Ranking Adam Sandler’s Netflix output, including ‘Bat Mitzvah’

At the start of Adam Sandler’s long-running deal with Netflix, many (me included) criticized the actor for making too many lazy, unfunny comedies. His first Netflix effort, Western spoof, “The Ridiculous 6,” made for such an easy target.

While a few of his Netflix movies miss the mark, Sandler’s output since “The Ridiculous 6” is better than the run of theatrical films that came before it. The 2010-16 run includes some of his worst movies, including “Jack and Jill,” “That’s My Boy,” “Pixels” and “Grown Ups 2.”

Compared to that run, Sandler’s Netflix movies are far better, and that’s not even counting his best recent movie — “Uncut Gems” from 2019 earned Sandler the best reviews of his career, but the film was released theatrically by A24 (though eventually made its way to Netflix anyway).

Sandler takes a supporting role in his latest release, the coming-of-age comedy, “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah,” based on the young adult novel by Fiona Rosenbloom. Adam’s limited screen time is instead filled by several family members, including daughter Sunny Sandler in the lead role of Stacy Friedman, a girl who eagerly plans for her upcoming bat mitzvah while dealing with boy drama. Adam plays her dad, naturally, with another daughter, Sadie, starring as Stacy’s older sister. Idina Menzel (who starred alongside Sandler in “Uncut Gems”) plays Stacy’s mom.

Despite the opening title card that advertises yet another “Happy Madison” production, very little of “Bat Mitzvah” resembles the low-brow comedies that built the Sandler empire. The film, directed by Sammi Cohen and adapted to the screen by Alison Peck, holds its focus on Stacy and her conflicts with (former) best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine) while finding comedic beats rooted in pre-teen discomfort. It’s a modern-day set variation on “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” the Judy Blume classic that was adapted into a terrific movie earlier this year. Sunny Sandler also gives what should be a star-making central performance.

In fact, “You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” might have sneakily perched itself atop the list of Sandler’s Netflix output. For what it’s worth, the film has been a popular title on the streaming platform, and critics nationwide have embraced the film (upper 90s score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes).

At the very least, it sits in the upper tier, which exclusively features movies where Adam Sandler attempts to craft a performance instead of leaning on a silly voice or exotic filming locations.

The upper tier includes:

• “Hustle,” from 2022, in which Sandler plays a professional basketball scout who gambles his reputation on a largely unknown Spanish streetballer. Sandler is a warm, reliable lead in the inspirational sports drama, and it scored the actor his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.

• “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)” from 2017, from “Marriage Story” writer/director Noah Baumbach (also a screenwriter alongside Greta Gerwig on a little movie called “Barbie”). Baumbach’s sharp script meshed well with Sandler and co-stars Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson.

• “The Week Of” from 2018 stars Sandler and Chris Rock as overwhelmed dads on the eve of their children getting married. The comedy from Robert Smigel isn’t anything particularly special, and critics generally still trashed the flick, but compared to their work together in the “Grown Ups” films, Sandler and Rock come out unscathed.

The middle tier includes:

• “Hubie Halloween” from 2020. Sandler doing a goofy voice in a lazy-but-inoffensive comedy. It was 2020, and there weren’t as many “regular” movies thanks to COVID, so the masses seem to have a soft spot for this one.

• “Murder Mystery” from 2019. It’s not exactly good, but the Sandler-Jennifer Aniston combo works fine as a Sunday afternoon, on-in-the-background type of flick.

• “Murder Mystery 2” from this year. I haven’t seen it, but let’s just give it the benefit of the doubt.

Bottom Row:

• “The Ridiculous 6” — His first Netflix movie was his worst. It’s so bad that it makes every other Sandler movie look like “The Magnificent Seven.”

• “Sandy Wexler” from 2017. Something about the Sandler-Kevin James combo leads to strings of terribly unfunny material.

• “The Do-Over” from 2016. Same to you, David Spade. Sandler also produced the Spade-led 2020 film “The Wrong Missy” but at least knew well enough to not appear in it.

Sandler’s run on Netflix will continue. Next up, the animated comedy, “Leo,” set for release this November. Then, Sandler stars in the science fiction drama “Spaceman,” with Paul Dano and Carey Mulligan, set for release sometime in 2024.

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.