The 25+ Best Kal Penn Movies

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Updated May 28, 2024 29 items
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List of the best Kal Penn movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Kal Penn's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Kal Penn movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Kal Penn movies will be at the top of the list. Kal Penn has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Kal Penn movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Kal Penn films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Kal Penn role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Kal Penn performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

Epic Movie and Freshmen are a great starting point for your to rank your favorites on this list

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Kal Penn movies?" and "What are the greatest Kal Penn roles of all time?"

John Whitesell and Bryan Singer are among those who have directed Kal Penn at one point or another during their careers in the film industry.

Most divisive: Malibu's Most Wanted
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 25+ Best Kal Penn Movies
  • Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
    1
    John Cho, Kal Penn, Paula Garcés
    30 votes
    Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle is a comedy adventure film that follows the journey of Harold Lee (John Cho) and Kumar Patel (Kal Penn). The plot revolves around their quest for the perfect burger from White Castle, which turns into an unexpected night full of absurd encounters. Their simple craving transforms into an epic odyssey filled with bizarre obstacles and hilarious misadventures. Despite its comedic surface, the film subtly explores themes of racial stereotypes and societal expectations. Released in 2004, this movie has since spawned several sequels, establishing itself as a cult classic within the stoner comedy genre.
  • Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
    2
    Kal Penn, John Cho, Rob Corddry
    30 votes
    After the high-flying stoners (Kal Penn, John Cho) try to smuggle a bong aboard a flight to Amsterdam, the two find themselves in jail on charges of terrorism. After making an amazing escape, Harold and Kumar flee to Texas by way of Florida, where they hope to convince Harold's well-connected friend (Eric Winter) to help them out of their predicament. The problem is, Harold's pal is about to marry Kumar's ex-sweetie (Danneel Harris).
  • A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
    3
    John Cho, Kal Penn, Danneel Ackles
    21 votes
    Six years after their last adventure, stoner pals Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) have grown apart and found new friends. As each is busy making holiday preparations, a mysterious package mistakenly arrives on Kumar's doorstep. Unfortunately, Kumar's attempt to redirect the package to Harold goes up in smoke -- along with a prize Christmas tree belonging to Harold's father-in-law. The pair's journey across New York City to find a replacement tree threatens to blow Christmas Eve sky-high.
  • National Lampoon's Van Wilder
    4
    Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Tim Matheson
    17 votes
    He's the biggest man on campus. He's the boss with the sauce. He's the guy all the girls want and all the guys want to be. 'Cause in the collegiate jungle, there can be only one king ... and at Coolidge College it's Van Wilder. In the grand tradition of comedy classics like "National Lampoon's Animal House" and "National Lampoon's Vacation," "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" will charm you, move you and gross you out.
  • Epic Movie
    5
    Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Faune Chambers Watkins
    14 votes
    Four adult orphans (Kal Penn, Adam Campbell, Faune Chambers, Jayma Mays) have an incredible adventure in a spoof of blockbuster and fantasy films. They visit a bizarre confectioner's chocolate factory and enter a mythic realm in which they must help a wise but lusty lion rid the land of a witchy woman.
  • Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj
    6
    Kal Penn, Amy Steel, Holly Davidson
    15 votes
    Van Wilder protege Taj Badalandabad (Kal Penn) heads to England's prestigious Camden University to further his studies and cement his burgeoning reputation as the "sultan of sheets." But when he arrives, he learns that he has not been accepted to the Fox and Hounds fraternal guild and, instead, becomes head of a house of student misfits. Taj rises to the challenge by establishing his own society, the Cock and Bulls, and whipping his misfit comrades into academic shape.
  • Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam
    7
    Danneel Ackles, Kal Penn, John Cho
    9 votes
    Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam is a 2008 short comedy film directed and written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.
  • Superman Returns
    8
    Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden
    14 votes
    In the movie Superman Returns, Clark Kent, embodied by Brandon Routh, resumes his role as the iconic superhero after a mysterious five-year absence. His return is marked by an internal struggle to reconcile with his love, Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth), and to confront his nemesis, Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey). The film, directed by Bryan Singer, is a blend of action and science fiction that effectively revives the Superman saga. The narrative explores themes of identity and responsibility while showcasing spectacular special effects. Garnering praise for its visual spectacle, Superman Returns was nominated for the 2007 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
  • Dude, Where's the Party?
    9
