Beginning with Bridget Jones’s Diary, the Bridget Jones
movies are some of the most beloved rom-coms ever, but which one of them is the best? Adapted from Helen Fielding’s best-selling novels, the Bridget Jones films follow Bridget, a woman navigating a complicated love life while juggling societal expectations and a career. The first movie in the series arrived in 2001, with the second and third movies debuting on the big screen in 2004 and 2016, respectively. Nine years after Bridget Jones’s Baby, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy premiered to mixed reviews from critics.
While the Bridget Jones movies make some changes to the novels, the films, for the most part, stay true to the source material. Since the premiere of Bridget Jones’s Diary, the franchise has gone through an evolution but still manages to maintain its essence. Despite the lukewarm reception that the movies have garnered, they have nonetheless been a hit with audiences due to the incredible performances by the cast, romantic scenes, and the realistic depiction of dating for women in their 30s.
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Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason (2004)
Directed By Beeban Kidron
The second installment in the Bridget Jones franchise finds Bridget happily in love with Mark Darcy, but their relationship is cut short very early on in the movie. While the Bridget Jones movies have largely been a hit or miss with audiences and critics, The Edge of Reason faced the most negative reception. Consequently, the second Bridget Jones movie has a 27% critics score and 60% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest ratings of the franchise.
Unfortunately, The Edge of Reason isn’t as satisfying as Bridget Jones’s Diary for several reasons. The film makes the mistake that most sequels do, of trying to exactly replicate the things that made the previous movie successful. The Edge of Reason also lacks charm and heart, which is sometimes just frustrating. Nevertheless, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is still a fun film to watch, with Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth’s performances elevating the movie to new heights.
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Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016)
Directed By Sharon Maguire
12 years after Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason was released, Bridget returned to the big screen in Bridget Jones’s Baby and this time she is pregnant but doesn’t know who the father of her child is between the dashing Mr. Darcy and Patrick Dempsey’s Jack Qwant. Unlike The Edge of Reason, Bridget Jones’s Baby achieved a better reception from critics and audiences. Although Hugh Grant did not reprise his role as Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones’s Baby, the movie managed to encompᴀss the chaos and humor that the series is known for.
The third installment in the franchise has some of the most romantic scenes in the Bridget Jones series, which serve as a reminder of why the films are such a rom-com staple. Unfortunately, the absence of Daniel in Bridget Jones’s Baby still works against the movie, seeing as he is one of the most popular characters in the narrative and life of Bridget. However, Jack Qwant proved to be the perfect replacement as his chemistry with Bridget is one of the highlights of the movie.
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Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Directed By Sharon Maguire
Bridget Jones’s Diary, the first adaptation of Fielding’s novel, introduces audiences to Bridget, a 32-year-old woman trying to improve her life by losing weight, quitting smoking, and not falling in love with men who will ultimately break her heart. One of the best films in the series, thanks to the performance of Zellweger, who perfectly nails her character’s eccentricity, Bridget Jones’s Diary is particularly enjoyable because of how relatable it is.
Bridget Jones’s Diary is charming and hilarious from start to finish and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The film provides several funny moments, such as Bridget’s unfortunate costume choice at a party where she mistakenly ᴀssumes the theme is Tarts and Vicars or her premature entrance down a fireman’s pole that makes her a laughingstock at work. While Bridget Jones’s Diary isn’t afraid of making fun of its main character, the movie also sees the singleton finally fall in love with someone worthy of her.
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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)
Directed By Michael Morris
Perhaps the best movie in the franchise is the most recent one, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, and for good reason. The fourth film finds Bridget, now a mother and a widow, trying to figure out her life four years after Mark’s death. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy includes both new and returning characters and is so far the highest-rated Bridget Jones film, with a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 86%, at the time of writing.
Mad About the Boy closes the franchise, and it has everything that made the previous movies in the series popular. The fourth Bridget Jones movie brings about a sense of nostalgia and more effectively reuses elements that have previously made the story so resonant while enjoyable, such as Bridget’s messy life, wit, and humor, Daniel’s cheekiness, and a heartwarming love story. While Mad About the Boy has some sad moments, particularly because Bridget lost the love of her life, it still features several scenes that will make audiences laugh.
Unlike the past three movies in the Bridget Jones series, Mad About the Boy also delves into the complications that come with an older woman dating a younger man. Because of this, Mad About the Boy is both deep and romantic. All in all, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is the perfect ending to a cherished franchise that leaves everything on the table and offers a great conclusion to a story that has touched many audiences.
