Mann, Paul Rudd, Albert Brooks, Bill Hader, John Lithgow, Jason Segel
Directed By:
13. The Nines (2007)
9
5
The Nines
R
9
5

The film comprises of three segments – ‘The Prisoner,’ ‘Reality Television,’ and ‘Knowing.’ The stories of these three segments revolve around 3 men - a disturbed actor, a television show runner and a celebrated videogame designer, who try to find out the cause behind the peculiar occurrences in their seemingly unconnected lives, which sometimes appear to intersect and entwine in a mysterious way.  

Role:
Margaret / Melissa McCarthy / Mary
Starring:
Ryan Reynolds, Elle Fanning, Hope Davis, David Denman
Directed By:
John August
14. The Kid (2000)
10
5
The Kid
PG
10
5

He is an image consultant, successful, but coarse and therefore disliked and unhappy. One day he comes home to find a toy plane on his porch and a strange boy inside his house. Although he chases him out he finds the boy sitting on his couch when he comes home the next day. Very soon, he begins to see a resemblance between them.              

Starring:
Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Lily Tomlin, Jeri Ryan, Jean Smart, Spencer Breslin, Emily Mortimer
Directed By:
Jon Turteltaub
15. Pumpkin (2002)
7
4
Pumpkin
R
7
4

In order to win the Sorority of the Year Award, a young girl named Carolyn begins to train mentally challenged athletes, hoping that it will impress the Greek Council. Her life turns upside down when she starts developing feelings for one of the athletes whom she is training.

Starring:
Christina Ricci, Amy Adams, Brenda Blethyn, Sam Ball, Hank Harris
Directed By:
Adam Larson Broder, Anthony Abrams
16. The Hangover Part III (2013)
21
14
The Hangover Part III
R
21
14

The final movie of The Hangover trilogy finds the Wolfpack, two years after they escaped disaster in Bangkok. Phil Wenneck and Stu Price soon find themselves in a dangerous and hilarious adventure after they decide to help Alan Garner deal with a personal crisis. Chow returns to cause mayhem as they are hunted by mob boss Marshall. 

Starring:
Bradley Cooper, Mike Epps, Ken Jeong, Ed Helms, Jeffrey Tambor, John Goodman, Zach Galifianakis
Directed By:
Todd Phillips
17. Identity Thief (2013)
18
8
Identity Thief
R
18
8

Identity Thief is a comedy film that revolves around a gullible accountant who is about to lose his job when a con woman steals his identity. Starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, it sees the accountant hunting down the identity thief and the duo embarking on a cross-country road trip as they try to evade bounty hunters.

Role:
Diana
Starring:
Jonathan Banks, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Ellie Kemper, Amanda Peet
Directed By:
Seth Gordon
18. Drowning Mona (2000)
8
4
Drowning Mona
PG-13
8
4

Mona Dearly dies in a car accident, but nobody, including her husband and son, seems to grieve her death. Meanwhile, Wyatt, the local police chief holds the entire town as suspects to her murder.

Starring:
Neve Campbell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Casey Affleck, Brian Doyle-Murray, Will Ferrell, Danny DeVito, Bette Midler
Directed By:
Nick Gomez
19. Charlie's Angels (2000)
16
10
Charlie's Angels
PG-13
16
10

Natalie, Dylan and Alex are three 'Angel' femmes fatales who work as private investigators for unseen millionaire Charlie to rescue kidnapped software genius Eric Knox and recover his revolutionary voice-recognition system. The three talented and attractive women, apart from utilizing their sex appeal, also employ various disguises, high-tech equipments, and martial arts to save the day.

Starring:
Drew Barrymore, Tim Curry, Lucy Liu, Cameron Diaz, Sam Rockwell, Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson
Directed By:
McG
20. Just Add Water (2008)
6
4
Just Add Water
R
6
4
Starring:
Justin Long, Jonah Hill, Danny DeVito, Lucy DeVito, Dylan Walsh, Tracy Middendorf
Directed By:
Hart Bochner
21. Life of the Party (2018)
7
6
Life of the Party
PG-13
7
6

This comedy film revolves around Deanne, a middle-aged mother, who decides to complete her college education, after she is divorced by her husband. Soon, her daughter is quite shocked to see that her mother is sharing classes with her.

Role:
Deanna
Starring:
Chris Parnell, Julie Bowen, Christina Aguilera, Gillian Jacobs, Maya Rudolph
Directed By:
Ben Falcone
Awards:
People's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy Star
22. The Kitchen (2019)
9
5
The Kitchen
R
9
5

The Irish mafia runs Hell's Kitchen in New York City neighbourhood. Things take a radical and surprising turn when the wives of the mob, Ruby, Claire and Kathy, take charge of the business while their husbands are send to prison by FBI. 

