The 12 Best Richard Pryor Movies, Ranked

One of the biggest comedic geniuses to come out of Hollywood in the 20th century was Richard Pryor, a prolific actor, stand-up comic, and screenwriter. Starting out doing stand-up in the late ’60s, Pryor became a television staple, both performing his comic bits on talk shows and writing for popular sitcoms. By the ’70s, Pryor’s sense of humor became more daring than the conventional norms of the time, with his co-written comedy “Blazing Saddles” still having bite over 50 years later. These bolder sensibilities would inform Pryor’s other work, both in continuing stand-up comedy and a growing number of major film appearances.

Groundbreaking and enormously influential, the legendary comedian left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry that has endured since his passing in 2005. Just as effective as a lead actor as he was as a memorable supporting character, Pryor always commanded full attention whenever he was on-screen. And though he always seemed most in his element in comedy, Pryor also demonstrated a surprising range as an actor, particularly with more serious fare. Here are the 12 best Richard Pryor movies ranked, based on his work as an actor.

The life and times of real-life NASCAR driver Wendell Scott served as the loose basis for the 1977 sports comedy “Greased Lightning.” Pryor plays Scott, a World War II vet who returns to his hometown in rural Virginia where he becomes a cab driver and bootleg runner. To get out of trouble with the law, Scott agrees to become the first Black stock car racer, though faces racial discrimination every step of the way. This culminates in him rising to compete as NASCAR driver, though his racing career places a severe strain on his relationship with his wife Mary (Pam Grier).

“Greased Lightning” lets Pryor showcase his more dramatic acting potential, in addition to his usual proclivity for silver screen humor. Though the movie takes significant creative liberties with Scott’s actual biography, it does highlight an important and overlooked athlete who helped desegregate professional racing in the United States. Pryor also has a strong chemistry with Grier, with the two actors forming a serious romantic relationship after working together on this film. A solid, no-frills sports dramedy, “Greased Lightning” is one of the more underrated projects from Pryor’s career.

The 1976 stage play “California Suite” by Neil Simon was adapted into a star-studded anthology comedy of the same name in 1978. Set in the Beverly Hills Hotel, the movie features four vignettes involving separate groups of travelers, each with their own mishaps and conflicts. Pryor plays Chicago physician Chauncey Gump, who is forced to stay in smaller accommodations than anticipated with his wife and his colleague Willis Panama (Bill Cosby) and his wife. This leads to mounting tensions between Gump and Panama, derailing the shared vacation between the two couples.

To address the elephant in the room, yes, the presence of Cosby is one of those things in “California Suite” that have aged poorly. But the fact of the matter is Pryor and Cosby came up in show business together and collaborated often, unfortunately tying their legacies inextricably together. The movie gives Pryor the opportunity to showcase his more slapstick comedic chops, adding some lightweight laughs to “California Suite” in its final segment. Buoyed by its all-star cast and an original jazz soundtrack composed by Claude Bolling, the movie is a pleasant adaptation of Simon’s play.

One of the best comedy duos of the ’70s and ’80s was between Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder, with the two starring in four movies together. The pair’s second movie was 1980’s “Stir Crazy,” reuniting Pryor with legendary actor and director Sidney Poitier, this time for a screwball comedy. Pryor and Wilder star as Harry Monroe and Skip Donahue, respectively, two out-of-work friends who decide to relocate for a fresh start working in entertainment in Hollywood. Mistakenly convicted as bank robbers along the way, Skip and Harry endure brutal prison conditions, leading them to plot their escape with their new friends behind bars.

One of the best Gene Wilder movies, let alone one of the best starring Pryor, “Stir Crazy” was a huge commercial success during its initial theatrical release. The movie capitalizes on the strong chemistry between Pryor and Wilder, letting them get even wackier than their previous pairing. Neither of the pair’s subsequent collaborations would reach the same comedic highs as their first two collaborations, with Poitier knowing when to let his stars bounce off each other. A fantastic showcase for its two lead actors, “Stir Crazy” perfectly demonstrates why Wilder and Pryor worked so well together.

Of all the filmmakers that Pryor collaborated across his career, one of the most surprising is the late David Lynch. Working with Lynch for the filmmaker’s 1997 neo-noir thriller “Lost Highway,” Pryor plays an unassuming auto shop owner named Arnie. The movie focuses on musician Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) who is on death row after being convicted of murdering his wife. However, Fred mysteriously swaps places with Pete Dayton (Balthazar Getty), a young mechanic who worked at Arnie’s auto shop.

