10 Best John Candy Movies, According to Letterboxd

Multi-generations of comedy lovers grew up laughing at some of the most hilarious films involving legendary funnyman John Candy. When he tragically passed away in 1994, the entertainment world lost a gentle giant, a wonderfully talented Canadian actor best remembered for his considerable contributions to some of the greatest comedies of all time.

From his rise to prominence on the popular Canadian sketch comedy series SCTV to his major starring roles in amusing hits such as Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Spaceballs, and Uncle Buck, Candy amassed an impressive and hilarious acting career during his lifetime. Users on Letterboxd certainly agree, since most of his filmography has been highly praised on this popular movie-focused platform. Candy’s immense presence in some of the greatest movies ever made has cemented his place as a legend in Hollywood, and a bold testament to his status as an icon.

10 Spaceballs (1987)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.4/5

Spaceballs is a 1987 satirical comedy co-written and directed by the king of parody films, Mel Brooks. With big-named comedy stars attached, including Brooks, Rick Moranis, and John Candy, it’s a hilarious spoof that pokes fun at the critical and commercial success of popular science fiction films at the time, such as Star Trek, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, and primarily George Lucas’ iconic Star Wars Saga.

For his part, Candy plays Barf, the lovable half-man, half-dog sidekick to his best friend and co-pilot, Lone Starr (Bill Pullman). This Han Solo and Chewbacca parody duo cruise through the galaxy looking for their next big score while avoiding the clutches of their evil archnemesis, Dark Helmet (Moranis). However, when the sinister Helmet captures the beautiful princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) for ransom, it’s up to Lone Starr and his loyal companion to go on a hilarious adventure to rescue the princess and save the day. Many Letterboxed users agree that it’s simply a joy to see Candy on screen among with other comedic titans such as Rick Moranis and Mel Brooks. “More fun in a nostalgic way, it’s pretty groan-inducing with its gags,” Reviewer Mike Allen said, giving it three stars. “Still, a joy to see Candy, Morains and Brooks.” We couldn’t agree more.

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9 Uncle Buck (1989)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.4/5

Uncle Buck is a heartwarming 1989 cult classic comedy directed and written by the late John Hughes, one of seven films he has made alongside his frequent star and close friend, John Candy. Though it initially received mixed to average reactions, the film still made an impressive $79.2 million at the box office, and is now regarded as a cult comedy classic.

The story follows Buck Russell (Candy), an unreliable, fun-loving slob who’s counted on to care for his brother’s three children while he and his wife are away. While the two youngest kids, Miles (Macaulay Culkin) and Maizy (Gaby Hoffman), quickly warm up to their bumbling uncle, he’s not given much respect by his rebellious teenage niece Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly), who wants him out of her life. However, as they slowly learn from each other, they eventually form an unexpected and touching father-daughter bond. Candy’s portrayal as Buck is John at his comedic best; and while it may not be among his highest-acclaimed roles, it’s still fun to watch Buck Russell’s freewheeling ways clash with those of his suburban, uptight family.

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8 Cool Runnings (1993)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.5/5

Cool Runnings is a lighthearted 1993 sports comedy directed by Jon Turteltaub. Loosely based on the 1988 Winter Olympics debut of the first-ever Jamaican national bobsledding team, it follows four aspiring young Jamaicans trying to prove themselves and represent their country. Although the events portrayed in the film are mostly inaccurate, it’s still an inspiring and fun story that became the highest-grossing live-action Disney film up to that point.

In one of his last staring roles before his untimely death, Candy co-stars as the Jamaican team’s reluctant but mentorly coach, Irving ‘Irv’ Blitzer, a disgraced former bobsledding champion and gold medalist who lost his medals and reputation due to a cheating scandal. Though initially hesitant about helping the team at first, he slowly begins to realize their full potential and strives to help them succeed. Despite unfortunately losing in the end, Irv and the team find pride in what they’ve accomplished and are ultimately admired by everyone for their bravery. Even in a more toned-down comedic role, Candy brought a lot of personality and laughs to the role of Coach Blitzer, and his comedic timing with his surrounding co-stars makes Cool Runnings the underrated gem that it is today.

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7 National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.5/5

The first installment of the much beloved National Lampoon’s Vacation series kickstarted a hilarious franchise with three mostly successful sequels, including a highly popular Christmas classic. Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid, it follows the comedic cross-country road trip of the Griswold family as they drive to see the world-famous Wally World theme park.

Candy gives a brief but memorable performance as the timid and likable Wally World security guard, Lasky, a man who finds himself becoming a hostage after the Griswold family patriarch Clark (Chase) becomes upset once he realizes the park is closed for renovations. Despite being held at gunpoint with a BB gun, Lasky oddly enjoys his day of riding the many attractions around the park with the Griswolds. Although their day ends with the SWAT teams arriving to arrest Clark, at least Lasky had a fun experience. Landing this role just two years after his breakout performance as “Ox” in Stripes, Vacation’s ending wouldn’t have been the same without the hilarious interaction between Candy and Chase.

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6 Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5

There’s no better way to enjoy the holidays than to put on John Hughes’ 1987 holiday classic Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Starring Candy and fellow comedy icon Steve Martin, it shows the two in their comedic prime, brilliantly playing off each other’s strengths and delivering a laugh-out-loud hilarious and quite touching film.

