best comedy biography movies

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The 10 best biopics about comedians, ranked according to imdb.

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Comedians are some of the most fascinating people in show business, and their life stories are usually as interesting as their hilarious material. Sometimes drawing from their life experience, comedians can find the funny side of any situation and biopics help audiences see behind the humor.

RELATED: The Best Biopics Of 2021, Ranked According To IMDb

Whether they're covering silent movie legends like  Chaplin  or TV icons like  Being the Ricardos , comedian biopics are as various as they are hilarious. Though there are many classics within the sub-genre, some garnered much higher scores on IMDb .

The Buster Keaton Story (1957) - 5.1

While most biopics strive for historical accuracy, some opt instead to present the audience with a fun story, and leave the truth behind.  The Buster Keaton Story  attempts to recollect the life of famed silent movie director Buster Keaton. Following him from his early days in vaudeville to the demise of silent filmmaking, the film paints a funny picture of a hilarious man.

The film has enough going for it to keep it entertaining, if not entirely true to life. Donald O'Conner portrays Keaton and does an honorable job recapturing the many mannerisms that the silent performer was known for. Unfortunately, the film was not well received, and it did little to rehabilitate Keaton's then fallen star.

Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986) - 6.3

Occasionally, a biopic can be so ambitious that it leaves its audience behind and fails to deliver what the viewer was expecting from it. Starring Richard Pryor as a facsimile of himself,  Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling is the story of a comedian who remembers his life through an out of body experience after an accident.

Pulling from Pryor's own life story,  Jo Jo Dancer  is an unbelievably raw portrait of the beloved stand up icon. While audiences were expecting laughs, the film instead delivered drama and heartbreak revolving around his real life issues. Similar to some of Pryor's best films , he is brilliant in the lead role, but audiences were expecting more humor from the noted humorist.

Being The Ricardos (2021) - 6.6

Known for being so much more than a comedian, the importance of Lucile Ball's legacy cannot be overstated.  Being the Ricardos  attempts to recapture some of Lucy's essence in film form, and tells a portrait of her life. The film is mostly framed through her relationship with husband Desi Arnaz, and chronicles their rise in Hollywood.

By limiting the scope of the film to a specific moment in their lives, the film rightly narrows its focus. With an iconic figure like Lucille Ball, it would have been tempting to attempt to capture her whole story, but that would have done her a disservice. The focus on a specifically challenging moment allows the filmmaker to hint at the much larger story that lies beneath the surface.

The Late Shift (1996) - 6.8

One of the most desirable jobs for a comedian is to host a late night TV show, and  The Late Shift  chronicled a legendary change in television history. The TV movie told the story of the feud between comedians David Letterman and Jay Leno, as they both fought for the soon to be vacated hosting spot on The Tonight Show .

The behind-the-scenes battle that took place once Johnny Carson retired, was the stuff of legend and  The Late Shift  did an excellent job of making it real. Usually, films and TV shows gloss over the politicking that goes into show business, but  Late Shift  made it the principle focus for maximum effect.

The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers (2004) - 6.9

Performers are an enigmatic lot, and comedians are often the most complicated of them all.  The Life and Death of Peter  Sellers  attempted to tell the story of beloved actor Peter Sellers, and his complicated personal life that was marred by self-doubt, and crumbling relationships.

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Many performers use comedy as a mask to hide their real feelings, and Peter Sellers was a prime example . Though beloved for his many funny film roles, not many knew that Sellers struggled with his own identity in the wake of his success. Though very broad in its scope, the film still managed to capture the essence of the man and showed an interesting arc in his life.

The Three Stooges (2000) - 6.9

While most comedy is very much a product of its time, the work of The Three Stooges has never failed to remain hilarious with each passing year. The TV movie  The Three Stooges is a dramatic look at the lives of the beloved jokesters, as seen from the perspective of their de facto leader, Moe Howard.

Though not without its laughs, the film is a somewhat dour portrait of the life and times of the iconic trio. By letting fans in on some of the behind-the-scenes facts about the Stooges , the movie shows that it wasn't always fun and games. However, despite the dark outlook, the film is still a fascinating account of the lives of the men themselves.

Stan & Ollie (2018) - 7.2

While most comedians become famous because of their work on screen, occasionally an act returns to the stage in the twilight of their careers.  Stan & Ollie   is the story of silent movie stars Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy as they go out on one last vaudeville tour through post-war Great Britain.

The film brilliantly uses its characters and setting to make commentary about the nature of show business, and still manages to be true to its source as well. Showing that he can play completely different types of roles, John C. Reilly breathes life into the complicated comedic figure . With equal parts humor and drama,  Stan & Ollie  was a touching tribute to two silent film legends.

Man On The Moon (1999) - 7.4

When a beloved figure passes away too soon, it often leaves a hole in many viewer's hearts and they lament for all of the things that could have been.  Man on the Moon  attempted to resurrect the late comedian Andy Kaufman and tell his brief life story from its meteoric rise to its sudden end.

RELATED: 10 Great Biopics In Which The Subject Makes A Cameo Appearance

Though mostly known for Jim Carrey's method acting based performance, the film is also a funny and touching portrait of a life. Some viewers have disagreed with the film's assessment of Kaufman as a person but it still managed to capture a bit of his strange charm. Anchored by great performances and direction, the film shines as a unique 1990s gem.

Chaplin (1992) - 7.5

Told in retrospect, the lives of some of the screen's biggest icons is the perfect fodder for a Hollywood blockbuster.  Chaplin  tells the life story of its title character, director and actor Charlie Chaplin . Starting from his humble beginnings to his rise to stardom, the film's story is recounted by an elderly version of Chaplin who is collecting his memoirs.

With a dynamic personality like Robert Downey Jr. starring as Chaplin, the film wasn't short on charisma. Chaplin's life story was such that it didn't take a lot of Hollywood magic to make it interesting, and there was a lot of material to work with. Though its scale was large,  Chaplin  still managed to capture the famous figure, without sacrificing his humanity.

Lenny (1974) - 7.6

Few comedians pushed the boundaries of the art of standup quite like Lenny Bruce, and the icon paid the price by bearing the brunt of the government's fight for modesty.  Lenny  tells the life story of the outspoken comic and his fight for freedom of speech in the face of potential criminal charges.

Made less than a decade after Bruce's untimely death, the film exists to show just how far things had come as a result of Lenny's work. Though not everyone's cup of tea, Bruce paved the way for comedians that followed in his footsteps. For his part, Dustin Hoffman excels at delivering the acerbic wit of the comedian, and makes his performance genuine without needing to resort to impression. The film's beautiful black-and-white photography also helps to ground it in its time period.

NEXT: 10 Best Rock Musician Biopics Of All Time (According To Metacritic)

Comedy Biography Movies

In the top there are new films of 2023, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

When Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately…murder.

The story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's attempt to cross the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.

England, early 20th century. The future writer and philologist John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) and three of his schoolmates create a strong bond between them as they share the same passion for literature and art, a true fellowship that strengthens as they grow up, but the outbreak of World War I threatens to shatter it.

WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.

An award-winning cynical journalist, Lloyd Vogel, begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write an Esquire profile piece on the beloved television icon Fred Rogers. After his encounter with Rogers, Vogel's perspective on life is transformed.

Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.

In 1987, five young men, using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Taking us back to where it all began, Straight Outta Compton tells the true story of how these cultural rebels—armed only with their lyrics, swagger, bravado and raw talent—stood up to the authorities that meant to keep them down and formed the world’s most dangerous group, N.W.A. And as they spoke the truth that no one had before and exposed life in the hood, their voice ignited a social revolution that is still reverberating today.

Inspired by true events, Eddie the Eagle is a feel-good story about Michael "Eddie" Edwards (Taron Egerton), an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself - even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach (played by Hugh Jackman), Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

The rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom.

1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane.

The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.

England, 15th century. Hal, a capricious prince who lives among the populace far from court, is forced by circumstances to reluctantly accept the throne and become Henry V.

The true story of how Ray Kroc, a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham, realizes that his young daughter is talented and begins performing with her at small venues. She finds success and falls for her guitarist, Chris Perez, who draws the ire of her father. Seeking mainstream stardom, Selena begins recording an English-language album which, tragically, she would never complete.

Joe Gideon is at the top of the heap, one of the most successful directors and choreographers in musical theater. But he can feel his world slowly collapsing around him - his obsession with work has almost destroyed his personal life, and only his bottles of pills keep him going.

The life story of Brazilian football legend, Pele.

The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

Singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon take the music world by storm when they form the rock 'n' roll band Queen in 1970. Hit songs become instant classics. When Mercury's increasingly wild lifestyle starts to spiral out of control, Queen soon faces its greatest challenge yet – finding a way to keep the band together amid the success and excess.

In the 1960s, two entrepreneurs hatch an ingenious business plan to fight for housing integration—and equal access to the American Dream.

Six actors portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.

The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

A film about the life and career of the early rock and roll star.

The Theory of Everything is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde.

Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, battles through one of his career-defining cases.

In 1966, Texas Western coach Don Haskins led the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team to the NCAA national championship.

A coming of age drama following the life of Matt Hamill, the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Wrestling Championship.

American car designer Carroll Shelby and the British-born driver Ken Miles work together to battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.

Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams, a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams' rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, "Dirk Diggler". Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams' dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.

Outlaw Jesse James is rumored to be the 'fastest gun in the West'. An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw and, when Robert and his brother sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status.

The story of how Richard Williams served as a coach to his daughters Venus and Serena, who will soon become two of the most legendary tennis players in history.

Molly Bloom, a young skier and former Olympic hopeful becomes a successful entrepreneur (and a target of an FBI investigation) when she establishes a high-stakes, international poker game.

Tony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans, forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line, relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.

In 1429 a teenage girl from a remote French village stood before her King with a message she claimed came from God; that she would defeat the world's greatest army and liberate her country from its political and religious turmoil. Following her mission to reclaim god's dimished kingdom - through her amazing victories until her violent and untimely death.

A detainee at the U.S military's Guantanamo Bay detention center is held without charges for over a decade and seeks help from a defense attorney for his release.

Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

A biographical film about the popular rap artist Detsl, whose real name is Kirill Tolmatskiy. The rap artist passed away at the age of 35 in 2019.

The powerful true story of Harvard-educated lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who goes to Alabama to defend the disenfranchised and wrongly condemned — including Walter McMillian, a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence. Bryan fights tirelessly for Walter with the system stacked against them.

A story about the dramatic fate of the national poet of Belarus Yanka Kupala. The movie reveals the main milestones of the poet’s life and career, coinciding with the most tragic events of the 20th century.

Control is the biography of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, taking his story from schoolboy days of 1973 to his suicide on the eve of the band's first American tour in 1980.

In 1955 Florida, a Korean vet has a breakdown and is incarcerated in a "maximum security" mental health prison, where patients are abused.

When a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand.

A coming-of-age story based on the lives of street rappers in Mumbai.

London, England, May 2000. The peaceful life of elderly Joan Stanley is suddenly disrupted when she is arrested by the British Intelligence Service and accused of providing information to communist Russia during the forties.

Based on a true story, in which Richmond High School head basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his undefeated team due to poor academic results.

After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions.

Saxophone player Charlie Parker comes to New York in 1940. He is quickly noticed for his remarkable way of playing. He becomes a drug addict but his loving wife Chan tries to help him.

A true story based on acid attack survivor Malti's (Laxmi Agarwal) grueling and glorious journey from her medical treatment, court proceedings leading to her emotional healing.

Tank commander Kalashnikov is severely injured in battle in 1941. The accident leaves him incapacitated and unable to return to the front line. While recovering in the hospital he begins creating the initial sketches of what will become one of the world’s most legendary weapons. A self-taught inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov, is only 29 when he develops the now iconic assault riffle — the AK-47.

A thief comes across a little girl who says that he's her father. When he learns the truth about his lookalike, who's an honest cop, he decides to turn a new leaf and help get rid of the local baddie.

Best Comedy Biography Movies of All Time Available in the UK

Unfrosted (2024)

The Great McGonagall (1975)

Mon héroïne (2022)

Robin Williams: Laugh Until You Cry (2022)

I ragazzi dello Zecchino d'oro (2019)

Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only (2023)

The Curse of the Gothic Symphony (2011)

Life After Death (2014)

I'll See You in My Dreams (1952)

Goltzius and The Pelican Company (2013)

The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon (2023)

The Truth Is Out There (2011)

Micky Flanagan: Peeping Behind the Curtain (2020)

Jeff Foxworthy: The Good Old Days (2022)

The Wild Wild World of Jayne Mansfield (1969)

Son of a Mother (2022)

Standing Up (2019)

Two Fingers: The Windy City Wonder (2014)

The Sparks Brothers (2021)

Eddie Murphy: Laugh 'Til it Hurts (2021)

Art Bastard (2015)

John Leguizamo: Freak (1998)

Call Me Lucky (2015)

Army of One (2016)

Free Lunch Express (2020)

Winnebago Man (2010)

Slaughter Nick for President (2013)

The Super Bob Einstein Movie (2021)

A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)

An Honest Liar (2014)

Friends: The Reunion (2021)

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018)

Adam Sandler: Funny Guy (2020)

Adventures in Comedy (2015)

Unspeakable Horrors: The Plan 9 Conspiracy (2016)

Wait for Your Laugh (2017)

Eat Drink Laugh: The Story of the Comic Strip (2014)

Life's a Bit (2020)

Paul Williams: Still Alive (2012)

Art of the Prank (2015)

Billy Connolly: Big Banana Feet (1977)

All or Nothing (2014)

We Are Twisted Fucking Sister! (2014)

American Masters: This Is Bob Hope... (2017)

Superstar in a Housedress: The Life and Legend of Jackie Curtis (2004)

Chris Rock: One Man Show (2022)

The Front Man (2014)

Sasvim licno (2005)

Men with Beards (2013)

15 Best Biopics on Netflix Right Now

Biopics have now become a hot genre because there’s something about real-life stories of certain individuals that lure filmmakers. It may be an entire lifetime of a person or just a few crucial years that act as an amazing storyline for a film. It’s no surprise why biopics are able to do so well. Extraordinary stories of successful people or people who had a deeper cause to serve society, all of these inspire us to live a better life. But these stories become more impactful when they are based on the lives of real individuals. Some make us believe in ourselves and our goals while some restore our faith in humanity. The good news is that a great number of these movies are already available on Netflix. So all you have to do is scroll down and choose one of the few biopic movies that we have listed. Here’s the list of really good biopic movies on Netflix that are available to stream right now.

15. Roxanne Roxanne (2017)

Directed and written by Michael Larnell, ‘Roxanne Roxanne’ is an autobiographical musical drama film that stars Chanté Adams, Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, and Elvis Nolasco. Roxanne Shante, a young rapper from New York, has already made her reputation as one of the most feared battle emcees in the 80s. Whoever had seen her perform knew that she was all set to become a hip-hop legend. ‘Roxanne Roxanne’ recounts Shante’s inspiring story as she worked tirelessly to provide for her family and achieved musical success in the process.

14. Come Sunday (2018)

This film is based on an episode of the public radio series called ‘This American Life’. The biopic is about an internationally renowned pastor who went by the name Carton Pearson. When Carton defied the morals of the church and started preaching that there is no hell, he found himself being ostracized by his own church and the Christian community who labeled him as an unorthodox non-conformist. The film has a lot of mixed opinions when it comes to the reviews because it goes against the religious values of a lot of people. But don’t let the reviews fool you, this film is great and has some amazing cinematography with acting.

13. Milk (2008)

Starring Sean Penn and James Franco, ‘Milk’ tells the life story of Harvey Milk starting from his 40th birthday all the way up to his death. The film traces his journey as he struggles to fight for gay rights in the country as an activist and later becomes California’s first gay elected official. The biopic also highlights his relationships with two men along the way and how the death of one really moves him. ‘Milk’ is an extremely moving film and will make you truly feel the struggles of Harvey Milk and all the gay activists of that era.

12. First They Killed My Father (2017)

Directed by Angeline Jolie , this one is the true story of a 5-year-old girl named Loung Ung and her struggles with her family when the Khmer Rouge had taken over Cambodia in the year 1975. Their terrorizing rule led to the death of over 2 million Cambodians. The film shows how Ung and her siblings were sent to Labor Camps and were trained to become soldiers at such a young and delicate age. This film holds a great amount of historical accuracy and clearly, a lot of effort has been into portraying Loung Ung’s story. It does not focus too much on showing the violence and gore prevailing at that time and instead shows the underlying terror and chaos during the time which makes this one a great watch.

11. Christine (2016)

Christine Chubbuck was a TV reporter back in the 70s. This film tells her story by narrating her struggles as a working woman, pressures from her home and also her own depression . This film has been quite under the radar but deserves more appreciation. It tends to get inside your head with its depressing characters and storyline with uncomfortable slow burn throughout. Note that this movie can be triggering for those who are already going through something but overall, it’s a very good movie with some brilliant acting.

10. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021)

Featuring Bob Ross, Steve Ross, Vicky Ross, and John Thamm, ‘Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed’ is a biographical documentary film directed by Joshua Rofé. As the name suggests, the movie revolves around the rise of the titular protagonist, a brilliant painter and television host, who spread love, joy, and happiness to the millions of viewers glued to his programs on their television screens from around the world. With great success came significant financial burdens. While offering a touching overview of Bob’s inspiring life, the film immediately turns its attention towards the battle for his business empire that saddened and infuriated a lot of his fans.

9. Baggio: The Divine Ponytail (2021)

Written by Ludovica Rampoldi and Stefano Sardo, ‘Baggio: The Divine Ponytail’ is a biographical sports film that stars Andrea Arcangeli, Valentina Bellè, and Thomas Trabacch. The Letizia Lamartire directorial recounts the inspiring life story of Roberto Baggio, a former footballer who dedicated 22 years of his life to the sport. From successes to his failures and regretful mistakes, the movie captures everything. It also introduces viewers to the man behind closed doors and his relationship with his loved ones. Roberto’s affinity to Nichiren Buddhism and his adherence to its philosophy is also deeply discussed.

8. Sergio (2020)

Greg Barker’s ‘Sergio’ is a biographical drama movie produced by Wagner Moura, Brent Travers, and Daniel Dreifuss. The film focuses on Sérgio Vieira de Mello, a United Nations diplomat who, after working tirelessly on several international political programs for more than three decades, decides to do something about the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. Despite warnings not to visit Baghdad in the middle of conflict, Sérgio tries to negotiate the withdrawal of American troops so that the country can achieve freedom. However, his attempts do not go as planned as he gets trapped in the basement of a hotel after a terrorist attack.

7. Mank (2020)

Directed by David Fincher, ‘Mank’ is a black-and-white biographical drama film that revolves around the development of the popular 40s film ‘Citizen Kane’ and its screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz. It is set in the 1930s and offers an exciting insight into the Hollywood of the time. However, the films’ focus remains on the development of the iconic movie and challenges faced by Herman along the way.

6. The Dirt (2019)

Written by Rich Wilkes and Amanda Adelson, ‘The Dirt’ is a biographical comedy-drama film that is based on Neil Strauss’s book ‘The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band.’ After spending several crucial years of his early life with his abusive mother, Frank Carlton Feranna Jr. ventures into the outside world in search of his father and eventually stumbles upon the purpose of his life. When he met Tommy Lee in 1980, the musician shared his plan to form a new band, and the two joined hands to include other members in the team. After the inclusion of Mick Mars and Vince Neil, the Mötley Crüe was formed and, in just a few years’ time, became one of the most popular rock bands on the planet.

5. Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Featuring stand-out performances by Eddie Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, and Craig Robinson, ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ is a biographical comedy film written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. It revolves around a struggling artist named Rudy Ray Moore, who is desperately trying to get his music on the air in the 1970s. Unfortunately, he has had little success, and his future is still clouded in uncertainty. However, on one ordinary night, an unexpected encounter with a homeless man changes Rudy’s life as he discovers his true calling and ends up entertaining the world, albeit in his own humble and small way.

4. A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)

Inspired by Josh Karp’s 2006 non-fiction book of the same name, ‘A Futile and Stupid Gesture’ is a biographical comedy-drama film written by John Aboud and Michael Colton. The David Wain directorial follows Douglas Kenney, who, along with his classmate Henry Beard lays the foundations of a monthly magazine named the National Lampoon. The duo leaves the life-transforming opportunity of attending law school for their ambitious goal and, with Douglas’ big vision, manages to change the American comedy scene in innovative ways.

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3. Schumacher (2021)

Directed by Hanns-Bruno Kammertöns, Vanessa Nöcker, and Michael Wech, ‘Schumacher’ is a German sports documentary film that focuses on the inspiring career of the titular protagonist and features Corinna Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Mika Häkkinen, Jean Todt among many others. The movie offers an intimate understanding of German Formula One racing driver Michael’s personal and professional life using unseen videos, archive footage, and interviews. From his early go-kart career to the struggle with the death of Ayrton Senna, ‘Schumacher’ paints a moving portrait of the legendary racer with an accurate depiction of his failures, successes, and fears.

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2. Barry (2016)

Directed by Vikram Gandhi, ‘Barry’ is a drama movie that centers upon Barack Obama’s college days and gives viewers a unique perspective on his life. In the early 1980s, the 44th President of the United States reached New York as a 21-year-old exchange student to Columbia University, where he made friends with his roommate, Will. Barack participated in debates about philosophy and American society and took an active interest in political affairs. ‘Barry’ gives viewers an intimate understanding of what Obama was like during his early 20s and offers a closer look at the interests that eventually made him the leader he is today.

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1. The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)

Tommy O’Haver’s ‘The Most Hated Woman in America’ is a biographical drama film that stars Melissa Leo, Peter Fonda, Sally Kirkland, and Rory Cochrane. The film centers upon Madalyn Murray O’Hair, an activist, atheist, and proponent for the separation of church from the state who fiercely advocated for his beliefs despite the challenges in her path. Unfortunately, she gets kidnapped in the mid-90s along with her son Garth and granddaughter Robin by people who detest her ideas which eventually ends tragically.

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The 25 best comedy movies of all time.

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Four friends at cinema together.

Writing a definitive list of the best comedy films ever made is hard. Not only has the genre been around since the late 1800s, but there are many types of comedy movies : rom-coms , screwballs, slapsticks. But sometimes, you just need a good laugh. So, what makes something a “best comedy movie?” The easy answer is that it has to be funny. However, it’s more than that. Great comedy movies stand the test of time. Comedy, as a genre, has a reputation for aging poorly to the point that many critics ask, can comedy age well? Many comedies pull off this feat and become classics. These classics come with endlessly quotable lines, iconic scenes, and jokes that we want to watch again and again.

Funniest Movies (25-11)

Comedy is subjective, but some movies are just funny … full stop. A great comedy can be rewatched, quoted and revisited. While you won’t find the highest-grossing comedy movie on this list (it’s 2023’s Barbie , if you are wondering,) you will find box office titans and even a couple of commercial flops that achieved cult status after the fact.

This full list includes films from the 1930s to 2010s, and directors such as Mel Brooks, Adam McKay, John Huges and Stanely Kubrick. While complying a best comedies list, it is essential to look at subgenres. Comedies on this list include satires, mockumentaries, dark humor, rom-coms, teen comedies and even a musical comedy. There are so many types of comedy; all can be done well in the right hands.

25. My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Ralph Macchio sits with Mitchell Whitfield and Joe Pesci in a scene from the film "My Cousin Vinny."

This film taught an entire generation about the features of the Chevy Bel Air. The whole movie is exceptionally quotable and has a devoted fan base, partially thanks to the powerhouse performances of Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. Tomei’s performance even earned her an Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actress.

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While the film only garnered 2.5 stars from Roger Eber t in 1992, the movie now boasts an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes from both fans and critics. The story follows an inexperienced lawyer, the titular Vinny, as he tries to free two Brooklyn college students falsely accused of murder in Alabama. The film became a classic through DVD and VHS rentals, which almost adds to the perfect 1990s nature of this now classic comedy. Currently, My Cousin Vinny is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Youtube, Apple TV and Google Play… if you can’t find a Blockbuster.

24. Step Brothers (2008)

The bro-comedy dominated the 2000s. While Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler flicks grounded this subgenre in the mid-2000s, buddy comedies are nothing new and have been popular with audiences since names like Laurel and Hardy were on marquees. Step Brothers feels like a classic buddy comedy.

In the film, directed by Adam McKay, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly play adult step-brothers forced to live together as their aging parents remarry. The wackiness of the premise is part of what makes Step Brothers a laugh-out-loud comedy. The film received mixed reviews on its initial run but has garnered a cult classic status in subsequent years. A lot of that status has to do with the powerhouse performances that this movie boasts, not only from the leads but also Richard Jenkins, who plays Reilly’s father. It is currently streaming for free on the Roku Channel.

23. The Big Sick (2017)

The Big Sick is a rom-com, a com-com and a profoundly human film. The BFI credited the movie for refreshing the rom-com genre. The film stars Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan and was directed by Michael Showalter.

The semi-autobiographical film follows the early romance between Nanjiani and his wife, Emily V. Gordon, as she battles adult-onset Still’s Disease. Gordon and Nanjiani wrote the screenplay together. While the movie received good reviews , it also drew criticism for its depiction of Desi women. Something that Nanjiani has since apologized for. The film is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime.

22. The Addams Family (1991)

Anjelica Huston is kissed by Raul Julia in a scene from the film "The Addams Family."

Many family comedies are created based on existing intellectual property, and many fail to capture the feeling of the source material while still standing on their own as a film. The Addams Family impressively does both. Based on the comics and TV show of the same name, The Addams Family does cartoonish well.

This film is remembered for its powerhouse performances from the late Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci and Christopher Lloyd. The story follows the Addams Family as a conman infiltrates their house, posing as patriarch Gomez Addams’ long-lost brother Fester. The film walks the line between dark, sexy, goofy and silly. The New York Times said of the movie in 1991, “Making his directorial debut, the excellent cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld … gives the film a visual wit to match its screenplay's ghoulish gags.” The film is currently streaming on Netflix, AMC+ and Paramount+.

21. Best In Show ( 2000 )

There aren’t many true auteur comedy filmmakers, but Christopher Guest is one of them. His movies have a definite style with their often mockumentary approach, purposeful awkwardness, familiar casts, and notably improvisational style. Improv is hard to pull off, but Best In Show does it well.

Best In Show follows five dogs and their people competing in a Philadelphia dog show. The ensemble cast includes Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Coolidge and many others. Best In Show is currently available for purchase to stream on Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV and YouTube.

20. Singing In The Rain (1952)

Musical comedies sometimes aren’t regarded as “real comedies” as they have to walk the line between two genres. However, Gene Kelly and Stanely Donen’s Singing In The Rain excels at both. The movie stars Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds and follows actors as Hollywood moved from silent films to “talkies.”

The AFI ranked the movie highly on its list of best films. O’Connor received a Golden Globe for his work on the film, and the film received a WGA award as well. The movie fulfills on the promise to “make ‘em laugh” but also features breathtaking dance sequences from Kelley and Cyd Charisse. It is currently streaming on Max.

19. The Birdcage (1996)

Robin Williams and Nathan Lane sitting under an umbrella in a scene from the film "The Birdcage."

The Birdcage both feels dated and extremely timely. Based on the French film and play, La Cage Aux Folles, The Birdcage stars Robin Williams and Nathan Lane as gay parents who own a South Beach Drag club. They are forced to play it straight when William’s son brings home the daughter of a far-right senator.

The film broke boundaries when it came to gay representation but, unfortunately, features a prominent character in brownface. Hank Azaria plays a gay Guatemalan housemaid. While Azaria has apologized for other instances of brownface, including voicing Apu on The Simpsons after the release of the documentary The Problem with Apu, he has not reflected on his role in The Birdcage . While the film isn’t perfect, The Birdcage shows not only queer parenting but the importance of standing up to right-wing politics to the queer community, making it important in the history of queer cinema. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

18. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is more than just quotable; it has been part of several generations’ teen experiences. And that makes sense because "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Director John Hughes captures something magic in the idealized day off.

The film follows the titular Ferris (Matthew Brodrick), his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend, Sloane (Mia Sara), as they skip school to explore Chicago. The film sits at a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently available for streaming through a subscription to Paramount+ or on Pluto TV.

17. Polyester (1981)

There are dirty comedies, and then there are John Waters movies. While some of his more well-known films have a weight to them, Polyester is lighter and more comedic. Longtime collaborator Divine shines as a housewife with a great sense of smell and an unfaithful husband. She is then wooed by Tab Hunter’s Todd Tomorrow.

Polyester oscillates between goofy, melodramatic and disgusting. The film was released in “ Odorama ,” a scratch-and-sniff card that encouraged moviegoers to smell ten odors from the movie. It was intentionally ridiculous and fed into the pulp nature of the film. While reminiscent of the 1960s Smell-O-Vision and AromaRama, Odorama encouraged moviegoers to smell things like dirty shoes and skunk. The film is currently on Amazon Prime, though you will have to find a special screening to get your hands on an Odorama card.

16. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Actor Jon Heder rides a horse in the movie "Napoleon Dynamite."