Admittedly, Pryor doesn’t have a whole lot to do in “Lost Highway,” which would ultimately become his final film role. Because of his deteriorating health at the time, Pryor was relegated to moving around on a motorized wheelchair, a distinction visible in the movie. Still, despite his limited screen time, Pryor makes the most of his scenes, unbowed in the face of his painful condition. A surrealist takedown of the utter failure of masculinity, “Lost Highway” made for a heck of a silver screen swan song from Pryor.

Richard Pryor was truly in his element when he was on stage performing stand-up comedy and he chronicled several of his routines in feature films. Pryor’s 1982 stand-up comedy movie “Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip” captured him at a moment when he was in transition in the public eye. In 1980, Pryor had gained notoriety for setting himself on fire while high on cocaine, something he directly addresses in the comedy special. This trepidation to frankly explore his own vulnerability is apparent, particularly for a source of comedy, with Pryor growing more confident as the special progresses.

As far as self-revealing portraits of stand-up comics go, it’s hard to top “Live on the Sunset Strip.” Pryor produced the movie, co-writing it with frequent collaborator Paul Mooney, and worked with prolific Broadway choreographer Bob Layton, who directed the project. This adds to the theatricality of the presentation, helping influence how future comedy specials would be staged. Self-revelatory and reflective, which makes the laughs come from a more honest place, “Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip” showcases Pryor bringing himself back from the brink.

1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” is a cinematic classic for the ages, and like all beloved films, it has been revisited countless times by studios trying to replicate its magic. One of the more underrated attempts to modernize L. Frank Baum’s classic fantasy story is 1978’s “The Wiz,” itself an adaptation of the 1974 Broadway musical by William F. Brown. Diana Ross stars as Dorothy Gale, a young elementary school teacher who is transported to Oz by a magical storm. Joined by an ensemble of new friends, Dorothy makes her way down the Yellow Brick Road to meet the Wiz (Richard Pryor) and return home.

With just Diana Ross and Michael Jackson alone, “The Wiz” is an all-timer ’70s musical, with Quincy Jones and Luther Vandross contributing to the soundtrack. Pryor’s casting as the titular Wiz is inspired, playing a failed politician in over his head in Oz while trying to keep up appearances. And in transposing Baum’s broader narrative to contemporary urban America, the movie has a real authenticity to it that other versions lack. Arguably the most family-friendly Richard Pryor movie, “The Wiz” deserves to be in the conversation of great “Wizard of Oz” adaptations more often.

Pryor plays an unlikely father figure on a cross-country odyssey in the 1981 comedy movie “Bustin’ Loose.” Based on a story written by Pryor, the movie has paroled criminal Joe Braxton (Pryor) agreeing to drive a group of special needs children from Philadelphia to Washington state. Initially agreeing to this trip as part of his parole, Braxton genuinely grows close to the kids and begins to care for each of them. Despite the authorities deciding the children should be remanded to Philadelphia, Braxton works to keep them at the farm they’ve made their new home.

To be sure, “Bustin’ Loose” is a weird movie, though not without genuinely earned laughs and a strong sense of heart. There is some dark and serious subject matter at play, especially when it comes to the children’s backstories, but Pryor has always excelled at turning pain into joy. The silliness, of course, is still there, but Pryor is mixing it with heartfelt sentimentality compared to his other comedies. An enjoyable romp buoyed by its strong set pieces and vignettes throughout its short runtime, “Bustin’ Loose” is an overlooked entry in Pryor’s filmography.

Legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday co-wrote her 1956 autobiography “Lady Sings the Blues” with William Dufty shortly before her death in 1959. This memoir was loosely adapted into a 1972 biopic of the same name, starring Diana Ross as Holiday, tracing her rough upbringing to her success in the Harlem music scene. Billy Dee Williams plays Louis McKay, Holiday’s lover and person who helps kickstart her music career, while Pryor plays her pianist. Holiday heavily self-medicates her pain through drug use, something that the pianist helps facilitate, derailing both of their lives and careers.

Hands down, the grimmest and most depressing movie that Richard Pryor has played a prominent role in, “Lady Sings the Blues” depicts Holiday’s life as an American tragedy. For as melodramatic as the movie gets, it’s Ross’ performance that holds the story together and gets the audience invested in the proceedings. Pryor doesn’t really get to lean into his acting strengths, but he also doesn’t distract from the overall picture. A biopic that’ll leave viewers longing to rethink their lives, “Lady Sings the Blues” is certainly not a feel-good movie but tells an important story.

