There are few actors more universally beloved than Adam Sandler. Over decades, he’s built up a reputation as a fun-loving family man who, when called upon, can deliver pretty serious performances.
The Sandman has also built a pretty productive relationship with Netflix, and while not everything he’s done with them has been great, he’s made his share of gems. Adam Sandler is a deeply lovable performer, and in light of Happy Gilmore 2‘s upcoming release, here are his five best Netflix movies.
Hustle (2022)
If you know three things about Adam Sandler, one of them is likely to be that he loves basketball. He’s made more than one movie about it, but Hustle is his most pointed movie on the subject. Sandler plays a scout on thin ice with the Philadelphia 76ers who finds a European player with NBA potential.
As he works with his potential star recruit to make him great, he struggles with ownership and his place inside the organization. A movie littered with cameos from NBA legends, Hustle is a wildly entertaining sports movie thanks chiefly to Sandler’s performance.
You can watch Hustle on Netflix.
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)
A movie more about his daughters than Sandler himself, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah stars Sunny Sandler as one half of a teenage friendship that frays as the two of them plan each of their bat mitzvahs.
Although a light comedy, the movie transforms into a remarkable depiction of two young Jewish girls struggling with growing up. It’s a lovely comedy, and one that suggests that both of Sandler’s daughters might have a future in acting, all while Sandler plays the kind, supportive, funny father.
You can watch You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah on Netflix.
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)
Noah Baumbach’s partnership with Netflix has produced some fascinating movies, but none is more underseen than The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected). The film follows three siblings who are estranged from each other and from their father as they come together in New York City to celebrate their father’s work as an artist.
Sandler plays one of the siblings. Although his performance is more subdued than usual, it’s a perfect match for Baumbach’s writing and the world of turmoil he creates.
You can watch The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) on Netflix.
Hubie Halloween (2020)
Look, Sandler has proven time and time again that he knows how to be a serious actor. Sometimes, Sandler should just be silly, and Hubie Halloween afforded him the opportunity to do exactly that.
The film follows a character named Hubie as he finds himself in the middle of a real murder investigation, even as he continues to be the object of derision from his fellow townsfolk. Although Hubie Halloween is fundamentally deeply dumb, it’s also a pretty sweet movie, and that’s what ultimately redeems it.
You can watch Hubie Halloween on Netflix.
Murder Mystery (2019)
Alongside Jennifer Aniston, Sandler stars as a married man on a yacht vacation who finds himself implicated in the murder of a hugely wealthy man. As he and his wife use their sleuthing skills to get to the bottom of the mystery, various hijinks ensue.
If what you’re interested in is a chance to see Aniston and Sandler bounce off each other, then Murder Mystery will go down really smoothly for you.
You can watch Murder Mystery on Netflix.