Napoleon Dynamite is hard to describe, but it took America by storm upon its release. While it garnered mixed to even poor reviews, such as 1.5 stars from Ebert, it persisted as a cultural phenomenon . It has even been chosen to be rescreened at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

The film, directed by Jared Hess and starring John Heder, tells a coming-of-age story of an awkward teenager in small-town Idaho. The film was made on a shoestring budget and without many established actors, but that is part of the charm of Napoleon Dynamite . The film has almost a cinema verité quality as it captures the realness of teenage life. Napoleon Dynamite is currently streaming on Max.

15. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

This screwball comedy stars Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall as O.G. gold diggers. The performances in How to Marry a Millionaire are what really cement it as a classic. Monroe shows off the sharpness in her comedy and persona, while Bacall balances raw sex appeal and comic timing.

While How to Marry a Millionaire is late for a screwball comedy as a genre, it still isn’t afraid to relish in some of its zanier moments, like how Monroe blindly stumbles as she refuses to wear her glasses because “men are not attentive to girls who wear glasses.” It is available to rent through YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Google Play.

14. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

While many movies attempt the difficult “tragicomedy” genre, Little Miss Sunshine excels in it. The film follows an impoverished, dysfunctional family as they road trip to a children’s beauty pageant with their young daughter.

Little Miss Sunshine features iconic performances from all of its principal cast: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin. The film premiered at Sundance and started a small distribution bidding war. It went on to be nominated for 4 Academy Awards (and won 2.) The film holds a 91% amongst audiences and critics on Rotten Tomatoes and is currently streaming on Hulu.

13. Clueless (1995)

Teen comedies sometimes get a bad rap. However, some names stand out in the genre of teen comedies based on classic literature: 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s the Man and, of course, Clueless .

Loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma, Clueless is endlessly quotable from “As if.” to “You’re a virgin who can’t drive.” to “Oh my god. I am totally bugging.” The movie, directed by Amy Heckerling, stars Alicia Silverstone, Brittany Murphy and Paul Rudd. In 1995, The Washington Post praised the film for the “precision of its observations and sharpness of its one-liners.” And over 20 years later, it still packs the same punch. It is currently available to stream on Paramount+ or on Pluto TV.

12. It Happened One Night (1934)

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in a scene from "It Happened One Night."

Few comedies have won Best Picture, and It Happened One Night did much more than that. The film was the first to win Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Directed by Frank Capra and starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, It Happened One Night is a pure old Hollywood classic.

The story follows a newspaperman as he tries to help a young heiress connect with her scheming fiance. Yes, the plot feels very 1930s at times, but the influence of this film on the modern rom-com is undeniable . You can almost see tropes develop in real time watching it. While the enemies-to-lovers trope can be seen everywhere, from Pride and Prejudice to a Hallmark Christmas movie, It Happened One Night gets it right and pairs it with snappy writing that holds up 90 years later. The film is currently available for free on YouTube and is a must-watch for any rom-com lover. It is currently streaming for free on YouTube and Tubi.

11. This is Spinal Tap (1984)

Rob Reiner’s directorial debut, This is Spinal Tap , really goes up to 11. This rock mockumentary has a huge cult following and for a good reason. The Criterion Collection has called it in “the ranks of the greatest comedies ever made.” The film stars Christopher Guest and Michael McKean as aging rockers on their American comeback tour.

Part of what makes This is Spinal Tap great is the music. The parody songs in this movie are both funny and earworms. The New York Times said, “There's an in-joke quality to the film, one that will make it all the more hilarious to anyone at all knowledgeable about either the esthetic or the business aspects of pop music. However, you need not have heard a band like Spinal Tap to find its story highly amusing.” It is available to rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV.

10 Best Comedies Of All Time

The top ten movies on this list aren’t only great comedies. They are films that have influenced the genre. Even people who have never seen these films know a joke from them or have seen a movie that takes direct inspiration from them.

Ranking these movies comes down to splitting hairs. They all deliver laughs, contain iconic lines and scenes, and, maybe more importantly, are endlessly rewatchable. These films feel not only witty but often inventive. While later movies have ripped off these films, they still feel fresh, often many years later (the oldest in this section is from 1941.)

10. Bridesmaids (2011)

It’s rare that self-professed chick flicks get nominated for the Oscars. Bridesmaids earned two nominations for Best Supporting Actress Melissa McCarthy and Best Original Screenplay for Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo. Directed by Paul Feig, Bridesmaids boasts several comedy powerhouse performances from Wiig, McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Jon Hamm and Wendi McLendon-Covey.

The film follows Wiig’s Annie as she becomes the maid of honor for Rudolph’s Lillian. Bridesmaids certainly wasn’t the first all-female lead comedy. Still, it has been noted as an important film in the genre of female-lead mainstream comedies, which some have called “the Bridesmaids effect.” Outside of its influence, it's just a hilarious movie from “Help me, I’m poor” to “I did slightly overcommit to the whole dog thing.” The movie is currently streaming on Peacock.

9. Office Space (1999)

Jennifer Aniston and Mike Judge in "Office Space."

Before The Office became a millennial favorite, there was Office Space . Directed by Mike Judge and starring Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston, Office Space walks the line between cult comedy and cultural juggernaut.

The film captures the humdrum of 90s office life while still being hilariously wacky as a group of underappreciated office workers try to take down their greedy boss. Ebert said of the film, "’Office Space’ is a comic cry of rage against the nightmare of modern office life. It has many of the same complaints as ‘Dilbert’ and the movie ‘ Clockwatchers ’ and, for that matter, the works of Kafka and the Book of Job.” Office Space is currently available to stream on Max.

8. Airplane! (1980)

Airplane! is one of those movies that everyone has surely heard a quote from … “and don't call me Shirley.” Starring Leslie Nielson, this farce parodies the disaster film, specifically Zero Hour ( 1953).

The film earned the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Comedy and nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and for the BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. While not all parts of the movie have aged well , especially regarding race, it’s still remembered as a comedy classic for its goofy approach to parody. It is currently streaming on Showtime.

7. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

Actress Veronica Lakeand Joel McCrea in a scene from the movie "Sullivan's Travels."

This 1941 Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake comedy is often called a “ masterpiece .” It has been added to the Library of Congress , with the review, “Preston Sturges’s ‘ Sullivan’s Travels ’ remains one of the great American film satires of Hollywood.”

The titular Sullivan is a Hollywood director known for light comedies. He decides it's time to make something more important and ventures out into the real world, looking for inspiration for his film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” a film about suffering. While the film has a definite heart and message, dialogue and jokes come fast in this movie. Sullivan’s Travels is a must-watch for classic movie and comedy fans alike. It is available to rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV.

6. Coming to America (1988)

“But where in New York can one find a woman with grace, elegance, taste and culture? A woman suitable for a king … Queens.” Coming to America is full of iconic lines. Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones shine in this classic directed by John Landis.

Coming To America captures something real about the 1980s , Queens and the immigrant experience while still being a wacky comedy about an African prince coming to New York to find a wife. While many reviews weren’t glowing in 1988, Coming To America has remained popular, even prompting a sequel, Coming 2 America , in 2021. It is available to rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play and Apple TV.

5. The Jerk (1979)

Steve Martin talks with Bill Macy in a scene from the film "The Jerk."

The Jerk is directed by Carl Reiner and is Steve Martin’s first starring role. While not every joke has stood the test of time, The Jerk still delivers solid laughs over 40 years later, often thanks to Martin’s impeccable comedic timing.

The Jerk follows Martin’s character Navin through his rise to riches, and his subsequent fall. While the film is often crass and possibly even dumb on purpose, many jokes have a wit and elevation that balances the comedy. The film is often found on lists of best comedies and was even a favorite of director Stanley Kubrick . It is currently available to stream on Netflix.

4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the second film by the iconic British comedy troupe Monty Python. This movie is so quotable that it has almost transcended the original script to seep into the collective consciousness. Who doesn’t say to themselves, “Tis but a scratch” occasionally?

This movie stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin and is a parody of Arthurian times. The film follows Chappan’s King Arthur as he and his squire search for the Holy Grail. While it received mixed reviews on its initial release, its cult following and memory are impressive. A musical based on the film, Spamalot , was adapted for the stage in 2005 and was revived for Broadway in 2023. Currently, the movie is available to stream on Netflix.

3. Friday (1995)

Not much happens in the movie Friday , but it doesn’t matter. The film still packs in the laughs. F. Gary Gray directs with iconic performances from Ice Cube and Chris Tucker. This movie is endlessly quotable from “Damnnnn!” to “Bye Felicia.” and has reached almost a meme status through reaction gifs.

Friday inspired two sequels: Next Friday and Friday After Next . All three movies have garnered cult status. However, Friday was both commercially successful and praised in 1995. The film had a modest budget, a music video director, one lead who had never done a comedy and only 20 days to shoot, but against it all, the film is remembered as a comedy classic. It is currently available on Max and Tubi.

2. Dr Strangelove (1964)

Among his several roles, Peter Sellers (right) portrayed a NATO representative and Sterling Hayden, ... [+] a mad general, in Stanley Kubrick's satire on nuclear brinksmanship, "Dr. Strangelove."

Dr Strangelove is maybe the darkest comedy on this list, but when you are making a satire featuring nazi scientists and nuclear annihilation, that tends to happen. This film was directed by Stanely Kubrick and stars Peter Sellers in three roles: a British officer, the American President, and the titular doctor, a former nazi and nuclear war expert.

The film follows a situation where an American general plans to drop a nuclear bomb on the Soviet Union. We promise it’s funnier than it sounds. The film is a frequent addition not only to best comedy lists but also to film lists in general, including AFI’s Best American Films list. It is currently free to watch on YouTube.

1. Young Frankenstein (1974)

Actors Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman and Teri Garr in a scene from the movie 'Young ... [+] Frankenstein', 1974. (Photo by Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images)

No list of best comedies is complete without Mel Brooks. If this list had more space, it could have easily included several Brooks films, including Blazing Saddles, History of the World Part 1., and The Producers. There is a reason why so many of his movies have become comedy classics.

Young Frankenstein mixes comedy, horror and parody perfectly. The film features iconic performances, especially from Gene Wilder, who co-wrote the screenplay with Brooks. The movie parodies the story of Frankenstein but does it with both zaniness and wit. Young Frankenstein currently boasts a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is currently available to stream through a DirecTV subscription.

Bottom Line

Comedy is subjective, but genuinely great comedies can connect to broad audiences and remain funny watch after watch, year after year. From modern classics to familiar faves, you can’t go wrong with the comedies on this list.

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The 30 Best Comedy Movies of All Time

By matthew jackson | mar 14, 2023, 5:12 pm edt.

Comedy generates an immediate, undeniable audience response. If audiences are smiling and laughing, then there's a good chance you made an effective funny movie . Thousands of comedies fall under the "effective funny movie" umbrella, of course, but what about the movies that exist beyond that, in another sphere? What about the films that are both hilarious and emotional, hilarious and innovative, hilarious and profound in a way that keeps us thinking about them years and even decades later?

We're here to talk about those movies—but first, a few caveats: One, for the purposes of brevity and sanity, we're talking about English-language comedy movies only this time around. Two, nothing ages faster than comedy, so some films aren't here by virtue of viewing them through a 2020 lens. And three, comedy is extremely subjective, so if your favorite didn't make the list ... hey, at least it still makes you laugh.

With that in mind, here are 30 of the greatest comedies ever made, from the silent era right up through today (in chronological order).

1. The General (1926)

Buster Keaton 's willingness to very nearly get himself killed over and over again for the sake of public entertainment is well-documented, and Keaton's particular brand of daring comedy never reached greater heights than with The General . Though its American Civil War setting is a regrettable part of the structure, the real star of the film is Keaton's repeated willingness to do some of the most elaborate, bold comedy stunts of the silent era. The film is worth watching for the moment in which he perches on the nose of a moving train and throws a railroad tie at another railroad tie to bounce it out of the way alone. Yes, he really did that, and yes, it's a gag that still works.

2. Duck Soup (1933)

The Marx Brothers weren't just a collective powerhouse. When they were at their best, they were four powerhouses operating independently of each other, and when joined together by the end of a film they were an unstoppable comedic force. Duck Soup is one among several Marx Brothers classics, but it stands out as the best of the bunch because it's perhaps the purest example of both their separate greatness and their unified talent. And of course, it's a film that makes plenty of room for the legendary honorary Marx, the great Margaret Dumont.

3. It Happened One Night (1934)

You can go as big as you want with your comedy movie, but sometimes the best formula for timeless joy is simply getting two very talented people, putting them together for 90 minutes, and letting them work their magic. That's what Frank Capra did with It Happened One Night , and the chemistry between Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert as two mismatched people on an unlikely adventure retains its timeless power even today. The movie is most famous for the moment when Colbert shows her ankles to get a ride, of course, but the dialogue is still packed with wit and even some occasional wisdom. Plus, few actors could play drunk as funny as Gable did.

4. Modern Times (1936)

Though the image of him as The Tramp is indelibly stamped on American pop culture, Charlie Chaplin was much more than the embodiment of that character. He was a genius of comedic structure both on macro and micro levels, able to perfect the timing of a devastatingly funny overall arc and the subtleties of a single comedic set piece. He made a lot of masterpieces, but Modern Times is arguably the one that still lands with the most profound impact today, even among later films like The Great Dictator . Chaplin's story of his Tramp working himself to the bone only to break down on the job and get swept into a strange saga of poverty, inequality, and comedy still works for a modern audience, which like the film itself is simultaneously sad and funny.

5. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

There's a case to be made that Cary Grant plays the greatest Straight Man in the history of big-screen comedy, and there's no better showcase of that than Howard Hawks's classic screwball comedy about a paleontologist, an heiress, and a leopard. This film has everything: Witty banter, music, jokes so deeply embedded you have to watch it half a dozen times to get them all, and of course a massive comedic set piece involving a collapsing dinosaur skeleton. Plus, in addition to Grant's remarkable performance as an in-over-his-head nerd, it's got Katharine Hepburn doing a version of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl thing way before that was cool, and she still makes it look good.

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6. The Apartment (1960)

Billy Wilder made a lot of great comedies, and the American Film Institute went so far as to declare one of them, Some Like It Hot , to be the greatest American comedy film ever made. Though that film remains a comedy masterpiece, The Apartment does something it can't. Through a more subdued tone, beautiful performances, and an overwhelmingly big heart, Wilder's film about two lonely people finding their way to each other through twisted circumstances exudes a sense of warmth and honesty that persists six decades later, while also delivering the laughs.

7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Stanley Kubrick 's critics often like to accuse the legendary filmmaker of being a cold, distant technician who could generate stunning visuals but had no real feel for human emotion. However, Kubrick's films seem to disprove that claim time and time again. His most straightforward attempt at comedy, Dr. Strangelove , is a visual wonder thanks in no small part to Ken Adam's amazing set designs, but it also proves unequivocally that Kubrick had a joyful heart. Buried beneath the nihilism of the film's plot is a sense of pure warmth that makes even the darkest jokes land. Of course, having Peter Sellers in three of his most memorable roles certainly didn't hurt either.

8. M*A*S*H (1970)

Though it might be better known today simply for the sitcom it inspired , Robert Altman's M*A*S*H still stands a groundbreaking, gleefully irreverent masterpiece in its own right. Anchored by incredible, understated performances from Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould and driven by the now-famous naturalistic, constantly flowing dialogue, the film remains an intoxicating blend of high- and low-brow comedy, blending the zany with the profound, and the crude with the poignant, to create one of the great anti-war movies.

9. Blazing Saddles (1974)

Whenever Blazing Saddles comes up in conversation, someone always manages to remark that "you could never make that movie today," and that observation remains an extreme oversimplification of Mel Brooks 's achievement with his classic Western satire. Yes, the jokes are dirty, transgressive, and in some cases haven't aged well, but "you couldn't make it today" ignores the larger point: You don't need to make it today. Blazing Saddles is still as blisteringly funny and relevant as it was when it was released, and that go-for-broke ending remains one of the gutsiest comedy moves of all time.

10. Young Frankenstein (1974)

You might notice that only one filmmaker, the great Mel Brooks, is given two films as a director on this list, and there's one simple reason for that: In 1974, Brooks had arguably the greatest year any comedy filmmaker has ever had. Blazing Saddles came out in February and became an instant classic, and then in December, Brooks released another all-time great laugh fest: The Universal Monsters send-up Young Frankenstein . Featuring Gene Wilder in full mad scientist mode, Madeline Kahn stealing every scene she's in, Marty Feldman delivering some of the best one-liners ever put to film, and so much more, Young Frankenstein is a brilliant, timeless film that showcases Brooks's skill as a visual artist almost as much as his skill as a humorist.

11. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

You know a movie is good when the opening credits alone are making you laugh with jokes about moose bites. It wasn't necessarily a guarantee that the absurdist humor of Monty Python would translate from big-screen to small, but with Monty Python and the Holy Grail , the legendary comedy troupe proved that they could arguably make their brand of comedy work even better with a longer story in which to plan numerous running gags, side quests, and wacky characters. Plus, nearly 50 years after its release, Holy Grail remains one of the most quotable movies of all time.

12. The Jerk (1979)

Some roles are timeless things you can imagine a number of actors playing and nailing. Others are so specific, so informed by a particular comedic sensibility, that they can only come through one performer. No one but Steve Martin could have made Navin Johnson the character he is. No one but Steve Martin could have made an extended sequence of violence as funny by simply yelling "He hates these cans!" And, of course, no one but comedy legend Carl Reiner could have turned Martin's adorably hilarious and oblivious performance into the comic heartwarmer that The Jerk is.

13. Airplane! (1980)

Airplane! isn't the first film to play the "pick a genre and just do a straight-ahead spoof" card successfully, but it remains the standard against which all other films that apply its brand of rapid-fire, throw-spaghetti-at-the-wall humor are measured—and with good reason. There's a timeless purity to the zaniness of it, the sense that anything can and might as well happen for the sake of a joke. Even if the jokes that are dated to the time, like Barbara Billingsley speaking jive, still work in the context of the movie. Airplane! exists in its own hilarious little world, and it's a world that new viewers can still be welcomed into.

14. 9 to 5 (1980)

There's something about seeing Jane Fonda , Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton all on-screen together in 9 to 5 that basically just insists you love the movie, as it's impossible to not be charmed by the sheer star power of the three of them working together. Look past the glare of their collective glow, though, and you've still got an all-time great film that mixes elements of Golden Age screwball comedies with a very modern look at bureaucracy, office politics, unvarnished sexism, and the power of found sisterhood. And yeah, the song is still great.

15. Tootsie (1982)

So many things about Tootsie could have gone so wrong. The film could have been wildly tonally mismatched, too subtle, not subtle enough, or just plain offensive in its pursuit of a funny story about an egotistical actor literally and metaphorically getting in touch with his feminine side. In director Sydney Pollack's hands, though, the film becomes one of the all-time great American comedies, managing to poke fun at everything from oblivious sexism and gender roles to the strange egos of actors and writers. Dustin Hoffman remains terrific in the lead role, but the real scene-stealer is Charles Durning as a man in love with a woman he doesn't actually know very well.

16. Ghostbusters (1984)

Like Monty Python and the Holy Grail before it, Ghostbusters is a strong contender for the Most Quotable Movie ever made, packed with one-liners and strange non-sequiturs that still have us saying things like "That's a big Twinkie" and "Dogs and cats living together: Mass hysteria!" every day. It's been famously called a film about "nothing" because of the perceived way in which its characters don't really grow or change, and it's also been called a mockery of the perils of government regulation. However you perceive it, the fact that we're still talking about the meaning behind a movie in which guys in jumpsuits shoot sci-fi guns at a giant marshmallow monster is proof of its greatness. Ghostbusters is so unforgettably funny that we can't stop looking for the layers in it.

17. Lost in America (1985)

Albert Brooks's comedies are very specific, very hyper-focused films that say a lot about the time in which they were made while also remaining almost paradoxically timeless. They're all great, but Lost In America stands above the rest as perhaps Brooks's greatest statement on the kind of comedy he's most interested in. The story of a couple who set out to find themselves and only find that they're not really interested in growth, it's the kind of comedy that won't leave your brain for weeks after you've seen it. And though it was aimed at Reagan's America when it was made, it still has a point to make about the capitalist traps set for us even now.

18. The Princess Bride (1987)

Over the course of less than a decade, between 1984 and 1992, Rob Reiner had a nearly unparalleled run as director that included no less than three all-time comedy classics, including This Is Spinal Tap , When Harry Met Sally... , and this legendary fantasy adventure. The Princess Bride isn't necessarily funnier than those other two films, but it is funnier to a wider demographic than either of them. This is a movie that will have both kids and adults cackling at the top of their lungs at everything from sword fights to wordplay, and it features the single greatest comedic character in any of Reiner's films, full stop: Billy Crystal as Miracle Max.

19. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Though John Hughes is best known for his teen comedies like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club , the influential filmmaker proved himself to be adept at numerous subgenres of funny movies. His greatest success, though, is a Thanksgiving road movie starring two of the greatest comedic actors of all time. Over the course of travel mishap after travel mishap, Steve Martin and John Candy weave incredible chemistry as they navigate Hughes's slapstick comedic situations mixed with genuine, undeniable heart. In a filmography of modern classics, this one stands above the rest.

20. Coming To America (1988)

Beverly Hills Cop might have been the film that proved Eddie Murphy could be a solo movie star, but looking back on his launchpad period in the 1980s, Coming To America stands out as the best of his comedic juggernaut efforts. It's the first time on the big-screen that we were able to see Murphy flex his SNL-honed muscles as a character actor, embodying multiple roles that were all several degrees removed from just another version of himself. Supporting turns from Arsenio Hall (also in multiple roles), James Earl Jones, and John Amos only add to the powerhouse aura of the film.

21. Wayne's World (1992)

A lot of films have come out of the sketch mines at Saturday Night Live over the years, but many of them fail to outlast the premise that worked for four minutes on late night television a few times. Wayne's World is the rare example of that effort going as well as it possibly can. There's a sense in this film that Mike Myers, Dana Carvey , and director Penelope Spheeris were willing to try just about anything to make the jokes land, and their success rate is uncommonly high. A clear grasp of character, a great supporting cast, and a simple warmth that persists through the whole film do the rest.

22. Groundhog Day (1993)

It's not often you come across a film that takes the name of a well-known holiday and literally redefines it, which tells you something about just how powerful Harold Ramis's legendary time-loop comedy really is. Yes, watching Bill Murray suffer for an hour and a half is great fun, and the jokes still land just as well now as they did nearly 30 years ago. But Groundhog Day is after something bigger than a memorable premise. It turned out, jokes and all, to be one of the great life-affirming American movies —a film about smiling through the pain and finding meaning when the world around you is a blur.

23. Friday (1995)

Friday began as the fulfillment of Ice Cube and DJ Pooh's wish to craft a story that showed that the kinds of neighborhoods depicted in movies like Boyz n the Hood were also places of great joy and peace, and the result is a film with an absolutely undeniable sense of comedic personality. Friday remains one of the ultimate "guys hanging out all day" comfort comedies because, of course, it's wall-to-wall funny, but it also feels honest in a way that other stoner comedies just aren't. Craig and Smokey's day is full of funny mishaps, but there's also a real emotional payoff there, and Friday never lets you forget those two things go hand-in-hand.

24. Clueless (1995)

Nothing ages faster than comedy, and Clueless is, like Wayne's World before it, one of those films that feels very rooted to its particular time and place in a way that might cost it as it ages. Yet somehow, also like Wayne's World , there's a magic to Amy Heckerling's modern reimagining of Emma that keeps it fresh 25 years later. Yes, some of the jokes and linguistic quirks are dated, but there's a genuine emotional arc that persists throughout the film. And it's played with such charm and style that even new viewers can find something special in it. This is not just a film that '90s kids remember fondly. It's a film that can keep finding new fans for years to come.

25. Best In Show (2000)

After Rob Reiner proved it would work in This Is Spinal Tap , writer/director Christopher Guest decided to make much of the rest of his career about the joys of improvisational mockumentary filmmaking. The result is a handful of unforgettably funny movies, with Best In Show rising above the rest to become arguably the best mockumentary ever made. The cast is absolutely packed with comedic superstars, the format allows for endless playful forays into absurdity, and it all builds to a genuinely emotionally satisfying conclusion. Plus, it might be the only film that's ever wrung laughs out of simply listing different varieties of nuts.

26. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The team of writer/star Will Ferrell and writer/director Adam McKay has made several films in the "lovable manchild makes good" genre, but Anchorman is the one that's held up the best and remained the funniest since its release—with all due respect to other triumphs like Step Brothers . The story of an egotistical, clueless, unrepentantly sexist news anchor from the '70s resisting a world rapidly changing around him manages to be a showcase of both Ferrell's boundless comedic energy and of the commitment and laugh-generating power of fellow all-stars like Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd , and of course Steve Carell , who won the movie's most-quoted moment simply by saying he loves a lamp.

27. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is the first in a trilogy of films from director Edgar Wright about men who refuse to evolve as life passes them by. In the case of Shaun (Simon Pegg), that means missing the beginning of the zombie apocalypse right up until it creeps into his back garden. Shaun of the Dead is a relentlessly funny movie, as full of big set piece gags as it is memorable one-liners like "You've got red on you." But the film's staying power is thanks to its clear understanding of a central metaphor: You can be a shambling, undead drone, or you can pick up a cricket bat and take what you want.

28. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Romantic comedies about finding new love after a devastating breakup are often great explorations of emotional humor, but few have ever been as brutally honest and devastatingly ridiculous as Forgetting Sarah Marshall . Inspired by his own romantic failures, Jason Segel set out to write the ultimate breakup movie, complete with wild travel adventures, good advice ignored, bad advice taken seriously, and everything in between. With the help of an incredible cast that includes scene-stealing work from Paul Rudd and Jack McBrayer, and a genuine sense of empathy baked into its resolution, the film became a resounding and timeless comedic success. Of course, capping things with a Dracula puppet musical didn't hurt.

29. Bridesmaids (2011)

In the 2000s, raunchy hard-R buddy comedies had a wave of massive box office success, so on some level the cynical view is that a movie like Bridesmaids was inevitable just from a business standpoint. That said, it certainly wasn't inevitable that the film would be this good. Writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo went far beyond making a "female Hangover " or a "female Superbad " or some other commodification of a comedy moment. What they teamed with director Paul Feig and an all-star cast to eventually produce is a film of tremendous heart and insight into the both the black humor of human despair and the silly joy of having nowhere to go but up.

30. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story may have perfectly lampooned the standard musical biopic formula, but even that instant classic never rose to such meta-hilarious heights as Popstar , The Lonely Island's lampoon of the "all-access" music documentaries made popular in the 2010s by acts like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, and the Jonas Brothers. Though the songs are the real star, because no one does genuinely catchy pop beats with ridiculous lyrics like The Lonely Island, re-watching Popstar now reveals a film genuinely devoted to the earnest core of its narrative. It may be one of the silliest films in recent memory, but it has an actual heart, and it's in the right place.

The 50 Best Comedy Movies

"The only honest art form is laughter", said the great Lenny Bruce. "You can't fake it." With that in mind, allow Empire to guide you through 50 of the most honest films ever made, by which we mean our list of the 50 best comedies of all time. Whether you're a clown or a curmudgeon, there's guaranteed to be something here to target your funny bone. From slapstick to sly satire, we've listed it all. We've dived back through cine-history and also rounded up some recent rib-ticklers too.

Yet if you're still craving more laughter, but perhaps with a little added love, we can recommend our list of The 20 Best Romantic Comedies . And if you want your comedy to come with some extra good feelings, then head straight for 30 Feelgood Movies To Make You Smile . Because, after all, don't we still need that in our lives?

50. The Man With Two Brains

Dr Hfuhruhurr ( Steve Martin ) pioneers a new procedure allowing him to transplant human brains into new bodies. It's an out-there premise, even coming from the man behind  The Jerk , and occasionally feels a bit uneven but it still yields plenty of laughs in what is Martin's early eighties high point. There are also a fair few jabs at male sexual vanity buried within as Hfuhruhurr agonises over whether or not he's lost his moral compass in pursuit of the perfect woman. Given that he attempts to poison Randi Brooks with window cleaner and throws  Kathleen Turner  into a bog, we're saying he probably has. "Into the mud, scum queen!"

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49. The Death Of Stalin

Armando Iannucci has long proven himself capable of wringing laughs out of the stodgiest, most solemn topics imaginable. The Death Of Stalin , however, is his most impressive feat yet. After taking on Whitehall and Washington with TV shows The Thick Of It and Veep , the master satirist’s follow-up film tackles not only a slice of real-life Russian history, but a ruthless dictator whose government was responsible for famine, labour camps and mass executions. Incredibly, the results are absolutely hilarious.

Read Empire's The Death Of Stalin review here

48. Zoolander

Ben Stiller co-wrote and directed this fashion world satire, which suffered lacklustre box office returns after being released in the direct aftermath of September 11, when no one was in the mood to be silly. Yet look beyond the financial troubles and it's a consistently hilarious dive into the world of really, really ridiculously good looking people and the weird universe in which they orbit. Stiller's great as the title character, but don't sleep on Owen Wilson's Hansel or the deep bench of supporting roles and cameos.

