The 10 Most Underrated Steve Carrell Movies, Ranked (from Least to Most Underrated)

Steve Carell’s filmography stretches far beyond the handful of smash hits most people name first. Across comedy, drama, and even animation, he’s taken on roles built around careful character work, sharp timing, and scripts that back unusual stories. Plenty of those turns landed in solid films that didn’t dominate headlines, yet they quietly hold up on rewatch—or reveal a new angle on what he can do.

Below is a countdown presented purely in order, spotlighting ten feature films where Carell’s presence is central or memorably pivotal. For each entry, you’ll find concrete details—who made it, who’s in it, where it premiered, what it cost, and how it performed—so you can decide what to queue next without the fluff.

‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’ (2013)

Directed by Don Scardino and released by Warner Bros., ‘The Incredible Burt Wonderstone’ teams Steve Carell with Steve Buscemi and Jim Carrey in a Las Vegas–set story about rival magicians. Production leaned on stage-magic consultants and practical illusions staged at real Strip venues to replicate large-residency showmanship, with camera blocking designed to preserve the mechanics of sleight-of-hand on screen.

Filming took place in Nevada and California with a mix of location work and soundstage builds, and the release rolled out in mid-March across North America. The supporting cast includes Olivia Wilde, Alan Arkin, James Gandolfini, and Jay Mohr, while the soundtrack uses classic rock cuts to mirror the residency era the characters come from. Distribution focused on wide multiplex play rather than a platform release.

‘Welcome to Marwen’ (2018)

Robert Zemeckis directed ‘Welcome to Marwen’, a dramatization inspired by the true story first explored in the documentary ‘Marwencol’. Universal Pictures released the film, which blends live action with performance-capture doll sequences that required extensive animation and virtual production to stage a 1:6-scale World War II–themed town as a visual extension of the main character’s recovery process.

Principal photography occurred in Vancouver and surrounding British Columbia locations, with dedicated stages for the miniature village and full-scale sets for the real-world narrative. The film was positioned for a holiday corridor release and concluded its theatrical run in the low–to–mid teens worldwide. The ensemble features Leslie Mann, Merritt Wever, Diane Kruger, Gwendoline Christie, and Janelle Monáe, with Alan Silvestri composing the score.

‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day’ (2014)

Based on Judith Viorst’s children’s book, ‘Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day’ was directed by Miguel Arteta for Walt Disney Pictures. Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner lead as parents managing a domino effect of mishaps, with the adaptation expanding the short source material into a full-family ensemble and adding large practical set pieces like a chaotic driver’s test and a school theater disaster.

Production filmed largely around Los Angeles using practical suburban locations and bright, contemporary interiors tailored for a PG family audience. The movie opened in early October and played steadily on a modest budget, finishing well into nine figures worldwide. Supporting players include Ed Oxenbould as Alexander, along with Bella Thorne, Dylan Minnette, Megan Mullally, Jennifer Coolidge, and Donald Glover.

‘Get Smart’ (2008)

‘Get Smart’ adapts the 1960s TV series created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, with Peter Segal directing and Warner Bros. releasing. Steve Carell headlines as Maxwell Smart opposite Anne Hathaway’s Agent 99, while Alan Arkin, Dwayne Johnson, and Terence Stamp round out the ensemble. Stunt teams emphasized practical gags—skydiving beats, a freeway fight, and train choreography—so the action could play as physical comedy.

Filming spanned Los Angeles, Montreal, and Washington, D.C., combining location photography with soundstage sets for CONTROL and KAOS. The PG-13 action-comedy opened in the summer corridor and ultimately grossed over $200 million worldwide. A same-year direct-to-video spinoff, ‘Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control’, expanded the reboot’s universe by following the gadget team played by Masi Oka and Nate Torrence.

‘Café Society’ (2016)

Written and directed by Woody Allen, ‘Café Society’ pairs Steve Carell with Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart in a 1930s Hollywood-and-New York story shot by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. The film premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival and was distributed domestically via a partnership involving Amazon Studios and Lionsgate, reflecting the period’s push by streamers into theatrical releases.

