The Best and Worst of Zac Efron

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "Baywatch" star Zac Efron.

Films starring Zac Efron that I've seen:
New Year's Eve
The Paperboy 
Parkland
That Awkward Moment
Neighbors
We Are Your Friends
Dirty Grandpa
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates 

Best Performance: Neighbors (2014)
When I the first trailer for Neighbors came out in October 2013, I was absolutely puzzled by the casting of Efron in a prominent role alongside proven comedy heavyweights Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. Up to this point in his career, he was merely a former teen heartthrob with a resume that almost solely consisted of subpar performances in mediocre movies (The Paperboy, Parkland, That Awkward Moment). Efron ended up making me eat my words by being the single best part of Neighbors. This scene-stealing performance generated no shortage of huge laughs and went on to help Efron finally find his niche in the world of comedy. 

Worst Performance: New Year's Eve (2011)
After watching New Year's Eve, I was strongly considering permanently writing off Efron as an actor. Efron was a charmless bore every time he appeared on screen and the alarming lack of chemistry he had with his much older love interest (Michelle Pfeiffer) made their scenes together feel super creepy. 

Best Film: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)
Out of all the great comedies that have come out over the past several years, this is easily one of the most underrated. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is essentially just 90 minutes of funny people getting into insane situations and firing off largely-improvised dialogue at each other. The four leads (Adam Devine, Efron, Aubrey Plaza, Anna Kendrick) play off each other incredibly well and the freewheeling vibe allows the laughs to keep coming at a machine gun-clip.

Worst Film: New Year's Eve (2011) 
The late Garry Marshall (Happy Days, Pretty Woman) was a Hollywood legend that consistently produced beloved works over the course of his nearly 60-year career. However, none of his widely-praised comedic and storytelling talent was on display in New Year's Eve. While I didn't hate it as much a lot of professional critics did, it's still an overstuffed, over-the-top sappy ensemble romantic comedy full of characters that are hard to care about.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Wonder Woman" star Chris Pine.