Read Empire's Zoolander review here

47. Four Lions

Chris Morris' satire of young Islamic men driven to jihad treads the line – like all his work – of comedy and pain. Omar (Riz Ahmed), a radicalised British Muslim, has formed a terrorist cell with his dim-witted brother Waj (Kayvan Novak), angry white convert Barry (Nigel Lindsay) and apprehensive bomb-maker Fessal (Adeel Akhtar). Guaranteed to offend people across the political and belief spectrum, Four Lions is consistently funny and horribly to the point. You'll never look at rubber dinghy rapids in quite the same way

Read Empire's Four Lions review here

46. When Harry Met Sally

Can men and women ever truly be friends without sex getting in the way? Such is the question at the heart of  Nora Ephron 's brilliant script, which  Rob Reiner perfectly immortalised on screen. Not a moment is wasted, the main cast is exemplary, and even as you dive down the supporting actor list, there are fantastic turns. Littered with classic scenes and quotable lines ("I'll have what she's having.") few films earn a schmaltzy ending quite as well as this one.

Read Empire's When Harry Met Sally review here

45. Galaxy Quest

Both a sharp spoof and a loving homage to the original Star Trek , Galaxy Quest reunites the ageing cast of an elderly TV show — none of whom much like each other anymore — and sends them off on an unlikely interstellar adventure. Tim Allen gives it some excellent Shatner , Sigourney Weaver is great as the smart woman playing the ditzy communications officer (complete with, later on, gratuitously exposed cleavage). But it’s Alan Rickman who steals the show as the Shakespearean thesp stuck with silly head make-up and a catchphrase he hates. Fans at a convention some years ago voted this a better Trek than Into Darkness . It's hard to disagree.

Read Empire's Galaxy Quest review here

44. South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut

Holding the record for the most obscenities in an animated feature (at a whopping 399!), Trey Parker and Matt Stone take vulgarity to new levels in the big-screen version of their infamous TV series. Incredibly, they also find a host of new ways to be offensive, grafting their usual ingredients (scatology, thinly-veiled satirical jabs, deliberately crude animation) onto a plot which involves a war between Canada and America, and a love affair between Satan and Saddam Hussein. And it’s all presented in the format of a classic musical, obviously. As always, just as many viewers will love it as hate it, yet there are moments of comic brilliance here (see the ER send-up featuring George Clooney 's voice) in amongst the digs at cinematic censorship, sweary movies and Jar-Jar Binks . Just like Cartman, this movie will warp your fragile little mind.

Read Empire's South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut review here

43. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

The jewel in the Vacation crown, this festive instalment in National Lampoon's holiday-centric franchise demonstrates just how funny Chevy Chase was in his prime. Clarke (Chase) does his best to orchestrate a traditional happy family Christmas, but is thwarted by odious relatives, uncooperative fairy lights and plain old bad luck. If this doesn't make you at least giggle, then you clearly don't understand the true meaning of Christmas - which is of course combustible toilets and electrified cats.

Read Empire's Christmas Vacation review here

42. Game Night

Annie (Rachel McAdams) and Max (Jason Bateman) are a married couple whose weekly game night acts as a welcome distraction from their ongoing debate about whether to start a family (she’s pro, he’s against). But their sacred tradition falls to pieces like a Jenga tower when Max’s irritatingly successful brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) stages an elaborate murder mystery — only for it to be interrupted, forcing the pair and their pals to save him from actual criminals. But Game Night isn’t just after mindless laughs. Rather than resorting solely to slapstick, it boasts a witty, razor-sharp screenplay from Mark Perez, with a fully fleshed-out story. And, with Max and Annie’s discussions on both fertility and future at its centre, it has characters you really care about, not to mention one of the best delivered lines in cinema — "Oh no he died !"

Read Empire's Game Night review here

41. Kind Hearts And Coronets

Perhaps the apotheosis of the Ealing Comedy alongside the similarly marvellous The Ladykillers , Kind Hearts And Coronets is another blacker-than-black comedy about murder. It’s probably most famous for Alec Guinness brilliantly playing eight separate roles, both male and female. All are members of the D’Ascoyne family, one-by-one meeting with unfortunate accidents as Dennis Price pursues his destiny.

Read Empire's Kind Hearts And Coronets review here

40. Dumb & Dumber

Lloyd (Jim Carrey) is a nice-but-dim taxi driver, who tries to return a suitcase full of money to a beautiful woman passenger. He and his friend Harry (Jeff Daniels) journey cross-country to find her in Aspen, where they begin to fight for her affections. Peter and Bobby Farrelly and their cast romp through proceedings with real gusto and impeccable comic timing, meaning the next jaw-jamming surge of giggles is never more than a moment away. The normally staid Daniels displayed hitherto untapped comic talent here, almost stealing the show from under the nose of his habitually imbecilic co-star.

Read Empire's review of Dumb & Dumber here

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39. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

The life of superstar musician Conner4Real (Andy Samberg) appears to be a charmed one, filled with groupies, screaming crowds and sacks of cash. But trouble is on the horizon in the form of a scheming rapper (Chris Redd), a disastrous merchandise deal and a swarm of killer bees. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping squeezes laughs out of its tale like juice from a plum. If the music industry was silly back in the eighties, it’s really daft now, and Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer gleefully go to town sending up its absurdities.

Read Empire's Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping review here

38. Sons Of The Desert

Sneaking off for a weekend with their masonic lodge, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are, sadly, very quickly busted by their wives in what is easily the best of their longer films. Rather than a series of slapstick set-pieces haphazardly strung together (great as those are), this is the first L&H feature to structure itself through story and situation: Laurel working with new writers to help nail the formula. And unlike the almost-as-great Way Out West , this one doesn’t stop for songs - although there are still some cherished musical moments along the way.

Read Empire's S ons Of The Desert review here

37. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Ferris Bueller's Day Off is John Hughes' unadulterated celebration of what it's like to be young, white, middle class and well-heeled in mid eighties America. So it should, on paper at least, be an unbearably smug celebration of crass consumerism. Consider: Ferris's (Matthew Broderick) idea of a good time is bombing around in a vintage Ferrari, a visit to the Chicago stock exchange followed by lunch in the city's swankiest restaurant – posh grub for which his method of payment goes undisclosed. It's also a hymn to capitalism and the advantages offered to a metropolitan teenager. Ken Loach this obviously ain't. Which makes the fact that it's an almost irresistibly likeable, defiantly sunny comedy all the more astounding.

Read Empire's Ferris Bueller's Day Of_f_ review here

36. His Girl Friday

If your romantic-comedy tastes lean more towards crackerjack repartee and flirty chemistry than body contact, you can’t really go wrong with this Howard Hawks classic. Cary Grant is the charismatic Walter Burns, dismayed (but trying his best to hide it) that his superstar reporter Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) is getting married and might head off to pastures new. Oh, and she’s his ex-wife, to boot. Newsrooms may no longer sing with typewriter voices, but this one doesn’t age.

Read Empire's His Girl Friday review here

35. M. Hulot's Holiday

An almost silent film made in the 1950s as a pure slapstick farce with a blithely oblivious central buffoon, this film must have seemed anachronistic even before the prints were developed. Perhaps that's because it's a classic, with  Jacques Tati 's beautifully drawn M. Hulot innocently causing havoc and misery to all around him as he enjoys a welcome break at the seaside. Often imitated (cf.  Jerry Lewis ,  Rowan Atkinson ), this has never been bettered, a perfect comedy meandering along despite the lack of anything resembling a real plot.

Read Empire's M. Hulot's Holiday review here

34. Planes, Trains & Automobiles

John Hughes uses the mad dash back for the Thanksgiving holiday to squash Steve Martin's uptight family man, Neal Page, together with John Candy's schlubby, loveable salesman, Del Griffith. There is travel chaos, cramped motel beds and a classic swearing scene at an airport counter. Martin and Candy's duelling energies create magic and Hughes' big heart wins out in the end.

Read Empire's Planes, Trains & Automobiles review here

33. Shaun Of The Dead

A film so original that it formed the basis for a new genre, the rom-zom-com (see also: Zombieland ), Shaun saw the Spaced team of Simon Pegg , Nick Frost and Edgar Wright bring their talents for writing likeable losers and inventive genre spins to the big screen. The results are frankly hilarious, with Shaun and hetero-life-partner Ed trying to save those they love amidst a zombie apocalypse. Their plans are persistently rubbish, their weapons of choice bizarrely selective (only bad records should be used to behead the undead) and their leadership all messed up. It's a welcome change from the more gung-ho American responses to these outbreaks, and the sublimely effective contrast of twee tea-making and zombie mayhem makes it a slice of fried gold.

Read Empire's Shaun Of The Dead review here

32. Raising Arizona

A childless couple (Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter) decide it would be for the best if they kidnapped one of a set of quintuplets. Unfortunately, their unscrupulous friends have their own ideas about uses for the new baby. Following up a movie like Blood Simple was never going to be an easy task, but Joel and Ethan Coen succeed admirably, with Arizona setting a precedent for many of the quirky trademarks that have punctuated their subsequent efforts and giving John Goodman his first great Coen role. Best remembered for Cage's hysterical 'baby-chasing' sequence, and small bunnies being blown up by The Lone Biker Of The Apocalypse.

Read Empire's Raising Arizona review here

31. Duck Soup

The Marx Brothers' final film for Paramount is the apex of their career, a perfectly formed masterpiece before their move to the forced-romantic subplots and overblown musical interludes of the MGM years. Predictably, it was considered a disappointment on release in 1933. It sees Groucho as Rufus T. Firefly, installed by his frequent nemesis Margaret Dumont as leader of the bankrupt Freedonia, an arrangement that obviously takes the country into anarchic war with neighbouring Sylvania. A surprisingly excoriating war satire as well as a thoroughly ridiculous knockabout, Duck Soup is probably most famous for the "mirror sketch" between Groucho and Harpo, but there's far more to it than just that.

Read Empire's Duck Soup review here

30. The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is many things. It's a fantasy, it's a comedy, it's a romance, it's an adventure, it's a swashbuckler. It's a fairy tale, primarily, a whirlwind yarn of princes and princesses, pirates and giants, villages and castles. It's also a wry take on fairy tales, with a sly satirical edge, and whimsically silly names like Prince Humperdinck, Fezzik and Buttercup. It is ultimately a simple and sweetly straightforward story-within-a-story, and fundamentally very old-fashioned. Languishing for years in the dungeons of development hell, it almost never made it to screen – a thought that now seems, well, inconceivable.

Read Empire's The Princess Bride review here

29. Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery

Mike Myers and director Jay Roach's spy spoof had a relatively quiet start at the box office, but grew into a quote-torrent behemoth by the third. Still, without this first wellspring and its high hit-rate of gags, none of that would be possible. Myers is back in multi-role mode, playing Austin and Dr. Evil this time (more would follow), and was ably supported by the likes of Seth Green, Michael York and Robert Wagner. The task at hand is a gleeful undermining of the staple clichés of spy culture — the cliffhanger escape sequences, the nutty global threat, the gadgets and gimmickry all brought down to size.

Read Empire's Austin Powers review here

28. Four Weddings And A Funeral

We all have that friend who, try as we might to set them up, remains single. In Mike Newell ’s classic of the genre, Hugh Grant ’s Charles is that friend. Over the course of four weddings, and – yes – a funeral, fate intervenes as he keeps bumping (or bumbling) into Andie MacDowell . This is Richard Curtis at his absolute best, perfectly managing a blend of sweet sentimentality and precision-targeted laughs, all brought together by a cast of brilliantly memorable characters. An awfully British conglomeration of laughter, love and tears, Four Weddings also taught us the importance of setting that crucial alarm clock.

Read Empire's Four Weddings And A Funeral review here

27. Trading Places

Few films tackle the go-go eighies with as much delicious wit as John Landis ' Trading Places . The decade of excess is riotously skewered in a Mark Twain-inspired fable that sees Eddie Murphy 's homeless hustler unwittingly swap lives with Dan Aykroyd 's snooty commodities trader — all in service to a far-fetched wager. It's a smart examination of rich and poor from a time when the gap was widening, and it's hilarious to boot. As a bonus, it also boasts one of the best looks-to-camera in cinema history.

Read Empire's Trading Places review here

26. The Producers

Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder collaborate for the first time and immediately prove themselves a classic pairing - although Zero Mostel is also key to this film’s success. It’s the story of unscrupulous theatricals who bet the house on a new musical being a disaster, only to unwittingly create an hilarious success. The set piece show tune 'Springtime For Hitler', complete with dancing Nazis, is justly famous. But scenes of Wilder losing his shit in that inimitable way are also amply represented. Never take away his blue blankie.

Read Empire's The Producers review here

25. Anchorman

It really shouldn't work. On paper, Adam McKay and Will Ferrell's rambling, surreal and dementedly illogical film doesn't sound like it should have such a consistently high hit rate for its gags, but astute work on both sides of the camera see to that. So much footage was shot that an entire (funny) bonus film was created from alternate scenes and discarded subplots, handily released as Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie , and what was winnowed to appear in the main film is barmily brilliant. Though it may not have made a huge impact at the box office, some films are destined to grow from humble beginnings into cult behemoths. Never seen it? Resisted watching it because you were worried it wouldn't live up to the hype? We invite you to the pants party. The party… with the pants.

Read Empire's Anchorman review here

24. Team America: World Police

One of the most deliberately offensive movies of the modern age, South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone simultaneously lampoon US foreign policy, Michael Bay action movies and liberal Hollywood stars in one combustible satire. Though it's hard to credit the movie with any form of subtlety, there are brilliant moments (such as the hammer suicide gag or the utter destruction of Paris) and the decision to use marionette puppets is a masterstroke which allows the filmmakers to get away with any amount of ludicrousness. From Alec Baldwin to Kim Jong Il to Michael Moore, nobody is safe from Parker and Stone's wrath, while all your cherished Thunderbirds memories will be soiled forever after seeing these puppets swear, puke and – yes, they went there – having sex. Despite not having any genitalia.

Read Empire's Team America review here

23. ¡Three Amigos!

The sound of inflated egos whistling as the air quickly escapes permeates this memorable comedy, which showcases Steve Martin , Chevy Chase and Martin Short . It might be set in 1916 during the reign of silent movies, but ¡Three Amigos! skewering actorly attitudes works perfectly in the star-driven eighties as three faux gunslingers are called upon to save a small Mexican village from bandits, but misunderstand it as a request for them to perform. Physical gags (that salute!) sit comfortably alongside verbal sparring, while the three leads mesh brilliantly. And earn ten trivia points from the Burning Bush if you knew that this film was co-written by composer Randy Newman.

Read Empire's ¡Three Amigos! review here

22. Modern Times

Prison riots, factory shenanigans and blindfold rollerskating pile up in Chaplin 's uproarious classic, in which he plays an assembly line worker left behind by progress. Part of his later period, when he was still doggedly ignoring the advent of sound, it was something of a comeback after a few years of relative inactivity, but showed he'd lost nothing. In fact, he'd gained some bite: critics have interpreted the film as a satire on industry in general and Hollywood specifically. But at its core it's still the tramp vs. the system. Twas ever thus.

Read Empire's Modern Times review here

21. Coming To America

Eddie Murphy's second collaboration with John Landis after Trading Places , Coming To America is a masterclass in well-executed laughs. The premise – African prince arrives in New York to look for a wife who wasn't chosen or subservient and deals with some big culture clashes – offered real promise, which the star ran with. Motormouth Murphy is, of course, perfectly cast as the prince (as well as hilariously-drawn minor roles), whilst Arsenio Hall does a superb job as his wing-man and James Earl Jones brings some meat to the jilted father role.

Read Empire's Coming To America review here

20. Withnail & I

Endlessly quotable, and the focus of many a drinking game, Withnail & I is both farcical and moving in its depiction of the end of the sixties, and of the friendship between its two leads. It's one of those films that's so good, it's almost an albatross around the necks of its cast and crew. Writer/director Bruce Robinson has struggled to repeat its scurrilous success and Richard E. Grant will be forever associated with demanding to have some booze, going on holiday by mistake, and wanting to fork things. Still, how better to be remembered than as part of one of the most intelligent, literate, and fundamentally funny British comedies of all time?

Read Empire's Withnail & I review here

19. Annie Hall

The dividing line between Woody Allen 's "early, funny™" films and whatever you want to call what came after, Annie Hall saw the nebbish auteur aiming for greater profundity than in the likes of Take The Money And Run and Bananas . That's not to say there aren't still abundant laughs, but there was now also wistful romance in the relationship between Diane Keaton 's Annie and Allen's Alvie, and the beginnings of the love affair with New York that Allen would expand into Manhattan . Allen's preferred title was Anhedonia , which is the inability to experience pleasure from things usually considered enjoyable. His co-writer Marshall Brickman's suggestions meanwhile, apparently included It Had To Be Jew and Me And My Goy .

Read Empire's Annie Hall review here

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18. Beverly Hills Cop

The film that turned Eddie Murphy from stand-up and Saturday Night Live regular to superstar. After his childhood buddy is murdered while visiting Detroit, rebellious cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) follows the leads to Beverly Hills, California, under the auspices of a vacation. He checks in with old friend Jenny Summers (Lisa Eilbacher) and starts to believe her boss, art dealer Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff), might somehow be involved in the murder. Now if only he could get the authorities to A) believe in his task and B) back his unusual, wise-cracking, banana-in-tail-pipe attitude to police work. And let's not forget the instant classic theme Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer.

Read Empire's Beverly Hills Cop review here

17. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Bringing the second of his three popular personalities from Da Ali G Show to the big screen, opinion-splitting comedian Sacha Baron Cohen scored a hugely-successful mega-hit with this lengthily-titled opus. Having learned a few lessons from Ali G InDaHouse , Cohen wisely returns to interacting with real people who are unaware they're talking to a film character, with the semi-improvised style both revealing the hidden side of the American mindset and yielding hilariously discomforting moments. The movie's instant impact was such that when it was first released you couldn't turn round without hearing "Niiice!" or "Hiiigh five!".

Read Empire's Borat review here

16. Bridesmaids

You know that best friend you’ve had since playschool who will never, ever leave your side? Bridesmaids deals with the fallout of what happens when your BFF finds the love of her life. Aside from girly fallouts (and excess body fluids), Paul Feig ’s film boasts a very sweet love story between Kristen Wiig 's failed baker and Chris O’Dowd ’s police officer. A relationship based on cake is one we can all invest in.

Read Empire's Bridesmaids review here

15. The Apartment

Billy Wilder at the height of his powers. He crams real heart and heavyweight topics into what could otherwise have been a fluffy, flirty, sometimes farcical comedy. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine spar and yearn, and it boasts one of the best scripts of any on this list thanks to Wilder and regular collaborator I.A.L. Diamond, who between them rarely found a genre they couldn’t crack.

Read Empire's The Apartment review here

14. Blazing Saddles

It starts with the sight of a chain gang singing Cole Porter, and ends with its heroes watching themselves in the cinema. In between, Blazing Saddles manages to be both crazily scattershot and impressively focused, madly meta but also sweetly traditional. The sheer volume of jokes thrown out onto the prairie of Mel Brooks' comedy western is immense, but it never forgets its story – black sheriff helps white town defeat the railroad – and actually has thoughtful things to say about the genre's inherent racism, if you care to look beyond the farting. It also gets better and better the more Westerns you watch. Richard Pryor was one of the co-writers, choosing to get the train rather than fly from New York to LA for the production, since it allowed for more drinking time. Gotta have priorities.

Read Empire's Blazing Saddles review here

13. Hot Fuzz

The middle plank of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's Cornetto Trilogy has its eye on the outlandish set pieces of the action genre. Setting the movie in the quaint country town of Sanford (where the big finale takes place in a model village), Hot Fuzz spoofs but also celebrates the likes of Point Break and Bad Boys . Pegg and Frost remain a winning duo and the supporting cast boast a bunch of reliable character types and a few acting legends, including Paddy Considine, Olivia Colman, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Billie Whitelaw and Timothy "The Dalt" Dalton. Okay, no one calls him that, but we like it.

Read Empire's Hot Fuzz review here

12. The Blues Brothers

Whether you come for the jokes and stay for the music or vice versa, this offers the best of both worlds. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd are the titular musical siblings (adoptive), on a mission from God to save an orphanage. The pair had an easy chemistry that drives this film, neither wasting a word, but still able to raise a laugh with little more than the twitch of an eyebrow. Never before (or since) in human history has the quest to pay a tax bill resulted in so much vehicular carnage, so much damage to the Illinois Nazi cause, and so much great music.

Read Empire's The Blues Brothers review here

11. Dr Strangelove

Stanley Kubrick 's jet black comedy famously stars Peter Sellers playing three separate roles and wildly improvising in all of them. He's the buttoned-down British Group Captain Lionel Mandrake; the ineffectual US President Merkin Muffley; and the mechanically-armed cartoon ex-Nazi Dr Strangelove (real name "Merkwürdigliebe") who can't quite get out of the habit of calling the president "Mein Fuhrer". Sellers was also supposed to play Texan Air Force Major TJ "King" Kong, but injured himself and couldn't work in the fighter plane's cockpit (he was replaced by Slim Pickens). Devastatingly deadpan, this has the darkest of all imaginable endings, which is all the more impressive given that it originally climaxed with a pie fight. Kubrick, wisely, thunk again.

Read Empire's Dr. Strangelove review here

10. Monty Python And The Holy Grail

The first real film from the surrealist superstars of the Pythons, Holy Grail contains some of the most inspired writing ever committed to celluloid, with the team playing King Arthur and his loyal(ish) knights on a ragtag quest for the titular cup. Sure, the budget appears to have been about 50p, but that spurs the team to greater heights of fancy, substituting coconut halves for horses' hooves and using excellent inanity instead of epic scale. The jokes have spawned a billion student imitators, from claims that "it's just a flesh wound" to Gallic insults to knights who say "ni" and demand shrubberies to elaborate discursions on the appropriate base for a system of government. Worth it for the Trojan rabbit gag alone.

Read Empire's Monty Python And The Holy Grail review here

9. Airplane!

Zucker, Abrams and Zucker were ruthless with their magnum opus, playing numerous rough cuts of the film to college audiences and excising anything that didn't get a big laugh. The streamlined disaster movie riff that is left, then, is pure quadruple-distilled comedy, with a gag rate of about three hilarious jokes per minute and a perfect mix of surrealism, wit, parody and inspired physical comedy. It has inspired approximately a billion quotes and homages in the 30 years since it first hit screens and still hasn't ever been equalled by its many, many imitators. Looks like it paid off for the ZAZ team to kill so many of their babies – comedy like this is a seriously tough business.

Read Empire's Airplane! review here

8. Ghostbusters

Originally, the Peter Venkman role was written for John Belushi; the Rick Moranis part for John Candy. But having seen the greatest effects-comedy ever made, it's impossible to imagine anyone else doing such a good job as this cast – in particular Bill Murray's free-wheeling Venkman. And there are genuine scares in here to make the laughs all the louder by comparison (we defy you not to jump a little at the Library Ghost). The lead trio expertly mine every facet of the supernatural for possible laughs, from crooked researchers to gross-out slime ghosts and enormous inter-dimensional invasions. They even turned Sigourney Weaver into a terrifying beast, something even the Alien franchise never quite managed.

Read Empire's Ghostbusters review here

7. The General

Three steps to train-fight glory: first, witness the theft of your beloved train; next, give fanatical chase; finally, steal train back and steam home. Simple, right? Not so much. Put it this way: The Buster Keaton Train Timetable wouldn’t sell a single copy on this evidence. It’s pure narrow-gauge mayhem when Old Stone Face takes on a nefarious posse of Union spies who have stolen his locomotive. There are none of those traditional railway fistfights here, but there are sleepers on the line, a whopping great trench mortar and that climactic moment where an entire bridge collapses. It’s basically two trains rolling up their sleeves and beating lumps out of each other and it remains, 87 years later, utterly glorious cinema.

Read Empire's The General review here

6. The Big Lebowski

The Coen Brothers' version of a Raymond Chandler noir, The Big Lebowski sees Jeff Bridges as The Dude, drifting, Philip Marlowe-like, around and through the middle of a tortuous mystery with nebulous results. He stumbles onto kidnapping, embezzlement, nymphomaniacs and nihilists – And all he wanted was compensation for his rug. There's also, of course, plenty of time for bowling with crazed 'Nam vet John Goodman and simple Steve Buscemi , leading to some cherishable face-offs with John Turturro 's pink-clad, backwards-dancing, sex-offending Jesus Quintana. The bowling was important in suggesting an anachronistic time-period, Joel Coen explained. "It sent us back to a not-so-far-away era, but one that was nevertheless truly gone." The Big Lebowski is truly gone indeed.

Read Empire's The Big Lebowski review here

5. Life Of Brian

Hailed by many as the pinnacle of the Python troupe's work, Monty Python's Life Of Brian is a contender for the greatest comedy ever made. The film famously came into being when Eric Idle flippantly announced at a press conference that their next project would be called 'Jesus Christ: Lust For Glory'. Despite blasphemy allegations from the Catholic Church and funding issues (until Python fan George Harrison stumped up the cash simply because he wanted to see the movie), the Pythons pulled together an irreverent feast of clever allegory, sharp satire and in-depth discussions of Latin grammar as it applies to anti-Roman graffiti.

Read Empire's Life Of Brian review here

4. Some Like It Hot

Everybody knows that Marilyn Monroe was gorgeous, but people don't give her enough credit for her comedy chops – and they're brilliantly showcased here. Sure, she was a nightmare to work with on set, requiring scores of takes on the simplest lines, but director Billy Wilder persisted until he captured her unique lightning in a bottle. Not that this is a one-woman show. The male leads do the heavy lifting: Jack Lemmon was on top form, and Tony Curtis never funnier than here, playing two jazz musicians on the run from the mob and disguised as women in an all-girl band. Men in drag may be a cheap way to mine laughs, but this is the absolute pinnacle of the form, Wilder and his cast turning a cheap sex comedy into a fizzy, flawless farce.

Read Empire's Some Like It Hot review here

3. The Naked Gun

The sixth episode of Police Squad could have been the last we saw of Lieutenant Frank Drebin. Cancelled by ABC, reportedly over fears that it required the audience to pay too much attention, the show languished for six years before it was resurrected for this, the first of three films. As with Zucker-Abrams-Zucker's pervious Airplane! the biggest joke is the dead seriousness of Leslie Nielsen . Here, however, he's finally and gloriously centre stage, spouting ludicrous hard-boiled cop clichés as chaos reigns around him (much of it chaos of his own making). Props too, to George Kennedy and Priscilla Presley as, respectively, Drebin's long-suffering boss and newly put-upon love interest. These days though, it has to be said that the presence of O.J. Simpson as Nordberg feels distinctly awkward.

2. This Is Spinal Tap

If you're a fan of The Office (and, given that you're reading a feature about great comedy, chances are high), then you can thank Rob Reiner's inspirational mock-doc for the show. Based on Martin Scorsese 's The Last Waltz , Reiner's scarily plausible rockumentary is both a brilliant depiction of the music business and one of the best comedies ever to strut onto the big screen in tight leather pants and improbable hair. The fruit of hundreds of hours of footage with a large amount of improv, the authenticity on show is quite staggering, while the hit rate of the gags goes all the way up to eleven.

Read Empire's This Is Spinal Tap review here

1. Groundhog Day

A decade after Ghostbusters , Groundhog Day saw Harold Ramis and Bill Murray in more thoughtful form. Murray's cynical weatherman Phil Connors makes a Scrooge-like emotional journey from recluse to romantic, via a karmic time loop that sees him endlessly revisiting the same day until he gets it right. Murray's hangdog exasperation is a joy as always, but he's also revealed here as a surprisingly credible romantic lead. The specifics of what happens to him are never explained (some guff about a voodoo curse was thankfully dropped), and his time in limbo is up to individual interpretation: Ramis said it's anything from ten years to 10,000. Coincidentally, that's also the number of times you can watch the film without it getting old.

Read Empire's Groundhog Day review here

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The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films

Few experiences in this world are as universally delightful as settling in for a good comedy movie . From light-hearted family-friendly flicks to edgy satires, the charm of these films lies not just in their ability to make us laugh, but also in the way they help us navigate life's ups and downs with a grin. It's this undeniable appeal that has us combing through decades of cinematic brilliance to compile the best comedies of all time.

These aren't just good comedy movies; they're record-breakers, game-changers, and unparalleled classics across genres and eras. Bursting with wit, wisdom, and wild hilarity, each has garnered the nod of affirmation from critics and audiences alike. These are the films that have given us unforgettable characters, irresistible gags, and -- above all -- countless bouts of contagious laughter. Handpicked on the basis of critical acclaim, audience favorability, and enduring popularity, these films sit deservedly in our pantheon of Hollywood's top comedy movies of all time.

