To put it succinctly, Michael Cera is a powerhouse of talent. Known for his subtle, sardonic humour, Cera has built a cult-like fandom thanks to him lighting up comedies over the last two decades.
Cera began as a child actor before catching his break some years later when he gained popularity on the much-loved sitcom, Arrested Development. Following this role, he was later seen in films like Juno, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Sausage Party, and Children’s Hospital.
Additionally, Cera is adored for his role in Superbad alongside Jonah Hill as an awkward high schooler who finds himself in unlikely situations. He has become the epitome of soft-spoken, nerdy characters who are often awkward and naive.
Cera once said, “I am not really trying to make ‘great art’.” Cera’s works are raunchy, wild and bizarre and often contain sexual innuendos, offensive quips and scatological humour that is an acquired taste for most.
Here are some of his best films available on Netflix.
5 best Michael Cera films on Netflix
Superbad (Greg Mottola, 2007)
Seth and Evan are two awkward misfits who find high school pretty tough. Desperate to lose their virginities before college, their plans are thwarted by drunk cops, respective black eyes and scuffles, menstruating fiances and unexpected brawls which stand in their way.
Cera and Jonah Hill play the lead characters in the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg written production. Amidst sweet vulgarity and teenage antics, Cera and Hill share an unbreakable camaraderie which adds extra charm to this cult classic.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Edgar Wright, 2010)
Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series featuring the titular protagonist, the film revolves around an indie bassist named Scott Pilgrim. Despite having a girlfriend, Pilgrim falls irrevocably in love with Ramona Flowers, whom he encounters in his dream. However, he is attacked by a slew of exes who he must defeat to woo Ramona.
Shot with a classic video game aesthetic, the film uses two distinctly different lenses to create a unique image. With an incredibly hyperreal premise and the sweet croon of indie rock music, the film sees Cera embody Pilgrim with effortless confidence and ease.
This Is The End (Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, 2013)
Following decades of screenwriting together, This Is The End finally marked Rogen and Goldberg’s directorial debut. They brought a series of their famous friends along for the ride including Cera, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Danny McBride and many others. The film features a Biblical Apocalypse which occurs when a group of six celebrities are having a wild housewarming party and it later chronicles their struggle for survival.
Salacious, wild and bold, the stoned celebs from Franco’s party find themselves encountering zombies and other creatures as things go awry in an awfully hilarious and exaggerated manner.
Year One (Harold Ramis, 2009)
Pitting Jack Black alongside Cera, Year One was initially negatively received, but it was misunderstood. It’s an extremely trippy film that cast Black and Cera as Zed and Oh, a hunter-gatherer duo banished from their tribe for consuming a forbidden fruit. During their journey to Sodom, they face biblical characters and find themselves in a hilarious set of events.
With a number of sexual innuendos and scatological humour, Cera and Black revel in the sheer stupidity of the film, adding a weird charm to the ridiculous climax.
Sausage Party (Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon, 2016)
The animated film revolves around anthropomorphic grocery items that believe they are taken to a utopia called the Great Beyond by humans, upon purchase. However, when they stumble upon the truth, their world comes crumbling down and they forge an escape plan out of the grocery store to evade human consumption.
While Rogen had reportedly worked for nearly eight years on the film production, the questionable content served as a big obstacle. Despite being highly controversial for leaving crew members uncredited and for containing too many profanities, the gag-worthy food puns and innuendos delivered by the actors found its niche audience. Cera voices the deformed sausage named Barry.
