Ranking the Bridget Jones franchise
To celebrate the release of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, I have rewatched all the films in the beloved rom-com franchise and ranked them.
So where does Mad About the Boy place alongside its predecessors? Find out in my ranking below, which runs from first to last.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
You cannot compete with the original. It really is a perfect romantic comedy. Sure, some of the humour feels outdated today but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment. It’s as funny in 2025 as it was in 2001. I love the opening All By Myself sequence, the iconic It’s Raining Men fight, Bridget’s narration, Hugh Grant‘s charming scoundrel Daniel Cleaver and the way he says, “Couldn’t give a fuck Jones!” I laughed out loud constantly. Also, if Colin Firth as Mark Darcy saying, “I like you very much just as you are” doesn’t make you go aww then there’s something up with you.
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)
The fourth and final film isn’t as frivolous and lightweight as the previous three but it feels the most heartfelt and meaningful of them all. Renee Zellweger‘s Bridget has matured and the film has evolved along with her. There are still laughs and romance but these are secondary to her learning how to cope with grief. I was thrilled to have Grant back in the mix after his absence from Bridget Jones’s Baby.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2006)
For a while, I struggled to decide whether this sequel or Bridget Jones’s Baby should go last. Neither of them is bad – I love all four films – but this one just edged it because it’s so much fun. It is the weakest narratively but it makes up for this with so many hilarious scenes, such as Bridget trying to ski, being high on the beach in Thailand and Mark and Daniel’s fountain fight (which I always think about when I go to Kensington Gardens!) There’s still a lot to love here but the stakes are lower because you know her and Mark will figure it out.
Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016)
Despite being in last place, I like this film a lot and find it very funny. The conceit is a bit ridiculous and the ending is predictable but there’s a lot to enjoy. Patrick Dempsey is great as a new man in the mix (although I still missed Grant) and the revolting doorway gag is excellent. The opening Jump Around lip sync and Zellweger’s delivery of “fuck yoga” are both brilliant. The plot of her BFFs Shazzer, Jude and Tom settling down, getting married and/or having kids and being unavailable really resonated with me on my recent re-watch.
How would you rank the franchise? And where would you place the new one?