Puff, Puff and sit back with the Ultimate 'Stoner Film' Watchlist for 420

The calendar’s April page can very well be used as a rolling paper on April 20 as the date marks 4/20, the day celebrated as an unofficial festival by cannabis users. The day marks the perfect opportunity not just for stoners to get “high” but also to debunk cannabis myths and spread awareness on cannabis’s health benefits (the so-called drug is clinically proven to be better than addictive substances like medical pills, cigarettes and alcohol). 

Even though cannabis remains to be an illegal substance in India, watching some cinematic stoner classics is obviously not a crime. And 420 can be a perfect opportunity to binge on some of these iconic comedies and dramas. 

Go Goa Gone (2013)

Arguably India’s first zombie comedy starts off with a classic stoner situation as Kunal Kemmu and Vir Das’s stoned protagonists lazily fight over the remote, eventually watching Chiranjeevi dance in a Thriller-inspired video in a low-budget 80s Telugu film. Go Goa Gone gets wilder and all the more entertaining with its Goa-centric zombie apocalypse and Saif Ali Khan’s Russian/Delhiite zombie hunter Boris. And also how can we forget this is the movie behind the iconic Indian stoner anthem Babaji ki Booty?

Stream on: YouTube (free)/Eros Now/ZEE5

The Big Lebowski (1998)

No list of stoner comedies can be complete without The Big Lebowski. Jeff Bridges, the coolest stoner (coolest movie character too) with an effortlessly comfortable wardrobe, falls down a spiral of chaotic events after his beloved rug goes missing. In typical Coen Brothers fashion, The Big Lebowski shifts between darkly comic crime mishaps and some satisfyingly surreal sequences.

The Coens’ screenplay is a masterpiece on its own right but just watching Bridges playing “The Dude” is reason enough for you to watch (and rewatch) The Big Lebowski.

Stream on: Prime Video

The Evil Bong Franchise (2006-2015)

No, this is not a film about an evil Bengali. Rather, this horror comedy franchise deals with a cursed cannabis bong that comes to life and traps innocent stoners in a hell-like dimension. Who comes to the rescue? Renowned cannabis advocate and comedian Tommy Chong (one-half of the duo Cheech and Chong). 

Stream on: Tubi TV (free)

Pineapple Express (2008)

Almost all of Seth Rogen’s filmography qualifies as stoner material as the Canadian comedian is very much synonymous with cannabis. Pineapple Express is stoner Rogen at his peak. The film itself is named after a cannabis strain! From rolling joints in the shape of a Christian cross to fake documentaries on CIA testing cannabis on American soldiers, this stoner crime comedy has it all. 

Stream on: Sony LIV

Finding Nemo (2003)

Finding Nemo is quite the visual treat with its multi-coloured depictions of underwater life. While the marine environment of the Pixar classic is enough to make a stoner feel the “vibes”, let’s not forget the green sea turtle Crush. Even though Crush plays a brief role, he’s quite a memorable character, thanks to his perpetually stoned sense of calmness. Scientifically speaking, Crush might most probably be “high on jellyfish” as turtles have a habit of consuming jellyfish that provides them a natural high. 

Stream on: Disney+ Hotstar

Idduki Gold (2013)

If Hollywood has its own Pineapple Express, Mollywood (Malayali film industry) has its Idduki Gold. Named after the renowned strain found in Kerala, Idduki Gold is a road comedy between three friends. It plays out as a fairly formulaic yet wholesome tale of friendship as the protagonists try to relive their younger days. And as the title suggests, some Idduki Gold aids their journey. 

Stream on: YouTube (free)/Disney+ HotstarP

Paul (2011)

We're back to Seth Rogen who voices a stoner alien this time. Heavily inspired by ET, Paul deals with two comic book writers coming across an alien and then protecting him from the US government authorities who are eager to experiment on him. The movie plays out as a road comedy set within a comfy RV (good for “hotboxing”) with Rogen’s Paul delivering the best stoner talk an alien can offer. 

Rent on: YouTube/Google Play Movies

Grass Is Greener (2019)

There are many documentaries on the history of cannabis. Grass Is Greener is perhaps the best one of the lot as it takes a more relaxed approach that wouldn’t require stoners to hyperfocus (and yet get some basic information in their head). While the legality aspect and medical factors are explored, some of the documentary’s best moments come from interviews with famous stoners like Snoop Dogg. 

In a particularly memorable snippet, Dogg explains how if people are trapped in a room with alcohol, someone or the other will get harmed. But if alcohol is replaced with “the herb” in this situation, peace will prevail. 

