Top 20 Family Guy Movie Parodies

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 “Family Guy” Movie Parodies. For this list, we’re looking at the best times this long-running animated series went after our favorite movies. We won’t be discluding parodies of films that were adapted from another medium, so long as there’s enough of a cinematic thread at play. What movie do you want the show to lampoon next? Give them some ideas in the comments!

#20: “Stand by Me” (1986)

“Three Kings”

One of the best episodes in the show’s history, “Three Kings” puts a “Family Guy” spin on three films adapted from the works of Stephen King. One segment covers “Misery,” another “Stand by Me,” and the last we’ll save for its own entry down the line. The “Stand by Me” one sees Peter, Quagmire, Joe and Cleveland standing in for the main four boys as they make their trek to see a dead body. There’s a multitude of clever jabs at film, from making the train sequence even more over-the-top to taking a potshot at one of the actors, Jerry O’Connell. But the pièce de résistance is how they actually got Richard Dreyfuss to do the narration again!

#19: “Kill Bill: Volume 1” (2003)

“Three Directors”

Much like the last episode, this one splits its parodies into three segments, this time going after a trio of prominent directors. While the ones on the distinctive styles of Wes Anderson and Michael Bay are well and good, if we have to pick a specific movie, it has to be the “Kill Bill” bit from the end of the Quentin Tarantino segment. After a whole “Pulp Fiction” sendup, Peter is fired from the brewery and later taken out by his boss Angela. Upon awakening from a coma, he sets out for revenge. But instead of the Bride’s signature yellow jumpsuit, Peter dresses like Ronald McDonald. The subsequent fight replacing the Crazy 88’s with Tricia Takanawas makes sure to match Tarantino’s penchant for extreme bloodletting.

#18: “The Music Man” (1962)

“Patriot Games”

We’re willing to bet that a lot of you didn’t know what this was from the first time you saw it. And while the song originates from the “The Music Man” stage musical, we just can’t not include it here. After impressing superstar quarterback Tom Brady, Peter gets on the roster for the New England Patriots. Despite being so out of shape, he does surprisingly well, and upon scoring, gives the crowd a touchdown dance they’ve never seen before. Does it have anything to do with football? Absolutely not. But we’d be lying if we said their rendition of “Shipoopi” doesn’t get the job done, even if Tom’s far from pleased.

#17: “North by Northwest” (1959)

“North by North Quahog”

While the inciting incident for this spoof is Peter stealing from Mel Gibson a copy of “The Passion of the Christ 2” - which is itself a double parody of “Rush Hour” - the last third of the episode is all “North by Northwest.” Well, and a little “Blues Brothers.” It hits a lot of the iconic beats from the Hitchcock movie, starting with Peter trying to bury the film reel only to make like Cary Grant and be nearly run down by a crop duster. On the run from Gibson, Peter and Lois are similarly cornered atop Mount Rushmore by the climax. If anything, it really gets us in the mood to revisit the classic thriller.

#16: “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986)

Various

Forget “The Music Man” - “Little Shop of Horrors” is a movie musical that’s been lampooned to death on the show. So much so that we couldn’t pick just one bit. Perhaps the most plot-heavy parody comes in the episode “Brian the Bachelor,” wherein Chris’s pimple Doug takes on a deadly sentience and talks similarly to Audrey II. The most uncomfortable reference though has to be when Herbert sings “Somewhere That’s Green” from the musical. Honestly, we kinda wish we could burn this one from our memories, which may be the best compliment we could give it. And who could forget the flashback of Peter portraying the carnivorous plant in a school play?

#15: “Taken” (2008)

“Leggo My Meg-O”

Speaking of making a movie that much more uncomfortable, the episode “Leggo My Meg-O” does so to the action movie “Taken” when it’s instead Meg who gets kidnapped while on a trip to Paris. From there, Brian and Stewie embody their inner Liam Neeson and go after her. But things take a bit of a turn when they go undercover and Stewie is entered into an auction. But since this is a Meg episode, it has to get some jabs in at her expense. The biggest comes in the form of a twist when she learns her buyer is actually the full package. But because she’s Meg and can’t have nice things, Stewie completes the mission by blowing off the guy’s head.

