Phil LordandChris Millerhave made their mark on Hollywood with one of the most impressive and diverse filmographies of recent times. Whether it be animated or live action, film or television, directing or producing, Lord and Miller have proven they just might have the Midas touch. After the successful launch of their Apple TV+ showThe Afterparty,and the recent announcement of a new Lord and Miller show coming to IMDb TV soon, it’s about time to rank the best Lord and Miller projects. With such a winning collection of projects, it makes it more difficult to rank one higher than another, but this comprehensive list highlights the greatest hits of this successful duo.
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10. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (2009)
The duo’s first big animated feature film was 2009’sCloudy With A Chance of Meatballsand while it’s loosely based on the classic children’s book, like most of Lord and Miller’s projects, it morphs into its own special project with a blend of smart humor, funny visual gags, and a lot of heart. Plus, it’s probably the only film in their repertoire that you shouldn’t watch on an empty stomach. The film follows quirky inventor Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader), who creates the Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator, or the FLDSMDFR for short (say that five times fast…), that basically overruns Flint’s town with giant food. This film is such a confident directorial debut, and it’s sneakily one of the best animated films of the 2000s. It’s certainly the best animated film to ever have a character voiced byBruce Campbelldevouring a hot dog in a way that will haunt your very existence for the rest of eternity. If that’s not a selling point, then maybe this movie isn’t for you.
9. Clone High (2002)
Lord and Miller’s first big project in Hollywood was the cult classicClone High, which ran for 13 episodes in the early 2000s on MTV. It features characters like Abe Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Gandhi, JFK, and Cleopatra all attending high school in a parody of more traditional teen dramas likeDawson’s Creekand90210. It’s a show that’s often hilarious, but it’s definitely rough around the edges in terms of content and storytelling. It’s gained a loyal following over the years and any fans of Lord and Miller should definitely check it out. And you better hurry. It was announced that HBO Max has officially ordered aClone Highreboot that will air sometime in the hopefully near future, so if you haven’t rewatched it in a while or if you have never seen it, now’s the time to take a trip toClone High.
8. The Last Man On Earth (2015)
Sticking with television, afterClone High, you might be surprised to learn that Lord and Miller dabbled with two other fan-favorite TV shows. They produced and wrote a few episodes of the first season ofHow I Met Your Mother(they were responsible for Barney Stinson’s iconic “legend - wait for it- dary” line), as well as directed the pilot episode ofBrooklyn Nine-Nine. But their next big TV project was the underrated post-apocalyptic comedy seriesThe Last Man on Earth. StarringWill Forte, the show follows Phil Miller (get it?), who we initially believe is the last person left after a horrible virus wipes out most of the population. We soon learn the title is a lie and Phil gradually meets other survivors and over time the dysfunctional group becomes a family. The comedy was a very funny look at not only how we process and handle grief, but also how the bonds we make with one another can make us all better people. It successfully balanced the real terrors of its primary subject with hilarious sitcom hijnks and somehow made it look easy.
7. 22 Jump Street (2014)
The comedy sequel is arguably the hardest type of sequel to make. If your first film was a big enough hit to warrant a second film, then you have to figure out how to toe the line between delivering the same type of tone and humor that your audience responded to the first time around without being derivative of what came before. Many writers and directors have tried and fallen flat on their faces with the dreaded comedy sequel, but Lord and Miller sidestepped any pratfalls with the cleverly constructed22 Jump Street. The film had a gleeful energy to it that suggested Lord and Miller were just as surprised the first film was such a smash hit, and they then decided to lean into the absurdity of its premise with the sequel. But while the film goes louder with its action set pieces and the meta levels increase tenfold, the film never loses sight of its two central characters. The huge selling point of this franchise is the chemistry betweenChanning TatumandJonah Hilland the sequel always remembers that. The film is not about two silly undercover cops going to a silly college. It’s about two close friends who realize their differences actually make them a stronger team…. While also being about two silly undercover cops going to a silly college. And while it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the first film, it’s still one of the funniest films of the decade.
6. The Afterparty (2022)
Apple TV’sThe Afterpartyis the type of ambitious project that easily could’ve gone horribly wrong. It’s a comedy murder mystery show with each episode tackling a different genre of film. One episode is a romantic comedy, one episode is musical, one episode is a thriller, etc. And while it’s a very gimmick-y premise, Lord and Miller once again prove they understand how to ground whatever wacky ideas they have by focusing on character. These different genres aren’t just thrown out randomly, but rather it’s used as a very telling look at how each character views what’s happening around them. Anchored bySam Richardson, who proves he’s evolved way past a funny supporting side character and deserves more leading man roles, the show is jam-packed with some of the funniest people working today.