Starring:
Elisabeth Moss, James Badge Dale, Domhnall Gleeson, Tiffany Haddish
Directed By:
Andrea Berloff
23. The Boss (2016)
7
6
The Boss
R
7
6

Michelle Darnell, a wealthy CEO, gets busted for insider trading and lands in federal prison. After being released, she finds herself not only broke and homeless, but also hated. She tracks down a former assistant named Claire, the only person who is willing to help her. 

Role:
Michelle Darnell
Starring:
Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage, Kathy Bates, Cecily Strong, Tyler Labine, Peter Dinklage
Directed By:
Ben Falcone
24. The Happytime Murders (2018)
8
7
The Happytime Murders
R
8
7

When the former cast members of a children’s TV show are murdered, Phil, a former police detective who is now a private eye, teams up with his former partner to find out who is responsible.

Role:
Detective Connie Edwards
Starring:
Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, Leslie David Baker
Directed By:
Brian Henson
25. Superintelligence (2020)
6
4
Superintelligence
PG
6
4

Superintelligence is a science fiction romantic comedy film which tells the story of Carol Peters, who gave up her lucrative job to work for the environment. Her life takes a turn after she is labeled as the most average person on Earth while being interviewed for a dating site, which is heard by an artificial intelligence entity. The supercomputer which has become sentient informs her the next day that it is trying to determine if it should save humanity or enslave them, or obliterate humanity completely. It informs Carol that it is her actions which are going to determine the future of the human race.   

Starring:
James Corden, Bobby Cannavale, Jean Smart
26. The Third Wheel (2002)
6
4
The Third Wheel
PG-13
6
4

A romantic comedy about a man whose date with a co-worker he fancies does not go as planned after he crashes into a homeless person.

Starring:
Denise Richards, Lauren Graham, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Luke Wilson, Jay Lacopo, Phill Lewis
Directed By:
Jordan Brady
27. The Back-up Plan (2010)
9
6
The Back-up Plan
PG-13
9
6

Previously known as Plan B, the film explores the relationship between Joe, who is fed up with waiting for the right man, and Stan who bumps into her the day she undergoes artificial insemination. Continuing to bump into each other, they fall in love. But by that time, Joe realizes that she is pregnant and does not know how to break the news to Stan.  

Starring:
Jennifer Lopez, Anthony Anderson, Linda Lavin, Tom Bosley, Rowan Blanchard, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins
Directed By:
Alan Poul
28. Tammy (2014)
10
6
Tammy
R
10
6

Tammy is a road comedy film, which tells the story of a woman who after losing her job, also finds out that her husband has been unfaithful to her. She decides to hit the road with her alcoholic grandmother. 

Role:
Tammy
Starring:
Susan Sarandon, Gary Cole, Toni Collette, Dan Aykroyd, Sandra Oh, Kathy Bates, Allison Janney
Directed By:
Ben Falcone
29. Pretty Ugly People (2008)
4
4
Pretty Ugly People
R
4
4
Role:
Becky
Starring:
Missi Pyle, Allison Janney, Phill Lewis, Larry Sullivan, Josh Hopkins
Directed By:
Tate Taylor
30. Thunder Force (2021)
5
7
Thunder Force
PG-13
5
7

Two childhood friends reunite after one of them invents a way to gain superpowers. Together they decide to fight crime against powerful super villains.   

Role:
Lydia Berman
Starring:
Jason Bateman, Bobby Cannavale
31. God (1998)
7
4
God
7
4
Role:
Margaret
Starring:
Sam Pancake, Martin Yu
Directed By:
John August
32. Chicken Party (2003)
6
4
Chicken Party
6
4
Role:
Tot Wagner
Starring:
Allison Janney, John Wesley, Octavia Spencer, Tate Taylor
Directed By:
Tate Taylor
33. Auto Motives (2000)
4
4
Auto Motives
4
4
Starring:
Robert Downey Jr., James Cameron, Allison Janney, Scott Gorman, Josh Hopkins, Michael Imperioli
Directed By:
34. The Captain (2007)
3
4
The Captain
3
4
Starring:
Jennifer Coolidge, Cheryl Hines, Michael Hitchcock, Tim Bagley
Directed By:
Sean K. Lambert
35. Cook Off! (2007)
4
4
Cook Off!
R
4
4
Starring:
Louie Anderson, Diedrich Bader, Phil LaMarr, Jordan Black
Directed By:
Cathryn Michon, Guy Shalem