#14: “12 Angry Men” (1957)

“12 and a Half Angry Men”

Sidney Lumet’s “12 Angry Men” is a masterclass in contained storytelling and expert dialogue. So it’s a little surprising that “Family Guy” actually lives up to it. At least by parody standards. Much like the film, the episode revolves around a jury room deliberating on Mayor West’s fate on a murder charge. At first, Brian is the only one who votes “not guilty,” but soon rallies the others to his cause. It’s not so much a sendup of the film itself but rather an excuse for a quasi bottle episode whereby a bunch of series regulars can riff. And it totally works.

#13: “Anchors Aweigh” (1945)

“Road to Rupert”

Much like the “Shipoopi” musical number, this one’s almost entirely copy and paste. But it gracefully establishes a dialogue with classic cinema, and with that, we cannot argue. Whilst on a quest to retrieve Stewie’s bear Rupert, he and Brian are prompted to break into song and dance to pay their way, and the song they choose is almost verbatim “The Worry Song” from “Anchors Aweigh.” Not content with hitting the literal beats, Stewie then enters the movie and, taking the place of Jerry Mouse, dances alongside a live-action Gene Kelly. We’d like to think that if Kelly were around to see this, he’d be as tickled pink as us.

#12: Film Noirs

“The Fatman Always Rings Twice”

While the title of this episode is clearly a play on the 1946 film “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” it’s more a parody of film noir in general. While that might separate it from the other entries on this list, the episode is simply too good to pass up. It sees Peter as a private eye named Mac Bookpro, tasked with investigating the disappearance of “Sister Megan.” The episode has all the hallmarks of a great noir: black and white cinematography; a moody tone; and excessive narration. But all through the glorious lens of “Family Guy.” The show may not be as sharp this late in its run, but it’s good to see that the parody episodes are still firing on all cylinders.

#11: “Office Space” (1999)

“I Dream of Jesus”

Oh, have you not heard about this parody? It was our understanding that everyone had heard. When Peter goes off the rails with his love for the song “Surfin’ Bird,” he gets on everyone’s nerves, especially Brian and Stewie. After stealing his record “Mission: Impossible” style, the duo takes it out to pasture - literally - by going to town on it in an open field with a baseball bat. The camera angles and use of the Geto Boys song “Still” make this one unmistakable, as it’s almost a direct recreation of the scene from “Office Space” where the gang destroys the printer. You know what they say, imitation is the greatest form of flattery, even in parody form.

#10: “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971)

“Wasted Talent”

In the episode “Wasted Talent,” Peter and his buddies learn of an upcoming tour of the Pawtucket Brewery. To win a spot on the tour, they need to find a silver scroll hidden inside a random bottle of beer. Sound familiar? Not only is the storyline ripped straight from “Willy Wonka,” but the entire episode is basically one giant parody of the movie. There are lines, story beats, and music ripped straight from the source, and some of the characters are more hilarious and exaggerated versions of the ones found in the movie. We don’t remember Charlie getting kicked in the shin by an Oompa-Loompa, though.

#9: “Poltergeist” (1982)

“Petergeist”

As if the title “Petergeist” wasn’t any indication, yes, this whole episode is basically a riff on the 1982 horror classic “Poltergeist.” Much like the haunting in that movie stems from houses being built upon skeletal remains, this one kicks things off when Peter discovers the skull of an indigenous person in his backyard. Instead of leaving it, his exhuming it kicks off a whole series of spooky references, starting with Stewie talking to TV static á la Heather O’Rourke. Chris is then visited by Ronald McDonald instead of your run-of-the-mill clown doll, before the tree scene turns into Herbert fighting it like it’s the Balrog. There’s honestly a lot of spoofs in this one, and they all get our stamp of approval.

#8: “Friday the 13th” franchise (1980-)

Various

It’s kind of endearing to see a psychopathic serial killer gleefully talking about the wildlife returning to a newly cleaned lake. Aaaand then he nonchalantly stabs two teenagers. An oddly nice Jason Voorhees makes numerous appearances throughout the show, including once as a store manager threatening to kill his employee and another time as a loving dad dropping off his psychotic son at camp. There’s something oddly funny about the way the writers have decided to portray Jason in the series. Sure, he retains his bloodlust, but he also seems to have a giant heart. It’s that odd disconnect that makes his appearances so much fun.

