Pitch Perfect Movies Ranked
2. Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
Released in 2015, Pitch Perfect 2 became the highest-grossing musical comedy film of all-time, taking in over $287M worldwide against a budget of around $30M.
Surpassing the total gross of the original film in just five days (2012’s Pitch Perfect took in $115M), Pitch Perfect 2 received generally positive reviews from critics.
Set three years after the events of the first film, the Bellas are involved in a national scandal – dubbed “muffgate” – and in a quest to keep their title as a Capella champions, Beca (Kendrick) makes a deal with the board to allow the Bellas to be reinstated should they win the World Championship of a Cappella.
The introduction of the edgier German powerhouse a Capella group Das Sound Machine (DSM) is a welcomed addition as not only do they add some pop-rock hits to the soundtrack, but they also bring out a sassier side of the Bellas. Pitch Perfect 2’s soundtrack also featured an original chart-topping song from Jessie J, “Flashlight”, which was performed by Hailee Steinfeld’s character Emily Junk.
A prominent highlight of Pitch Perfect 2 is the continuation of the relationship between Fat Amy and Bumper. Rebel Wilson and Adam DeVine are one of the funniest on-screen duos of the 21st Century, bouncing off each other and elevating any scene they’re in through their quick wit and hilarious mannerisms. Their duet of “We Belong to the Light” includes over-dramatic air grabs, longing glances and plenty of leaps, jumps and thrusts.
1. Pitch Perfect (2012)
Coming in at number one and earning itself the top spot is the original Pitch Perfect.
From the moment in the opening scene when college senior and leader of the Barden Bellas, Aubrey Posen (Anna Camp), violently throws up on stage in the middle of a rendition of Ace of Base’s “The Sign”, audiences knew that Pitch Perfect was very different to any teen comedy they had seen previously.
Arguably one the most quotable films that was released in the 2010s, there’s a Pitch Perfect quip you can use in any situation almost 10 years later, the majority coming from Fat Amy (Wilson), including iconic quotes such as “I’m going to finish him like a cheesecake”, “I’m horizontal running” and, of course, “Well, sometimes I have the feeling I can do crystal meth, but then I think, ‘Mmm, better not’.”
When it came to the discussion of casting, producer Paul Brooks stated that they were “first and foremost looking actors who had comedic instincts” and the team were also hoping they would get lucky with actors who happened to be funny and could actually dance and sing.
Anna Kendrick’s Broadway background made her ideal for the lead role of Beca Mitchell. Along with Rebel Wilson’s comedic talents (she won casting directors over in auditions by performing “The Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga while “beating on her chest with her fists”) and the naturally funny Adam DeVine, who Elizabeth Banks had chosen specifically to lead the Bellas’ rival all-boy a Cappella group, The Treblemakers, the on-point casting was bound to make Pitch Perfect a comedic success from the get-go.
Pitch Perfect provided a highly-entertaining plot that set the tone for the rest of the film franchise, not only featuring plenty of laughs and pop-hits, but showcasing the importance of friendships while breaking down stereotypes. To this day, it remains the most beloved and best of the trilogy, a testament to what can be made when a fun idea is translated into existence by the appropriate creative minds.
Written by Emma Kershaw
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