As you make your way down this list of cinematic gems, you'll find handy streaming buttons accompanying each title. Want to stream on Netflix or Amazon Prime? We've got you covered. More of a Hulu or Paramount+ fan? Don’t worry, you’ll find something funny there too. Or maybe your loyalties lie with Disney+ or HBO Max? We've included those as well. We've ensured the best comedy movies ever made are just a click away to watch on your next laugh-out-loud movie night.

Moreover, this isn't just a list; it's a conversation, a shared celebration of the funniest movies of all time . As you browse, we invite you to play an active role in shaping these rankings. If Superbad made you laugh harder than Dumb and Dumber , then vote it up. If you think Bridesmaids deserves to rank higher than Anchorman , don't hesitate to make your opinion count by voting up all your favorites. Here's to finding your next favorite comedy. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey through the greatest, most hilarious realms of storytelling ever put to film.

Blazing Saddles

Directed by Mel Brooks, this satirical Western is a comedic masterpiece that pokes fun at racism and Hollywood clichés. Starring Cleavon Little as a black sheriff appointed to protect a small town, and Gene Wilder as his unlikely sidekick, the film is filled with witty dialogue, slapstick humor, and unforgettable scenes. The irreverent nature and groundbreaking approach to comedy make Blazing Saddles a must-watch for fans of the genre.

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• # 133 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
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This iconic spoof of disaster films stars Robert Hays as a former pilot who must overcome his fear of flying to save a plane full of passengers. The film is packed with visual gags, puns, and absurd situations, creating a non-stop comedic experience. Airplane! 's unique blend of humor and satire has made it a beloved classic and a must-watch for fans of the genre.

• # 33 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
• # 100 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 59 of 149 on Movies That Should Never Be Remade

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

This absurdist comedy from the legendary British troupe, Monty Python, offers a hilarious take on the Arthurian legend. Filled with memorable characters, quotable dialogue, and surreal situations, the film remains a favorite among fans of the group's unique brand of humor. The Holy Grail 's irreverent approach to history and storytelling make it a timeless comedy classic.

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• # 93 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

This holiday classic features Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, a well-intentioned but bumbling father who tries to create the perfect Christmas for his family. As the Griswolds navigate through a series of comical mishaps and outrageous situations, viewers are treated to an unforgettable and hilarious adventure. The film is filled with memorable moments and has become a staple of the holiday season, making it a must-watch for anyone seeking laughter and warmth during the festive period.

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• # 25 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
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Trading Places

In this social satire, Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd star as two men from opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum who have their lives swapped by a pair of scheming millionaires. The film expertly blends humor and social commentary, making for a thought-provoking and hilarious experience. With standout performances from its leads and a clever script, Trading Places remains a comedy classic.

• # 29 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked
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The Princess Bride

This fairy tale comedy, directed by Rob Reiner, tells the story of a young woman, Buttercup, and her true love, Westley, as they embark on a quest filled with humor, adventure, and romance. With an unforgettable cast of characters, including the witty swordsman, Inigo Montoya, and the hilarious giant, Fezzik, The Princess Bride is a delightful mix of satire, wit, and charm. The film's timeless appeal and quotable dialogue make it a must-watch for all ages.

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• # 13 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked

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98 Best Comedy Movies Of All Time Ranked

It's a universal experience and one of the best and most physically and psychologically necessary things in life — to laugh, that is. And that's why comedies are so important. 

One of the core and most popular genres of film, comedy has been a consistently popular movie format since the birth of the cinema. And all kinds of comedic subgenres have developed over the years, like the road trip comedy, fish-out-of-water comedy, horror comedy, the rom-com, and more. Some of the greatest movies ever produced were seemingly designed to be great works of art second and invitations to the audience to let loose and laugh first. Here then are the 98 movies, stretching back to Hollywood's early years and all the way up to the near-present, that are not only hilarious but are also fantastic films. 

Updated on April 3, 2023 : In no particular order, these are the best comedy movies ever made.

98. Major League

At the time that "Major League" hit theaters, the Cleveland Indians were the perpetually losing laughingstock of the baseball world. It was unthinkable that they could ever be a champion, even in fiction. And so, when former Las Vegas dancer Rachel Phelps inherits the team from her wealthy, deceased husband, she zeroes in on a contract clause that says she can move the team to sunny Miami if attendance falters. To do so would mean the team would have to finish dead last, so she hires someone she thinks is a bad manager and a bunch of unruly, untalented players — a motley crew of has-beens and never-will-bes. But when the ballplayers learn of their owner's nasty plan, they're inspired to play hard and win, and they just keep winning, thanks in big part to the pitching theatrics of Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn.

• Starring: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen
• Director: David S. Ward
• Runtime: 107 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%

97. School of Rock

In "School of Rock," Jack Black presents himself as a swaggering rock idol, both in public and as half of the comical, acoustic-metal band Tenacious D. That makes the role of Dewey Finn — a broke, wannabe musician turned private school teacher — the one he was destined to play. Dewey totally doesn't care about his new gig (in fact, he's impersonating his best friend — an actual teacher) until he learns his students are all pretty gifted musically. He then decides to form and front an all-kid rock group and enter them in a Battle of the Bands contest in order to defeat and show up No Vacancy, his old group that threw him out. It's a journey of redemption for Dewey, one of building self-confidence for the kids, and of course, lots of pint-size rocking out and Jack Black belting out tunes like a '70s arena rocker. The hit movie was the veritable launching point for the careers of many of the cast members .

• Starring:  Jack Black , Joan Cusack, Mike White
• Director:  Richard Linklater
• Year:  2003
• Runtime:  108 minutes
• Rating:  PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  92%

By the early 1980s, women had made great strides into the American corporate workforce, but they were still treated with disdain and disrespect by old-school chauvinists. In the surprisingly light-hearted working-woman revenge comedy "9 to 5," three administrative assistants can no longer take the sneering, leering, groping, and unprofessionalism from their bosses, and they conspire to make their violent fantasies come true — kidnapping him, roughing him up, and uncovering his embezzlement scheme. Things get wildly out of hand, but the ordeal ultimately becomes inspiring and somehow good for the careers of the three instigators.

• Starring: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton
• Director: Colin Higgins
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

95. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

After a slew of heavy-handed musician biopics like "Ray" and "Walk the Line" grabbed a ton of Oscars in the early 2000s, the way-too-serious sub-genre needed to get taken down a peg. "Walk Hard" viciously parodies all those movies to tell the story of fictional rock star Dewey Cox. He becomes the biggest and most important musician in the world but not before ridiculously suffering the pitfalls of a rock star biopic protagonist. He's haunted by accidentally cutting his brother in half as a boy (with his father constantly telling him "the wrong son died"), he's cursed to live without a sense of smell, and he tears up a bathroom simply because he's going through an explicitly stated dark period. All the while, through his Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, and Glen Campbell phases, John C. Reilly plays it straight as a naive innocent torn asunder by fame and art.

• Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Kristen Wiig
• Director: Jake Kasdan
• Runtime: 96 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%

94. Pootie Tang

"Pootie Tang" utterly baffled critics, but it's dazzling in its high-wire walk of a commitment to its ambitious premise. Based on a character from HBO's "The Chris Rock Show," "Pootie Tang" consists mostly of a film-within-a-film called "Sine Your Pitty on the Runny Kine," reflecting the bold and unflinchingly nonsensical speech patterns of the main character. That would be Pootie Tang, the coolest man to ever walk the Earth. After his father is mortally wounded by a gorilla at the steel mill, he gives his son, Pootie, his supposedly magical belt, which he uses to defeat doers of big evil and small sins. He becomes a pop star, celebrity, and through his kid-focused public service announcements, makes the nation full of bright and healthy people. Dick Lecter, CEO of industrial giant LecterCorp, wants to put a stop to Pootie Tang's good deeds because it's losing him money. All the while, Pootie never utters a single understandable word.

• Starring: Lance Crouther, Chris Rock, J.B. Smoove
• Director: Louis C.K.
• Runtime: 81 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 27%

93. A Fish Called Wanda

Comedies don't usually garner much attention from the Academy Awards, but the witty, unpredictable, classy "A Fish Called Wanda" did, winning a statuette for actor Kevin Kline and nominations for its director and screenplay, co-written by co-star John Cleese of Monty Python. The presence of that famous sketch troupe is all over the movie. For example, Monty Python member Michael Palin co-stars as a British gangster's incompetent, fish-loving, stammering assistant, who gets the farcical nonsense going when he hires American criminals Wanda and Otto to help in a big diamond heist. It all goes wrong, and then everybody attempts, poorly, to double-cross each other or eliminate witnesses.

• Starring:  John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline
• Director:  Charles Crichton and John Cleese
• Year:  1988
• Runtime:  107 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  95%

92. Girls Trip

Four women have managed to stay friends since college despite disparate life paths. Ryan is an Oprah-esque lifestyle guru, Sasha runs a failing gossip blog, Lisa is a nurse and single mother who doesn't get out much, and Dina is hot-tempered party fiend who can't keep a job for long. Before they can drift apart any further, the "Flossy Posse" decides to embark on a mini-vacation together, or rather a "Girls Trip," attending the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, where Ryan is the keynote attraction. Some traumatic news draws the group closer together, and New Orleans' many opportunities to get wild are too good of an opportunity to pass up — and the source of a lot of comic hijinks.

• Starring:  Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish
• Director:  Malcolm D. Lee
• Year:  2017
• Runtime:  122 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  91%

91. The Big Lebowski

"The Big Lebowski" is one of the most vaunted cult classics and stoner comedies of all time, but it's also a movie about heists, rich people, bowling, and artists. Ultra-chill Jeff "the Dude" Lebowski is content to just hang around his L.A. apartment drinking White Russians and then join his friends Walter and Donnie for some bowling. Then some kidnappers get him confused with a millionaire named Jeff Lebowski, and he has to deliver a ransom to the weird criminals who kidnapped that other Lebowski's wife ... and maybe get back the area rug they stole because it "really tied the room together." The Dude's hostile and overconfident bowling pal Donnie devises a scheme by which they could keep that money, but that doesn't go right either. An artist and a bowling-themed dream sequence also impact the Dude, resulting in a truly crazy comedy, but that's just, like, our opinion, man.

• Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore
• Directors: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
• Runtime: 117 minutes

90. Stir Crazy

The unlikely comedy team of Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder represented two of the best comic voices of the '70s joining forces — the former a caustic, revolutionary, deeply charismatic stand-up comedian and the latter the subtle and wily star of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "Blazing Saddles." Of the four films they made together, the blockbuster hit "Stir Crazy" is the best, a wacky farce set in an unlikely place: prison. Jobless New York theater people and best friends Harry (Pryor) and Skip (Wilder) head west and wind up working for an Arizona bank, dressed in woodpecker costumes for a publicity bit. And through a series of unlikely twists, they wind up imprisoned for robbing that very bank. At that point, the plot shifts to how they'll get out of prison in the best way possible — succeeding in the prison rodeo.

• Starring: Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, Greg Stanford Brown
• Director: Sidney Poitier
• Runtime: 111 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 67%

89. They Came Together

A decade after making the camp movie turned collection of chaotic absurdities that is "Wet Hot American Summer," the writers of that film — and a lot of its cast — reconvened to send up the strict and artificial tropes of fluffy romantic comedies. Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd, as will-they-or-won't-they-of-course-they-will couple Molly and Joel hate each other at first but come to fall in love, even though she's free-spirited and whimsical and runs an adorable candy story where everything is free, and he works for Candy Systems and Research, which aims to put Molly out of business. Like "Wet Hot American Summer," the silliness is open and presented as faux-seriously as possible, like when Joel engages in a repetitive drinking game of "you can say that again" and "tell me about it" for so long that it stops being funny and then gets funny again.

• Starring:  Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader
• Director:  David Wain
• Year:  2014
• Runtime:  83 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  69%

88. Sister Act

This crowd-pleasing comedy from the early '90s has something for everyone — the Mafia, broad comedy, the woman who played Professor McGonagall in "Harry Potter" portraying a nun (that's Maggie Smith), show-stopping gospel-style musical performances, and of course, Whoopi Goldberg as a phony woman of God. Goldberg stars as Deloris, stuck in a dead-end job as a Reno nightclub singer and engaged in an affair with a local mob boss. After she witnesses a gang hit, she seeks out the police's help in hiding her, and she finds a very concealing place: a convent. Deloris fakes her nun credentials and gets a job turning around the convent's terrible choir, and she does such a good job that she gets a lot of attention from the outside world — so much that it could expose her whereabouts.

• Starring:  Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Harvey Keitel
• Director:  Emile Ardolino
• Year:  1992
• Runtime:  100 minutes
• Rating:  PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  74%

87. Mean Girls

In the '80s, teen movies were of the John Hughes variety, all sensitive and empathetic. In the '90s, they were about cool and popular kids. In the 2000s, with "Mean Girls," films about teenagers suddenly became as funny, complicated, and nasty as making one's way through high school. Former child star Lindsay Lohan transitioned into adult roles in this witty, satirical teen movie classic (written by "SNL" and "30 Rock" veteran Tina Fey) playing Cady, a naive student who grew up in rural Africa and who attends her first formal learning institution — a large, clique-driven American high school. She falls in with the hilariously cruel and self-absorbed popular crew, the A-Team, and after becoming just as awful and vapid as her mentor, Regina George, she endeavors to take down her frenemy — and the entire toxic social structure — from the inside.

• Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey
• Director: Mark Waters
• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

86. Stripes

In "Stripes," Bill Murray hit on the persona that would propel him through many movies and make him a star — the wisecracking, mischievous, smartest guy in the room. Murray plays John Winger and Harold Ramis plays his best friend, Russell, two lazy guys whose lives are going nowhere fast who decide to enlist in the Army. At the very least, it'll be a break from the ordinary, and basic training will get them in shape. Problems first ensue when John can't stop mouthing off to his drill sergeant, and they get worse when their whole platoon gets sent on a faraway mission well before they're ready, and then their commanding officers get stuck behind enemy lines. It's up to the group of barely trained, barely competent recruits, led by John and Russell, to get their superiors to safety.

• Starring:  Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, John Candy
• Director:  Ivan Reitman
• Year:  1981
• Runtime:  105 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  88%

85. Galaxy Quest

"Galaxy Quest" is a science fiction comedy with an appealing and novel concept. Reduced to appearing at low-rent sci-fi conventions for shrinking crowds of hardcore fans, the cast members of an influential but canceled "Star Trek"-like series called "Galaxy Quest" feel like failures and losers, hopelessly typecast and unable to get any fulfilling acting work. They find the redemption they need — or at least something to do — when representatives of an alien race approach them and beg for their help in defeating an interstellar warlord threatening life on their planet. The reason they've been picked? "Galaxy Quest" episodes have traveled through space and reached the aliens, and they think they're real-life astronauts and planet defenders.

• Starring:  Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman
• Director:  Dean Parisot
• Year:  1999
• Runtime:  104 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  90%

84. Being John Malkovich

Only the brain of Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") could have conceived of "Being John Malkovich" — a dark, surreal, mind-bending psychological comedy that takes the ancient art of puppetry to absurd, unthought of heights while commenting about the toxicity of celebrity. In order to make some much-needed money, avant-garde street puppeteer Craig takes an office job in a New York building with curiously low ceilings, and it's here he discovers a magical portal that allows all who enter to occupy the brain of intense character actor John Malkovich for 15 minutes. It only gets weirder from there.

• Starring:  John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, John Malkovich
• Director:  Spike Jonze
• Runtime:  112 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  94%

83. When Harry Met Sally...

As it checks in on the evolving relationship between two New Yorkers — cocky Harry and complicated Sally — over the span of more than a decade, "When Harry Met Sally..." explores its stated thesis: Can a heterosexual man and a woman be friends without sex or romance ever rearing their heads? Because this is an archetypal romantic comedy, the answer is no because Harry and Sally go from hating each other to best friends consoling one another after breakups to not being able to live without each other.

• Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher
• Director: Rob Reiner
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

82. Raising Arizona

This hard-to-pigeonhole 1987 comedy showed that rising indie (in production and approach) filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen could make funny movies as well as they could dramas — but with their own unique spin. Nicolas Cage plays H.I., a small-time repeat offender living in Arizona who hits it off with the booking officer, Ed, so well that they marry. Unfortunately, they're unable to naturally conceive the child they so desperately want, but a solution manifests itself. A sleazy local furniture tycoon and his wife welcome quintuplets, so H.I. kidnaps one of them. It's the most serious crime he's ever committed and one he's likely to pay for too, what with the bounty-hunting "Lone Biker of the Apocalypse" hot on his tail.

• Starring:  Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman
• Director:  Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
• Year:  1987
• Runtime:  93 minutes

81. House Party

In comedy movies with high stakes — like pulling off some seemingly impossible feat in a short period of time — there's an urgency that leads to palpable comic tension ... which pays off and releases when carefully laid plans slowly fall apart (but satisfyingly right themselves by the end of the movie). This is the wild and engaging trajectory of "House Party," a low-key film about the rage of the year. Rappers Kid n' Play portray teenage versions of themselves, and when Play throws a party, Kid endeavors to sneak out, as he's been grounded by his humorously overbearing father after fighting at school. Many other plot lines converge at the party, including Kid's bullies making a return appearance, a mysteriously broken toilet, Kid n' Play trying to romance their crushes, and the amusingly precise and awkward DJ Bilal, portrayed by comic Martin Lawrence in a breakout, scene-stealing role.

• Starring: Christopher Reid, Christopher Martin, Martin Lawrence
• Director: Reginald Hudlin
• Runtime: 100 minutes

80. Beetlejuice

Everything is fine and dandy for young New England couple Adam and Barbara at the beginning of "Beetlejuice," one of the first features by innovative, horror-comedy master Tim Burton. Then one day, they crash their car into a river and walk home, except things aren't quite right. In fact, they're actually dead — ghosts haunting their own home. So when a couple of intolerable yuppies buy their stately house, the spectral couple seek out the help of the ghost realm, particularly the charismatic, menacing, shape-shifting, joke-cracking monster Beetlejuice to scare the new tenants away. But that Beetlejuice, he goes a little too far, and then Adam and Barbara have to save the buyers from his clutches because they're particularly fond of their misunderstood teenage goth daughter who just totally gets them, as they're ghosts.

• Starring:  Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin
• Director:  Tim Burton
• Runtime:  92 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  85%

79. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle

There's one particular comedy sub-genre that took hold in the late 20th century that remains a crowd-pleaser: the stoner comedy. The laughs come quickly and often in movies where the main characters are categorically heavy-eyed, slow-moving, and inebriated. "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" goes all in on the form pioneered in the '70s by Cheech and Chong, with John Cho and Kal Penn's characters getting so deep into a marijuana haze that they get "the munchies" and only the onion-soaked tiny burgers of a certain fast food joint will do. It's supposed to be a simple trip, but it turns into an epic, surreal, and even hallucinatory road movie involving an obnoxious Neil Patrick Harris, creepy truck drivers, and other unpredictable diversions.

• Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Neil Patrick Harris
• Director: Danny Leiner
• Runtime: 88 minutes

78. The Blues Brothers

"The Blues Brothers" is the first "Saturday Night Live" spinoff movie, built around characters played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd — two stone-faced white men in matching suits, hats, and sunglasses, singing faithful, respectful covers of old soul and R&B standards. That straightforward and corny routine expanded into a movie with an anti-establishment attitude and the mischievous spirit of "SNL," setting the tone for '80s mainstream comedy films. As for the plot, Jake Blues (Belushi) gets out of prison and reunites with brother, Elwood Blues (Aykroyd), and they go about reuniting their band to raise money to save the orphanage where they grew up. With many enemies in pursuit (and lots of car crashes along the way), the Blues Brothers reconnect with absolute legends, including Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.

• Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy
• Director: John Landis
• Runtime: 133 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%

77. Palm Springs

Sure, the idea of a character caught in a time loop, living the same day endlessly until they learn some kind of mysterious lesson, has been done before, most notably in "Groundhog Day." But "Palm Springs" turns the concept into a sci-fi rom-com and wonders if a life lived without consequences, such as it is for Nyles — stuck at a destination wedding for who knows how long — is even worth living at all. The situation improves somewhat when he meets Sarah, the sister of the bride, and he falls in love with her after engaging in hundreds of wacky and reckless adventures after he accidentally draws her into the time loop. However, Sarah isn't content to just accept the situation, and she'll be the one who dedicates herself to the risky pursuit of breaking free of their time prison.

• Starring: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons
• Director: Max Barbakow
• Runtime: 90 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

76. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

It's a conman contest in the picturesque French Riviera. In this clever, elegant, twisty comedy, upper-crust Englishman Lawrence Jamieson makes a nice living bilking wealthy female vacationers out of huge sums of money by pretending to be a deposed prince. His path crosses with that of small-time American swindler Freddy Benson, who seemingly scores just a few bucks at a time but who Jamieson is convinced is "the Jackal," a mysterious scammer making their way through Europe. Jamieson and Freddy clash, then make a deal: Whoever can juice a shared mark out of $50,000 will get the Riviera as their territory, while the other has to leave the resort area. Their target? Newly arrived American klutz and soap company heir Janet Colgate ... who might not be as naive as she seems.

• Starring:  Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly
• Director:  Frank Oz
• Runtime:  110 minutes

75. Sausage Party

"Sausage Party" is like "Toy Story" but with CGI sentient food in a grocery store instead of a child's playthings. It's also extremely crude, jaw-droppingly sexually graphic, and existential. It centers on a hot dog named Frank who desperately wants to couple up with a bun named Brenda, but he also wants to leave the supermarket with a human and enter "The Great Beyond." But then a jar of honey mustard is returned to the store and exposes the truth about the assumed food heaven — it's not real because humans just eat and kill all the food they purchase. It's up to Frank and Brenda to wake up their fellow talking food to their true, dark destiny — or at least get everyone to accept their fate and engage in an end-of-the-world bacchanal of pleasure.

• Starring:  Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera
• Directors:  Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon
• Year:  2016
• Runtime:  89 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  82%

A few years after Ice Cube wrote and recorded the rap classic "It Was a Good Day," in which everything goes right in his rough Los Angeles neighborhood for once, the musician co-wrote and starred in "Friday," an alternate take on the one-day-in-the-neighborhood formula. Only this time, a lot goes terribly wrong but in a funny way. Ice Cube plays 20-something Craig, and as his marijuana-loving best friend Smokey keeps reminding him, it's Friday and he doesn't have a lot to do on account of how he got fired from his job on Thursday. But there are a lot of fires to put out for Craig, like Smokey's angry drug dealer who wants the money he's owed or else, a fearsome neighborhood bully, and a jilted ex-girlfriend.

• Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long
• Director: F. Gary Gray
• Runtime: 91 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%

The comedy stylings of "Weird Al" Yankovic were just too big and silly to be confined to song parodies. And so in 1989, after becoming a household name with Michael Jackson parodies like "Eat It" and "Fat," he co-wrote and starred in his first feature film, a rollicking and silly lark about George Newman, a guy who takes over his uncle's low-rent, little-watched UHF station. George is a daydreamer and prone to flights of fancy, both in his own head and with his media outlet, so "UHF" is pretty much an excuse for elaborate dream sequences and strange TV show parodies, including "Conan the Librarian," "Uncle Nutsy's Clubhouse," and "Wheel of Fish."

• Starring:  "Weird Al" Yankovic, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy
• Director:  Jay Levey
• Year:  97 minutes
• Runtime:  97 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  61%

72. Super Troopers

Never before — and not to this degree since — had police officers been portrayed on-screen as wacky, degenerate goofballs who don't take their duties to protect and to serve remotely seriously. The Broken Lizard troupe made and starred in "Super Troopers," a comedy about Vermont state troopers who drive around all day, relentlessly messing with young miscreants, pranking each other, engaging in syrup-chugging contests, and arguing over who has the best mustache. This idyllic bubble of self-absorption is shattered when the troopers' station faces closure and they have to bust a drug smuggling operation. Ignore the bad Rotten Tomatoes Score because this cult classic is an absolute gem.

• Starring:  Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Brian Cox
• Director:  Jay Chandrasekhar
• Year:  2001
• Runtime:  103 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  35%

71. Some Like It Hot

Depression-adjacent America, two broke guys dressing as women, and a Chicago gangland murder doesn't sound like the most appealing comedy for present-day audiences, but "Some Like It Hot" remains a highly regarded classic, topping the American Film Institute's top comedies list more than 50 years after its release. 

After jazz musicians and best friends Jerry and Joe witness a Mob-affiliated bootlegger carry out a murder, they've got to get out of town and go on the lam, taking jobs with a Miami resort's in-house band. The one sticking point is that it's an all-female band, so Jerry and Joe put on wigs, makeup, and dresses and become "Daphne" and "Josephine." Once ensconced in the band, they've now got to effectively pretend to be women while Joe falls hard for the group's singer, Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, and Jerry must deal with Osgood, an amorous new suitor.

• Starring:  Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis
• Director:  Billy Wilder
• Year:  1959
• Runtime:  120 minutes
• Rating:  NR

70. Caddyshack

"Caddyshack" is loose on plot but big on laughs. There's a through line involving a golf tournament for country club caddies to win a life-changing amount of the money, but the meandering script only occasionally pursues that. Befitting its cast of "Saturday Night Live" veterans, sitcom performers, and stand-ups, "Caddyshack" plays like a series of related sketches and character pieces that revolve around a golf course. There's Ted Knight from "The Mary Tyler Moore" show as an apoplectic judge who just wants to golf in peace, Rodney Dangerfield as an obnoxious rich guy prone to partying on the greens, Chevy Chase as a smug and womanizing golf pro, and Bill Murray as a deranged groundskeeper waging war with mischievous gopher.

• Starring:  Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield
• Director:  Harold Ramis
• Year:  1980
• Runtime:  98 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  73%

69. Legally Blonde

Released in 2001, "Legally Blonde" pushed back on the '90s notion that cynicism equated intelligence and upbeat was synonymous with stupid. This is a feel-good, inspiring, fish-out-of-water, don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover kind of comedy. Elle Woods (in a star-making performance by Reese Witherspoon) is by all appearances a stereotypical airhead sorority girl. But when her smug boyfriend dumps her when he gets into Harvard Law School, she endeavors to go there too, quipping in confident defiance, "What, like it's hard?" She injects some happiness into the staid and stuffy law school, and in the process, she finds her calling.

• Starring:  Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair
• Director:  Robert Luketic
• Runtime:  96 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  70%

68. Coming to America

The day-to-day quirks of American life don't seem like quirks to Americans who've lived in the U.S. their entire lives. But the ins and outs of America seem positively random, weird, and hilarious when viewed through the eyes of a curious, appreciative, and celebratory character who's never visited the country before — like Prince Akeem, the successor to the throne of Zamunda. Rather than marry the bride selected for him by his parents, he travels to New York in hopes of meeting his one true love. Keeping his identity secret, he gets a low-paying job at a McDonald's clone and falls hard for the boss's daughter. Akeem reels as he experiences America and Americans close-up — many of whom are played very broadly by Eddie Murphy and under many layers of makeup.

• Starring:  Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, John Amos
• Director:  John Landis
• Runtime:  116 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  72%

67. Withnail and I

This beloved, British cult classic heralded the arrival of widely hailed character actor Richard E. Grant, who plays the vivacious Withnail, alongside Paul McGann as the co-protagonist known only as "I." It's 1969, and the two share a squalid apartment in London, the perfect place to hang out, drink, smoke, and do drugs. When they need a respite from the drudgery of life, they head to the English countryside, to the cottage of Withnail's Uncle Monty, a leering creep who makes "I" very uncomfortable, almost as uncomfortable as country folk make Withnail.

• Starring: Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths
• Director: Bruce Robinson
• Runtime: 102 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

66. Ed Wood

Biopics don't always have to be serious, sedate affairs that gaze in loving awe at their subjects. They can also be very funny, should the life of the profiled figure warrant it. And Tim Burton was completely justified in presenting "Ed Wood" as a comedy — a stylish, beautifully shot film that looks like it came from the middle of the 20th century, when most of the film takes place — but a comedy nonetheless. Ed Wood was a filmmaker who didn't have a lot of skill or talent but made up for it in enthusiasm and delusion. And Burton's biopic takes a long look at Wood's production of "Plan 9 from Outer Space," widely regarded as the worst movie of all time for its bad acting and inept directing which the titular filmmaker ebulliently considered "perfect!"

• Starring:  Johnny Depp , Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker
• Year:  1994
• Runtime:  124 minutes

65. Dumb and Dumber

Harry and Lloyd are probably the two dumbest guys in Rhode Island, and they're the last people who should come into possession of a bag of ransom money intended for some violent criminals. And so, they set out to deliver it to the woman who Lloyd thinks left it behind by accident, Mary Swanson, his dream woman. They drive their mobile dog grooming van (dressed up to look like a dog) all the way to Colorado and engage in some silly misadventures along the way, like sharing the most annoying sound in the world, destroying a toilet, and accidentally feeding rat poison to a hitman.

