5 Highest-Rated Jack Black Movies On Rotten Tomatoes

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Jack Black, recognized for his roles as an actor, musician, and comedian, initially appeared in films during the 1990s with supporting parts in productions such as “The Cable Guy” and “Mars Attacks!”. Since then, he has become a mainstay in Hollywood. You might recognize Black, born Thomas Jacob Black but known professionally as Jack, from films like “High Fidelity,” “School of Rock,” “Orange County,” “Shallow Hal,” Peter Jackson’s “King Kong,” “The Holiday,” “Nacho Libre,” and the recent “Jumanji” series. To mention a few. (Additionally, he has been part of Tenacious D with Kyle Gass since 1994, although their work is currently on hold until July 2024.) Among Black’s films, which received the most positive critical reception?

Let’s make it clear that although Jack Black’s movies have made a fortune at the box office, some of them, such as “Shallow Hal” and “Borderlands,” were panned by critics. However, Black has also appeared in some highly-acclaimed films that have received positive reviews from critics. In this list, we will discuss Jack Black’s five highest-rated films according to Rotten Tomatoes, starting with the film receiving the lowest rating and moving up to the highest. It is important to note that the PBS special “Richard Linklater: Dream is Destiny,” which celebrated the director’s career and featured interviews with Black, has been left out of this list since it focuses on Black as an interview subject rather than a film role.

Bernie (88%)

Richard Linklater has a penchant for creating films inspired by real journalism and extensive reporting. For instance, he did so in 2023 with “Hit Man” and earlier in 2011 with his film “Bernie,” which was based on true events. He collaborated with Skip Hollandsworth to write the script for “Bernie.” The movie is adapted from Hollandsworth’s 1998 article titled “Midnight in the Garden of East Texas,” which recounted the story of a man whose wealthy companion met an untimely and suspicious death. Given this, it shouldn’t be hard to deduce that the film revolves around Bernie Tiede, played by Jack Black, who forms an unusual bond with Margie Nugent, portrayed by Shirley MacLaine, an 81-year-old millionaire from Carthage, Texas. However, as their relationship evolves, Margie’s mental condition worsens, making her increasingly cruel towards Bernie, and when Bernie eventually shoots Margie, the situation becomes considerably more complex.

In “Bernie,” Richard Linklater skillfully employs his “cinema veritas” style, a choice that resonated well with critics and viewers. On Rotten Tomatoes, this film received a high approval rating of 88%, which underscores the collective praise for it. The critical consensus on the platform succinctly sums up Black’s portrayal: “Richard Linklater’s ‘Bernie’ is a subtly told and surprisingly humorous true-crime comedy that thrives on Jack Black’s impressive performance.” Although it might not be his most critically acclaimed work, it certainly ranks among the top!

High Fidelity (91%)

In simple terms, “High Fidelity,” a movie directed by Stephen Frears based on Nick Hornby’s novel, is highly appreciated by both critics and fans. It boasts a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus being that it offers an engaging story told through strong performances from its cast and a fantastic soundtrack. The film primarily revolves around Rob Gordon, portrayed by John Cusack, who is an audiophile and record store manager struggling to find love while having difficulties understanding women. Now, you might wonder where Jack Black fits in? Well, he doesn’t have a central role in this movie, but his performance could be significant or memorable in some scenes.

In the story, Rob, finding inspiration from his team’s “top five” lists and seeking self-improvement following a series of relationship mishaps, enlists to reconnect with five ex-lovers. Amidst this journey, Rob’s subordinate Barry Judd, employed at Championship Vinyl under him, offers humorous critique and showcases his own band, “Barry Jive and the Uptown Five.” The film ends with Rob pleasantly surprised to find that the band is quite talented. In essence, “High Fidelity” presents a heartwarming depiction of a man grappling with romantic misfortunes, ultimately seeking self-growth by addressing his flaws. Regrettably, the Hulu spin-off of “High Fidelity,” featuring Zoë Kravitz in Cusack’s role, was unfortunately terminated after only one season — a shame, given its exceptional performance among 2020 television series.

Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (91%)

2022 saw the premiere of one of Jack Black’s highly praised films, “Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood,” an animated production entirely overseen by director Richard Linklater. Much like his previous animated works, “Waking Life” and “A Scanner Darkly,” this movie was initially filmed in live action before being transformed into animation, allowing the cast, including Black and Glen Powell, to explore their characters more creatively. Black voices and plays the film’s central character Stanley, a child who recounts experiencing the 1969 moon landing for the first time (with Milo Coy voicing young Stanley). Critics have applauded the movie, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 91% and praises that it is “sweetly nostalgic” and that Linklater has skillfully revisited familiar themes in a new and personal light.

As a gamer, here’s how I might rephrase that:

In the making of this movie, director Linklater poured his heart out, but there’s something fascinating I discovered – so did Ryan Black, the actor playing O’Neill. His mother, Judith Love Cohen, was a multi-talented woman. She danced professionally, wrote children’s books, and remarkably, she was an engineer for NASA who contributed to saving the Apollo 13 crew. During an interview with IndieWire in 2022, Ryan shared heartfelt words about his mom: “She was smarter than me; I didn’t inherit her mathematical genes. However, working on this movie felt extra special because of my mother’s legacy. It gives me a sense of pride and connection knowing that she worked on it too.” Sadly, Judith passed away in 2016, but Ryan got the chance to honor his mom through this film, which is truly touching.

School of Rock (92%)

Without beating around the bush, it’s clear that “School of Rock” is an absolute hit! Directed by Richard Linklater and penned by Mike White, who also stars in the film, this movie was inspired by a real music school in Philadelphia. The story centers around Dewey Finn, one of Jack Black’s most endearing characters, who poses as his roommate Ned Schneebly (the same Mike White from “The White Lotus”) and takes on a substitute teaching role at the elite Horace Mann prep school while pursuing his musical aspirations. Despite being utterly unqualified to teach a fourth-grade class, Dewey soon discovers that the children in his care long for fun and creativity. He then guides them in learning music, leading them to form a band, complete with costumes, stage managers, and more. In no time, they’re competing as “School of Rock” in the Battle of the Bands, leaving the audience spellbound by their talent!

With a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and critics collectively praising it as an “exuberant,” “gleeful” and “hilarious” rock-filled experience, there’s little debate that “School of Rock” is among Jack Black’s finest films, and quite possibly his top lead performance – or at the very least, one of his most unforgettable.

The Muppets (95%)

It seems somewhat deceptive that Jack Black’s top film on Rotten Tomatoes is “The Muppets,” given he only has a minor role as himself, but the outstanding quality of the 2011 movie makes it hard to argue with its position at the top. Directed by James Bobin and written by Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel, who also stars in the film as Gary, “The Muppets” revolves around Walter, a Muppet voiced and brought to life by Peter Linz, who adores “The Muppet Show” and yearns to perform alongside the talented puppets. So, how does Black fit into this?

In this movie, he portrays a character reminiscent of Jack Black, who operates an anger management center. This part is quite amusing. Prior to this, Animal (controlled by Eric Jacobson) attends the clinic. Afterward, Animal joins the rest of the Muppets for another performance. Although his role is small, Black delivers a fantastic performance. Furthermore, this film is exceptional, as demonstrated by its Rotten Tomatoes score of 95% and the critical acclaim that calls it “smart, endearing, and heartfelt,” praising it as a successful revival of Jim Henson’s cherished characters, appealing to both new and long-time fans.

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2025-04-08 22:00