Stream on: Netflix

Clerks (1994)

Call it artistic cinema verite or just 90s era "shitposting", Clerks is one of the best movies when it comes to “no plot, just vibes”. The title alludes to two general store clerks who just spend their day talking about their personal life and pop culture, occasionally being interrupted by strange customers. Sometimes, they turn the shop’s terrace into a DIY ice hockey rink. But otherwise, the movie is largely a “lazy talking session” between two people, much like how a conversation between two “spaced out” stoners would play out. 

Stream on: Apple TV+

Friday (1995)

A stoner cinema favourite, Friday is set in the course of one day (Friday obviously) with rapper Ice Cube and Rush Hour star Chris Tucker just smoking up and avoiding a crime lord whose stash they used up. While Friday might come across as a movie about walking around the neighbourhood while encountering some amusing personalities, socio-political themes pertaining to gang violence are also sprinkled throughout its premise. 

Stream on: Prime Video

Dude (2018)

A lot of cannabis-influenced comedies deal with friendship as a core theme. Dude similarly touches upon four female friends who have quite a “high” final week of high-school. But with all the cannabis-laced fun, they must also contemplate going to different colleges and ultimately different paths in life. If you can handle the teen drama cliches, Dude makes for a funny yet introspective stoner watch. 

Stream on: Netflix

mid90s (2018)

Another modern classic in the “no plot, just vibes” subgenre, mid90s marked the directorial debut of actor and famous stoner Jonah Hill. Hill’s direction is top-notch and so are the performances of its adolescent newcomers. The movie is more than just youngsters cutting class, skating in the park and smoking some cannabis. It is a documentation of kids exploring the world around them while also delving into how the titular decade influences their life. 

Stream on: Try out internet “sources” as it is not available to stream in India

This Is The End (2013)

Time for another Seth Rogen checkpoint. This meta-comedy stars Rogen and his high-profile friends like Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as parodied versions of themselves. Despite starting with a memorable smoking up session, the film delves into survival territory after a post-apocalyptic event destroys the planet. With no cannabis and limited food rations, the ensemble breaks into childishly hilarious chaos. And, the ending does reward stoners with a WTF-inducing concert by Backstreet Boys in the end!

Stream on: ZEE5

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1988)

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure was marketed as a family-friendly movie. But the premise and the mannerisms of its protagonists make cannabis an “unspoken” element in the film. Before he was the emotionally burdened killer John Wick, Keanu Reeves was the happy-go-lucky stoner Ted. Together with friend Bill, he manages to go back in time and encounter several historical figures (Socrates, Napoleon, Sigmund Freud and others). The reason behind this? They have a high school history presentation due. 

Stream on: Try out internet “sources” as it is not available to stream in India

American Ultra (2015)

The CIA has experimented on people with every drug possible (unsurprisingly without their consent). In American Ultra, Jesse Eisenberg’s character discovers that even though he’s just a normal stoner on the outside, he has actually been a CIA sleeper agent all this time. As his girlfriend (Kristen Stewart) finds out more about a larger cannabis-related conspiracy, the two embark on a violently fun adventure. 

Stream on: Prime Video/Lionsgate Play

Willy’s Wonderland (2021)

With all his hyperactive antics and exaggerated dialogue delivery, Nicolas Cage gives off major “alcoholic” or “cokehead” energy. But there are some hidden gems in his recent filmography with plots that can best be described as “random”. 

One such mind-baffling “trip” is Willy’s Wonderland that is set in a creepy kids’ restaurant with creepier animatronic robots (similar to the video game Five Nights At Freddy’s). With Nic Cage playing a lonely drifter, he takes it upon himself to fight off the restaurant’s killer robots while also playing the most intense game of pinball in the history of humankind. The 80s-inspired music is another bonus.

Stream on: Try out internet “sources” as it is not available to stream in India

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

It’s a Nicolas Cage double bill as his incredibly “meta” comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is another perfect friendship film to be enjoyed by stoners. Revolving around Cage basically playing himself, the film also stars Pedro Pascal as a criminal billionaire who invites his favourite actor on his private island. A covert CIA operation and a wholesome bromance forms the rest of the narrative.

And, there is also a chuckle-inducing moment between its two leads as they have a psychedelic trip together. All in all, Cage is very well on his way of becoming the next Seth Rogen. 

Stream on: Lionsgate Play

Reefer Madness (1936)

“Women cry for it. Men die for it”. Reefer Madness is a classic for the wrong reasons. Feeding into the myths of cannabis making people act “devilish”, “homicidal” and “sex-crazed”, Reefer Madness can simply be described as a propaganda film. Its inaccurate portrayal of stoners as criminals involved in manslaughter and hit and run cases makes Reefer Madness an imperfect time capsule to understand just how paranoid the 1930s were with the titular reefer 

We are in a new century and some conservative elements will still accept Reefer Madness and the ultimate truth. Perhaps that is what makes this infamous 1936 film all the more funny (even if the makers intended it to be a serious social message film). 

Stream on: Tubi TV (free)