• Starring:  Jim Carrey , Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly
• Directors:  Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  68%

64. National Lampoon's Animal House

Produced under the eye of the aggressively button-pushing and sometimes filthy humor magazine "National Lampoon," "Animal House" established some new cinematic concepts, such as a the wild, R-rated college comedy and the "snobs vs. slobs" concept that would pop up in comic films throughout the '80s. It's set in the early 1960s on the campus of Faber College, where the Delta Tau Chi fraternity house is so libidinous and booze-soaked that it will admit almost anyone willing to help them throw legendary parties and play elaborate campus pranks. This earns them the ire of the dean, Vernon Wormer, who puts the frat on "double secret probation" and enlists a snooty rich kid fraternity to help eliminate Delta House ... which won't go down without an outrageous fight.

• Starring:  Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, John Belushi
• Year:  1978
• Runtime:  109 minutes

63. Dazed and Confused

Set in 1976, "Dazed and Confused" takes place within 24 hours, following a group of students in Austin, Texas, as they celebrate after the last day of school. A large ensemble comedy, the film follows reluctant football star Randall "Pink" Floyd as he debates whether or not to sign an anti-drug pledge while cruising around town, drinking and smoking marijuana with his friends. There's also the plight of Mitch, a freshman who takes his hazing (in the form of paddling) like a champ and gets to hang out with the cool kids at the pool hall and the Moon Tower party. Meanwhile, there's 20-something Wooderson creeping around, hitting on high school girls, including nerdy Cynthia, who's driving around aimlessly with fellow edgy outcasts Tony and Mike. It's the greatest night of all their lives, but they don't really know that yet.

• Starring:  Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey
• Year:  1993

62. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

After the creative and commercial success of "Airplane!" the ZAZ team trained their parody and joke-a-second skills on the detective genre, devising the breathtakingly silly cop show spoof "Police Squad!" Quickly canceled, they revived it six years later as a movie franchise with the first of three "The Naked Gun" movies. Leslie Nielsen portrays Det. Frank Drebin, the world's worst detective who believes he's the best, as he stops (just barely, somehow) an assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth II.

• Starring:  Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy
• Director:  David Zucker
• Runtime:  85 minutes

61. The Muppet Movie

At the end of the 1970s, after the world had fallen in love with Jim Henson's anarchic and endearing Muppets via "The Muppet Show," the troupe of lifelike felt-and-rod characters got a big-screen origin story. "The Muppet Movie" perfectly consolidates and distills the Muppets' unique and family-friendly brand of transgressive, hippie-flavored comedy in the form of a musical spectacular that's also provocatively meta. It's the story of the Muppets (Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Animal, and all the rest), with our heroes aware that they're in a movie about themselves, frequently breaking the fourth wall and interacting with special celebrity guest stars as they meet each other and head to Hollywood.

• Starring:  Jim Henson, Frank Oz , Jerry Nelson
• Director:  James Frawley
• Year:  1979
• Runtime:  94 minutes

60. Waiting for Guffman

The fictional, sleepy town of Blaine, Missouri, is about to celebrate its 150th anniversary, and it falls to local theatrical director Corky St. Clair to put on an original musical about the town's history. In this comic mockumentary, his delusions of grandeur are infectious to his cast of humble and goofy townspeople, including a disinterested Dairy Queen cashier, an extremely cross-eyed dentist, and married travel agents who loom large in the tiny world of local theater. Their enthusiasm for Corky's terrible production gets out of hand after the director lets loose a rumor that the titular Guffman, a Broadway producer, might turn up to see the show and whisk the actors away to New York.

• Starring:  Christopher Guest, Fred Willard, Parker Posey
• Director:  Christopher Guest
• Year:  1996
• Runtime:  84 minutes

59. Election

Based on novelist Tom Perrotta's comic, fictionalized take on the 1992 presidential election — where one establishment guy, one likable and relatable figure, and one unpredictable outsider all ran for office — "Election" tells the story of a Midwestern high school's student body government campaign, along with providing a look at the scandalous untold lives of some unethical teachers. 

Overachieving, hard-nosed go-getter Tracy Flick works harder than anyone and probably deserves to be president, but student government advisor Mr. McAllister loathes her to the point where he encourages nice, dumb, popular jock Paul to run as a spoiler. Then Paul's sister, an anarchist malcontent, decides to enter the race too, all while Tracy is engaged in an affair with a teacher and Mr. McAllister tries to cheat on his wife.

• Starring:  Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein
• Director:  Alexander Payne

58. Spaceballs

With "Spaceballs," writer-director-actor Mel Brooks took his career-long quest to satirize every popular movie genre to science fiction. There's a fairly original plot about President Skroob of planet Spaceball stealing the fresh air from the innocent planet Druidia and that world's Princess Vespa running away from her wedding to the cruel Prince Valium, but all that's little more than a vehicle with which to skewer the otherwise sacred original "Star Wars" trilogy. There are funny, withering corollaries familiar Lucasfilm icons, such as the fussy droid Dot Matrix (voiced by Joan Rivers), hairy dog creature Barf (who pilots a flying Winnebago), and the evil Dark Helmet, who can't breathe in that giant, imposing piece of headgear. Brooks himself makes a cameo as the Yoda-like Yogurt, delivering an impassioned, meta plea about the importance of branding and merchandising "Spaceballs" in the style of "Star Wars."

• Starring:  Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, John Candy
• Director:  Mel Brooks
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  56%

57. Zoolander

Born out of sketches that writer-director-star Ben Stiller made for VH1, "Zoolander" takes place in an early 21st-century world where male models are a really big deal. Professional pretty person Derek Zoolander is so famous and popular — for his "looks" that all comically appear to be exactly the same — that he's influential. And so, he's recruited to help thwart a fashion industry-backed assassination of the Malaysian prime minister, who wants to cut down on sweatshop labor practices. Unfortunately, Derek Zoolander is also the dumbest person on Earth, possibly even more stupid than his rival turned friend/cohort in action, Hansel.

• Starring:  Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Christine Taylor
• Director:  Ben Stiller
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  63%

56. Idiocracy

"Idiocracy" is a very smart movie about very dumb people. Army librarian Joe Bauers is so average that he's declared the most average man in the military, and he's picked for a strange experiment in which he'll be cryonically frozen for a short period (alongside a sex worker named Rita). The Armed Forces forgets about the experiment, and Joe and Rita thaw out in the year 2505 to a changed world in which humanity has devolved into a shockingly stupid race where everyone's only focused on immediate pleasures. The once average Joe is by default the smartest man on Earth, and the government forces him to solve a catastrophic food shortage — it would seem farmers are giving crops not water but Brawndo, the "thirst mutilator" because it's "got electrolytes." When Joe doesn't immediately succeed, he'll have to fight for his life in a demolition derby.

• Starring:  Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard
• Director:  Mike Judge
• Year:  2006

55. Pee-wee's Big Adventure

This bizarro, arch, candy-colored road trip movie served as a debut party for idiosyncratic future A-list filmmaker Tim Burton, as well as an introduction to the general public for Pee-wee Herman, the high-voiced, suit-wearing, living cartoon of an overgrown boy played in a popular Los Angeles stage show by comedian Paul Reubens. Pee-wee's big adventure begins when his whimsical life of gadgets and magic tricks is upended ater his amazing bicycle is stolen. He hits the road in search of it and learns a lot about the bewildering real world along the way, as well as befriending a criminal, searching for the basement of the Alamo, and experiencing a close encounter with a ghost trucker.

• Starring:  Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton
• Year:  1986
• Runtime:  90 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  87%

54. Duck Soup

The Marx Brothers had a formula, but it was a novel one for its time, and it sure did delight and entertain audiences. They were a four-man comedy team, each with a recognizable and singular persona. Zeppo plays it straight, Chico speaks in an exaggerated Italian accent, Harpo honked a horn instead of speaking, and Groucho — in his mustache and glasses — raised his eyebrows as he delivered astute and witty quips. In their films, the Marx Brothers teamed up to take down uptight institutions and stick it to the stuffed shirts, injecting madness and cleverness to create some spectacular screen comedy that's still emulated nearly a century later. In "Duck Soup," one the Marx Brothers' best, Groucho plays Rufus T. Firefly, newly appointed president of the bankrupt nation of Freedonia, who goes to war with neighbor Sylvania in order to win the favors (and fortune) of a rich woman. It's a brilliant satire of politics and war, and the film's "mirror" gag is still copied today.

• Starring:  Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx
• Director:  Leo McCarey
• Year:  1933
• Runtime: 70 minutes
• Rating:  NR

53. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar

It's not often that Hollywood makes a buddy comedy about two middle-aged Midwestern women, nor any movie as proudly, breathtakingly silly as "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar." Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, who wrote the Oscar-nominated "Bridesmaids" together, penned the script for this film and star as the leads — two long-time, naive, and very square best friends, who, after losing their jobs, embark on an adventurous road trip to a tropical resort called Del Mar, which caters to people of a certain age. This plot would be plenty for most comedies, along with the many ridiculous musical numbers and an entire airplane ride spent discussing the theoretically perfect woman named Trish, but adding to the madness, a supervillain (Wiig again) and her odd group of minions are plotting to destroy Del Mar as revenge for some long ago childhood slight.

• Starring: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo, Jamie Dornan
• Director: Josh Greenbaum
• Runtime: 106 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

52. The Lobster

"The Lobster" is a romantic comedy set in a vaguely futuristic dystopia (or maybe it's a bizarre utopia) where the world looks mostly the same but where strict government directives on the love lives of its citizens and mythological phenomena are just a part of life. Authorities are so driven to pair up citizens into couples that those who remain single for too long are sent to live at a resort where they're given 45 days to find a mate with a matching physical characteristic or deformity. If they don't, they're turned into animals. Rather than submit to all that, a man named David heads into the woods and joins a militant singles group but falls in love, ironically, with a dangerous "loner."

• Starring:  Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman
• Director:  Yorgos Lanthimos
• Year:  2015
• Runtime:  119 minutes

51. The LEGO Movie

Rarely is a movie made for children comically ambitious enough to be genuinely funny to a general audience, including adults who've seen hundreds of movies and have every comedy trope memorized. "The LEGO Movie" is that cinematic unicorn (or Unikitty, if we're going to invoke one of the film's most imaginative characters). In this CGI film that looks like stop-motion animation where  everything is made out of LEGO, a regular guy named Emmet Brickowski discovers he's "special" and the one person who can save the Lego realm from Lord Business' nefarious plot. Emmet isn't quite smart or cynical enough to be up to the challenge, but he's got the help of a motley crew of allies, including the rebellious and self-named Wyldstyle, a particularly mopey Batman, and pretty much every other pop culture character ever turned into a LEGO figurine.

• Starring:  Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett
• Directors:  Christopher Miller and Phil Lord
• Runtime:  95 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  96%

50. The Gold Rush

Charlie Chaplin virtually created the idea of screen comedy, writing, directing, and starring as the overwhelmed, beset-by-hard-luck "Little Tramp" character in scores of internationally popular films in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s — all in black and white and all silent. Such was ability to tell a story, hold the audience's attention, and be creatively and excruciatingly funny, all without saying a word. In "The Gold Rush," Chaplin portrays the Little Tramp as a prospector in Alaska in the Klondike Rush of the late 1890s. In due time, he gets caught in a blizzard and stuck in a rickety cabin with a wanted man. They slowly go mad from boredom and starvation, but the Little Tramp somehow survives the cabin's spectacular collapse, all while keeping us chuckling with his shoe supper and charming roll dance.

• Starring:  Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain, Tom Murray
• Director:  Charlie Chaplin
• Year:  1925
• Runtime: 82 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  100%

49. Monty Python's Life of Brian

The great and influential English sketch comedy troupe Monty Python went and made a grand, old-fashioned Biblical epic, but they did it their way. "Life of Brian" concerns an imagined character, Brian, who's born near Jesus Christ in another manger on the first Christmas. His life parallels and intersects with his more famous birthday buddy on many occasions, and then Brian joins an anti-Roman revolutionary group. After his attempt at some Roman-bashing graffiti goes awry, he's a wanted man, and he faces the same violent death as Christ. He may not have the Almighty on his side, but he does get a chance to sing the optimistic "Always Look on the Bride Sight of Life" while facing certain doom.

• Starring:  Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin
• Director:  Terry Jones

48. Beverly Hills Cop

With "Beverly Hills Cops," a monster hit of an action comedy, Eddie Murphy transferred the charm and exceptional comic timing that had made him a sensation on "Saturday Night Live" to the big screen. In this fish-out-of-water mystery (with a consistent through line of jokes, riffing, and wisecracking), Murphy portrays Axel Foley, a Detroit police officer way out of his jurisdiction and comfort zone when he hunts for a murderer in a snooty Los Angeles enclave. When he's not butting heads with the uptight cops in the Beverly Hills Police Department, he's amusingly experiencing culture shock over what he perceives to be the oddities of California life. The audience comes to identify with and root for Axel Foley as he navigates '80s materialism, all while Murphy trots out every bit of his screen persona that made him a superstar.

• Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Ronny Cox
• Director: Martin Brest
• Runtime: 105 minutes

47. Tootsie

"Tootsie" is held up as an example in film schools of how a comedy ought to be written. It's a classic tale of mistaken identity, one almost Shakespearean, in which the audience knows what's up and can feel superior to the characters for not knowing what's truly going on. Dustin Hoffman plays Michael, a serious New York actor so picky about his roles that he can't manage to find much work. After a disastrous audition for soap opera, Michael disguises himself as "Dorothy Michaels," a rookie Southern actress, and she gets the role on the daytime drama. Then things get out of hand when Dorothy proves popular with producers, and Michael falls in love with a female co-star.

• Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Bill Murray
• Director: Sydney Pollack
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%

46. The 40-Year-Old Virgin

"The 40-Year-Old Virgin" combines heartfelt emotion with wild and suggestive comedy, establishing writer-director Judd Apatow's approach as the definitive one of 2000s movie comedy. Steve Carell plays Andy, a painfully shy middle-aged guy who's never known the touch of a woman. When his macho co-workers find out, they set out on an '80s sex comedy-style quest to remedy the situation for Andy, giving him all kinds of crude and sexist advice that puts him in several painful and painfully funny situations. Meanwhile, he just might take care of things himself, as he's also slowly pursuing a true and delicate romance with a single mother.

• Starring:  Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd
• Director:  Judd Apatow
• Year:  2005

45. Billy Madison

Setting the tone, style, and "SNL" veteran-heavy casting for the films that would come to define Adam Sandler's career, "Billy Madison" is a silly movie with an engaging if completely unrealistic premise. Sandler portrays Billy, a guy in his 20s who lazes around the pool of his family's mansion getting drunk all day with his friends. He's set to inherit his retiring father's company, but he's thwarted by a calculating executive who hates him and wants the firm for himself after the baddie discovers that Billy never finished school. In order to prove that he's a mature, educated man, Billy goes back to school — starting with kindergarten. He does every grade in two weeks, and it's actually kind of hard for Billy because he's amusingly immature and not very smart. (Plus, seeing a grown man squeeze into a child-size desk is objectively hilarious.)

• Starring:  Adam Sandler, Darren McGavin, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras
• Director:  Tamra Davis
• Year:  1995
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  42%

44. Wet Hot American Summer

A few years after the end of their seminal MTV sketch comedy series, members of the State comedy troupe reunited (along with Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Janeane Garofalo, and David Hyde Pierce) to make a 2000s entry in the long-forgotten genre of early '80s summer camp movies. Set in 1981 on the last full day of summer at Camp Firewood in Maine, the ensemble comedy with many interwoven stories didn't thrill critics upon its initial release but became a cult classic over the years because it slowly, deftly, and absolutely descends into chaos and ridiculousness. Camp love triangles don't seem so important once Skylab falls from outer space, the unhinged camp cook performs a romantic act on a refrigerator, a can of vegetables starts talking, and a tacky Borscht Belt comedian rocks the camp talent show.

• Starring:  Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter, Paul Rudd
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  38%

43. The General

Silent movies don't tend to age well, but the inventive, physical comedy-fueled films of Buster Keaton have. The actor and filmmaker — with his expressive hangdog face — played put-upon guys thrust into situations they wanted no part of, a perfect recipe for laughs and one that set the stage for the hilarious stunts that kept Keaton's characters teetering between elegance and humiliation. 

And in "The General," Keaton portrays a Civil War era railroad engineer in the South named Johnny Gray. After his fiancée is mistakenly kidnapped by Union troops who steal a train, he's off to get her back, in hot pursuit of the soldiers via many uncooperative forms of transport. If you've always wanted a funnier, quieter version of "Mad Max: Fury Road," this stunt-driven chase film might be the flick for you.

• Starring:  Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender
• Directors:  Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton
• Year:  1926
• Runtime: 83 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  93%

42. The Producers

Spoof master Mel Brooks made his feature filmmaking debut with this sharp entertainment business satire, and it won him an Academy Award for screenwriting. Max Bialystock is a formerly successful Broadway producer who now gets by offering lovemaking services to old women in exchange for investments in future productions he'll never actually get off the ground. When his very nervous and easily panicked accountant, Leo Bloom, finds some massive flaws in his books, the duo realizes that they can actually earn way more money off of a play that bombs than one that strikes it big. And so, they set out to make a guaranteed disaster, choosing a glitzy, pro-Nazi musical called "Springtime for Hitler." Do they pull off the scam and get rich quick? Not exactly.

• Starring:  Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn
• Year:  1967
• Runtime:  88 minutes

It's obvious to everyone but Buddy that he's not a natural-born North Pole Christmas elf — he's 6 feet tall and is terrible at making toys, for example. Upon learning the news that he's adopted, he leaves the friendly confines of Santa's workshop to seek out the biological father he's never met, a grumpy, cynical New York book publisher named Walter Hobbes, who, shockingly, is on "the Naughty List." Rather than let the city corrupt him, however, Buddy brings wide-eyed Christmas cheer to everyone he meets, from Walter and his family to a charming department store elf named Jovie. (And yes, of course Buddy saves Christmas in the end.)

• Starring:  Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, James Caan
• Director:  Jon Favreau

40. Grosse Pointe Blank

Some of the best comedies start with a familiar and relatable premise, and then, after attracting an audience, they tweak and escalate the story, thereby delighting everyone watching. For example, "Grosse Pointe Blank" sends up the awkward, almost universally American experience of the high school reunion and the anxiety over returning home to account for yourself and your actions since graduation. Martin Blank heads back to his suburban Detroit hometown for his 10-year reunion, intending to reconnect with Debbie, the extra-cool love-of-his-life he stood up on prom night. He's also now working as one of the world's top contract killers, but it's a career he feels increasingly bad about, especially as he avoids an aggressive fellow hitman who wants to unionize and won't take no for an answer.

• Starring:  John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd
• Director:  George Armitage
• Year:  1997
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  81%

39. Jackass: The Movie

This isn't a scripted comedy, and it's not really a documentary either. "Jackass: The Movie" is the big-screen version of the hit MTV stunt-and-prank series, free from the strict content restraints of cable TV. The "Jackass" crew, a close-knit bunch of guys who love to razz and physically harm themselves and each other, come across as a sweet and loving bunch as they stage set pieces that are too wild, profane, or elaborate for television. These guys suffer for their art too. The 50 or so sequences include administering electronic shocks, entering a rental car in a demolition derby, crashing golf carts, tightrope walking over an alligator pit, and using a display toilet in a hardware store.

• Starring:  Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Steve-O
• Director:  Jeff Tremaine
• Year:  2002
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  49%

38. Harold and Maude

"Harold and Maude" is a cult classic that helped establish the language of both independent filmmaking and dark comedies. After surviving a chemical explosion, young Harold is obsessed with death, going to funerals and staging elaborate death tableaus of himself just for fun (and to annoy his wealthy mother). But then he meets Maude, a free-spirited 79-year-old who gets a kick out of doing whatever she feels like and pushing people's buttons, and her hobbies include stealing cars and attending funerals. Maude helps Harold appreciate the joys of living while Harold helps Maude cope with the looming end of her life.

• Starring: Bud Cort, Ruth Gordon, Vivian Pickles
• Director: Hal Ashby

37. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

All Ricky Bobby ever wanted to do was go fast. Inspired by his reckless father who disappeared after telling him, "If you're not first, you're last," he grows up to be a champion NASCAR driver, alongside his best friend, Cal Naughton Jr. He's a smug, arrogant, and proudly mediocre individual ... until some racetrack mishaps leave him ruined. First, he embarrasses himself praying to every deity he can think of while running around the track, mistakenly believing he's on fire. And then he's soundly beaten by a tricky European Formula One driver, causing him to lose his status, sponsors, and wife. His long trip back will teach Ricky Bobby some much needed humility.

• Starring:  Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen
• Director:  Adam McKay
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  71%

36. There's Something About Mary

There is indeed something about Mary, as the title of this gross-out rom-com from the Farrelly brothers and the film's recurring troubadour imply. Mary is unpretentious, legitimately kind, and blessed with movie star-level good looks — a combination that overwhelms most every man she's met in her adult life, driving them to acts of criminality and self-destruction. But "There's Something About Mary" is really the story of Ted, Mary's ill-fated prom date from years earlier who still harbors an intense crush. Audiences will howl with laughter while simultaneously cringing as one graphically awful, painful, and embarrassing thing after another happens to Ted during his patient pursuit of Mary.

• Starring:  Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon
• Director:  Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly
• Year:  1998
• Runtime:  118 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  83%

35. Shaun of the Dead

Not counting their much-loved, short-lived British slacker comedy "Spaced," "Shaun of the Dead" was the first of many collaborations between filmmaker Edgar Wright and actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. In this brilliant horror comedy, Pegg portrays Shaun, a London electronics store worker going nowhere fast. In fact, he's recently been dumped by his girlfriend. He's so wrapped up in his own misery that it takes him an extremely long time to notice that his city is in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. But when he finally does, Shaun quickly springs to action, wielding a cricket bat, and with the assistance of his equally underachieving roommate Ed, he sets out to protect himself, his ex, and his mother.

• Starring:  Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield
• Director:  Edgar Wright
• Year:  2004

34. Bringing Up Baby

It's perhaps the definitive screwball comedy of Hollywood's golden Age. And it stars two of the classiest and most respected actors of all time — Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn — acting silly and competing for screen time with an animal, no less. In this wacky, whip-smart black-and-white caper, nerdy paleontologist David Huxley has to impress a high-society lady so she'll give his museum a massive donation. All he has to do is endure a day with her niece, Susan, an unpredictable free spirit who complicates things with her affections and introducing rogue dinosaur bones and a hungry leopard into the mix.

• Starring:  Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Charles Ruggles
• Director:  Howard Hawks
• Year:  1938
• Runtime:  102 minutes

33. The Princess Bride

Based on William Goldman's wry fairy tale novel, this gentle, family-enticing classic purports to be just "the good parts" of a longer, epic mythology set in the ancient kingdoms of Guilder and Florin, written by the mysterious S. Morgenstern. At least, that's what the Grandfather tells the sick Grandson as he reads from the book, which comes to life for the viewer. At its heart, it's the story of the true love between Princess Buttercup and a farmhand named Westley, kept apart by strange, fairy tale-type circumstances. At various points, Westley dies, gets revived, and becomes a famous pirate while both contend with "Rodents of Unusual Size" and a trio of kidnappers turned allies in the foiling of a sinister royal plot. There's the brainy Vizzini, the super strong Fezzik, and the swordsman Inigo Montoya, breathily seeking to avenge the death of his father.

• Starring:  Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin
• Director:  Rob Reiner
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  97%

32. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

This epic frivolity from quirky filmmakers Joel and Ethan Cohen is an adaptation of Homer's Ancient Greek epic poem "The Odyssey," except it's set in the American South during the Great Depression. Plus, it's about a smooth-talking criminal instead of a mighty warrior, and it's funny. Both the poem and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" do, however, feature enemies in pursuit, seductive sirens, and a cyclops. As for the plot, after busting out of a chain gang, three convicts, led by the charming Ulysses Everett McGill, trek across the countryside and encounter danger in order to find long-hidden stolen wealth and then hoof it to freedom.

• Starring:  George Clooney , John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson
• Directors:  Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
• Year:  2000
• Runtime:  106 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  78%

31. Deadpool

"Deadpool" is a film that asks, "What if that wickedly funny friend who makes hilarious wisecracks all throughout the viewing of a movie was the main character and narrator of that very film?" Well, that film would be fantastic.

Here, Ryan Reynolds – so charmingly, self-deprecatingly funny in many other movies, as well as off-screen — plays Wade Wilson, a low-rent mercenary who can't stop saying funny stuff, even after he's diagnosed with cancer and forced into an experimental treatment that turns him into a deformed superhero with instant healing abilities. Seriously, the dude is still cracking jokes even as he goes after the bad guys who left him with Freddy Krueger skin and kidnapped the love of his life.

• Starring:  Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller
• Director:  Tim Miller

30. Arsenic and Old Lace

Cary Grant specialized in playing charming, debonair rogues, and in "Arsenic and Old Lace," he plays a character who monetized the handsome bachelor lifestyle, portraying Mortimer Brewster, an author of books urging the end of marriage altogether. He finally decides to settle down, however, after the winsome, All-American lady next door, Elaine wins his heart, and they decide to get married on Halloween. That's an omen of bad things to come, and so, the film suggests, was his idea to embrace family life. Not long after announcing their engagement, Mortimer discovers that his brother, uncle, and odd aunts are all secret, unrepentant murderers.

• Starring: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey
• Director: Frank Capra
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

29. Ghostbusters

There was no bigger movie in 1984 than "Ghostbusters," a high-concept supernatural action comedy with a cast full of "Saturday Night Live" and "SCTV" veterans. Kicked out of their prestigious university jobs for pursuing fringe scientific work about the paranormal, scientists Venkman, Stantz, and Spengler hear about New York City's spate of hauntings and go into business, renting out an old firehouse and calling themselves the Ghostbusters. When they discover a portal to another dimension that rains spirits, demonic possessions, and pure evil upon the city, it's up to the dismissed ghost hunters to become heroes.

• Starring:  Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis
• Year:  1984

28. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

In this affectionate parody of brightly colored, very British spy movies from the '60s, Mike Myers stars as Austin Powers, an operative with very bad teeth and a guy who treats women like objects, calling them "baby" and asking if they want to "shag." And yet, in that era, Austin Powers could be a hero and sex symbol in spite of all that (or even because of it). He's in for a culture shock when he's unfrozen in the unfamiliar, strange, and politically correct '90s in order to defeat Dr. Evil (also played by Mike Myers), a Bond-esque villain bent on world domination (and reconnecting with his lab-created son, Scott Evil).

• Starring:  Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Robert Wagner
• Director:  Jay Roach

27. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

There aren't too many Thanksgiving movies, but even if there were, "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" would stand above them all because it's about the lengths people will go to get home in time for the holiday, along with the soul-crushing frustrations they'll bear. In this road trip comedy, the brief journey from New York to Chicago will seemingly never end for uptight ad man Neal and gregarious, overbearing shower curtain salesman Del. This odd couple wind up taking the trip together, through canceled flights, car fires, intimately shared motel rooms, cramped buses, and a robbery.

• Starring:  Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins
• Director:  John Hughes

26. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut

The big-screen version of the satirical, animated series isn't just an extra-long episode — it's an ambitious and sweeping war epic, rife with romance, the supernatural, and a great number of musical sequences. But because this is "South Park," the whole thing is unbelievably profane and provocative. After Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny go see the Canadian comedians Terrance and Phillip's movie and start swearing more than usual, Kyle's crusading mother blames Canada. Her actions lead to a bloody conflict with the nation, and meanwhile, Stan gets involved in defending Terrance and Philip because he thinks the girl he likes will like him back if he gets political, while Kenny dies, goes to Hell, and helps Satan leave his abusive partner, Saddam Hussein.

• Starring:  Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman
• Director:  Trey Parker
• Runtime:  80 minutes
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  80%

25. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

If you thought the Griswold family had to deal with some disasters in "National Lampoon's Vacation," you ain't seen nothing until you've seen "Christmas Vacation." Few other holiday movies before or since have addressed the familiar stress, work, familial pressure, and annoyances that come with trying to get everything done and perfect by December 25th. Clark Griswold endeavors to have the perfect family Christmas — and to announce the building of a backyard swimming pool. Here's hoping his relatives don't burn the house down in a number of ways first and that he actually gets that bonus check from his cruel boss.

• Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid
• Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik

24. Office Space

Previously best known for "Beavis and Butt-head" and "King of the Hill," writer-director Mike Judge soon turned his attention to taking down corporate culture, cubicle life, and even the idea of work in general in "Office Space." Here, the action centers on Peter, a dissatisfied and despondent office worker who just can't focus or stifle his hatred of his passive-aggressively demanding boss, so much so that he agrees to his girlfriend's suggestion to receive therapeutic hypnosis. Tragically, the hypnotist dies mid-session, leaving Peter in a blissful state in which he doesn't care about anything but his own happiness, causing him to say and do whatever he feels at work. His newfound emotional freedom also helps him launch a digital accounting scam with co-workers Samir and the unfortunately named Michael Bolton.