Animation Movies

The Penguins of Madagascar
10
3
The Penguins of Madagascar
TV-Y7
10
3
Starring:
Carl Reiner, Tara Strong, Jim Cummings, Calista Flockhart, Wayne Knight, Leigh-Allyn Baker, Peter Capaldi
Directed By:
Bret Haaland
Kim Possible
12
4
Kim Possible
TV-G
12
4
Starring:
Tom Kenny, Corey Burton, Fred Willard, David Cassidy, Tahj Mowry, Gary Dourdan, Donald Faison
Directed By:
Steve Loter, David Block, Chris Bailey

Special Appearance/Cameo

Central Intelligence (2016)
10
6
Central Intelligence
PG-13
10
6

Calvin Joyner, a former star athlete dissatisfied with his work as a forensic accountant, suddenly meets heavily-muscled Bob Stone, who claims to be his former severely-bullied and overweight classmate, and asks him to review some transactions. Following a CIA raid, he learns that Stone is a rouge agent and finds himself entangled in a global multimillion-dollar conspiracy.

Role:
Darla (uncredited)
Starring:
Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Bateman, Aaron Paul, Kumail Nanjiani, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet
Directed By:
Rawson Marshall Thurber

TV Shows

Curb Your Enthusiasm
31
4
Curb Your Enthusiasm
TV-MA
31
4
Starring:
Ed Asner, Tia Carrere, Wanda Sykes, George Lopez, Ricky Gervais, John Legend, Aida Turturro
Directed By:
Robert B. Weide, Larry Charles, Bryan Gordon, David Steinberg, Alec Berg
Gilmore Girls
28
6
Gilmore Girls
TV-PG
28
6
Starring:
Alexis Bledel, Hal Linden, Marion Ross, Nicole Eggert, Michael York, Nick Offerman, Alex Borstein
Directed By:
Jamie Babbit, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Chris Long, Lee Shallat Chemel, Kenny Ortega
Conan
13
3
Conan
TV-14
13
3
Starring:
Nick Kroll, Steven Alexander Wright, Bruce Greenwood, Phil McGraw, Fred Armisen, Aisha Tyler, John Mulaney
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
14
4
Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
TV-14
14
4
Starring:
Jared Padalecki, Milo Ventimiglia, Jason Ritter, Alex Kingston, Peter Krause, Alexis Bledel, Lauren Graham
Directed By:
Daniel Palladino, Amy Sherman-Palladino
Samantha Who?
10
3
Samantha Who?
10
3
Role:
Dena (35 episodes, 2007-2009)
Starring:
Mary-Kate Olsen, Sarah Rafferty, Billy Zane, Christina Applegate, Angie Harmon, Jennifer Esposito, Florence Henderson
Nine Perfect Strangers
14
6
Nine Perfect Strangers
TV-MA
14
6
Role:
Frances Welty
Starring:
Nicole Kidman, Michael Shannon
Private Practice
10
4
Private Practice
10
4
Starring:
Benjamin Bratt, Louise Fletcher, Joel Grey, Marin Hinkle, Jana Kramer, A. J. Langer, Courteney Cox
Directed By:
Mike & Molly
14
5
Mike & Molly
TV-14
14
5
Role:
Molly Flynn (127 episodes, 2010-2016)
Starring:
Hana Mae Lee, Katy Mixon, David Mazouz, Swoosie Kurtz, Kathy Bates, Susan Sarandon
Directed By:
Awards:
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
D.C.
6
3
D.C.
6
3
Starring:
Jacinda Barrett, Len Cariou, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gabriel Olds
Rita Rocks
6
3
Rita Rocks
6
3
Starring:
Harry Shum Jr., Tony Danza, Swoosie Kurtz, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Richard Ruccolo
Directed By:
Peter Marc Jacobson
Nobodies
5
3
Nobodies
TV-14
5
3
Starring:
Bob Odenkirk, Cedric the Entertainer, Kristen Wiig, Kristen Bell, Maya Rudolph, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney
Walmart: The Box (2018)
5
3
Walmart: The Box
5
3
Starring:
Keala Settle, Aubrey Fitzgerald, Evan Alex, Dylan Conrique, Connor Cain
Directed By:
Melissa McCarthy
The Jenny McCarthy Show
4
4
The Jenny McCarthy Show
4
4
Starring:
Jenny McCarthy, H. Jon Benjamin, Jack Plotnick, Paul Greenberg, Michael Loprete
Directed By:
Troy Miller, Terri McCoy, Joel Gallen, Dan Redican

Melissa McCarthy Awards

Primetime Emmy Awards
Saturday Night Live Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series 2017
Mike & Molly Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 2011
People's Choice Awards
Winner Favorite Comedic Movie Actress 2017
Winner Favorite Comedic Movie Actress 2015
Life of the Party Favorite Comedy Star 2018
Winner Favorite Comedic Movie Actress 2016
MTV Movie & TV Awards
Bridesmaids Best Comedic Performance 2012
Bridesmaids Best Gut-Wrenching Performance 2012