Film

How High

Name: How High
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2001
Cast: Method Man, Redman, Obba Babatundé, Mike Epps, Anna Maria Horsford

Buddy comedy
Light-hearted

Two friends from Harlem accidentally ace their way into Harvard thanks to magical weed, then must navigate elite academia without their supernatural crutch. It's a goofy, good-natured fish-out-of-water comedy with genuine warmth beneath the smoke and mirrors. For anyone who loves hip-hop, fish-out-of-water stories, or just wants to laugh without thinking too hard.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love stoner comedies that treat cannabis as a jokey premise rather than a lesson, and you enjoy the lazy, loose-limbed rhythm of Cheech and Chong crossed with a college-fish-out-of-water romp.

Skip it if you want sharp plotting or a tight script, since the film wanders through its setup and leans on broad gags and cameo-style bits that land unevenly.

What it asks of you: Ninety-three minutes of easygoing, scattershot silliness with no real strain on your attention, so you can sit back and let the jokes come as they come.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Friday1995

The spiritual predecessor: two friends, one day, Oakland instead of Harvard, weed as the connective tissue. Same energy—lazy, funny, grounded in real friendship and neighbourhood detail. Ice Cube and Chris Tucker are electric.

But Slower paced than you might expect, and the humour is very specifically '90s South Central LA. If you need plot momentum, you'll be frustrated.

Half Baked1998

Dave Chappelle and friends make a stoner comedy that's actually clever about it. The set pieces are inventive, the cameos are wild, and it has real heart underneath the haze. Comedy gold with a conscience.

But Uneven—some sketches land, others don't. The story is loose to the point of formlessness. Chappelle fans will forgive it; others might not.

Tropic Thunder2008

A fish-out-of-water comedy about misfits in over their heads, filtered through action movie absurdity. Sharp, hilarious ensemble cast, and the satire of Hollywood ego has only aged better. Peak comedy filmmaking.

But The satire assumes you know action movies inside out. If that's not your reference point, some jokes will sail past. Also: it's meaner than How High.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from How High

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Accepted2006

Both are about characters proving themselves in institutions that underestimated them, and discovering their real education has nothing to do with the official one.

Justin Long and his friends fake a college to escape parental pressure, then actually have to make it work. It's the same DNA as How High—underdogs in academia, learning they're smarter than the system gives them credit for—but played completely straight and earnest. Surprisingly moving.

But Sincere to the point of schmaltzy. The climax is a courtroom speech that could make you roll your eyes. If you need your comedies cynical, this will test you.

Uncle 'Bar' at Barbershop2000

Black ensemble comedy with real heart and specificity. Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, and the whole cast feel lived-in and warm. Sharp writing, genuine laughs, actual stakes beneath the funny.

But The plot creaks in places and the ghosts subplot divides audiences. If you're after pure comedy momentum, the mundane bits will test your patience.

Coming to America1988

Eddie Murphy at peak charm, playing a fish-out-of-water prince navigating American culture. The comedy is broad but smart, the cast is stacked, and the warmth is genuine. A template for the whole genre.

But Dated production values and some jokes haven't aged well. Also: it's less about the underdog scramble and more about charm, so the energy is different.

Elf2003

Will Ferrell as an elf raised by Santa navigating Manhattan. It's got the same innocent-fish-out-of-water energy, genuine heart, and a cast that commits completely. Unexpectedly moving comedy.

But Unabashedly sentimental and broad. If you hate Christmas movies or Ferrell's brand of earnest absurdity, this won't convert you.

Spies Like Us1985

Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd as bumbling underdogs thrust into Cold War espionage. It's silly, the chemistry works, and the film knows exactly what it is. Fun without apology.

But The plot is negligible and the humour is very '80s broad. If you need character development or wit, you're looking in the wrong place.

The Last Boy Scout1991

Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans as mismatched partners in a violent action-comedy. Surprisingly funny, genuinely inventive set pieces, and the odd-couple dynamic carries the whole thing.

But Tonally it's all over the place—trying to be both brutal and silly. The violence can overshadow the comedy, and the plotting is messy.

The Boondocks2005

Both use genre comedy—stoner comedy and animated sitcom—to explore what it means for Black characters to navigate white institutional spaces with wit and refusal.

An animated TV special where the Freeman family ends up in 1950s Georgia. It's sharper and angrier than How High, but it has the same DNA—fish-out-of-water comedy with real social specificity and genuine affection for its characters. Hilarious and actually smart about race and history.

But The whole series has a learning curve; this special assumes you know the characters. Also: it's angrier and darker than a comedy should be, which some find abrasive.

Wet Hot American Summer2001

Both are ensemble comedies from 2001 that trust their cast completely and let the actors' chemistry carry scenes that shouldn't work on paper. Both are more interested in vibe than plot.

The same year as How High, a completely different energy: absurdist, theatrical, utterly committed to the bit. It's about camp counsellors, not college, but the DNA is there—a group of lovable misfits, ridiculous situations, and comedians firing on all cylinders. Cult classic that rewards repeat viewing.

But The humour is maximalist and strange. It's not funny haha, it's funny *weird*. Some scenes go on forever for jokes that don't quite land. Not for anyone who likes comedy efficient.