All Neal Page (Martin) wants to do is have a smooth and quick journey home for the holidays to be with his family. Unfortunately, he’s accompanied along the way by Del Griffith (Candy), a friendly but obnoxious shower curtain ring salesman who unintentionally makes their trek all the more difficult. But despite the many bizarre situations they encounter and the friction they share at first, Neal and Del eventually learn an understanding between them. By the film’s end, they’ve happily grown an unexpected friendship. While Candy certainly brought the comedic charm, Planes, Trains & Automobiles was one of the first movies in which audiences got to see a more serious side to him, especially during the iconic “You Wanna Hurt Me?” monologue that would move people to tears. That, and the ending scene, showed that Candy had a lot more range as an actor than most people may have realized at the time.

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5 The Silent Partner (1978)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5

The Silent Partner is a 1978 Canadian-produced suspenseful comedy thriller starring acclaimed actors Elliott Gould and Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer as two men, one an intelligent bank teller and the other a sadistic robber, who face off against each other in a deadly game of cat and mouse to retrieve $50,000. It’s a brilliantly written and acted nail-biter that pays wonderful homage to its suspenseful predecessors, including the works of Sir Alfred Hitchcock.

One notable aspect of the film was none other than John Candy in one of his first major big-screen roles. He portrays Simonsen, a happy-go-lucky bank employee, blissfully unaware that he has an unfaithful girlfriend and working at a job that’s under the constant threat of being burglarized. Despite having limited screen time and little significance to the overall story, this small role slowly helped jump-start Candy’s later film career. It proved that he could also work well in other genres outside of comedy, and he wasn’t just a one-genre actor.

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4 Home Alone (1990)

Letteboxd Rating: 3.8/5

Home Alone is often regarded as one of the quintessential Christmas movies of all time. Grossing over $476.7 million worldwide, it was a monster hit that dominated the 1990 box office and catapulted the career of its leading child star, Macaulay Culkin. It follows 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, a boy left behind on his family’s Christmas vacation and must defend his luxurious home from robbers.

In another one of his memorable supporting roles, Candy plays the “Polka King of the Midwest” Gus Polinski, a cheerful small-time musician who gladly gives Kevin’s mother, Kate (Catherine O’Hara), a ride home to be with her son. Along the way, the two oddly share a tender moment as they bond over their past mistakes as parents. It’s an underrated scene highlighting Candy’s comedic and dramatic talents. It also showcases his improvisational skills, as most of his dialog was made up on the spot.

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3 Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5

American filmmaker and puppeteer Frank Oz wonderfully brings Howard Ashman’s and Alan Menken’s hilarious horror musical, Little Shop of Horrors, to the silver screen. With big laughs, a few good scares, and many catchy tunes, it’s an entertaining dark comedy that was stacked with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry at the time.

Among the many great comedians who appear throughout the film, Candy plays Wink Wilkinson, a popular and energetic radio show host who helps promote florist Seymour Krelborn’s (Rick Moranis) strange and fast-growing plant, Audrey II. Though his role is only a brief cameo, Candy was one of those actors who made the most of his screentime, no matter how long or short, which is perfectly illustrated here as his kinetic energy truly shines, making the audience laugh out loud with his trademark entertaining voice and facial expressions.

Little Shop of Horrors

Release Date December 19, 1986

Director Frank Oz

Cast Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Levi Stubbs

Rating PG-13

Runtime 94 minutes

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2 The Blues Brothers (1980)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5

Today, The Blues Brothers is widely regarded as one of the greatest comedies ever to come out of the 1980s. Directed by John Landis and starring Saturday Night Live icons John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, it tells the comedic adventure of Jake and Elwood Blues, a pair of musician brothers on a mission from God to bring their band back together and raise enough funds to save their childhood orphanage.

This time, Candy plays the determined police detective Burton Mercer, Jake’s parole officer, who intends to bring both brothers behind bars. Throughout the film, Burton and the brothers’ hilarious game of cat and mouse leads to some genuinely exciting and action-packed moments featuring explosions, car chases, and plenty of property damage. Ultimately, their game leads to an epic finale that sees the brothers being chased by Mercer and his entire army of police. Candy delivered a top-tier performance in a movie that was filled with them, and while his potrayal as the determined Detective Mercer is overlooked at times, his command of the screen whenever he shows up gave the movie that extra push toward iconic status.

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1 JFK (1991)

Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5

Oliver Stone’s Best Picture nominated three-hour-long epic, JFK, is a tense political biopic centered on a shocking conspiracy theory related to the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Starring Kevin Costner as district attorney Jim Garrison, the story takes a deep dive into the aftermath and the ensuing investigation of Kennedy’s death and the many details surrounding the murder.

In a surprise dramatic performance, Candy plays Dean Andrews, the shady New Orleans attorney convicted of lying on the stand during Garrison’s inquiry. Trading his distinct Canadian accent for a Southern one, he brilliantly steps into the role, playing Andrews in a believable and intriguing way. Reportedly, Candy’s sweaty look in his first meeting with Kevin Costner’s character was genuine, as he was nervous about acting in a dramatic film with so many accomplished actors. All these interesting qualities that Candy brought to the film finally shedded his image as just a comedic actor, and helped make JFK one of the best films not only of his career, but all-time.

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