• Starring:  Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole

23. Bowfinger

"Bowfinger" is a very funny movie about how movies get made — or rather how they could get made if the dream and desire to make them is strong enough, even amongst wannabe filmmakers who lack the talent, money, and connections to do so. After guiding a troupe of hack actors through some very low-budget productions, Bobby Bowfinger falsely claims to have cast big-time movie star Kit Ramsey in his latest project, an action flick called "Chubby Rain." He's done no such thing, however. Instead, he follows and secretly films Ramsey's actions (and reactions to his actors doing line readings). For close-up shots, Bowfinger enlists a nerdy Kit Ramsey lookalike — the opposite of the brash and paranoid A-lister. And yes, Eddie Murphy plays both parts.

• Starring:  Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham

22. Napoleon Dynamite

"Napoleon Dynamite" is about a high school outcast, but it's not the conventional teenage comedy. Set in a tiny, rural Idaho town, the title character lives life on his own terms, fancying himself a champion and idol, forever annoyed with classmates and family members who want him to just act normally. He's too busy developing his karate skills, learning to disco dance, dangling action figures out of bus windows, shopping in thrift stores with his almost comatose friend Pedro, and drawing ligers (that's a mix of a lion and a tiger) to care what other people think.

• Starring:  Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, Jon Gries
• Director:  Jared Hess
• Runtime: 86 minutes

21. Airplane!

Filmmakers David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker made a comic version of the 1957 B-movie "Zero Hour" that also served as a parody of 1970s disaster movies, particularly the "Airport" franchise. In doing so, ZAZ created a blueprint for a whole new style of film — the rapid-fire comedy, with a joke coming every few seconds or less, along with quickly passing sight gags. In "Airplane!" pilot Ted Striker can't get over a failed military mission or his old girlfriend, flight attendant Elaine, and he follows her onto a long-haul flight. But then disaster strikes — nearly everyone on board gets food poisoning, and Ted has to step in to fly the plane in place of the confusingly named Captain Oveur, all while assisted by stony Dr. Rumack who gets the punchline in the film's definitive exchange:

Ted: Surely, you can't be serious.

Dr. Rumack: I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.

• Starring:  Robert Hays, Julie Haggerty, Leslie Nielsen
• Director:  Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

20. Bridesmaids

Hailed as revolutionary upon its release, "Bridesmaids" was a bro comedy with over-the-top characters and bawdy bodily humor scenes, but unlike the usual fare of that nature, it had a cast made up almost entirely of women. Kristen Wiig (who co-wrote the script and earned an Oscar nomination for it) stars as Annie, a woman approaching 40 who feels like her life has stagnated after her business fails, her self-centered casual hookup won't commit, and her roommates kick her out. The only bright spot? Planning the wedding of her best friend, Lillian. However, she's soon feuding with Lillian's other best friend, a pretentious snob who upstages her at every turn. When Annie does get a chance to break free, it goes poorly, like when food poisoning from her bridesmaids lunch turns into the destruction of a gown shop's restroom.

• Starring:  Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne
• Director:  Paul Feig
• Year:  2011
• Runtime:  125 minutes

19. Young Frankenstein

In this unofficial comic sequel and send-up of James Whale's classic "Frankenstein" movies of the 1930s, Gene Wilder plays the fidgety Dr. Frederick Frankenstein — pronounced "FRAHNK-en-steen" — as he's trying to distance himself from his notorious grandfather, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, the unsavory, grave-robbing scientist who reanimated a terrifying corpse a few years back. When he inherits the original Frankenstein's estate, he repeats the sins of the grandfather, dead-set on making life out of death himself, and winding up with a much different monster — one who's afraid of fire but who also can also perform "Puttin' on the Ritz."

• Starring:  Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle
• Year:  1974
• Runtime:  PG
• Rating:  105 minutes

18. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

"Life moves pretty fast," privileged teenager Ferris Bueller directly tells the audience of his movie, imploring us to seize the day and live each moment like it were the last. And he certainly feels like the end is nigh, as adulthood and all its responsibilities loom in the near future. So, he decides to take a day away from it all, roping in his shy best friend, Cameron, and cool girlfriend, Sloane, to join him in a day of hijinks in downtown Chicago. After using his state-of-the-art computer and props to convince his parents and school he's sick, Ferris leads the gang into a meal at a fancy restaurant, a Cubs game, an art museum, and singing a Beatles song on a parade float. He's a righteous dude, as everyone at his school agrees.

• Starring:  Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara

17. What We Do in the Shadows

Before the TV show about centuries-old vampires living on Staten Island, there was the film about vampires grappling with life (and each other) in modern-day Wellington, New Zealand. In this mockumentary, three vampires of classical appearance (plus the monstrous, ancient Petyr) share an apartment filled with old objects and caked blood. Romantic Viago is still on the lookout for the true love he lost track of decades prior, former warlord Vladislav is driven mad by the thought of an ex-lover, and Deacon is young and cocky. When they're not flying through the air, hanging out at sparsely populated nightclubs, and drinking blood, these vampires are bickering with each other or avoiding a clan of annoying werewolves.

• Starring:  Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi, Jonny Brugh
• Director:  Taika Waititi
• Runtime:  86 minutes

16. Rushmore

Despite running dozens of disparate, successful extracurricular clubs, scholarship student Max Fisher just doesn't fit in at the prestigious Rushmore Academy. It's a respite for him, as he's embarrassed by his barber father and nurses a broken heart caused by the death of his mother. He's in danger of flunking out — too many clubs means no time to get his grades out of the gutter — but he redoubles his efforts to stay when he develops an intense crush on new teacher Rosemary, who sees a little bit of her exceptional, deceased husband in Max. She loves fish, so he builds an aquarium on school grounds with the money from depressed, divorcing industrialist Herman Blume, a kindred spirit turned mortal enemy when he makes a move on Rosemary. Somehow, the drama all leads up to an ultra-violent play about the Vietnam War staged by the Max Fisher Players.

• Starring:  Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams
• Director:  Wes Anderson

15. Back to the Future

There's always going to be some kind of a generation gap between adults and their teenage children, but "Back to the Future" found an audacious, original, and wildly scientific way to get parents and kids to understand each other by making them all 17 at the same time. In 1985, Marty McFly spends his time avoiding his geeky and defeated parents, George and Lorraine, and hangs out with Doc Brown, a neighborhood mad scientist. One night, he shows Marty the time machine he's built in a DeLorean, and before he knows it, Marty's been sent 30 years back in time. Complicating matters even more, he's forced to play matchmaker for his future parents — lest he never exist. That's going to prove difficult, as George is a creep and Lorraine totally has the hots for Marty, who she doesn't know is actually her son from the future.

• Starring:  Michael J. Fox , Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
• Director:  Robert Zemeckis
• Year:  1985

When he ruled the comedy world in the 1980s, Chevy Chase was at his best when he played smarmy guys who thought they were one step ahead of everybody else. He perfected the persona with "Fletch," playing Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher, a versatile, quick-thinking investigative reporter who acts more like a shrewd private eye than a writer researching a story. He's offered a big sum of money to kill a man, but a little bit of digging shows that the situation is far more complicated and dangerous than Fletch thought, sending him looking for answers and into hiding. Along the way, we're treated to a series of ridiculous fake names and assumed identities that he gets away with because Fletch can talk his way into or out of anything. At one point, a friend asks Fletch if "everything is a joke to him." And yes, it kind of is.

• Starring:  Chevy Chase, Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
• Director:  Michael Ritchie
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  77%

13. Trading Places

Coming out of the classic "mean rich guys vs. the scrappy underdog" school of comedy is "Trading Places," the story of a switcheroo gone awry that proves detrimental to its nasty instigators. Brothers and high-powered investors Randolph and Mortimer Duke engage in a cynical and friendly $1 bet — whether or not they can pick somebody off the street and turn his life around, all while ruining somebody else's. Their unwitting subjects are grifter Billy Ray Valentine and privileged inventor Louis Winthrope III — the Dukes' own nephew. Through some machinations, they instantly build up Billy Ray and destroy Louis ... until our heroes get wind of the bet and conspire to manipulate the stock market and financially ruin the Dukes.

• Starring:  Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd , Jamie Lee Curtis
• Year:  1983

12. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

Southern California teenagers Bill and Ted are as close as best friends can be, probably because they're very much alike. They're not very smart, they talk like surfers, and they're obsessed with their own theoretically heavy metal band, Wyld Stallyns. They can't actually play their instruments, but a bigger problem could affect their fated future as rock stars. If they fail history, Ted's dad will send him to military school. Fortunately, that's when future man Rufus takes a phone booth back in time to let Bill and Ted know they're worshipped as saviors and metal masters in the decades to come. Better still, they're free to use that time-travel technology to bring real historical figures — Joan of Arc, Socrates, Abraham Lincoln — back to their high school as their history project. Excellent!

• Starring:  Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin
• Director:  Stephen Herek
• Year:  1989

11. Best in Show

"Best in Show" feels like one of those documentaries that are all over streaming services, depicting the lives of quirky characters who are part of a little-known subculture and whose stories converge in a big event. However, this is a comic, semi-improvised, semi-scripted mockumentary, populated by richly developed and fascinating characters preparing to compete with their pets in a national dog show. For example, Harlan Pepper loves and resembles his hound dog, and married couple Gerry and Cookie Fleck are into terriers. But Fred Willard is the real MVP here as a shockingly uninformed but curious dog show commentator who blurts out whatever pops into his head.

• Starring: Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard

10. Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks, the king of the full-length movie spoof who filled his movies with unbridled silliness, satirized 20th-century American race relations with "Blazing Saddles," the funniest Western ever made. A greedy developer named Hedley Lamarr (quick to not let others anachronistically confuse him with movie star Hedy Lamarr) wants to build a railroad through the town of Rock Ridge, and with the help of the governor, he plans on driving everyone out. How? By appointing the Old West's first Black sheriff, the smart and clever Bart. However, the plan backfires when Bart wins over the incredibly racist town and fights back against the baddies, enlisting the help of the Waco Kid, once the fastest gun around. Of course, this is also a Mel Brooks movie so there's less cerebral stuff, such as the "cowboys eating beans by the campfire" scene — probably the longest and most famous fart scene in film history.

• Starring:  Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman

9. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Released a few years after the almost catastrophic Cuban Missile Crisis, "Dr. Strangelove" didn't help to assuage mass anxiety about nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union ... but at least it was funny, treating the idea of high-stakes gamesmanship as an absurd farce. Convinced that the Russian Communists are trying to infect the "precious bodily fluids" of innocent Americans, deranged Air Force General Jack Ripper orders atomic-armed jets to bomb the Soviet Union. Back in the U.S., a war room of elite but ineffectual officials convenes, desperate to somehow stop what looks to be the end of the world. Dedicated comic actor (and "The Pink Panther" star) Peter Sellers plays three roles: a British military captain, President Merkin Muffley, and Dr. Strangelove, a supposedly former Nazi advising the U.S. government.

• Starring:  Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden
• Director:  Stanley Kubrick
• Year:  1964
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  98%

8. National Lampoon's Vacation

Viewers of a certain age might see a lot of their own fathers in Clark Griswold, a busy Chicago man who works hard, is a little too sure of himself, and who just wants to road trip across the U.S. with his family and take them to the legendary Wally World amusement park in California. This vacation is anything as Clark and company suffer numerous indignities, tragedies, and disasters along the way, including a relative who dies en route, a major car accident, urine-soaked sandwiches, and police intervention.

• Starring:  Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid

7. Wayne's World

"Wayne's World" was such a popular sketch on "Saturday Night Live" that Hollywood wanted to expand the world of metalhead Chicago cable access hosts Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar into a film. The resulting movie isn't a rehash but an innovative, ironic, exciting, and wildly unpredictable comedy. Amidst a story about a sleazy TV producer trying to steal and ruin Wayne's show (and also lure away his rock star girlfriend), Wayne and Garth frequently break the fourth wall, talking to the audience and even giving the film a new ending because the one they're stuck with is a total bummer. "Wayne's World" is really all about those great bits, like the memorable moment where rock legend Alice Cooper delivers a lecture about the history of Milwaukee.

• Starring:  Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe
• Director:  Penelope Spheeris

6. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

In the 1970s, when media options were slim, local TV news anchors could apparently be celebrities and treated like trusted, merciful gods. At least they were according to "Anchorman," which tells the story of the undoing of Ron Burgundy, ruler of San Diego's popular Channel 4 news team, as he comes to grips with his woefully sexist and self-absorbed ways when he's forced to share the nightly news with feminist journalist Veronica Corningstone (with whom he's also desperately smitten). "Anchorman" is more than just a satire of gender politics where a buffoon is the butt of the jokes — there are many scenes of Ron and his news team goofing off, getting in violent fights with other local news personalities, and breaking out into random love songs from the 1970s.

• Starring:  Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd
• Rotten Tomatoes Score:  66%

5. This is Spinal Tap

What if some filmmaker made a documentary about a band well past its most successful days, when all of the embarrassments and mistakes they suffer could be caught on tape? That's the premise of "This is Spinal Tap," a comic mockumentary about a once great British heavy metal band that no longer sits atop the music world. For one, their label found the cover of their new album "Smell the Glove" so profane they released it in a plain black sleeve, and it's all downhill from there, as the band gets lost in arenas, resorts to playing amusement park amphitheaters, and deals with a succession of spontaneously dying drummers.

• Starring:  Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer
• Runtime:  82 minutes

4. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

On his 2000s TV series "Da Ali G Show," British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen so disappeared into characters — including boorish, sexist, anti-Semitic Kazakh journalist Borat — that it disarmed his real-life interview subjects and got them to open up to a person they didn't know was fictional. In 2006, Cohen took the show on the road, literally, playing a character in what's sort of a documentary, embarking on a road trip across the United States and interacting with real people who don't always come off very well. Beyond getting individuals to say awful things because they think they're among friends, the whole trip becomes "very nice" for Borat when he becomes obsessed with Pamela Anderson and will stop at nothing to marry her.

• Starring:  Sacha Baron Cohen , Ken Davitian, Luenell
• Director:  Larry Charles

3. Groundhog Day

There would be no "Palm Springs," "Happy Death Day," or other caught-in-a-repeating-time-loop movies without the original stab at the idea: "Groundhog Day." Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, a jaded and shallow TV weatherman who resents having to travel to the Groundhog Day capital of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover whether or not the official groundhog sees his shadow or not. He's rude to his producer, Rita, not to mention pretty much everyone else he encounters, from townsfolk to an old, long-winded acquaintance. Then something magically and utterly unexplainable happens: Phil keeps re-living Groundhog Day, in the exact same circumstances, over and over. He does it probably thousands of times, unable to break out even with death. It would seem that he's going to have to fix something about himself and his awful ways if he ever wants the date to change.

• Starring:  Bill Murray , Andie McDowell, Chris Elliott
• Runtime: 96 minutes

2. The Jerk

Navin Johnson isn't a jerk in the sense that he's mean; he's a jerk in that he's a naive rube, mystified by and uninformed as to how the world works. And that's the point of "The Jerk," one man's comical journey of self-discovery and amazing personal and professional success, most of which comes from a combination of accidents, being in the right place at the right time, and an endearing child-like enthusiasm. Navin (played by white actor and co-writer Steve Martin) leaves his rural home after learning he was adopted into his large African-American family, so as to find his "special purpose." It's a journey that will include working at a carnival, living in a gas station, and becoming a wildly wealthy inventor, only to lose it all with nothing to his name but a thermos.

• Starring:  Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Mabel King
• Director:  Carl Reiner

1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

On its sketch show "Flying Circus," Monty Python ridiculed all aspects of English life, particularly what it meant to be English. So it's ironic that the most enduring and popular film adaptation of Arthurian legend is "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a film that celebrates England's enduring collection of myths and legends about a brave and true medieval ruler by thoroughly and completely making fun of it. 

"Holy Grail," ostensibly about a quest to obtain Christ's Last Supper goblet, is made by a sketch troupe, and as a result, we're treated to one hilarious set piece and self-contained vignette after another, from two castle guards wondering how many swallows could carry the coconuts King Arthur's squire uses to mimic the sound of horse hooves (in lieu of an actual horse) to a duel with the indefatigable Black Knight (who won't stop fighting even after Arthur hacks off all his limbs) to killer bunnies and a group of knights who scream, "Ni!"

• Starring:  Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle
• Directors:  Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
• Year:  1975

100 best comedy films of all time, according to critics

At the turn of the century, comedies had consistently been one of the top-grossing genres at the domestic box office, accounting for about 15% to 20% of earnings each year. But in the 2010s, as superhero-filled and action-packed franchises started to dominate big screens nationwide, comedies began falling down the charts, dropping to as low as 3.7% of total box office earnings in 2020. All that changed in 2023 when "Barbie" came around and comedies' box-office share bounced back to nearly 13% . The movie became the biggest comedy of all time, bringing in a record $636 million. Thus far in 2024, comedies are continuing their reign , largely thanks to "Kung Fu Panda 4" and "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" (which have racked in about $191 million and $111 million respectively as of May 16, 2024).

Perhaps in the wake of the tribulations of the 2020s, laughter is once again proving to be the best medicine. New studies from the National Institute of Health indicate that laughter not only has physiological benefits but psychological advantages as well. Among other things, scientists have found that laughter lowers cortisol levels, increases killer cell activity, and increases systolic blood pressure at levels similar to exercise. And the best news: it makes little difference to our bodies whether or not this laughter is spontaneous. Whether it's forced or planned, laughter is equally beneficial.

And what better way to get yourself laughing (and racking up all those glorious health benefits) than by streaming a side-splitting comedy? To that end, Stacker compiled a list of the 100 best comedy films of all time, according to critics. Using data from Metacritic , we selected films listed or co-listed as comedies and organized them by their Metascore (ties are broken internally by Metacritic). Any one of these picks is sure to inspire plenty of laughs.

Of course, our list has plenty of classics—think "Borat" or "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"—but there are also tons of lesser-known gems like "Good Morning" and "The Lavender Hill Mob." Many movies are more comedy in form (i.e., they have a happy ending and follow a certain structure) than in the number of slapstick gags or jokes contained within. But whatever your sense of humor, there's sure to be something here that will get you chuckling and reaping physical benefits.

#100. Tampopo (1987)

- Director: Jûzô Itami - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 114 minutes

Described by The Criterion Collection as "a rapturous ramen western," "Tampopo" is a Japanese comedy about a pair of truck drivers who help a down-on-her-luck restaurant owner create the perfect noodle recipe. Interspersed throughout the primary plotline is a series of comedic and heart-warming vignettes about other locals' relationships with food and love.

#99. Force Majeure (2014)

- Director: Ruben Ostlund - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 120 minutes

This black comedy tackles a marriage that dissolves under the pressure of an impending avalanche. Set in the French Alps, the movie was widely praised for its cinematography and almost too awkward to watch humor. An English-language version of the story, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell ("Downhill"), was released in 2020.

#98. Love & Friendship (2016)

- Director: Whit Stillman - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 90 minutes

Based on Jane Austen's epistolary novel "Lady Susan," this period comedy follows a recently widowed woman as she attempts to secure suitable husbands for her daughter and herself. Kate Beckinsale stars as the titular Lady Susan, with Chloë Sevigny as her American best friend Mrs. Johnson. Unlike other Austen titles, "Lady Susan" has only seen a handful of screen adaptations over the years, with critics widely declaring this 2016 film to be among the best of them.

#97. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

- Directors: Steve Box, Nick Park - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 85 minutes

A stop-motion, claymation parody of classic monster movies, "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" follows a cheese-loving inventor and his wickedly smart dog as they work to rid their town of a giant rabbit infestation. An installment in the popular "Wallace & Gromit" series, the cast includes a number of big names like Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, and Peter Sallis. While the movie was considered a box office flop in the U.S., it was more successful on an international stage—so much so that Netflix announced a standalone sequel set to premiere in 2024.

#96. Back to the Future (1985)

- Director: Robert Zemeckis - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 116 minutes

Director Robert Zemeckis introduced audiences to Michael J. Fox in this first installment of the "Back to the Future" series. Marty McFly is a high school student whose eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) accidentally sends him 30 years into the past through a time-traveling DeLorean. Stuck in 1955, McFly must be careful to prevent changes to his present. A Vox critic claimed the film was "the most perfect blockbuster ever made."

#95. Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)

- Director: Agnès Varda - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 90 minutes

"Cléo from 5 to 7" is not a comedy in the way you might be thinking; there are no corny jokes nor an abundance of body-based humor. But it is a comedy in the more traditional sense, with its happy ending and generally positive outlook. The French New Wave film follows a young singer over the course of two hours as she nervously awaits the results of a medical test. Written and directed by Agnès Varda, the film is generally considered by critics to be one of the greatest movies ever made.

#94. I Vitelloni (1953)

- Director: Federico Fellini - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 104 minutes

This sardonic 1953 film follows five young men in Italy who are facing a turning point in their lives. In English, the title roughly translates to "The Overgrown Teenagers" or "The Big Loafers." The movie was Fellini's third feature.

#93. The Long Goodbye (1973)

- Director: Robert Altman - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 112 minutes

Elliott Gould stars as Philip Marlowe, a private investigator caught up in the mysterious death of a close friend's wife. Gould made five movies with director Robert Altman over the course of his career, starting with "M.A.S.H." in 1970. Altman dedicated the movie to Dan Blocker, an actor on the television Western "Bonanza" who had recently died. Altman had directed several episodes of the TV series.

#92. It Happened One Night (1934)

- Director: Frank Capra - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 105 minutes

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert star in this romantic comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra. Colbert plays a spoiled heiress who has eloped against her parents' wishes. Gable plays a journalist who attempts to help Colbert's character reunite with her husband as long as he gets a story out of it. It was the first film to win all five major Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

#91. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

- Director: Marielle Heller - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 106 minutes

Melissa McCarthy plays Lee Israel, a lonely and broke writer who realizes she can make ends meet by forging handwritten letters of famous playwrights and authors and tangles up a good friend in her fraud. The film is based on the real-life story of Israel , a New York writer who forged letters by Noel Coward, Fanny Brice, and Dorothy Parker in the early 1990s. Caught by the FBI, she was sentenced to house arrest and probation. She died in 2014.

#90. The Awful Truth (1937)

- Director: Leo McCarey - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 90 minutes

Cary Grant and Irene Dunne play a couple getting divorced but plotting to sabotage each other's plans for getting remarried. Their prolonged entanglement included court-ordered visits with their dog, Mr. Smith. The dog in real life was named Skippy and appeared as Asta in "The Thin Man" and its sequels.

#89. Shakespeare in Love (1998)

- Director: John Madden - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 123 minutes

This romantic period comedy-drama depicts a young William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) in love with a woman who disguises herself as a man so she can be an actor (Gwyneth Paltrow). The film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Picture.

#88. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

- Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 119 minutes

Michael Keaton made his comeback in this dark comedy. Writer-director Alejandro González Iñárritu tells the story of an actor (Keaton) famous for playing a superhero, who is preparing for the premiere of his new Broadway play. Emma Stone, Edward Norton, and Zach Galifianakis also appear in the film. It took home four Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Motion Picture.

#87. Good Morning (1959)

- Director: Yasujirô Ozu - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 94 minutes

A stark departure from Yasujirô Ozu's typical refined and somber style, "Good Morning" is a Japanese comedy about two boys who stop speaking to protest their parents' decision to not buy a TV. Shot in color and filled with juvenile humor, the delightful movie is a loose remake of an earlier black-and-white silent film of Ozu's called "I Was Born, But…"

#86. Life Is Sweet (1990)

- Director: Mike Leigh - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 103 minutes

This British comedy directed by Mike Leigh takes a look at the lives of a lower-middle-class family in suburban London. Los Angeles Times writer Kenneth Turan said the film "has the wild, brazen, anything-goes energy of a 2-year-old."

#85. Eighth Grade (2018)

- Director: Bo Burnham - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 93 minutes

Writer-director Bo Burnham highlights the awkwardness of adolescence through the story of an eighth-grader named Kayla (Elsie Fisher). The audience watches Kayla as she makes it through the last week of middle school.

#84. Tootsie (1982)

- Director: Sydney Pollack - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 116 minutes

Before Robin Williams played Mrs. Doubtfire, Dustin Hoffman donned a wig and a dress in "Tootsie." Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey, a failing actor who dresses up like a woman to get a role in a soap opera. Problems arise when he falls in love with his co-star Julie (Jessica Lange). Teri Garr, Bill Murray, and Geena Davis make up a cast New York Times critic Vincent Canby called "splendid."

#83. Up (2009)

- Directors: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 96 minutes

This CGI-animated comedy starts tragically with the death of an elderly man's wife. But the majority of the movie is an uplifting story about an aging explorer who uses helium balloons to travel the world. A young boy joins him for the ride. The film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

#82. Chicken Run (2000)

- Directors: Peter Lord, Nick Park - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 84 minutes

In the first of the "Chicken Run" series, a group of chickens band together to escape their evil owners. Critics generally agreed this animated film was just as much fun for adults as it was for children.

#81. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

- Director: Wes Anderson - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 99 minutes

In his eighth feature film, director Wes Anderson tells the story of Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes)—a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel—and Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), the lobby boy who becomes his friend. Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, F. Murray Abraham, and Tilda Swinton star in this stylish, eccentric, and silly comedy.

#80. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

- Director: Martin McDonagh - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 115 minutes

After her daughter is murdered, a mother (Frances McDormand) puts up three controversial billboards in response to the local police's (Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell) failure to find the killer. McDormand's performance in the black comedy won her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

#79. Tulpan (2008)

- Director: Sergei Dvortsevoy - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 100 minutes

Director Sergei Dvortsevoy tells the story of Asa, a discharged Russian sailor living in Kazakhstan. He wants to be a herdsman who owns his own ranch one day, but first, he wants to get married. He sets his sights on Tulpan, the only eligible young woman in his proximity.

#78. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

- Director: George Seaton - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 96 minutes

This heartwarming Christmas standard stars Maureen O'Hara as Doris Walker, Natalie Wood at age 8 as her daughter, and Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. Wood said in her biography that she believed Gwenn was Santa Claus until she saw him without a beard when filming had ended. The movie was originally called "The Big Heart" and was released with that name in Britain, but the title was changed for the American audience.

#77. The Death of Stalin (2017)

- Director: Armando Iannucci - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 107 minutes

After Joseph Stalin dies in Moscow in 1953, his underlings (Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin) struggle to see who will wield the power and become the next Soviet leader in this satire directed by Armando Iannucci. Critics described the humor as " frightfully uneasy ," with " perfectly timed slapstick ."

#76. Paddington 2 (2017)

- Director: Paul King - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 103 minutes

In this animated sequel, Paddington gets used to living with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens. The film follows the bear as he tries to find a gift for his aunt's 100th birthday. Critic Christy Lemire wrote that the film "proves the smart-but-sweet combination that marked the first live-action film was no fluke. "

#75. Show Boat (1936)

- Director: James Whale - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 113 minutes

"Show Boat" follows the triumphs and tribulations of the crew of the Cotton Palace over the span of 40 years. Based on the Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein musical (which was, in turn, based on a novel by Edna Ferber) the cast includes several members of the original Broadway run and three original songs. Universal had to obtain special permission from the Hays Office to include the famous miscegenation plotline that drives much of the action.

#74. Anomalisa (2015)

- Directors: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman - Metascore: 88 - Runtime: 90 minutes

Charlie Kaufman uses puppets and stop-motion animation to portray an aging motivational speaker as he tries to connect with others. He finally makes a friend when he meets Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The film taps into "an existential loneliness most films can only hint at," according to NPR's Bob Mondello .

#73. The Madness of King George (1994)

- Director: Nicholas Hytner - Metascore: 89 - Runtime: 110 minutes

The film shows King George III (Nigel Hawthorne) as he slips into insanity after losing the American colonies in 1788. Some believe Hawthorne should have won the Oscar that year instead of Tom Hanks for "Forrest Gump."

#72. The Farewell (2019)

- Director: Lulu Wang - Metascore: 89 - Runtime: 100 minutes

A Chinese family decides not to tell their grandmother that she has terminal cancer, scheduling a hasty wedding to gather together before her death. Awkwafina won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. The plot was based on Lulu Wang's real family who lied to their grandmother about her illness and had a wedding to get the family to visit. Wang not only wrote and directed the movie, but she played piano on the soundtrack as well.

#71. Funny Girl (1968)

- Director: William Wyler - Metascore: 89 - Runtime: 151 minutes

The movie follows film star and comedian Fanny Brice and her relationship with gambler Nicky Arnstein. Barbra Streisand won an Academy Award for her role in this musical comedy.

#70. Borat (2006)

- Director: Larry Charles - Metascore: 89 - Runtime: 84 minutes

Largely unscripted, "Borat" follows a Kahzakhstani journalist (Sacha Baron Cohen) as he travels through the U.S., filming a documentary composed of interactions with real-life American citizens. Critics and audiences alike generally loved the film, praising its blunt humor and ingenious critiques of American culture. However, its cringy nature and the ineptitudes it revealed led some to sue the creators and many Middle Eastern countries to ban the film entirely.

