The Official and Definitive Diablo Cody Ranking

The writer of all time.

If you know me, you know Diablo Cody is the most influential writer of my life. I would not be a writer today if I wasn’t indoctrinated by her work at a very young age. I bring that up as often as I possibly can. Now that I’ve finally witnessed her on the big screen with Lisa Frankenstein, I realized… it was my time. I binged her entire filmography, with the intent of ranking the entire Diablo Cody Cinematic Universe.

Being said… I’m also a bit of a liar. I’m still not fully cultured. Her blog and subsequent memoir were a bit before my time… I am 23. It probably would’ve done me well to read up a bit more before delving into actually writing this issue, I would have more interesting takes to share about her evolution and such. This was just about her filmography and explaining what I love about it, though! A.K.A I never found access to anything in the time I decided to write this, so I decided to just focus on her fictional work instead… yet, I do still have some blindspots. I have not watched The United States of Tara. I know. Ridiculous of me, truly. Toni Collette!!!!! Brie Larson!!!! It’s just such a time commitment, and I had this issue planned as soon as I saw Lisa Frankenstein, so… just accept my apologies now. I’ll get to it eventually, I promise. I also haven’t watched One Mississippi, but I feel as though people will be less upset about that. I’m also not counting shorts here, or anything she’s uncredited for. Burlesque is a classic in my household, but her script revisions do not count.

I suppose I should disclaim certain things, but I feel as though this is just an issue for the Diablo-Heads. Those of us who saw the Powerpuff script leaks and said… let’s hear the woman out, actually. Those of us who saw the news of a Deuxmoi series and said… let’s see what she has to say. I’ll try to contextualize some things, but this isn’t really an issue for the people who watched Jennifer’s Body and didn’t get it. I’m not going to bother to explain what Diablo Cody’s writing style is, I’m operating under the assumption you would have enough of an idea if you clicked onto this issue.

Also, there is so much to Diablo Cody’s life and career. If I wanted to, I could’ve made this an entire research paper on her. There are countless angles I could take in discussing her, it’s almost a disservice to only focus on her films. I don’t even discuss the fact she has a Tony Award! Arguably for the best, considering the wider cultural context of Jagged Little Pill: The Musical, I don’t know I haven’t seen it, but still… she’s halfway to an EGOT!!! For now, though, I took the easy route. This is an appreciation post more than anything else, really! I don’t hate any of these movies, this is not a place for criticism!

7. Paradise (2013, dir. Diablo Cody!!)

Okay, I lied. This has temporarily become a place for criticism.

Before going into this binge state, this was the one film of hers I’ve avoided at all costs for the past decade of my life. Her only directorial effort to date, she’s said it will be her last. I’ve always been one to defend Diablo’s pen, even at its worst, but… I had fears! For starters, Russell Brand…. unfortunate, don’t you think? I put away my reservations and finally watched Paradise of the year 2013. Was it as bad as I had feared? Yes! Okay, kidding… it wasn’t alll bad.

Paradise is about a devout Christian Conservative woman whom, after surviving a plane crash, has a Quarter Life Worldview Crisis and publicly denounces her faith in God. Not only does this exile her from her Church Community, but she also decides to fly out to Vegas to live a “Sinner’s Life” for a while. Despite all the red flags, I didn’t find this to be Dead on Arrival. A good satire, especially one written by Diablo Cody, could have had a lot going for it. To be fair, her pen didn’t just run out of ink. It would have benefited from some edits, though, truthfully. Diablo being in full creative control might’ve been to its detriment at times. I feel alright saying that because Diablo has gone on record saying that directing just isn’t her strong suit and that she’s retired from it entirely. I think there was a level of uncertainty in her directorial vision. The tone was never quite grasped, which a more experienced director might have taken notice of. At the climax of the film, where Lamb meets That Woman in the bathroom, I could tell what the script was trying to get across, but it felt very tonally disjointed, almost every shot and take of the scene felt off. I suppose you’d just have to see the film to know what I mean, though I also can’t recommend that in good faith. My friend called it a “Fever Dream,” and honestly… from everything: plot, cast, directive execution, that’s likely the best adjective you could give to it.

Julianne Hough was not bad, though she did kind of give bargain brand Kirsten Dunst at times. Russell Brand is generally unpleasant to me, but Octavia Spencer is always welcome in my household. Their found family dynamic had moments. It just needed some edits. A lot of edits. The foundation was… there. Not quite solid… but there.