    Kal Penn, Serena Varghese, Arun Bakshi
    6 votes
    Dude, Where's the Party? aka Where's the party yaar? is a 2003 film directed by Benny Mathews. It stars Kal Penn and Sunil Malhotra. It is a comedic film that focuses mainly on the Indian American experience.
  • A Lot like Love
    10
    Ashton Kutcher, Amanda Peet, Kathryn Hahn
    8 votes
    When Oliver (Ashton Kutcher) and Emily (Amanda Peet) meet on an airplane, they feel an instant connection, but agree that they're wrong for each other. As the years pass and they live their separate lives, fate brings them together several times, and they become close friends. Any time one of them wants more out of the relationship, the other seems content with just being friends. If they wait too long, Oliver and Emily may miss any chance of spending their lives together.
  • Love Don't Cost a Thing
    11
    Nick Cannon, Christina Milian, Kenan Thompson
    9 votes
    Science nerd Alvin Johnson (Nick Cannon) is proficient at engineering but incompetent when it comes to dating. One day, popular girl Paris Morgan (Christina Milian) appears at the auto shop where he works after school. She has damaged her mother's car and urgently requests repairs. Alvin offers a bribe: He will fix the car immediately in exchange for two weeks of dating. Paris agrees, and Alvin is able to enter the sacred realm of the popular kids. But at what cost to himself?
  • The Namesake
    12
    Kal Penn, Tabu, Irrfan Khan
    9 votes
    After moving from Calcutta to New York, members of the Ganguli family maintain a delicate balancing act between honoring the traditions of their native India and blending into American culture. Although parents Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) and Ashima (Tabu) are proud of the sacrifices they make to give their offspring opportunities, their son Gogol (Kal Penn) strives to forge his own identity without forgetting his heritage.
  • Deck the Halls
    13
    Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth
    9 votes
    Steve (Matthew Broderick), suburban dad and Christmas enthusiast, finds a wrinkle in his well-ordered existence with the arrival of his new neighbor Danny (Danny DeVito). Danny has big dreams and plans to illuminate his house with enough holiday lights to make it visible from space. Not to be outdone, Steve declares a war of one-upmanship with Danny that threatens to drag the Christmas spirit through the slush.
  • Bachelor Party Vegas
    14
    Kal Penn, Jonathan Bennett, Donald Faison
    5 votes
    A group of longtime friends, led by Z-Bob (Kal Penn) and Ash (Donald Faison), decide to throw a raucous bachelor party in Las Vegas for their soon-to-be-hitched friend, Nathan (Jonathan Bennett). Their eclectic mix of exploits, which include paintball, strippers and gambling, are masterminded by a party planner, Mr. Kidd (Vincent Pastore). But when it turns out that "Mr. Kidd" is actually a professional criminal planning to rob a casino, the bachelor party gets turned on its head.
  • Son of the Mask
    15
    Jamie Kennedy, Alan Cumming, Ryan Falconer
    14 votes
    A cartoonist and family man, Tim Avery (Jamie Kennedy) lives a peaceful existence with his wife, Tonya (Traylor Howard), as well as their infant son and dog. When the curious canine finds a mask with mystical properties, both dog and baby create chaos with its powers. While Tim and Tonya try to contain the damage, the sly Norse god Loki (Alan Cumming) comes looking for the artifact, resulting in more mishaps that ultimately incur the wrath of the deity's powerful father, Odin (Bob Hoskins).
  • Malibu's Most Wanted
    16
    Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson
    8 votes
    The son of a wealthy politician (Ryan O'Neal), Brad Gluckman (Jamie Kennedy) tries to emulate urban street culture and aspires to be a rapper, going by the name of "B-Rad." In order to discourage Brad from pursuing his thug-inspired antics, his dad hires two African-American actors, Sean (Taye Diggs) and PJ (Anthony Anderson), to pose as gang members and introduce the naïve youth to real ghetto life. Things don't go as planned when it becomes clear that Sean and PJ are as sheltered as Brad.
  • Ball & Chain
    17
    Kal Penn, nm2147526, Lisa Ray
    8 votes
    When Ameet and Saima's Indian-American families arrange for them to be married they will do anything to get out of the situation. In their desperation to have the wedding called off, they fail to realize that they have actually fallen in love. By now however Saima's parents have promised her hand to a sleazy playboy, Ashol. Culture and customs clash in this hilarious and delightful comedy.
  • Man About Town
    18
    Ben Affleck, Rebecca Romijn, John Cleese
    6 votes
    Hollywood agent Jack Giamoro (Ben Affleck) has a ruthless dedication to his work and a tendency to neglect his wife, Nina (Rebecca Romijn). Upon discovering that Nina has been sleeping with an up-and-coming actor, Giamoro enrolls in a self-help course and begins keeping a diary. But, when that diary, with its tell-all account of Giamoro's professional and personal turmoil, falls into the hands of freelance writer Barbi Ling (Bai Ling), he struggles to retrieve it and prevent a massive scandal.
  • Homeland Security
    19
    Kal Penn, Marisol Nichols, Scott Glenn
    6 votes
    Homeland Security is a 2004 made-for-TV film, which was intended as a pilot for a series which never materialized.
  • American Desi
    20
    Kal Penn, Deep Katdare, Purva Bedi
    7 votes
    American Desi is a 2001 American film with Indian influence, notable for featuring many prominent South Asian American actors. Also featured is an a cappella version of Nazia Hassan's Urdu classic "Aap Jaisa Koi", sung by Penn Masala and originally from the movie Qurbani. The term Desi in the title refers to the peoples and cultures of the Indian subcontinent.
  • Two Sisters
    21