#69. Love and Death (1975)

- Director: Woody Allen - Metascore: 89 - Runtime: 85 minutes

Satirizing Russian literature, "Love and Death" sees Woody Allen starring as a 19th-century Russian who falls in love with his married cousin (Diane Keaton). Allen wins a duel against a cuckolded husband and is then asked to join a plot to kill Napoleon.

#68. The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)

- Director: Charles Crichton - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 78 minutes

An action comedy about a gold heist gone hilariously awry, "The Lavender Hill Mob" marks Audrey Hepburn and Robert Shaw's first film appearances. Alec Guinness and Stanley Hollway star as the two ordinary Londoners who mastermind the elaborate scheme, and their delightful performances still garner critical acclaim some 70+ years later .

#67. Ghost World (2001)

- Director: Terry Zwigoff - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 111 minutes

Adapted from Daniel Clowes' comic book of the same name, "Ghost World" stars an angsty Scarlett Johansson alongside Thora Birch. The film explores the friendship of two teenage girls as they leave high school. New York Times critic A.O. Scott said the film was "the best depiction of teenage eccentricity since 'Rushmore.'"

#66. Paterson (2016)

- Director: Jim Jarmusch - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 118 minutes

Adam Driver stars in this quiet comedy-drama written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Driver plays Paterson, a bus driver in New Jersey who dabbles in poetry. Viewers follow Paterson through a week of his life in a film that celebrates the normal.

#65. Licorice Pizza (2021)

- Director: Paul Thomas Anderson - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 133 minutes

Set in 1973, "Licorice Pizza" chronicles a budding relationship between two young people. Between its ensemble cast (Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, and Bradley Cooper) and controversial plotline (the primary romance is between a 15-year-old boy and a 25-year-old woman), the film was popular with audiences when it hit theaters in 2021.

#64. The Circus (1928)

- Director: Charles Chaplin - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 72 minutes

The Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) is hired as a clown by a traveling circus. The silent movie's most famous scene is Chaplin, with his fine-tuned comic timing, walking a tightrope and being attacked by escaped monkeys. Chaplin won his first Academy Award for "versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing, and producing." The film was made while Chaplin was going through an acrimonious divorce, with production forced to come to a halt for eight months while lawyers tried to seize the studio's assets.

#63. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

- Director: Woody Allen - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 107 minutes

This 1986 comedy-drama written and directed by Woody Allen follows a family over two years culminating in a Thanksgiving dinner. The cast includes Mia Farrow, Michael Caine, Dianne Wiest, Carrie Fisher, and Farrow's real-life mother Maureen O'Sullivan. The film won Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

#62. Being John Malkovich (1999)

- Director: Spike Jonze - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 113 minutes

Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is an unemployed puppeteer who takes a job as a file clerk. When Craig finds a portal that leads inside the head of actor John Malkovich, he beings to explore what it's like to be the actor. Director Spike Jonze paired up with writer Charlie Kaufman to produce this original and sometimes outlandish film.

#61. Topsy-Turvy (1999)

- Director: Mike Leigh - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 160 minutes

Set in the late 1800s, "Topsy-Turvy" tells the story of how the musical theater-writing duo of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan nearly fell apart before the two made "The Mikado," one of their most well-known comic operas. Variety critic Deborah Young called the film, "[A] beautifully crafted and lively romp around the 1880s stage world."

#60. Finding Nemo (2003)

- Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 100 minutes

A clownfish named Marlin (Albert Brooks) sets out to find his lost son Nemo after the two become separated in the Great Barrier Reef. Along the way, Marlin meets up with forgetful Pacific regal blue tang Dory (Ellen DeGeneres). The animated film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and spawned a successful sequel 13 years later.

#59. To Have and Have Not (1944)

- Director: Howard Hawks - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 100 minutes

Loosely based on an Earnest Hemmingway novel of the same name, " To Have and Have Not " follows the budding romance between a fisherman and an American drifter on the eve of WWII. With a screenplay written by William Faulkner, and a cast consisting of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Walter Brennan, it's no surprise that the film has been such a massive and enduring hit. Movie trivia fans will also be delighted to know that the set of this rom-com is where Bogart and Bacall met and fell in love.

#58. It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

- Director: Don Hertzfeldt - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 62 minutes

This black comedy-drama was written, directed, animated, and produced by Don Hertzfeldt. The film is split into three chapters that follow a stick figure named Bill who has an unknown illness that causes memory lapses and strange visions. The visuals may be simple, but emotions still come through.

#57. Gosford Park (2001)

- Director: Robert Altman - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 137 minutes

Robert Altman directs this mystery in which the lives of both the guests and servants are upended when a murder occurs at a party. The ensemble cast includes Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Ryan Phillippe, Maggie Smith, and Kristin Scott Thomas, among others.

#56. American Splendor (2003)

- Directors: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 101 minutes

This biographical comedy-drama is about Harvey Pekar, the author of the "American Splendor" comic book series for which the film is named. Paul Giamatti plays Pekar, who chronicled his life as a hospital file clerk in Ohio in his comic books. The film mixes scenes that show the real-life Pekar, who died in 2010.

#55. After Hours (1985)

- Director: Martin Scorsese - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 97 minutes

Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) experiences an absurd night as he makes his way through SoHo after meeting Marcy (Rosanna Arquette) in a New York cafe. Martin Scorsese directed this black comedy that critics liked but wasn't an instant audience favorite.

#54. The Worst Person in the World (2021)

- Director: Joachim Trier - Metascore: 90 - Runtime: 128 minutes

The Guardian declared "The Worst Person in the World" an "instant classic" when it premiered at Cannes in 2021. The Norwegian film follows a young woman over the course of four years as she struggles to settle into a career path and find love.

#53. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

- Director: Howard Hawks - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 102 minutes

When it was first released, critics panned this screwball comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Hepburn plays a mad-cap heiress whereas Grant is an absent-minded professor who needs $1 million to finish constructing a brontosaurus skeleton. The movie is a treasure trove of gags, physical antics, and double entendres.

#52. The Favourite (2018)

- Director: Yorgos Lanthimos - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 119 minutes

Olivia Colman won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role as the ailing Queen Anne. Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone play a palace aristocrat and a servant competing for her attention. Both were nominated for Oscars in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. Colman has said in interviews that she didn't remember making her Oscar acceptance speech—" This is hilarious," she exclaimed —thanks to all the trips she made to the bar at the back of the awards ceremony auditorium.

#51. Secrets & Lies (1996)

- Director: Mike Leigh - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 136 minutes

"Secrets & Lies" addresses issues of race and identity when a woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) living in London finds out her birth mother (Brenda Blethyn) is living in a run-down part of town. The film was nominated for five Oscars and won the Palme d'Or at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. Blethyn won a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

#50. Three Colors: White (1994)

- Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 92 minutes

This French-Polish comedy-drama is the second in the "Three Colors" series. The story follows a man whose wife (Julie Delpy) leaves him when he can't consummate the marriage. After losing his money, home, and friends, he must regain his livelihood while learning to let his wife go.

#49. Uncut Gems (2019)

- Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 135 minutes

Adam Sandler is a fast-talking, manic, and deeply-in-debt gem dealer who thinks he has found a solution to his problems by selling a huge uncut opal. However, when he allows a customer, an NBA star, to borrow the gem, he sets off a string of calamities. Inspiration for the movie came in part from directors Ben and Joshua Safdie's father, who worked for a time in midtown Manhattan's Diamond District.

#48. Her (2013)

- Director: Spike Jonze - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 126 minutes

Director Spike Jonze shows viewers a future in which artificial intelligence can help with loneliness. The film tells the story of a quiet, solitary Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) falling in love with his operating system Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). New York Times critic Manohla Dargis says the film is a touching and remarkably believable love story between man and machine.

#47. Jafar Panahi's Taxi (2015)

- Director: Jafar Panahi - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 82 minutes

After the Iranian government banned Jafar Panahi from making films and traveling in 2010, the director side-stepped the censorship by making this funny and captivating movie addressing social issues in Iran while posing as a taxi driver. This was Panahi's third feature he filmed after the ban.

#46. The Ladykillers (1955)

- Director: Alexander Mackendrick - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 91 minutes

Starring Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers, this black comedy tells the story of a group of five men who plan a bank robbery while renting rooms from an elderly widow who believes the men are classical musicians. While Alexander Mackendrick directed this original feature, Joel and Ethan Coen remade the film in 2004 with a cast that included Tom Hanks, Marlon Wayans, J.K. Simmons, and Irma P. Hall.

#45. I Was Born, But... (1932)

- Director: Yasujirô Ozu - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 100 minutes

Initially released in 1932, Japanese director Yasujirô Ozu's silent film was digitally restored with retranslated subtitles in 2010. The film tells the story of a family through the perspective of two young brothers who are disappointed with their father's submissive behavior at work. After viewing their father in a different light, the boys shed some of their innocent views of the world.

#44. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

- Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 91 minutes

Filled with Monty Python's signature British humor, this feature film was a "marvelously particular kind of lunatic endeavor," according to a New York Times review . As the name suggests, the comedy follows King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they search for the Holy Grail.

#43. The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

- Director: Sylvain Chomet - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by French filmmaker Sylvain Chomet, this animated feature tells the story of Madame Souza, a grandmother who must rescue her kidnapped son from a group of gangsters who want to use his bicycling prowess in a gambling scheme. Along the way, Souza and her friend meet a 1930s jazz group called The Triplets of Belleville. The film features Oscar-nominated music by Benoit Charest.

#42. Love Affair (1939)

- Director: Leo McCarey - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 88 minutes

A dashing French painter (Charles Boyer) and an American singer (Irene Dunne) meet and fall in love on an ocean cruise, only to learn that the other is engaged to marry someone else. The movie was remade in 1957 as "An Affair to Remember" with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr and again in 1994 as "Love Affair" with Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, and Katharine Hepburn.

#41. Breaking Away (1979)

- Director: Peter Yates - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 101 minutes

A group of young men adjust to life after high school. Dennis Christopher plays Dave, a cycling enthusiast who wants to become a world champion. After meeting the Italian racing team, he and his friends (Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley) decide to challenge some college boys in the town's annual bike race. The film won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay.

#40. Swing Time (1936)

- Director: George Stevens - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 103 minutes

The fifth movie pairing Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers is a comedy based on mistaken identity, with its high points including dance numbers, especially the "Never Gonna Dance" routine. Due to Astaire dancing a solo in blackface ("Bojangles of Harlem"), the movie is not broadcast on television as much as other Astaire-Rogers collaborations.

#39. A Summer's Tale (1996)

- Director: Éric Rohmer - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 113 minutes

A man who has recently graduated from university heads to the beaches in Bretagne for a three-week vacation. After his girlfriend declines his invitation, he meets another woman who sparks his interest. He must decide between his new love interest and his former flame. Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan said the movie was "unhurried and gently amusing." Originally released in the U.S. in 1996, the newly restored film made its American debut in the summer of 2014.

#38. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

- Director: Rob Reiner - Metascore: 92 - Runtime: 82 minutes

This mockumentary focuses on a once-famous (now aging) British heavy metal group as they plan a concert tour after 17 years out of the spotlight. Director Rob Reiner co-wrote the script for this cult classic along with the film's stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer.

#37. Toy Story 3 (2010)

- Director: Lee Unkrich - Metascore: 92 - Runtime: 103 minutes

Pixar knocked it out of the park again with the third installment of the "Toy Story" series. This time, Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), and the gang find themselves in daycare as Andy heads off to college. The film won Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.

#36. Annie Hall (1977)

- Director: Woody Allen - Metascore: 92 - Runtime: 93 minutes

This film follows neurotic New Yorker Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) as he falls in love and navigates a relationship with Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). Written and directed by Allen, the film won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor.

#35. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

- Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Mervyn LeRoy, Norman Taurog, Richard Thorpe, King Vidor - Metascore: 92 - Runtime: 102 minutes

One of Hollywood's all-time classics won an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song, and Best Music, Original Score. The Munchkins were played by a troupe of European actors, many of whom were Jewish and remained in the United States to escape Nazi persecution. Star Judy Garland grew close to the dog who played Toto and wanted to adopt her, but her owner did not want to give her up.

Lines from the movie are among cinema's most iconic: "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain;" "There's no place like home," and "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

#34. The Band Wagon (1953)

- Director: Vincente Minnelli - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 112 minutes

Headed by stars Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, this film's cast includes Ava Gardner and Julie Newmar, who appear uncredited. Newmar played Catwoman in television's "Batman" series in the 1960s. Vincente Minnelli directed two movies that won Oscars for Best Picture—"An American in Paris" in 1951 and "Gigi" in 1958. Minnelli also invented the crab camera dolly that can move in any direction for shooting.

#33. Top Hat (1935)

- Director: Mark Sandrich - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 101 minutes

In this film, stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers perform the classic dance routines "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" and "Cheek to Cheek." Astaire reportedly disliked the gown Rogers wore in "Cheek to Cheek'' which was made mostly of ostrich feathers, complaining that it detracted from the dancing's clean lines. Lucille Ball has a small uncredited role.

#32. Sita Sings the Blues (2008)

- Director: Nina Paley - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 82 minutes

This ambitious and visually loaded animated film tells the Hindu story of the Ramayana interspersed with musical numbers featuring the vocals of 1920s star Annette Hanshaw. The feature placed first at several international film festivals around the world.

#31. Do the Right Thing (1989)

- Director: Spike Lee - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 120 minutes

Director Spike Lee details events that led to a race riot between residents in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year. The events center around an Italian American pizza parlor owner named Sal (Danny Aiello), his employee Mookie (Spike Lee), and Mookie's friend Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito). Some see this groundbreaking movie as a Black nationalist manifesto , as well as one of the most important films of its time.

#30. Toni Erdmann (2016)

- Director: Maren Ade - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 162 minutes

A professional woman's estranged father likes to play jokes and dress in disguises. He poses as a life coach for her CEO to get close to her. Father and daughter attempt to repair their relationship when his identity is finally revealed. Maren Ade wrote and directed the German-Austrian film, which was Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.

#29. Duck Soup (1933)

- Director: Leo McCarey - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 69 minutes

Groucho Marx is Rufus T Firefly, head of the country of Fredonia, which badly needs a financial boost from Mrs. Gloria Teasdale, played by Margaret Dumont. Harpo and Chico Marx play spies from a neighboring country hoping to overthrow Freedonia. In Italy, Benito Mussolini saw the movie as an affront and banned it. It was the last Marx Brothers' movie with Zeppo Marx, who quit the family troupe.

#28. Lady Bird (2017)

- Director: Greta Gerwig - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 94 minutes

Writer Greta Gerwig makes her directorial debut with a film dubbed exquisite by New Yorker critic Richard Brody. "Lady Bird," a script loosely based on Gerwig's own life, tells the story of an angsty teenager (Saoirse Ronan) at a California Catholic school and explores her relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf). The feature was nominated for five Academy Awards and won Golden Globes for Best Actress and Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy).

#27. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

- Director: Luis Buñuel - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 102 minutes

Six people at a dinner party try to finish a meal together but are interrupted by a series of dreams. Directed by Luis Buñuel and written in collaboration with Jean-Claude Carriere, the surrealist comedy won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

#26. La La Land (2016)

- Director: Damien Chazelle - Metascore: 94 - Runtime: 128 minutes

Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) keep ending up together as they both pursue their dreams—with plenty of singing and dancing along the way—in this romantic feature. The musical comedy-drama took home six Academy Awards, including Best Actress and Best Director. While many critics praised the film , some weren't as enamored with the feature.

#25. Chimes at Midnight (1965)

- Director: Orson Welles - Metascore: 94 - Runtime: 115 minutes

Director Orson Wells stars as Sir John Falstaff in this compilation drawn from Shakespeare's "Henry IV," "Richard II," "Henry V," and "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The top-notch cast includes Jeanne Moreau, Margaret Rutherford, and Sir John Gielgud. Many critics consider it to be Wells' best work. The filmmaker directed and starred in "Citizen Kane" in 1941.

#24. The Apartment (1960)

- Director: Billy Wilder - Metascore: 94 - Runtime: 125 minutes

Jack Lemmon is an insurance company employee who lends his Manhattan apartment to company bigwigs for trysts in the hopes of getting a promotion. Billy Wilder became the first person to win Oscars all in the same year for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The movie also won Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White, and Best Film Editing.

#23. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

- Director: Vincente Minnelli - Metascore: 94 - Runtime: 113 minutes

This Christmas musical stars Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien, the latter of whom was awarded a special Juvenile Oscar for her performance. Garland and Vincente Minnelli met in the making of the film and soon were married. He was nearly 20 years older than she was, and by 1949, the pair had separated.

#22. Sideways (2004)

- Director: Alexander Payne - Metascore: 94 - Runtime: 127 minutes

Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) embark on a road trip through California wine country in advance of Jack's marriage. Miles meets another wine buff (Virginia Madsen), while Jack spends the weekend with winemaker Stephanie (Sandra Oh). The film increased the popularity of pinot noir by 170% after its release.

#21. Inside Out (2015)

- Directors: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen - Metascore: 94 - Runtime: 95 minutes

Emotions come to life in this innovative animated film. After a young girl moves from the Midwest to San Francisco, viewers get a look inside her head as her feelings try to navigate this new life. The cast includes Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, and Lewis Black. The film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

#20. La Dolce Vita (1960)

- Director: Federico Fellini - Metascore: 95 - Runtime: 174 minutes

This 1960 classic shows viewers a week in the life of a playboy journalist in Rome. The feature won an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and Fellini took home the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

#19. The Social Network (2010)

- Director: David Fincher - Metascore: 95 - Runtime: 120 minutes

Based on a book by Ben Mezrich, writer Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher tell the story of the creation of Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg portrays founder Mark Zuckerberg as he gets caught up in a lawsuit after two Harvard students sued him, claiming Facebook was their idea. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay.

#18. The Producers (1967)

- Director: Mel Brooks - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 88 minutes

Before it became a Broadway hit, "The Producers" starred an over-the-top Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel on the silver screen in 1968. Mel Brooks, who wrote and directed the film, won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, while Wilder received a Best Supporting Actor nod.

#17. Modern Times (1936)

- Director: Charles Chaplin - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 87 minutes

Originally released in 1936, Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed, and starred in this film. "Modern Times" tells the story of Chaplin's iconic character, Little Tramp, as he struggles to adapt to the modern, industrialized world. This was the last film featuring Chaplin's Tramp character.

#16. The Lady Eve (1941)

- Director: Preston Sturges - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 94 minutes

Barbara Stanwyck stars as a con artist who sets her sights on a bumbling but wealthy cruise ship passenger, played by Henry Fonda. The movie is considered one of the best by writer and director Preston Sturges, known for fast-paced dialogue and zany physical comedy in the 1940s.

#15. A Hard Day's Night (1964)

- Director: Richard Lester - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 87 minutes

The Beatles made their film debut in this 1964 musical comedy. The audience gets a feel for Beatle-mania as we follow the band through a fictional day in the life of the musicians.

#14. Ratatouille (2007)

- Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 111 minutes

In this 2007 animated film, a rat who loves to cook teams up with a young chef at a popular restaurant. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

#13. The Philadelphia Story (1940)

- Director: George Cukor - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 112 minutes

Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart all grace the screen in this romantic comedy. Hepburn plays the daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia family who is on the way to her second marriage. Grant stars as the ex-husband who wants to foil the wedding while Stewart plays a tabloid journalist who falls for Hepburn. The American Film Institute considers it one of the top 100 American films of all time.

#12. Nashville (1975)

- Director: Robert Altman - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 160 minutes

This film's massive ensemble cast includes the likes of Ned Beatty, Lily Tomlin, Keith Carradine, Henry Gibson, Karen Black, Geraldine Chaplin, Michael Murphy, Elliott Gould, and Julie Christie. Most of the movie was improvised, with the actors writing and performing their own songs. The movie was nominated for a record 11 Golden Globes.

#11. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

- Director: Ernst Lubitsch - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 99 minutes

Two shop employees, played by Margaret Sullavan and Jimmy Stewart, dislike each other and are unaware that they are anonymous pen pals. The movie was made in 28 days for less than $500,000 . It was the basis for the 1998 movie "You've Got Mail," with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, in which Ryan's bookstore is called The Shop Around The Corner.

#10. Toy Story (1995)

- Director: John Lasseter - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 81 minutes

The Pixar computer-animated film that spurred three sequels, "Toy Story" introduced audiences to the cowboy doll Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks), who struggles to accept his owner's latest birthday present: a spaceman toy named Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). The film helped launch Pixar—then a young company headed by Steve Jobs—and changed the animation industry forever .

#9. Parasite (2019)

- Director: Bong Joon Ho - Metascore: 96 - Runtime: 132 minutes

The story of two interconnected families, one rich and one poor, won four Oscars—Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film—as well as a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. It also was the first Korean-language film to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

#8. American Graffiti (1973)

- Director: George Lucas - Metascore: 97 - Runtime: 110 minutes

Set during the summer in the early '60s, four teenagers experience their last night before heading to college. The film features a young Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, and Suzanne Somers. Directed and co-written by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, this 1973 classic was voted one of the American Film Institute's top 100 films of all time .

#7. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

- Director: Stanley Kubrick - Metascore: 97 - Runtime: 95 minutes

Peter Sellers plays three roles in this Stanley Kubrick-directed film about a mentally unhinged American general who triggers a nuclear holocaust. The black comedy, which satirizes the Cold War, was based on a novel called "Red Alert" and is widely considered to be not just one of the best comedies of all time but one of the best films of all time.

#6. Some Like It Hot (1959)

- Director: Billy Wilder - Metascore: 98 - Runtime: 121 minutes

Set in 1929, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon star as two musicians who flee a police raid of their speakeasy and accidentally witness a mob hit. They disguise themselves as women band members to avoid detection, and during their travels, they meet Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). BBC Culture considers it one of the greatest comedies of all time .

#5. The Rules of the Game (1939)

- Director: Jean Renoir - Metascore: 99 - Runtime: 110 minutes

A comedy of manners, "The Rules of the Game" follows a group of rich French socialites and their servants as they gather at a chateau on the eve of WWII. Described by The Criterion Collection as " a scathing critique of French society ," the film was initially despised by audiences and critics alike, who perhaps didn't appreciate the worst parts of their natures being shown on the big screen. It was so despised that the original negatives were destroyed during the war, and the film was only restored to its original cut in the late 1950s.

#4. City Lights (1931)

- Director: Charles Chaplin - Metascore: 99 - Runtime: 87 minutes

Charlie Chaplin stars as the Little Tramp, a scoundrel who falls in love with a beautiful woman who is blind, played by Virginia Cherrill. While other movies at the time already had sound, Chaplin made the movie silent. At $1.5 million, it was an expensive production, in no small part because Chaplin held the cast and crew on standby for nearly two years but only shot for six months.

#3. Playtime (1967)

- Director: Jacques Tati - Metascore: 99 - Runtime: 155 minutes

It took nearly three years to film " Playtime ," director Jaques Tati's magnum opus. An almost wordless comedy about struggling to exist in a high-tech world, the film features Monsieur Hulot (Tati's recurring character) and some of cinematic history's most jaw-dropping camera shots.

#2. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

- Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly - Metascore: 99 - Runtime: 103 minutes

This 1950s classic starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds received universal acclaim. The musical comedy was directed and choreographed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, and follows a group of performers transitioning from silent films to "talkies." The movie, which features an iconic scene where Kelly sings and dances while twirling an umbrella in the rain ( some say with a fever ), has since been preserved in the National Film Registry of the United States Library of Congress.

#1. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974)

- Director: Jacques Rivette - Metascore: 100 - Runtime: 193 minutes

"Celine and Julie Go Boating," tells the magical, mind-bending story of two young French women who find themselves unwittingly thrust into an alternate reality. Dubbed "one of the all-time great hangout comedies" by The Criterion Collection , the topsy-turvy film is a perfect example of French New Wave cinema.

Additional writing by Keri Wiginton. Data reporting by Lucas Hicks. Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo. Copy editing by Meg Shields. 

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The 60 Best Movie Comedies on Netflix

If you’re looking for some funny movies on Netflix on the Fresh side of the Tomatometer, you’ve come to the right place as Rotten Tomatoes presents the 60 Best Movie Comedies on Netflix to Watch Right Now!

The streaming service’s library for comedy flicks includes stone-cold classics ( Groundhog Day , Monty Python and the Holy Grail , The Naked Gun ), and modern films that like to dabble in a little drama with their yuks ( The Squid and the Whale , The Meyerowitz Stories , Young Adult ). There are feel-good movies ( The Sapphires , Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ) and dark comedies ( The Lobster , A Serious Man ). And, of course, there’s Netflix’s own stable of exclusive originals ( Pee-wee’s Big Holiday , The Ballad of Buster Scruggs ).

The only stipulation for consideration in this list of Netflix funnies was a Fresh rating from at least 20 reviews. Oh, and we bypassed rom-coms: For that, check out our list of Netflix Romantic Comedies Ranked by Tomatometer .

Ready for a little levity? Time to shake off the doldrums and get a good laugh going with the 60 Best-Reviewed Comedy Movies on Netflix! — Alex Vo

Take Me (2017) 70%

A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018) 68%

Hitch (2005) 69%

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) 73%

Our Idiot Brother (2011) 71%

Swiss Army Man (2016) 72%

Get Him to the Greek (2010) 72%

Catfight (2016) 74%

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) 75%

The Fundamentals of Caring (2016) 77%

Julie & Julia (2009) 77%

The Tiger Hunter (2016) 79%

The Little Hours (2017) 78%

The Longest Yard (1974) 76%

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016) 83%

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) 82%

Young Adult (2011) 80%

Goon (2011) 81%

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) 82%

I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016) 83%

The Land of Steady Habits (2018) 83%

While We're Young (2014) 84%

Win It All (2017) 85%

Tallulah (2016) 85%

Other People (2016) 85%

Dumplin' (2018) 87%

Band Aid (2017) 88%

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010) 85%

As Good as It Gets (1997) 86%

Peepli Live (2010) 86%

Stripes (1981) 88%

All About Nina (2018) 86%

Cookie's Fortune (1999) 86%

Junebug (2005) 86%

The Naked Gun (1988) 86%

The Lobster (2015) 87%

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) 89%

Paddleton (2019) 89%

Tootsie (1982) 91%

A Serious Man (2009) 89%

She's Gotta Have It (1986) 94%

The Sapphires (2012) 91%

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) 89%

Up in the Air (2009) 90%

Deidra & Laney Rob a Train (2017) 92%

Mindhorn (2016) 92%

The Squid and the Whale (2005) 92%

Frances Ha (2012) 92%

I'll See You in My Dreams (2015) 93%

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017) 92%

50/50 (2011) 93%

Private Life (2018) 94%

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) 94%

The World Is Yours (2018) 95%

Tramps (2016) 92%

Life of Brian (1979) 96%

Groundhog Day (1993) 94%

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 96%

Don't Think Twice (2016) 98%

Mr. Roosevelt (2017) 100%

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The 20 Best Comedies on Netflix Right Now

This post is updated frequently as movies leave and enter Netflix. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.

We could all use a laugh these days. As the world continues to depress people, turn to Netflix and find something to escape the news in their ever-rotating comedy section. There are a few originals that won’t be going anywhere, but what about the studio comedies that come and go from the streaming giant? How can you keep track of where to find laughter these days? We’re here to help with this always-updated list of the best comedies on Netflix right now.

How We Pick Our Films

Critic Brian Tallerico watches and writes about movies and TV every day. To curate this list, he dives into Netflix’s comedy catalogue every month to surface laugh-out-loud funny titles — using his taste and a lifetime of cinema study as his guide, instead of whatever the algorithm happens to be pushing. After triple-checking to make sure they’re still available, he watches each and writes his recommendation. We highlight more than just the crowdpleasers: Comedy can be a venue to present interesting ideas, make an impact on cinema, and change our culture. Read on to find something to watch.

Anyone But You

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 43m Director: Will Gluck

It took two people as undeniably beautiful as Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell to resurrect the rom-com. Loosely based on Much Ado About Nothing , this massive hit made over $200 million worldwide on a budget that was a fraction of that number, reminding Hollywood that people will always want to see charming, gorgeous people hook up on screen.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Year: 2018 Runtime: 2h 13m Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

The Coen brothers delivered one of their most inventive and enjoyable films in this anthology film that tells a series of stories with a Western theme. Tim Blake Nelson sets the stage beautifully with his opening bit about a singing cowboy, but there are a number of scene-stealers here including Harry Melling, Tom Waits, and Bill Heck. It’s one of the most underrated modern Westerns.

Blazing Saddles

Year: 1974 Runtime: 1h 32m Director: Mel Brooks

The ultimate “could they make that movie anymore” conversation piece remains one of the funniest films ever made. Cleavon Little plays the new Sheriff in town as Brooks and his team skewer Western genre conventions and race relations in a way that’s unforgettably hysterical. It’s quite literally one of the funniest movies ever made.

The Blues Brothers

Year: 1980 Runtime: 2h 12m Director: John Landis

One of the most beloved comedies of all time, this musical classic stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Jake and Elwood Blues, characters they developed together on Saturday Night Live . The humor in John Landis’ classic has held up, but the music really holds it together, including appearances from James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, and Chaka Khan.