6. Ricki and the Flash (2015, dir. Jonathan Demme)

Considering I’ve done an entire Meryl Newsletter, and am such a Diablo-Head, you would think I would’ve made time for this before… but I sure haven’t! I’ve always been aware of Ricki and the Flash, of course, but this was the other first watch for this marathon. It was actually quite solid, I enjoyed it. We’ve already reached a major quality increase here.

Ricki and the Flash is about a woman who abandoned her family to chase her rockstar dreams. Her children are in the midst of several multiple major life changes, which causes her to try and reconnect with her family - namely (a severely depressed, post-divorce) Julie, who is played by Meryl’s real-life daughter, Mamie Gummer. Meryl acting alongside Mamie is just a delight to see! I’d recommend it to all of my fellow Streepers for that alone, if for nothing else.

I’d say this film features the least Diablo Coding, though. Not that her print isn’t all over the film, it is present. This just feels the most formulaic and generic of her writing credits. Not in a bad way, by any means, the ending especially is quite satisfying. It just hits all the beats you’d expect it to. I wouldn’t call it an easy viewing, given certain subject matters, but it still feels palatable yet… more obvious.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Placements 2-5 got shuffled so many times. Literally, I’ve probably tried placing each film in different spots at least once, and that’s because I hold each one of them very dearly to my heart. Instead of thinking of one spot being lower than the others, think of it as a 4-way-tie for second. Truthfully!

5. Lisa Frankenstein (2024, dir. Zelda Williams)

Ranking this so low is doing it a disservice. I love this film! I want everybody to go see it!! Right now!! It’s Diablo Cody’s first horror film since Jennifer’s Body, the script is apt for 2020s culture, featuring heavy nostalgia (which is in right now) whilst still being Diablo Codian and not feeling too on-the-nose derivative. The directorial vision is quite strong for a debut feature film, as well. I don’t feel as though I actually need to recap the film’s plot, I’m sure you know enough about it… go in!! Blind!! I’m willing to bet you’ll enjoy it. The fashion and performances by Kathryn Newton and Liza Soberano at the very least.

As established, Diablo Cody ranks amongst my top favorite writers of all time, likely in my top two… something had to be placed a bit lower than the other heavy hitters, unfortunately. Though, I don’t know where Lisa Frankenstein will end up in my ranking as time passes by. I’m still digesting it. I only saw it once. I LOVED IT, but it has only existed with me for a week. The films ranking above her have existed with me for at a minimum of 5 years. I have seen some criticisms for Ms. Lisa, and I’m actually very inclined to defend this film from any and all of them… like, you just don’t understand her like I do. Being said, my only currently standing criticisms were things I discussed or implied in my Letterboxd review. I wish the script and direction raised the tension a bit more in the third act so that the ending would feel more earned, but I also have found issue with the very last scene being slightly… confusing? My friend watched the movie a day after me, and at work the next day she told me how she had interpreted the final scene, and the Wikipedia page was on her side, I felt kind of incredibly stupid. I want to rewatch the movie before expanding on these takes, I do believe I was just wrong and just had no idea I was so wrong. I don’t want to include spoilers because I want everybody who has access to GO SEE IT!!! Immediately. But I do believe that is why I have to place this film relatively lowly. I have a few criticisms I’m pondering. Still, I feel nothing but love towards it! Lisa and Taffy are my new sisters. I very much tried to make a case for it being higher. Originally, I had this up a placement or two! Upon rewatching these films, it felt wrong to rank any of the films above it lower right now.

4. Juno (2007, dir. Jason Reitman)

This is where I might shake the table a bit. This is a lot of people’s most favorite film of all time. This won her the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay; it is iconic, still to this day. If there were a movie written by Diablo Cody that I feel as though you could recommend to just about anybody of this generation to get them excited about film, it’d be this one. It not being in my top 3 is bound to be controversial. I just want it to be emphasized… I love this film dearly. Always have. Objectively, I could make a case for it being first, truly I see the case being made. With all of the love it receives, you wouldn’t know it was actually quite a discourse starter, especially upon release. The matter that pretains to me right now is the allegations of it promoting Pro-Life rhetoric. Personally, I feel as though abortion being explored as an option and Juno getting freaked out was a decent enough handling of the subject, honestly. Very realistic, too, for a teenager. It’s not as though Juno went back to protest the abortion clinic with Su-Chin. I don’t believe Juno is a pro-life movie at all. Being said, I understand Diablo Cody’s retroactive regret in not being more explicitly pro-choice in its messaging, considering the wider cultural context. I’m just assuming you all already know the plot of Juno, considering it’s such a cultural benchmark. It’s a coming-of-age story centered on a teenager discovering she is pregnant, and the conflict that arises from being a pregnant teenager. The choices you have to make. Maybe the younger kids don’t actually know the wider context of this release but let me tell you… for a movie that seems so universally beloved now, it came with a lot of discourse and cultural baggage. I’m happy she told this story! It did a lot of things right. However, if I went deeper into it… this would have to become a Juno analysis, and nobody is looking for that in the year of our lord 2024.