Production split time between Los Angeles and New York, with art direction recreating studio-era talent agencies, Sunset Strip clubs, and Manhattan social spaces. Global grosses landed in the low-$40 million range. Storaro used digital capture with a warm, amber-leaning palette to evoke early Technicolor, and the soundtrack collects period jazz standards consistent with the supper clubs depicted on screen.

‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ (2012)

Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, ‘Seeking a Friend for the End of the World’ pairs Steve Carell with Keira Knightley in a near-apocalyptic road narrative released by Focus Features. The film uses practical on-location shooting around greater Los Angeles and Southern California, dressing neighborhoods with staged evacuations, shuttered storefronts, and traffic sequences designed for controlled night shoots.

Working on a modest budget, the movie opened as early-summer counterprogramming and finished with a worldwide total in the mid-teens. The ensemble includes Adam Brody, Rob Corddry, Connie Britton, Patton Oswalt, Martin Sheen, and Melanie Lynskey, and the soundtrack curates needle drops tied to character memory. Editing emphasizes quiet, dialogue-led scenes punctuated by road-movie stopovers and chance reunions.

‘Battle of the Sexes’ (2017)

Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, ‘Battle of the Sexes’ centers on the 1973 tennis exhibition between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. Fox Searchlight handled distribution, with Emma Stone as King and Steve Carell as Riggs. The production recreated the Astrodome event using period-accurate uniforms, rackets, broadcast graphics, and camera placements informed by archival television footage.

The film premiered at major fall festivals including Telluride and Toronto and expanded in a platform-to-wide pattern. Worldwide grosses reached the upper-teens, with awards recognition for the leads across multiple bodies. Nicholas Britell composed the score, while costume designer Mary Zophres incorporated bold color blocking and retro leisurewear to match early-1970s style across on-court and off-court scenes.

‘Dan in Real Life’ (2007)

Peter Hedges directed ‘Dan in Real Life’ for Touchstone Pictures, with Steve Carell opposite Juliette Binoche and a supporting cast including Dane Cook, Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson, and Emily Blunt. Exterior photography took place in Rhode Island towns such as Jamestown and Newport, selected for coastal shingle houses and off-season shoreline light that support the extended-family setting.

The fall release played as an adult-skewing dramedy and reached a worldwide total in the upper-$60 million range. Norwegian artist Sondre Lerche provided original songs and score cues, including on-screen performances, while production design leaned into lived-in family spaces—board games, bunk rooms, and cluttered kitchens—to anchor ensemble dialogue and overlapping blocking.

‘The Way, Way Back’ (2013)

Co-directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, ‘The Way, Way Back’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it secured a distribution deal with Fox Searchlight. Steve Carell appears alongside Liam James, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette, Maya Rudolph, and Allison Janney. The production used a real New England water park as its central location, coordinating after-hours access and crowd control to stage ride sequences and staff-area scenes.

Filmed in Massachusetts, the movie balances beach-town exteriors with back-of-house spaces—pump rooms, break areas, and maintenance corridors—to ground its seasonal-work setting. The release grew through word-of-mouth into a healthy domestic total for a modestly budgeted indie. The soundtrack features summer-leaning indie tracks, and the screenplay—written years earlier by Faxon and Rash—advanced after their Academy Award win for ‘The Descendants’.

‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’ (2011)

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’ stars Steve Carell with Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and Julianne Moore, joined by Marisa Tomei, Joey King, and Kevin Bacon. Warner Bros. produced and released the multi-strand ensemble, scheduling key bar and backyard set pieces on soundstages to control lighting and coverage for long dialogue takes, while neighborhood exteriors were captured around Los Angeles.

The movie opened in late July and concluded its theatrical run with a worldwide total well into nine figures on a moderate budget. Costume design by Dayna Pink codified distinct silhouettes for each character—tailored suiting for Jacob, muted palettes for Cal—while the home-video release included deleted scenes and a gag reel that helped extend visibility after the initial run.

If you’ve got a different pick you think belongs here, drop it in the comments and tell everyone why it deserves a spot!