The final stand-up comedy movie by Richard Pryor was 1983’s “Richard Pryor: Here and Now,” filmed at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. Pryor wrote and directed the project himself, though his collaborative partner Paul Mooney also appears in the movie. Though Pryor still examines his life in the public eye, including his drug addictions, he’s more confident than he had been in the preceding year’s “Live on the Sunset Strip.” In between his hilarious anecdotes, the comic revisits some of his most beloved routines, often carried by self-aware banter with the audience.

“Here and Now” is a mellower and more comfortable look at Richard Pryor on stage, wizened by his experiences and appreciative of his newfound sobriety. Of course, Pryor is no less profane and prone to controlled outbursts, but there’s a wink in the delivery during these punctuative moments. With most of his inner demons apparently exorcised, Pryor is having fun taking stock of his life, with his audience getting in on action. A beautiful companion piece to “Live on the Sunset Strip,” “Richard Pryor: Here and Now” shows the comic embracing his second wind.

As Sidney Poitier furthered his directorial career in the ’70s after years of starring as a successful, boundary-busting leading actor, he collaborated with Bill Cosby on a trilogy of comedies. The first and best of these was 1974’s “Uptown Saturday Night,” which also featured Pryor in a scene-stealing supporting role as Sharp Eye Washington. Poitier and Cosby star as best friends Steve Jackson and Wardell Franklin, two hard-working figures who decide to indulge in a night on the town. After Jackson’s wallet with a winning lottery ticket is stolen, the two men turn to private investigator Sharp Eye Washington to recover it.

Again, the prominent presence of Bill Cosby is the biggest problematic aspect of “Uptown Saturday Night,” especially for those understandably unable to separate art from the artist. A send-up of mobster movies in the wake of “The Godfather,” Poitier helms an easygoing comedy tour of a weekend night out gone wrong. Pryor doesn’t play a particularly huge role in the overarching story, but easily commands full attention when he’s on-screen. Though a planned remake has been in the works for years, the original “Uptown Saturday Night” remains the high-water mark of Poitier’s comedic work.

The first time Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder starred together on-screen was in the hit 1976 comedy thriller “Silver Streak.” Wilder plays mild-mannered book editor George Caldwell, who takes the Silver Streak train to Chicago where he meets presumed art collector Roger Devereau (Patrick McGoohan). Learning that Devereau is actually a murderous crook under investigation by the FBI, Caldwell becomes involved when Devereau threatens his newfound love interest Hilly Burns (Jill Clayburgh). Along the way, Caldwell befriends low-level thief Grover T. Muldoon (Pryor), with the two working together to stop Devereau and rescue Burns.

Gene Wilder’s chemistry with Richard Pryor came as a surprise to both actors, but both were keenly aware of how well they worked together. “Silver Streak” remains the high point of their on-screen collaborations, with Pryor bringing some much-needed levity into the otherwise straightforward crime thriller. Prior to this, the movie plays out like a routine whodunit, but Wilder visibly lights up whenever he’s paired with Pryor in a scene. A prime example of actor chemistry elevating a movie considerably above its written material, “Silver Streak” is a highlight in both men’s prolific careers.

Richard Pryor released his first stand-up comedy movie, 1971’s “Richard Pryor: Live & Smokin,'” which was considerably tamer than the work he became known for. It was his 1979 follow-up, “Richard Pryor: Live in Concert,” that really showcased what Pryor’s humor was all about -– daring, addressing contemporary social taboo topics, and, above all, hilarious. Filmed in December 1978 in Long Beach, Pryor pokes fun at everything from politics to his most frequent target: himself. And as wacky as Pryor physically gets on stage, all of his jokes feel like they come from a real, earned place, adding to the effectiveness and poignancy.

In watching “Richard Pryor: Live in Concert,” one not only immediately recognizes and appreciates Pryor’s comedic genius, but also his enduring influence. Pryor’s sharply written jokes and charismatic stage presence stand as a clear beacon for Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, and other comics that would follow. But inspirational qualities aside, the special is just incredibly funny, with Pryor skewering race, sex, drugs, and virtually everything in between. A portrait of a stand-up comedian at the very top of his game, “Richard Pryor: Live in Concert” cements Pryor as one of the greatest comics of all time.