To me, it makes quite a bit of sense that her three more critically acclaimed film works were helmed by Jason Reitman. He definitely grounds her material in a way that is palatable to audiences and critics alike. This also might feature the best ensemble of any of these movies. Elliot Page giving one of the most instantly recognizable performances of the 21st century, Michael Cera Michael Cera’ing, Jennifer Garner giving such a standout performance of her career, and Allison Janney doing her thing!! The Diablo Coding of the dialogue might work the best here as well, some of her best lines come from this one. 10s across the board. I also believe this to be another very well aestheticized film, it kind of took Tumblr by storm.

You see me praising almost everything about it, do I just love the top 3 that much? Yes! Don’t take this as a diss on Juno, take it as a compliment on how strongly I feel about the next 3 films!!!

3. Tully (2018, dir. Jason Reitman)

This placement… I really struggled with. I might look back at this issue in five years and call myself crazy. To know Diablo’s pen is to know she adds in a lot of ingredients and doesn’t always come back to them. She’ll leave details open-ended, whether for ambiguities sake, or whether they just don’t matter to the plot. It leaves some people feeling as though her scripts feel “incomplete” and… I mean, I can’t argue with that. That’s fair. However, I’ve always appreciated the lack of closure. Sometimes things don’t need to be over-explained or have an arc to serve the narrative. This film particularly has gotten some backlash about its lack of grander context or answers, in some ways I don’t have the authority to respond to. However, I don’t believe there’s a single scene in this movie that didn’t serve the grander theme.

This was kind of the Super-Bowl for Diablo-Heads. Sort of the conclusion of a trilogy. A coming-of-age pregnancy movie directed by Jason Reitman (Juno) and the second time that duo has collaborated with Charlize Theron, the first of which being about adulthood. This one being about motherhood. A major holiday, truly. This was about a mother of two who just had a third, and she ends up getting a night nanny… except PLOT TWIST, no she doesn’t. She imagines a night nanny, but is actually getting noooo sleep, and is actually doing everything herself, and the night nanny is the illusion of her former self, when she was in her 20s. Sort of relearning lessons she knew when she was young but had long forgotten.

Anyways, the discourse of this one was how it depicted mental illness. Postpartum depression and mental psychosis. There was very little specificity in the depiction of her mental struggles. There was never a diagnosis, and especially by including a plot twist in the third act in which revealed she imagined so many sequences of the film - some critics felt these choices were irresponsible, bordering on stigmatizing. Again, I can’t defend every single choice made, I’m not a mother suffering from postpartum depression, but I also feel as though a lot of the engagement in this discourse was operating in bad faith. The behavior of Marlo in Tully is nothing I haven’t seen mothers around me enact. Particularly the scenes with her (likely autistic) son. When she exited the car, slammed the door, and just screamed… that was the most real and authentic depiction of the struggle of motherhood I’ve ever seen, albeit as an outsider. I have always found the plot twist to be so powerful. She had to look inward to move forward. But I’m also happy it ended with her having to let go of her former self… for obvious reasons. A bitch needed TO SLEEP!!!!! And her husband finally stepped up.

I’m still working out my criticisms. Because everything I try to say I can make a case as to why it was like that in the film. Maybe I could’ve used more of Mackenzie Davis, but as I said… every scene in this movie served to the grander point. There was no “filler” here, and I appreciate that. I don’t think I would recommend this as quick as I would recommend Juno, but this is a very special movie in its own right, and, comparing the two, it’s the one I get more out of in a thematic perspective. Charlize Theron and Diablo Cody are also just such a great pair… as I will expand on… NOW!