    Two Sisters

    Margaret Cho, Kal Penn
    3 votes
    Two Sisters is a 2008 television film directed by Margaret Cho.
  • Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain
    22
    Martin Sheen, Mischa Barton, Kal Penn
    5 votes
    In 1984, two journalists (Mischa Barton, Kal Penn) try to expose dangerous conditions at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India.
  • Freshmen
    23

    Freshmen

    Kal Penn, Patrick Gorman, Lo Ming
    3 votes
  • Express: Aisle to Glory
    24

    Express: Aisle to Glory

    Kal Penn
    4 votes
    Express: Aisle to Glory is a 1998 comedy short film written and directed by Jonathan Buss. It is notable as the film debut of the actor Kal Penn.
  • The Call
    25

    The Call

    Kal Penn
    6 votes
  • Dancing in Twilight
    26

    Dancing in Twilight

    Erick Avari, Louise Fletcher, Mimi Rogers
    2 votes
    Devastated after the death of his wife, Jai (Artee Patel), immigrant Indian businessman Madhav (Erick Avari) throws himself into his work. As the date of Jai's birthday approaches, Madhav is visited by his estranged son, Sam (Kal Penn), and Sam's girlfriend, Nicole (Sheetal Sheth), in town for an engagement party. Madhav tags along and runs into April (Mimi Rogers), an old friend. The two become romantically involved, despite the objections of April's racist mother, Evelyn (Louise Fletcher).
  • Hector
    27

    Hector

    Kal Penn, Skyler Stone, Steffen Schlachtenhaufen
    2 votes
  • Sueño
    28

    Sueño

    Nadine Velazquez, John Leguizamo, Kal Penn
    2 votes
    Sueño is a 2005 comedy-drama film directed by Renée Chabria that stars John Leguizamo, Ana Claudia Talancón, and Elizabeth Peña.
  • Cosmopolitan
    29

    Cosmopolitan

    Carol Kane, Kal Penn, Madhur Jaffrey
    2 votes
    Cosmopolitan is a 2003 American independent film starring Roshan Seth and Carol Kane, and directed by Nisha Ganatra. The film, based on an acclaimed short story by Akhil Sharma and written by screenwriter Sabrina Dhawan, is a cross-cultural romance between a confused and lonely middle-aged East Indian, who has lived in America for 20 years, and his exasperating, free-spirited blonde neighbor. The film was released theatrically in 2003. It was televised nationally in 2004 on the PBS series Independent Lens.