Kumail Nanjiani Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Kumail Nanjiani-whose latest project "The Breadwinner" releases in theaters today. 

Kumail Nanjiani's Filmography Ranked:

16.Ella McCay (C-)

15.Sex Tape (C)

14.Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (C)

13.Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (C)

12.Fist Fight (C)

11.Driver's Ed (C)

10.Migration (C+)

9.Men in Black: International (B-)

8.The Lego Ninjago Movie (B-)

7.Goosebumps (B-)

6.The Lovebirds (B)

5.Stuber (B)

4.The Kings of Summer (B+)

3.Eternals (B+)

2.Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (B+)

1.The Big Sick (B+)

Top Dog: The Big Sick (2017)

What has made Nanjiani's film career such a letdown to this point is that he proved with The Big Sick that he's capable of greatness when working with the right material. This hilarious and heartfelt romantic dramedy that was inspired by the early days of Nanjiani's relationship with his wife Emily Gordon is one of those movies that's just really easy to like. The candor that Nanjiani and Gordon-who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated script together-display in portraying the uniquely difficult conditions in which their love was born under allows every single note this film hits to feel completely honest. Despite all of the missteps he's taken over the past 7-8 years, I do believe that Nanjiani is capable of making another project that matches the wit and emotional resonance that's on display here.

Bottom Feeder: Ella McCay (2025)

When the calendar flipped to 2000, James L. Brooks just completely lost sight of the beautifully calibrated mix of comedy, drama and romance that made his movies such a treat to watch. Ella McCay-which marks his first features since 2010's How Do You Know-is the latest sign that Brooks is completely washed. The only thing more insane than Brooks' reliance on the type of Obama-era respectability politics that have long exited our government to tell this story of the lieutenant governor (Emma Mackey) of an unnamed state (spoiler alert: it's Rhode Island!) as she's preparing to be promoted after the beloved governor (Albert Brooks) steps down from his post to accept a presidential cabinet position are the subplots involving her reclusive online bookie brother (Spike Fern) trying to win back his ex-girlfriend (Ayo Edebiri), absentee womanizer father (Woody Harrelson) suddenly showing up to make amends after disappearing for over a decade following her mother's (Rebecca Hall) death and jealous idiot husband (Jack Lowden, in one of the worst performances of the decade) jeopardizing her political future for reasons that you really need to see to believe. Mackey deserves a ton of credit for being charming as hell and committing to selling the various bits of emotional turmoil McCay has to deal with in the midst of the biggest moment of her career, but everything else is so messy and absurd that her valiant effort can't be fully appreciated.  

Most Underrated: Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)

Earlier this year, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates spent a couple of weeks on Top 10 most watched movie charts on Netflix in the US and I legitimately felt like it was some weird form of vindication for the longstanding love I have for this stupid fucking movie. Being a Mike and Dave fan over the past decade has been a very lonely place and for a fleeting moment, I felt the embrace of a community. I'd like to thank the hundreds, possibly thousands of people across the country who passively consumed that film during that small window of time for making me feel less alone for a fleeting moment. Anyways, I think this is one of the funniest movies released during the 2010's and fully intend on rewatching it in honor of its 10th anniversary in July. 

Most Overrated: None

Nanjiani making a career out of appearing in studio comedies that weren't well-liked, innocuous animated movies and blockbusters that got lukewarm at best receptions has made him exempt from this category. The Big Sick is the only film from the above list that could even meet the criteria of being overrated, which is kind of crazy for a guy that's been regularly acting in movies for over a decade now. Based on how his 2026 projects have been received so far, it could be a while longer before he shows up in something that could be considered for placement here.