2. Young Adult (2011, dir. Jason Reitman)

I’ve written about my love for this film before. At the time, I knew it wasn’t particularly popular, but I figured that was just it being a very niche-to-my-tastes movie, but I’ve discovered that even a lot of people who have seen it… did not like it? As a Diablo-Head, that isn’t a new phenomenon… see, Lisa Frankenstein receiving mixed reviews as we speak, however, I’ve gone on record so many times calling this movie the film that made me fall in love with writing!!! So, I can’t lie… I do take it personally! I take it as personally as if I wrote it myself!

I’ll be honest…. it’s not as though I don’t understand the mixed to negative reactions, I’ve seen towards it. It’s critically acclaimed enough, but the average viewer doesn’t tend to enjoy it. The concept is sort of an inversion of a Hallmark movie. Struggling writer comes back to her hometown and (attempts to) rekindle things with her ex who is married. The problem is Mavis, every step of the way, is not a good person. She has no growth, and actually has an arc of character regression. There are not many MOMENTS to this movie. Maybe one scene where everything comes to a head, which is quite uncomfortable to watch rather than entertaining in any way, but all together can be seen as anti-climactic. It’s just following this awful woman have somewhat of a breakdown, and not face any substantial growth…. but, wow, how marvelous it is to me.

There are so many details in the script that I just gag over on every rewatch, and Charlize Theron gives one of the best performances of the 21st century, I’m afraid. The nuances she brings to life in her facial expressions… the line deliveries… the way she works with Diablo Cody’s pen is just…. soooo specific and marvelous. I might go out on a limb and say that the character work of Mavis is one of Diablo Cody’s greatest accomplishments, and Charlize Theron bringing her to life is one of the most brilliant choices of cinema history. Every choice they both make is the right one. I believe this to be both a writing and acting masterclass, just two women at the peak of their games. I want to create art that is even just half as smart as this one day. But I also understand how hard of a sell it can be to recommend. It’s “done before” but I’ve simultaneously never seen anything that strikes the same chord as it.

To be fair to the haters, I don’t think I appreciate anything about Patton Oswalt’s character or arc. His performance is good, but the character writing strikes me as…. hmmm. Not my favorite thing in the world.

1. Jennifer’s Body (2009, dir. Karyn Kusama)

NOBODY gasped. This is my favorite movie of all time, like, we know this.

I’ve already written about Jennifer’s Body… multiple times over several different platforms. In retrospect I wish I have done more in articulating what I love about it. I fear it’s just become too much of a beast inside of me. Have you ever watched a movie at such a young age, and at that very moment… you just knew? It isn’t media anymore, or something you can critically examine, it becomes part of your essence? That is the exact reason why I’ve never been able to articulate my feeling towards this movie in any satisfying context.

I watched Jennifer’s Body when it was released on Video on Demand in 2009 or 2010. I was still too little to see it in theaters. I think I had a few friends over, and we rented it without my parent’s permission. I remember the moment quite well. Blaming nostalgia is not to say that I don’t think this movie is legitimately great… it is! The script is likely Diablo Cody at her smartest, I consider Megan Fox’s performance to be iconic yet also quite underrated. She delivers upon Diablo Cody’s dialogue with a finesse not many others could deliver upon. This movie, without question, is one of the frontiers of modern feminist horror. I was there BEFORE the revisionism and whenever people try to counteract the reappraisal, I have to intervene a bit… like, you don’t have my consent to do that… but anyways, I will never be able to engage with this film like a normal person. I find the direction by Karyn Kusama to be incredibly inventive, the cast work to be insane all around, and I believe its quality to transcend just being nostalgic, but also … the nostalgia is impossible to discount. It has been one of my top 5 favorite movies for longer than I can remember. It was just firing on all cylinders, and I think the video I linked above just proves how ahead of its curve it really was. They knew they were making something special, and pop culture at the time wasn’t prepared for it… but I was. Thank you, Diablo Cody, Karyn Kusama, Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried!!!

Last note, the COSTUME DESIGN is also some of the best visual storytelling I’ve seen in my entire life.

IN CONCLUSION… In the middle of editing this… I realized that I had so much to say about every single film. To the degree I could have made seven entirely personalized reviews for each and every one of these, and it would’ve been enough to create seven separate newsletter posts. I had to edit down at least five of these blurbs. I was going to include quotes from each movie throughout, because I felt as though I should highlight how smart her dialogue is, but I just didn’t have room… there are character limits at hand!!! I guess in conclusion… I could never do Diablo Cody justice. There’s just too much to cover. I’m sorry. But, I mean, I guess I finished. You all should really go see Lisa Frankenstein in theaters.

Thank you for your service, Diablo Cody.