Best Movies Directed by Todd Phillips

Important takeaways

• Joaquin Phoenix returns as the Joker in “Joker 2” with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn at Arkham Asylum Hospital.
• Director Todd Phillips aims to match the acclaim of the first Joker film with an all-star cast in the highly anticipated sequel.
• Phillips' diverse career spans from comedies like “The Hangover” to dark psychological thrillers like “Joker,” establishing him as a revered director in Hollywood.

With Joker: Folie à Deux's release, the film is set to become a pop culture zeitgeist, especially with the return of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck and the Joker in a desolate and troubled Gotham. IN Joker 2the incomparable Lady Gaga joins the group as Harley Quinn, playing Fleck's muse at Arkham Asylum Hospital.

In one of the most anticipated sequels in years, director Todd Phillips returns to helm his creation. The comedy-based director is trying to match the acclaim and popularity of his predecessor. Phillips' career has been varied. The director has dabbled in multiple genres throughout his career and established himself as a revered director in Hollywood through his vast catalog of films.

7 Due date

Road Trip comedy with excellent chemistry

With Phillips' comic catalog on the trot, the director continued his run with Due datea buddy comedy with Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The road trip film is about Downey's character, Peter, who needs to reach the birth of his child. But Peter is kicked off the plane, leading the character to embark on an eventful road trip across America with the eccentric Ethan, played by Galifianakis.

In the film, fun and hilarity ensues with the opposite characters as they travel together, with Phillips' classic comedic sensibility showing through in the typical dark comedy.

6 The Hangover 2

An unnecessary sequel that actually creates even more chaos

Riding the success of The hangoverits sequel, The Hangover 2saw the return of its main protagonists, Phil, Stu and Alan, in another wild night that sees them retrace their steps the following day. Set in Thailand, The Hangover 2 may not reach the heights of its predecessor, although the comedy film still manages to provide many laughs. Meanwhile, the group deals with the consequences of their drunken actions.

With facial tattoos and criminal pursuits, the film is a respectable attempt to recreate the magic of the first film in the trilogy, with Bradley Cooper and his co-stars flourishing in the comedy sequel.

5 Road Trip

Eclectic group of friends travel America to restore a sex bond

Like many 2000s comedies, Seann William Scott often starred, with the actor having a significant role in Road Tripa college comedy that became Phillips' first Hollywood film. After a group of eclectic college students accidentally sends a sex tape to his long-distance girlfriend, Josh and his buddies embark on a road trip to Austin to recover the scandalous footage.

Like many 2000s comedies, Road Trip is filled with sleazy characters and dated comedy. But when it was released, the film proved captivating and entertaining for the audience, with it American Pie boom that revives the genre and opens the way for Phillips Road Trip.

4 Old School

Actors of comedic legends try to recapture their youth

Filled with some of comedy's biggest stars in the prime of their careers, Old School is the natural successor to Road Tripwith the story following the adventures of three men aiming to relive their college years as adults.

After breaking up with his girlfriend, Mitch moves near a college campus where he and his buddies Frank and Beanie start their own fraternity and relive their glory days as a way to escape the numbness of adulthood. Filled with the wildness of the college experience, the chemistry between its leads makes the film work and showcases Phillips' eye for comedic talent.

3 Dogs of war

Two arms dealers tasked with supplying weapons and ammunition in black comedy

As Phillips continued his ascent in Hollywood, the director took on black comedy Dogs of warstarring the infamous funnyman Jonah Hill and Miles Teller. In the crime comedy, both actors play Efraim and David, two arms dealers tasked by the US government with supplying millions of dollars worth of ammunition to the Afghan army. During their mission, the pair find themselves in difficult situations while traveling to deliver the goods.

Despite being loosely based on actual events, Dogs of war continuing Phillips' comedic roots while tackling a sensitive subject like war, the director once again excels at finding seamless chemistry between his protagonists.

2 The hangover

Drunken Comedy which turned out to be a smash hit

Summer 2009 The hangover arrived, creating significant buzz for a comedy film unlike any kind of publicity the genre had received in years. In Phillips' comic magnum opus, the characters Stu, Phil and Alan arrange a stag party for their friend Doug.

When the group has the Las Vegas landscape to accompany them, their drunken night becomes much of a blur, causing the characters to become engulfed in chaos that causes them to lose the groom, get Stu married, and acquire a tiger belonging to Mike Tyson . In the film which sees the odd group memorize their steps, The hangover became a unique and unparalleled comedy for its time, promoting its stars and directorial status.

1 Joker

A dark origin/Elseworld story of the famous Batman villain

Throughout Phillips' filmography, Joker emerges as his most impressive work to date, elevating the perception of the director from comedy veteran to Hollywood auteur. With Phoenix as Fleck, Joker follows the character as he rages at society, leading to the introduction of the iconic DC villain, the Joker.

With inspiration from Martin Scorsese's classics such as Taxi driver and The king of comedyPhillips' dark and grounded portrayal of one of cinema's most beloved characters proved a huge success, with the famous clown furthering his legend as one of the great superhero characters.