Rose Byrne Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling Rose Byrne-whose latest project "Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway" hits theaters on Friday. 

Rose Byrne's Filmography Ranked:

20.This is Where I Love You (D)

19.Sunshine (D+)

18.Insidious (D+)

17.Like a Boss (C-)

16.The Meddler (C)

15.Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (C+)

14.Adult Beginners (C+)

13.The Internship (B-)

12.Irresistible (B)

11.The Place Beyond the Pines (B)

10.Instant Family (B)

9.Spy (B)

8.Jexi (B+)

7.Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (B+)

6.X-Men: Apocalypse (A-)

5.Neighbors (A-)

4.Bridesmaids (A-)

3.28 Weeks Later (A)

2.X-Men: First Class (A)

1.Get Him to the Greek (A)

Top Dog: Get Him to the Greek (2010)

The 2010's ended up being kind of a depressing time for R-rated comedies not because of the quality of them, but because of the steady decrease in popularity that occurred during the back half of the decade that have practically relegated them to unicorn status within the current cinema landscape. One of the select number of comedies from this period that was able to establish a legacy that's at least relatively enduring is Get Him to the Greek and as far as I'm concerned, it's for a damn good reason. The Forgetting Sarah Marshall spinoff that probably wasn't expected to happen isn't just an expanded showcase for the brash rockstar Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) who ran away with several scenes in Sarah Marshall, it's a beautifully absurd, frequently hilarious satire of the music industry and the assorted nefarious characters that exist within it that hits just about every target it aims at.  

Lowlight: This is Where I Leave You (2014)

There's a special place in cinema hell for any film that wastes the talent of a deep collection of incredible actors and in my version of that fire-and-brimstone-filled purgatory, This is Where I Leave You has a prime spot. Enlisting the services of Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Kathryn Hahn and about a half dozen other widely respected performers for an overwhelmingly contrived melodrama that makes most daytime soap operas look like bastions of restrained, plausible storytelling is the type of creative malpractice that should get people indefinitely banished from the top levels of the Hollywood creative pipeline. 

Most Underrated: 28 Weeks Later (2007)

Living in the shadow of a revered cult classic is a tough fate for any movie to face and that's exactly the hand that 28 Weeks Later was dealt before the camera even began to role. While it may not be a Terminator 2-type revelation that manages to outshine the iconic original against all odds, 28 Weeks Later is an exemplary sequel that deserves far more respect then it gets. By heading in a more action-driven direction without shedding any of the raw, nerve-shredding intensity that made its predecessor such a transcendent piece of horror cinema, 28 Weeks Later is able to carve out its own wildly entertaining path to excellence.  

Most Overrated: Insidious (2011)

The stunning collapse of Insidious is something that I cite all the time when discussing movies that wasted their initial promise. Everything was going great for James Wan's movie in the early stages as the talented veteran horror director showed off his now signature knack for establishing dread-filled atmosphere. Then he went ahead and revealed the entity that has been silently terrorizing a family (Byrne, Patrick Wilson, Ty Simpkins) is a demon that looked like Darth Maul's cousin, and all of the established good will vanished at the speed of light. Before long, this eerie little supernatural horror tale had morphed into an unintentional comedy extravaganza courtesy of the most egregiously stupid, creatively unhinged demonic possession storyline I've ever seen in a movie. The fact that people with the established skills of Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell-who has since gone to helm some incredible projects of his own (Upgrade, The Invisible Man)-were responsible for such a drastic late game failure makes it even more stupefying and disappointing.      

Most Stunningly Sweet Crowdpleaser: Instant Family (2018) 

While Sean Anders is a writer/director whose generally been involved with projects that I've enjoyed over the years, I wouldn't exactly classify his work as positive or heartwarming. In fact, he's been at least partially responsible for some of the more cynical and obscene comedic projects (That's My Boy, Sex Drive, Horrible Bosses 2) that have been released over the past 15 years. His previous track record made his most recent effort, Instant Family, a real surprise. Despite featuring some moments where the crude slapstick humor he's known for shines through, Instant Family is predominantly a thoroughly warm, goodhearted movie about the adoption process that succeeds at being hopeful without glossing over the frustration, trust issues and sinking feeling that they're not wanted that tends to follow around kids that have spent an extensive amount of time in the foster care system.      

Biggest Missed Opportunity to Create a Special Comedy: Like a Boss (2020)

From Neighbors to Spy to Girls Trip to Keanu, Byrne and Tiffany Haddish have turned in some of the most impressive comedic performances in recent memory. Given their track records, their pairing as the leads in Like a Boss should've been enough to make it at least a pretty good comedy. Unfortunately, Byrne and Haddish were handed underdeveloped, often needlessly dramatic material that undermined their solid chemistry and occasionally successful efforts to overcome the shoddy writing and make a joke land.