Melissa McCarthy’s Funniest Movies, Ranked By Box Office Revenues

Highlights

Melissa McCarthy is one of the funniest and most successful comedians in this generation, with her movies earning over $1.8 billion in revenue.
Her unique approach to delivering crude and relatable jokes has made her effortlessly funny and nominated for numerous awards.
Her top ten funniest movies, ranked by box office revenue, include hits like Bridesmaids, Spy, and The Heat, showcasing McCarthy's comedic talent and ability to entertain.

Melissa McCarthy is by far one of the funniest and quirkiest comedians in this generation. Her movies and various works have to date earned about over $1.8 billion in gross revenue.

She has been on the scene for over a decade now, and is still getting better by the day, a factor that has gotten her nominated for numerous awards of which include an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.

McCarthy affords a unique attitude and approach with her way of delivering crude (and yet relatable) jokes. In a sense, her movies take a light approach with a direct delivery, something that only few comedians have mastered – and she is without a doubt effortlessly funny.

As far as her movies and various appearances in shows go, she has featured in varied projects. Let's take a look into her top ten funniest movies, ranked in order of their average box office revenues.

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1 Bridesmaids (2011): $288.4 Million

Released in 2011, this film features a group of misfit bridesmaids who run into a series of misadventures – all that lead to a wedding, with a hilarious twist. McCarthy is featured as Meghan who takes the role of a foul-mouthed and excessive bridesmaid that commands every scene she is in.

The film comes top of the list, having grossed about $288.4 million at box office.

2 Spy (2015): $235 Million

Second on the list is the movie Spy, released in 2015, which grossed $235 million in box office revenue. The movie involves McCarthy as a desk jockey who has to step up to be a spy, in order to investigate the missing case of a CIA agent.

The film features other big names too, including action star Jason Statham; it has a number of hilarious scenes, a funny vibe, and is an overall good movie to watch. By virtue of these numbers, it takes second on the list of McCarthy's biggest box office hits.

3 The Heat (2013): $229.9 Million

Featuring Sandra Bullock as a "by the book" FBI agent, McCarthy plays a foul-mouthed B-Cop. At the beginning of The Heat, the two hate each other – but eventually work together and become friends (who take down a drug lord).

The two are polar opposites and do not get along (or agree on anything), but eventually find common ground. The movie is action packed and funny, and grossed about $229.9 Million in box office revenues – making it third on the list.

4 Identity Thief (2013): $173.9 Million

Jason Bateman features alongside McCathy in the 2013 film Identity Thief, as a mild-mannered business executive whose identity is stolen. In a bid to recover his image and clear his name, he gets to team up with Melissa McCarthy (playing a flamboyant con artist) to fix things.

Identity Thief grossed about $173 million, and as such ranks fourth on the list. Like all Melissa McCarthy movies, this film has a blend of stupidly funny jokes, and a light but interesting storyline – plus a plot that can keep anyone's attention throughout, while generally delivering a good experience.

Netflix added Identity Thief in some regions (including the United States) in October 2023.

5 Tammy (2014): $100.3 Million

Released in 2014 and with a gross box office revenue of $100.3 million, Tammy features McCarthy as a woman who loses her relationship and job – and as a result, sets out on a road trip with her alcoholic grandmother (played by Susan Sarandon). The film is wholesome with a comedic twist centered on finding oneself, delivered in a light-hearted way that anyone could relate with.

Melissa McCarthy exceptionally delivers in this role (and is worth every watch), making it fifth on the list.

6 The Boss (2016): $118.5 Million

The Boss follows the story of a self-made business executive who losses every bit of her financial empire and is forced to start again after getting accused and convicted of insider trading. She has no option but to then partner with a former assistant to start a whole new business endeavor.

With a gross income of $118.5 million, the film The Boss ranks sixth on the list.

7 Life Of The Party (2018): $105 million

Up seventh is Life Of The Party, released in 2018 and as unique and funny as it gets. This film follows a mother who is newly divorced, returning to college to complete her degree, who ends up bonding with her daughter's friends.

Life Of The Party grossed about $105 million in box office revenue, earning it a position on this list – and a recommendation as something anyone has to watch at least once.

8 The Happytime Murders (2018): $72.3 Million

The Happytime Murders is set in a world where puppets are alive, and in it, they cohabit and exist in unison with humans. The film centers on a private investigator who is tasked to stop the murder spree of retired sitcom stars.

Even in this scenario (and with puppets), McCarthy makes this film something fun and experimental but still entertaining – ranking it eighth on the list.

9 Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018): $58 Million

Can You Ever Forgive Me? features a biographer who revises her will and career by forging letters from deceased authors and playwrights. The movie was released in 2018 and features McCarthy in an atypical role.

Having grossed $58 million in revenue, it takes ninth on the list – and is a must-watch (as are the other entries on this list, and goes for McCarthy's body of work).

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10 Superintelligence (2020) 33.9 Million

Superintelligence focuses on the exceptionally average Carol Peters, played by Melissa McCarthy. However, the fate of the world hangs in the balance in this film.

In it, artificial intelligences (AI) decide that the Earth is not worth inhabiting, leading to AI plans to destroy it. It is the up to Melissa McCarthy (as Carol Peters) to prove to it that world is worth saving.

This film also involves a twist, and is one to have you on the edge of your seat, as the plot twists and unwinds before reaching its unexpected conclusion. Grossing an average of about $33.9 million in box office receipts, Superintelligence wraps the list up in its tenth position.

Clearly, Melissa McCarthy is a versatile and hilarious force to reckon with in the entertainment industry, and her varied roles remain top-rated – with a unifying style that is difficult to replicate. Any of the options on this list are guaranteed to entertain on nights when nothing new is streaming – guaranteed to keep you entertained and laughing until you cry.