5. The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
There’s a never ending debate surrounding what exactly makes a good Batman movie and a good Batman character. It’s an argument that we as a society will continue to have for the rest of time as the character is reinterpreted again and again on the big screen until every movie ever made features the Caped Crusader and the Joker in some capacity. But as the current discourse rages over howRobert Pattinson’s Batman compares to his past Bat-brethren, let’s not forget that one of the best Batman stories came in animated Lego block form.The Lego Batman Moviesomehow is able to capture the loneliness and heartbreak surrounding a traumatized orphan who dresses up like a bat to fight crime at night perfectly, while also offering a hilarious, somewhat satirical look at some goofier Batman mythos.Will Arnettshines as an exaggerated version of The Dark Knight and in a perfect world, this film would have a ton of sequels by now. It should be noted that Lord and Miller just produced this movie, but it only exists because of the foundation that Lord and Miller wrote and directed inThe Lego Movie. Speaking of…
4. The Lego Movie (2014)
Lord and Miller are experts at taking silly concepts and then turning those into projects that are fully aware of how silly they are, while also finding the beating heart of the narrative to deliver something memorable. On the surface,The Lego Moviefeels like a shameless plug to sell more Legos for adults to step on in the middle of the night, but it ends up being a visual feast with a unique animation style, compelling story, memorable characters, one REALLY catchy song, and a surprisingly emotional climax. It cemented Lord and Miller as not only top-tier animation directors, but also as general storytellers. The film totally immerses the viewer in its style and world and paved the way (built the way?) for a whole franchise of Lego movies. None of the other Lego films have quite captured the originality set forth byThe Lego Movie, but it’s difficult when this film set such a high bar.
3. The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
Although Lord and Miller only produced the excellent awards-contenderThe Mitchells vs. The Machines, it’s clear why they gravitated to the project. LikeCloudy With A Chance Of Meatballsbefore it,The Mitchells vs. The Machinescenters around a quirky, creative child struggling to connect with their gruff, meat-and-potatoes father. LikeCWACOM,The Mitchells vs. The Machinesis an intimate film about connecting with your family set against a fantastical backdrop. But it’s safe to say thatThe Mitchells vs. The Machinesjust fires on all cylinders with its content. Every new scene brings a visually exciting new set piece and a brand-new joke that you’ll swear is the funniest of the entire movie for real this time… until the next joke comes along. But amidst all the evil robots, giant Furbies, and the deep philosophical musings of the difference between a dog, a pig, and a loaf of bread, it’s the Mitchell family that truly stands out. Yes Katie Mitchell is a fantastic protagonist and her relationship with her father provides the backbone for the movie’s biggest emotional gut-punches, but the film also takes its time to flesh out the entire Mitchell clan to great effect.
2. 21 Jump Street (2012)
21 Jump Streetshould not have worked. The idea of rebooting a semi-liked ’80s cop show with a ridiculous premise and turning it into an outright comedy about adult cops posing as high schoolers to catch bad guys just screams “big flop.” Especially when it was announced thatJonah Hilland Channing Tatum were the leads. Hill had a huge background in comedy, but Tatum was an unknown factor. Mostly known for action or romance films, it was unclear if Tatum had the comedy chops to pair opposite Hill. Tag on the decision to hand over the project to Lord and Miller, a duo who at that time were only mostly known forCloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs,and it’s understandable why there was hesitation. But somehow they pulled it off. The movie found a way to make the ridiculous premise unbelievably funny with a bit of a knowing wink, crafted a new story and world without insulting the original, and made a surprising comedy star out of Channing Tatum. It’s undoubtedly one of the best TV-to-Film adaptations ever made.
1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Everyone cheered when the three Spider-Men united in the MCU’s multiverse-focusedSpider-Man: No Way Home, and for good reason, but as great as that film is, it’s arguably only the second-best film that deals with Spider-Man and the multiverse.Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseis a game-changer. It set a new bar for animated films, for Spider-Man films, and for superhero films overall. Practically everything about this movie is close to perfection. Lord and Miller did not direct this film, but they did produce and Lord did come up with the story as well as co-wrote the screenplay, and it’s just amazing how much the film understands Spider-Man as a character. Spider-Man will always be a hero who suffers great loss but knows he has to keep moving and be the hero no matter what. He always gets back up again. And through the magic of the multiverse, we got a film that successfully examined that idea of Spider-Man across many universes. Plus, it was a film that finally gave the long overdue spotlight to Miles Morales, which only reinforced the central theme of how anyone can wear the mask.