#7: “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982)

“The Kiss Seen Around the World”

We don’t know what it is about the scenes ripped directly from movies, but they always seem to be the funniest. In this episode, Meg develops a crush on Tom Tucker. While watching him on television, she has a vision of Tom swimming in a pool, calling her cute, stripping off his shirt, and making out with her. This is inspired by the famous scene from the classic teen comedy “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” although it is infinitely sexier in the movie. Sorry, but watching a grown, mustachioed, hairy-chested man making out with a teenager is not exactly our idea of sexy. Like Brian says, it’s “awwwkwaaard.”

#6: “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

“Jungle Love”

Seth MacFarlane apparently loves him some Indiana Jones, because “Family Guy” certainly loves to reference it. If Peter isn’t using the sunlight and a scepter-like device to find a notebook in his attic, then he’s being chased by the natives of a foreign land and escaping at the last minute on a plane. The native scene is right out of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” complete with the exact same music and quotes. And, this being “Family Guy,” Meg hilariously drops dead from the numerous blow darts in her back. And to think, that was all due to Chris becoming a freshman…

#5: “Back to the Future” (1985)

“Meet the Quagmires”

This “Family Guy” parody has everything: time travel, alternate timelines, key-tars… and TONS of “Back to the Future” references. After complaining about missing the single life within earshot of Death, Peter’s transported back to the ‘80s to relive his younger years. Only, he misses his chance with Lois, and when he gets back to the future, she’s married to Quagmire. Well, if you’re familiar with the adventures of Marty McFly, you can guess what happens next: Peter goes back to 1984 and has to win Lois’ heart at the big dance…while “Earth Angel” plays in the background. You can probably also guess that he succeeds, and that Brian – and Rick Astley – get their moment in the spotlight.

#4: “And Then There Were None” (1945)

“And Then There Were Fewer”

Who knew that “Family Guy” and Agatha Christie could go so well together? “And Then There Were Fewer,” a play on the film adaptation’s title, follows the same plot of Christie’s story, only, you know, with “Family Guy” characters. This entire episode works not only as a parody of the murder mystery genre as a whole, but also as a legitimately interesting story in and of itself. We’re actually left wondering who the killer could be, all the while laughing at the goofy genre hallmarks that the episode brings attention to. Plus, it’s just awesome to see all the characters together in one place, even if they’re dropping like flies.

#3: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986)

“Stu and Stewie’s Excellent Adventure”

“Family Guy” just loves borrowing from the ‘80s, don’t they? This moment is taken from the events of the “Family Guy” movie, “Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story,” which was first released direct-to-DVD, then aired on TV as part of Season 4. Here, Stewie races to the swim meet at the community pool. Of course, this being “Family Guy,” it must be done through parody, and the recipient this time is “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” The scene follows the climax of the movie to a tee, including Stewie going back for the sunbathing babes, stealing a drink, and running alongside his father, all to the tune of the movie’s score. Too bad it doesn’t end well, because Stewie just HAD to jump in slow motion while everyone else proceeded at normal speed.

#2: “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)

“Three Kings”

“The Shawshank Redemption” is often considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made, so of course “Family Guy” couldn’t keep their hands off it. This is the last of the aforementioned “Three Kings” parody episode, but boy is it the best of the trilogy. This installment is particularly good at poking fun at the various contrivances of the story, like the warden throwing a rock directly at the poster or Red remembering the name of the obscure Mexican village. We love the movie, but the episode does bring up some interesting points.

#1: “Star Wars” Original Trilogy (1977-1983)

“Blue Harvest,” “Something, Something, Something, Dark Side,” & “It’s a Trap!”

Could it really have been anything else? It’s no surprise that the writers and producers of “Family Guy” are huge “Star Wars” fans, as there have been many fantastic parodies and homages aimed at the franchise over the years. That said, it’s their three-part “Laugh It Up, Fuzzball” series which truly takes the crown. This series of episodes directly parodies the original three “Star Wars” movies, but it does so in a very caring manner. The series is a clear love letter to the films, but it also pokes fun at their many, many flaws and inconsistencies.