You want to know someone that I’ve come to really enjoy over the last decade? Kristin Wiig. From her time on Saturday Night Live to some of her latest movie releases, she’s always been an actress that has steadily made me laugh no matter what role she’s in.
But even with everything she’s done, there are surely some roles that stand out amongst the rest. So if you’re looking for the ultimate ranking of Kristen Wiig’s best movies, here are my personal picks.
10. Whip It (2009)
Whip It is a coming of age sports comedy starring a variety of famous faces like Elliot Page, Drew Barrymore and others. It might be hard to believe that Kristen Wiig was also a part of this film, but she played Maggie, a rollerblader as part of a roller derby team and forms a close bond with Bliss, a young teenager who lies about her age to join the team.
The reason why I put Wiig’s performance on here versus some of her others is that I really like her role as almost the caregiver. Her scenes are few and far between within the film, but they stand out amongst the rest. I especially love the moments where Bliss (played by Elliot Page) goes to live with her for some time and they have a genuine conversation about the aspects of parenting.
Wiig’s acting in this film was genuinely really good and showed her skills as a dramatic actor mixed in with comedy. The only reason why it’s so low is because with so many stars, she didn’t get as much screen time as she should have.
9. Adventureland (2009)
As someone who grew up only twenty minutes away from the actual park this movie was based on, I’m a teensy bit biased, but I love Kristen Wiig in Adventureland. This coming of age flick is all about young adults working at the park over the summer, but boy does she and her regular on-screen co-star, Bill Hader, steal the show.
Seriously, Adventureland is one of Bill Hader’s best roles, but it’s also one of Wiig’s best roles too. Their chemistry is to die for and they make the perfect pair in running this theme park with an iron grip and yet at the same time creating hysterical moments that stick with you for hours. I genuinely loved the heck out of his movie and trust me, if you’re a fan of these two, you’ll live this film too.
However, they do have another spot on this list together, so keep an eye out for that.
8. Mother! (2017)
It might be strange for me to put a Darren Aronofsky psychological horror film down here for Kristin Wiig, but hear me out - she’s actually terrifying in Mother!
She’s barely in the film, which is why it's down here so low, but her few interactions with Jennifer Lawrence’s character chill me. Her line delivery is such a stark contrast from her usually repertoire of movies that it makes me feel really weird. You’d never picture Wiig to be in a situation where they are literally destroying the home of someone but here we are.
Wiig definitely has the potential to be great in more psychological horrors, and I think that Mother! proves that. It’s a shame she didn’t get as much screen time as she deserved.
7. How To Train Your Dragon Series (2010-2019)
I’m not the only one who ugly cried when the How To Train Your Dragon series ended, right? This series was such a shining light in the world of animation and the score was phenomenal as well. The voice cast was also stellar, but one that always stood out to me was Wiig’s voice as Ruffnut.
While Wiig is no stranger to lending her voice to projects, I personally love her in How To Train Your Dragon, considering she was in all three movies. Her character was not smart but damn, was she a warrior and a capable dragon fighter, and Wiig’s voice was perfect for that. She delivered those lines exactly as they should be and made Ruffnut a character to remember.
It also helps that she was hilarious whenever she would try and get with Eret. You have to love her dedication.
6. The Martian (2015)
The Martian was a fantastic film with another stellar cast, most of which you all know about, from Matt Damon to Donald Glover to Sebastian Stan, but Kristen Wiig was also a huge part of this film and played the NASA media relations director.
Again, this film only continues to prove my point that Wiig should be in more dramatic roles. While you can still clearly tell that she delivers her lines with a bit of that comedic flair, she really shined in this role, showing the difficulties of being the head of something as big as the media for NASA.
The Martian was one of 2015's best films, and she, alongside its great cast, was a big reason why.
5. The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty (2013)
This movie always makes me cry a little because I relate to Walter Mitty so much. He’s someone who just lives in his head and has all these fantasy worlds all painted out, but he’s still a normal human being with normal crushes, and he happens to have a crush on Kristen Wiig’s character, Cheryl.
This is such an underrated gem for Wiig, because she and Ben Stiller have such great chemistry. Not only is this one of Ben Stiller’s best roles, but Wiig is rocking it here too. Watching them feels like viewing a real relationship. It doesn't feel forced and the pacing is just right. They have their own problems that they work through to find their happy ending.
I just love them together in this, from the moment their scenes start.
4. The Skeleton Twins (2014)
While Adventureland was the first time we got to see the chemistry between Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, The Skeleton Twins capitalize on that. The film stars the two as twin siblings who are both going through the worst times of their lives and have to rely on each other to get better somehow.
This was one of the first Kristen Wiig films that genuinely made me cry. As someone who grew up with an older brother and having that special sibling relationship, this movie paints it perfectly how sometimes it’s awesome and sometimes it’s not, and both Wiig and Hader act their butts off to show it - and it works out beautifully.
If I could, I’d erase my mind and watch this again for the first time just to experience their excellent chemistry, but I can’t do that. However, if you’re looking for a film where both Wiig and Hader are amazing, check this one out.
3. Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar (2021)
This movie is just the best.
This release not only made me laugh so much but remind me of how great of a comedic actress Kristen Wiig is.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar is a comedy about lifelong friends leaving their hometown and going on a crazy adventure, running into ridiculous situations that will surely make you snicker. But what really makes this film so great is the comedic timing of both Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, who both wrote the film.
They’re just so funny. I wish this film had been released into theaters instead of going to streaming because it deserved to be a box office hit. While I do think that Wiig is great in more dramatic roles, these comedic ones have always been where she’s showing her prowess as an actress.
2. Despicable Me Series (2013-2017)
How To Train Your Dragon is a fantastic series in and of itself, but I feel like there are so many characters that a lot of the fantastic voice actors can get overshadowed. In the Despicable Me series, Kristen Wiig doesn't get overshadowed at all voicing Lucy, the love-interest, and later wife, of Gru.
There’s just something about her voice that makes me smile every time, from how she speaks with the little girls to her action scenes where she kicks butt to her awkward yet cute dates with Gru in Despicable Me 2, she played the perfect badass woman in animated form and showed off how great she is as a voice actor.
1. Bridesmaids (2011)
You knew this was coming from the beginning, don’t lie. Bridesmaids is the best Kristen Wiig movie, no doubt. While the Bridesmaids cast is iconic in every way, Wiig is the person who starred and made this movie so freaking funny.
Written by Wiig and Annie Mumolo (who also wrote Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), this film has some of the funniest moments in a romantic comedy, from the breakout performance of Melissa McCarthy to Maya Rudolph’s wedding dress scene to Wiig’s drunk performance on the airplane, it just always makes you laugh.
But there’s something so compelling about Wiig’s character, Annie, that I relate to on a personal level. She’s someone who was given a crap hand in life and just wants to try and turn that around, but it’s up to her to make that change - in hilarious ways, of course, and still become a better person regardless. The whole entire story is so funny and Wiig only makes it funnier with her acting, leading this to be her best movie so far.
I’m sure that over time, this list will change and we’ll see Wiig in even more amazing roles, but for now, these are some of the best that you should definitely watch right now. I, for one, am going to rewatch Bridesmaids for the millionth time.