*The Breakfast Club

Year: 1985 Runtime: 1h 37m Director: John Hughes

Few films of the ‘80s are more influential to this day than John Hughes’ mega-popular collection of misfits, a comedy that has basically been remade almost every year since it came out. Look at any of the modern teen comedies and you can pick out the Judd Nelsons, Anthony Michael Halls, Molly Ringwalds, and Ally Sheedys. See where a subgenre basically changed forever.

*Burn After Reading

Year: 2008 Runtime: 1h 35m Director: Joel Coen

Joel and Ethan Coen followed their Best Picture winner No Country for Old Men with one of their most cynical and hysterical movies, a comedy of errors about some incredibly stupid people. Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Richard Jenkins, John Malkovich, and J.K. Simmons star in a movie that’s basically about, well, a bunch of total idiots. No one drops an f-bomb like John Malkovich.

The Edge of Seventeen

Year: 2016 Runtime: 1h 44m Director: Kelly Fremon Craig

The wonderful Hailee Steinfeld stars in this excellent coming-of-age dramedy about a high school junior in the Portland suburbs who learns some tough lessons about relationships and the general idiocy of adults. Going through a crisis since the death of her father, Steinfeld’s Nadine struggles through her daily life in a way that’s genuine and hysterical. The movie also features fun supporting turns from Woody Harrelson and Haley Lu Richardson.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

Year: 2020 Runtime: 2h 3m Director: David Dobkin

Why did it take so long to satirize the wonderful, unapologetic excess of the Eurovision Song Contest? It was worth the wait because one of the funniest movies of 2020 starred Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as a pair of hapless Icelandic singers who turn the international singing contest upside down. Unapologetically goofy, this movie is a great escape for viewers from any country.

Glass Onion

Year: 2022 Runtime: 2h 19m Director: Rian Johnson

The writer/director of Knives Out returned in late 2022 with a sequel to that smash hit, exclusively on Netflix. Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc, the casual crime solver who finds himself on a billionaire’s island in this latest comedy/mystery. Once again, Johnson assembles a murderer’s row of talent, including Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Ed Norton, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., and more. It’s smart, funny, and thoroughly entertaining.

Year: 2024 Runtime: 1h 55m Director: Richard Linklater

Future superstar Glen Powell co-wrote and stars in this comedic gem that reminds one that movies can still be made for adults. With echoes of noir and the kind of sexy romantic dramedies that don’t get made much anymore, this is the story of an undercover cop named Gary (Powell) who talks a desperate young woman (Adria Arjona) out of having her husband murdered, setting in motion an unpredictable, funny, riveting series of events. This is one of the best films of 2024. ( On Netflix June 7th. )

Hot Tub Time Machine

Year: 2010 Runtime: 1h 38m Director: Steve Pink

They can’t all be think pieces. Sometimes you just want a goofy movie with which to unwind after a long day at work or school. Hot Tub Time Machine should get the job done. John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke star in a film about, well, it’s kind of right there in the title. Remarkably and defiantly silly, this was such a surprise hit that it even produced a sequel. Avoid that one, but revisit the original, a comedy that has held up surprisingly well.

Year: 2007 Runtime: 2h 9m Director: Judd Apatow

Its gender politics seem shakier than when it came out, but Judd Apatow’s biggest hit still works because of the intelligence of its screenplay and commitment of its cast, especially Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl. The story of a man forced to grow up when his one-night stand gets pregnant errs a bit too much on the side of the male view, but one can’t deny the pure laughs-per-minute ratio. It’s fun to contrast this with the more recent Long Shot to see how much Rogen has changed (and how much he really hasn’t).

Year: 1997 Runtime: 1h 26pm Director: Tom Shadyac

One of Jim Carrey’s best movies is this 1997 smash-hit comedy about an attorney whose son makes a wish that dad won’t be able to lie for an entire day. As with a lot of Carrey’s ‘90s comedies, it’s not the premise as much as the performer, who throws himself into every awkward situation and every bit of physical comedy with his entire being.

Meet the Parents

Year: 2000 Runtime: 1h 47m Director: Jay Roach

It’s hard to imagine a studio comedy becoming the phenomenon the way Meet the Parents did back in 2000 when it was heavily quoted everywhere and made over $300 million worldwide. It was a hit because of the clash of styles between the on-screen personas of Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro as the father-in-law from Hell.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Year: 2021 Runtime: 1h 53m Directors: Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe

Originally planned for a theatrical release by Sony (with the much-worse title Connected ), the studio sold this off to Netflix during the pandemic…and probably regretted that decision. One of the most critically and commercially beloved animated films of 2021, this is an incredibly smart and sweet family vacation movie, a comedy that’s as much about a tender relationship between a father and daughter as it is the fact that they end up having to save the world together.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Year: 1975 Runtime: 1h 29m Directors: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones

During a hiatus between the third and fourth seasons of Monty Python’s Family Circus , the gang of mega-talented comedians decided to make movie history. Inspired by the King Arthur legend, Holy Grail is a timeless comedy, the rare kind of film that will still be making people laugh hundreds of years from now. And while the Monty Python boys were already famous, this film took them to another level, cementing their place in movie history.

My Best Friend’s Wedding

Year: 1997 Runtime: 1h 44m Director: P.J. Hogan

Julia Roberts might never have been more charming than she is in this comedy about a young woman who made a pact in college to marry her best friend, played by Dermot Mulroney. Not until her buddy gets engaged to someone else (the wonderful Cameron Diaz) does she realize she really loves him. A great blend of physical humor and memorable characters makes this one of the best rom-coms of the ‘90s. They really don’t make them like this anymore.

No Hard Feelings

Year: 2023 Runtime: 1h 43m Director: Gene Stupnitsky

Jennifer Lawrence is fearless in this raucous comedy about a woman who’s paid by a rich couple to “date” their son. The kind of movie that it feels like the Farrellys would have made 25 years ago, it’s the increasingly rare studio comedy that deserves a bit of attention. Some of it kind of comes apart, but it’s funny enough on a lazy Netflix weekend, and a reminder that Lawrence has killer comic timing.

The Nutty Professor

Year: 1996 Runtime: 1h 35m Director: Tom Shadyac

Eddie Murphy gives one of his best comedy performances in an update of the 1963 Jerry Lewis classic that’s notorious for the veteran actor playing multiple roles in the same family. The SNL vet’s primary role is as a scientist who discovers a potion that completely changes the way he looks. And then there are a few other characters too. The sequel is also on Netflix — double feature?

Pineapple Express

Year: 2008 Runtime: 1h 52m Director: David Gordon Green

Seth Rogen gives one of his best performances as Dale Denton, an average guy who just wants to get high. He visits his dealer (played perfectly by James Franco) on the wrong night as the pair cross paths with hitmen and a police officer on the wrong side of the law. This is an incredibly funny movie, and you don’t need to be high to love it.

Sausage Party

Year: 2016 Runtime: 1h 28m Director: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon

It may look like it, but this one is not for kids. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Jonah Hill, and the rest of the gang behind movies like This is the End collaborated on this goofy, raunchy animated comedy about, well, a sausage. When he’s not trying to place himself in a bun—if you know what I mean—he’s discovering that food that leaves the grocery store doesn’t have a happy fate. This is a perfect background noise comedy for after the bar.

School of Rock

Year: 2003 Runtime: 1h 49m Director: Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater directed Jack Black to the best comedy of his career in this movie about a guitarist who becomes a substitute teacher at a prep school and teaches the stuck-up kids there how to rock. It’s a smart, funny family comedy with a huge heart and one of Black’s most truly wonderful performances.

Sleepless in Seattle

Year: 1993 Runtime: 1h 45m Director: Nora Ephron

We could all use a little romance every now and then and movies don’t get much sweeter than this 1993 blockbuster that made Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan one of the most beloved movie couples of all time. Nora Ephron directs this story of a widower who moves to Seattle and tries to raise his 8-year-old son, and the Baltimore woman who hears his tragic tale and falls in love. Hopelessly romantic, it’s the kind of movie they don’t make that much anymore.

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The 15 Best Comedy Movies of 2023, Ranked

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Entertaining global audiences from every corner of the world, the comedy genre has always been a beloved one; when it comes to the film industry, it is no exception. Part of what makes the category so great is how it can easily be blended with other genres, resulting in tragicomedies, dark comedies, and other forms of humor.

With that being said, 2023 proved to have been great and also quite diverse for the comedy genr e, with Greta Gerwig 's joyful but provocative Barbie grossing over one billion worldwide and sweeping viewers off their feet with its inventive, comical premise. Towards the end of the year, Yorgos Lanthimos provided audiences with a very different take on the genre, leaning more towards the eccentric and surrealistic and managing to surpass expectations. From Flora and Son to The Holdovers , these are the best comedy movies of 2023, ranked by entertainment value and overall quality.

15 'No Hard Feelings'

Director: gene stupnitsky.

Starring Jennifer Lawrence delivering a Golden Globe-nominated performance, No Hard Feelings follows Maddie's ( Lawrence's messy but lovable character ) quest to find a job on the brink of losing her home. When she comes across a couple trying to bring their introverted 19-year-old out of his shell before college, she quickly accepts the challenging mission and puts her skills to practice over the course of the summer.

Although it is not the best comedy film of 2023, Gene Stopnisky's fun movie is undoubtedly an entertaining viewing , offering tons of belly laugh moments despite its slightly controversial, at times even uncomfortable narrative (given the age differences between the two lead characters). Nonetheless, No Hard Feelings is worth checking out, sending valuable messages about class by presenting the struggles of working-class people, and ultimately, self-development.

No Hard Feelings

Watch on Netflix

14 'You Hurt My Feelings'

Director: nicole holofcener.

Blending the comedy and drama genres, You Hurt My Feelings centers around a novelist and creative writing teacher's (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus ) long-term marriage. Although her relationship with therapist Don ( David Cross ) is loving and healthy, the bond between the two is put to the test when she overhears her husband's thoughts on her last book.

Featuring solid acting by the two leads and witty dialogue, Nicole Holofcener's touching and bittersweet A24 film is engaging throughout , providing audiences with an intriguing study on long-term relationships, especially in middle age, as well as the deceit and emotional pain that comes. Despite its seemingly simplistic and comedic premise, You Hurt My Feelings is also elevated by its dramatic aspects, making for a solid dramedy.

You Hurt My Feelings

Watch on Starz

13 'Joy Ride'

Director: adele lim.

Starring the talented Stephanie Hsu , Sherry Colo , AshleyPark , and Sabrina Wu , Adele Lim 's tender and irreverent girl's trip film tackles identity and friendship as it tells the story of four Asian American friends as they embark on a journey of self-discovery while traveling through China in search of one of their birth mothers.

What is so great about the well-written and seemingly lighthearted Joy Ride is how it flips stereotypes and provides an incredible self-exploration premise , absorbing audiences in its messy, though undeniably fun trip. Female friendship is also a recurring theme in Lim's movie, which is part of what makes it so tender and endearing. Plus, the comedic acting efforts — namely from Cola and Hsu — are top-tier. It is undoubtedly the right pick for a girl's night movie session.

Joy Ride (2023)

Watch in Cinemas

12 'Dumb Money'

Director: craig gillespie.

Based on the book The Antisocial Network by Ben Mezrich , Dumb Money tells the true story of a real-life Reddit trader, skillfully played by Paul Dano , who struggles to make ends meet for his family and is mocked by his brother ( Pete Davidson ) for posting his opinions on the stock market on YouTube. However, when his posts start blowing up, Keith finds his life taking a wild turn.

The ensemble cast is an appealing side to Craig Gillespie's movie. However, the engaging story revolving around GameStop stock unexpectedly taking Wall Street by storm in the year 2021 is also what makes it so good. Its approach is similar to The Big Short and The Social Network (the latter is also adapted from a novel written by Mezrich), resulting in an effective biographical comedy that will keep audiences invested.

11 'Dream Scenario'

Director: kristoffer borgli.

This black comedy fantasy by Kristoffer Borgli — produced by the fan-favorite horror director Ari Aster — stars Nicolas Cage at its center. It invites audiences to take a sneak peek inside the life of Paul Matthews, a biology professor who begins making appearances in the dreams of strangers. Ultimately, Paul sees his life turned upside down when he sees himself forced to navigate his newfound stardom.

Dream Scenario was nominated for several awards when it premiered, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for Cage. Meditating on empathy, fame, and cancel culture, Borgli's movie features an impressively original screenplay that will steal some laughs out of viewers. Whether it be for its creative storytelling or top-notch acting, Dream Scenario deserves a spot among the best 2023 comedy movies.

Dream Scenario

10 'flora and son', director: john carney.

The heartwarming dramedy Flora and Son focuses on single mother Flora ( Eve Hewson ) and her rebellious 14-year-old son, Max ( Orén Kinlan ). Set in Dublin, this John Carney feature invites viewers to tag along as the two characters navigate a strained relationship. It sheds light on how music bonds this duo and, consequently, heals their emotional wounds.

Featuring great original songs that will bring audiences to tears and steal a smile out of them all the same, this music-infused watch truly incorporates the songs in its narrative in a compelling way. Not only does the lovely, heartwarming Carney film highlight the power of music and writing, making for a solid pick for those who feel deeply connected with any or both of those things, but it also tackles motherhood. Furthermore, Flora and Son is really well-acted .

Watch on Apple TV+

9 'Bottoms'

Director: emma seligman.

Featuring two of the most promising young stars of their generation — The Bear 's Ayo Edebiri and Shiva Baby 's Rachel Sennott — Bottoms was one of this year's biggest surprises concerning the comedy genre. The Emma Seligman LGBTQ+ film focuses on two girls who start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. While this initially works, PJ and Josie attempt to find a way out when their plan is exposed.

A unique and refreshing movie of the genre, Bottoms is a flimsy, lighthearted comedy and very much the epitome of a silly Gen-Z movie . It serves as a satire of victimization and violence — it's as if Mean Girls and Fight Club had a baby. Drawing inspiration from those iconic films and with memorable characters audiences can't help but root for, the playful 2023 comedy is worth checking, benefiting from not taking itself very seriously and being unafraid of tapping into ridiculousness.

Watch on Fubo

8 'Beau Is Afraid'

Director: ari aster.

Ari Aster 's latest feature steps into tragicomedy ground by throwing drama, horror, and comedy into the mix. The anxiety-inducing absurdist film follows an anxiety-ridden middle-aged man ( Joaquin Phoenix ) who embarks on a nightmarish journey to get home to his mother ( Patti LuPone ).

While Beau Is Afraid isn't Aster's best film to date (it is a surreal movie that hardly appeals to everyone's taste), it is, nonetheless, a solid effort in the comedy genre. Featuring an ambitious film with terrifying world-building, this unsettling black comedy makes for a visceral watch that combines horror and comedy elements to fascinating results. Its trippy visuals that almost feel like a fever dream at times and Phoenix's performance are undoubtedly two of Beau Is Afraid 's strongest aspects .

Beau Is Afraid

Watch on Hoopla

7 'May December'

Director: todd haynes.

From the viewer's standpoint — especially considering the disturbing real-life history that inspired it — May December initially seems far from a comedy; after all, it is literally about grooming. The movie illustrates a married couple ( Julianne Moore and Charles Melton ) twenty years after their bizarre relationship gripped the nation. Their bond is put to the test when an actress ( Natalie Portman ) comes to stay with them to do research for a film about their past.

Despite the backlash from being nominated in the category and its heartbreaking and shocking narrative, Todd Haynes ' drama still features some dark comedy elements. Being categorized as such and submitted to the comedy category at the Golden Globes, it would be a major omission not to include it on this list. With masterclass performances from all those involved (particularly Melton, who has proven to be a promising rising star), May December is one of the sharpest and most complex movies of 2023 and has certainly inspired a lot of conversations.

6 'Asteroid City'

Director: wes anderson.

Taking place in a fictional American desert town in 1955, the poetic Asteroid City follows a writer's ( Edward Norton ) play about a grieving father ( Jason Schwartzman ) who travels with his family ( Jake Ryan , Ella Faris , Gracie Faris , and Willan Faris ) to a small rural city to compete in a junior stargazing event.

With Asteroid City and four Netflix shorts released this year, 2023 was far from a bad year for Wes Anderson enthusiasts. While this sci-fi dramedy is arguably not as good as initially expected, it is still a great watch by the acclaimed director. As always, the visuals and acting performances did not disappoint. The deadpan humor, characteristic of most of Anderson's films, in addition to the quirky, unforgettable characters and star-studded cast, makes it impossible not to at least like the film. All in all, Asteroid City is a truly layered movie about the journey of self-discovery and the quest for the meaning of life .

Asteroid City

Watch on Amazon Prime

5 'American Fiction'

Director: cord jefferson.

In the utterly compelling American Fiction , a frustrated veteran writer of literary fiction ( Jeffrey Wright ) uses a pen name to write a book that launches him into the center of hypocrisy he claims to disdain after getting fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment that relies on offensive tropes.

Cord Jefferson's directorial debut is nothing short of incredible . With a clever screenplay, this bold and biting social satire is touching, thought-provoking, and also hilarious. Not only does it reflect on our culture and its tendency to reduce people to stereotypes and put them into boxes, but it also sheds light on the price of Black success in a White-dominated industry. At its core, American Fiction is not only a sharp social commentary but also a heartfelt family drama film with an incredible ending.

American Fiction

4 'are you there god it's me, margaret.', director: kelly fremon craig.

Directed by talented The Edge of Seventeen director Kelly Fremon Craig — who has proven to be an expert in the coming-of-age film genre — this big-screen adaptation of Judy Blume 's seminal 1970 novel of the same name did not disappoint. The story follows the titular 11-year-old Margaret ( Abby Ryder Fortson ) as she is forced to settle in the suburbs of New Jersey after her life in New York. Margret navigates through puberty with new friends in a new school, often relying on the support of her mother ( Rachel McAdams ), who struggles with issues of her own.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is a charming tale that depicts adolescence honestly and authentically , shedding light on religion, puberty, identity, and other universal topics. Given that the 2023 comedy is sweet and comical in some instances but provocative and sensitive in others, it is a good pick for adults and younger audiences. In addition to the incredible and vulnerable acting efforts, what is so great about it is the way it pays homage to the original novel — which has impacted generations by breaking ground — and elevates it to even higher grounds by improving upon the source material.

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret.

3 'the holdovers', director: alexander payne.

Alexander Payne 's new film, set in 1970s Massachusetts, follows a bad-tempered history professor ( Paul Giamatti ) at a New England prep school. He is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the students who have nowhere else to go. He strikes an unlikely bond with a student ( Dominic Sessa ) and a grieving mother ( Da'Vine Joy Randolph ).

The Holdovers is a moving story about family and friendship, as well as healing and overcoming grief. What makes it stand out is how it depicts loneliness and isolation during such a treasured time of the year, shedding light on the other side of the coin that denotes those who do not have anyone to come home to. With a very humane premise and interesting characters, The Holdovers serves as a comedy as it does as a drama, with an inspirational story at its heart and three fantastic acting performances. Additionally, it is the perfect holiday viewing and will certainly be added to many seasonal watchlists for years to come.

The Holdovers

Watch on Peacock

2 'Barbie'

Director: greta gerwig.

Chronicling Margot Robbie 's Stereotypical Barbie journey from Barbieland to the real world after confronting a sudden identity crisis, Greta Gerwig 's most recent film (and the highest-grossing of 2023 , crossing $1 billion worldwide) depicts, through a truly entertaining narrative and incredible production design, the importance of self-discovery.

While Gerwig's movie is far from being a political, feminist manifesto, it has certainly stirred hilarious reactions to how it addresses the patriarchy — something that a big blockbuster hasn't done before, or at least not so straightforwardly. Be that as it may, the "Barbenheimmer" phenomenon has proven that maybe plastic really is fantastic and that Barbie is one of the biggest movies of the year as a result of its entertaining, joyful, and truly hilarious premise from start to finish (and even some inspiring, touching lines in between).

Watch on Max

1 'Poor Things'

Director: yorgos lanthimos.

Like many films by the Greek filmmaker, Poor Things is a peculiar watch that sticks with viewers long after the credits roll. It tells the story of Victorian young woman Bella Baxter ( Emma Stone in one of her most memorable and possibly challenging roles), who is resurrected by a scientist ( Willem Dafoe ) following her suicide. She then runs off with a lawyer ( Mark Ruffalo ) to embark on a self-discovery and sexual liberation odyssey.

Yorgos Lanthimos' movie is nothing short of weird and fantastic. Based on the open-ended novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray , Poor Things blends the comedy, drama, fantasy, and science fiction genres and delivers a never-seen-before narrative heightened by Stone's impeccable efforts. The script is top-tier, as is its execution. Overall, the film fully displays that Lanthimos is among the most interesting filmmakers and storytellers working today.

NEXT: The Best TV Shows of 2023

30+ Actors With Stand-Up Or Sketch Comedy Experience

From the small stage to the big screen, these comedians have some serious acting chops.

There is no genre more near and dear to my heart than comedy. The skills necessary to make others laugh -- whether live and in-person or through a screen -- are a unique and beautiful combination that should be protected at all costs. Some artists are able to do so without leaning in to touchy subjects or cursing, while others go all the way to really earn that R rating . The tactics may differ, but the end goal is the same, to bring others joy through jokes. 

Many comedians see movies as the apex of a potential career, but most don't start out their careers in Hollywood. Many grow first through either stand-up comedy or sketch comedy. This list honors them. Here's a look back at famous actors who started in either the stand -up or sketch comedy world and went on to bigger screens.

Rainn Wilson

Known as arguably one of the best characters on the hit show The Office , Rainn Wilson got his start in the arts in New York City where he studied acting at NYU. He went on to do theater both off and on Broadway as well as sketch comedy. He even did a post-modern clown show before getting his big break on the show Six Feet Under in 2001. 

Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg got her start by studying drama in New York, where she landed a few stage performances before trying her hand at stand-up comedy. Like many others on this list, her comedy routine -- "The Spook Show" -- caught the attention of Oscar-winning director Mike Nichols, who helped get the young comedian to Broadway. She eventually landed her first film in Steven Spielberg 's film The Color Purple , for which she earned an Oscar nomination in 1986. 

Steve Buscemi

The veteran character actor made his acting debut in 1985, but also tried his hand at stand-up comedy . Eventually, Busemi decided he "wasn't funny enough," and switched to acting instead. Buscemi has since starred in popular movies including Fargo, Resevoir Dogs , and the hit HBO Max show Boardwalk Empire .

Emma Thompson

If you're looking for a stand-up with some serious credentials, look no further than Emma Thompson . Winner of two Academy Awards , two Golden Globe Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, a British Academy Television Award and a Primetime Emmy Award, the talented actor got her start in stand-up while in Cambridge. 

Arguably one of the greatest comedy legends to ever live, John Candy led a fascinating life , getting his big break after joining the ensemble of SCTV — which is, essentially, the Canadian equivalent to SNL . In 1989, the star even added radio personality to his resume. The LA Times did a whole write-up of his syndicated, two-hour program, Radio Kandy, which sounds wild and apparently included rock music and comedy sketches featuring some of his former SCTV co-stars.

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Mo'Nique started her comedy career with stand-up, heading to It's Showtime at the Apollo and Def Comedy Jam before eventually landing a leading role on TV's The Parkers . The comedian took her acting to the next level in 2009's Precious , for which she won an Academy Award.

Steve Carell

A versatile actor with numerous groundbreaking performances in both television and film , Steve Carrell was once a legend at Second City in Chicago who went on to land his dream job working on the ill-fated Dana Carvey Show , which you can learn about in Too Funny To Fail , one of the best comedy documentaries to date. Known best for his role as Michael Scott in the U.S. adaptation of The Office , Carell eventually went on to become a leading man in both comedies and dramas. 

Michael Keaton

To put himself through college where he studied acting, Michael Keaton worked as a cab and ice cream truck driver, and it wasn't until 1975 that he officially debuted on television. He did some stand-up comedy in his early 20s, which he recounted in an interview with Ellen , but he eventually found the right calling with movies.

Known for her work on the smash hit show 30 Rock , Tina Fey got her start in acting at Second City which quickly led to a job at Saturday Night Live as notably one of the only female writers at the time. She got her break co-hosting Weekend Update and later went on to be a huge star in Hollywood. 

It all started with a dare from a girlfriend to try his hand at an open mic. Flash forward some years and that performance led Jamie Foxx to multiple awards, including two Academy Awards, double digit Grammys, and three Golden Globe Awards, all while showing a versatile ability to crush performances across multiple genres and artistic art forms.

John Cleese

Coming from the United Kingdom, John Cleese is a British comic actor best known for his television work on Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers . Cleese began writing and performing in comedy revues at Clifton College in Bristol, England, and was a member of the renowned Footlights Club while a law student at the University of Cambridge. He is best known for his work with Monty Pythion, namely Monty Python And The Holy Grail . 

Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais went to school at Ashmead Comprehensive School before going on to study at University College, London, where he gained a degree in Philosophy. After university, Gervais attempted to pursue a pop career with Seona Dancing, a synth-pop duo he formed with a fellow student. After forming a writing partnership with Stephen Merchant, he would go on to land his breakout role on The Office , premiering in 2001. In between all his acting gigs, he's performed plenty of stand-up and has multiple Netflix specials. 

Eddie Murphy

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, SNL star Eddie Murphy began performing his own comedy routines at 15. In 1980, the work of the soon-to-be comedy legend caught the attention of Saturday Night Live producers. In 1982, Murphy landed his first leading role in the film, 48 Hrs , which led to multiple leads in classics such as Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America . He went on to earn an Oscar nomination for Dreamgirls and truly set the bar by playing six characters in the 1996 smash hit, The Nutty Professor . His '80s comedy specials are still discussed today. 

Amy Schumer

Amy Schumer is certainly better known these days for her work in numerous films including the fantastic Trainwreck , but most of those career opportunity doors opened through her stand-up comedy. She built a name for herself through her work on the live mic before mostly switching to movies.

An SNL vet, Chris Rock's comedy career began in 1984 at 19 when he took the stage in the New York City club Catch a Rising Star. His performance ended up catching the eye of future comedy legend Eddie Murphy, who had been watching his act. Murphy would become a huge presence in Rock's life and served as a mentor, giving him his first break with a role in Beverly Hills Cop II .

Ron Perlman

Known for very courageous roles such as Clay Morrow on the FX show Sons Of Anarchy , Ron Perlman said his ventures as a stand-up comedian ended after a heckling exchange in the Bronx escalated and he retreated out of the venue through the back door , which seems like a strange move for such an intimidating man . 

Robin Williams

Arguably one of the best comedians of all-time, Robin Williams studied acting at the Juilliard School, which he later dropped out of to devote himself entirely to stand-up comedy before making the leap to television and movies. Known for his high energy and skillful impressions, he himself has inspired other actors to reenact some of his most dramatic real-life moments in honor of the late comedian. 

Patton Oswalt

The Prince of Queens, Patton Oswalt went from struggling in the comedy world to writing for the sketch comedy show MADtv and earning his own comedy special on HBO. He continued to impress critics and fans alike, with roles such as the voice of the lead character Remy the Rat in the Pixar film, Ratatouille . 

Richard Pryor

Unfortunately, tragedy and comedy often go hand-in-hand. Such is the case with arguably one of the genre's biggest icons, the late, great, Richard Pryor. The legend had a tough life growing up and eventually joined the military before playing nightclubs as both a musician and comedian at age 23. His comedy career was populated with milestones and achievements, as well as struggles and substance abuse before passing away in 2005 due to complications from M.S..  

Bette Midler

Bette Midler landed her first Broadway role in Fiddler on the Roof by 1966, four years before trying her hand at stand-up comedy. In 1972, she released the album The Divine Miss M , which earned her a Grammy Award, and she started making frequent appearances on late-night television shows and eventually a huge acting career. Along the way, she performed live comedy and even released an album .

Norm Macdonald

Norm Macdonald's first job was writing for The Dennis Miller Show and then Roseanne . While writing on the show, he was noticed by Lorne Michaels, who liked Norm's stand up so much that he offered the young comedian a job on Saturday Night Live in 1993.

Jim Carrey, who is easily considered one of the greats, was himself taken under the wing of another comedy legend, Rodney Dangerfield, who spotted the young comic in a Toronto nightclub. Carrey eventually made it to The Tonight Show which led to his role on In Living Color and parts in many comedy classics that we know and love today, such as Dumb and Dumber , The Mask , and Ace Ventura . 

Tim Allen started his career as a comedian in 1975 in a pretty peculiar way. On a dare from one of his friends, he participated in a comedy night at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, outside of Detroit. Following his release from prison in 1981 for a drug-related crime , he returned to comedy and went on to lead the hit show Home Improvement on ABC. 

Steve Martin

From community theater, to Disneyland, to the big screen, Steve Martin began his showbiz career as a teenager. After writing his own comedy routines, plays, and music, he went on to study philosophy and poetry before winning his first Emmy Award for comedy writing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour at the young age of 23.

Lily Tomlin

Initially studying biology at Wayne State University, Lily Tomlin decided to audition for a play which led to her changing her major to theatre and diving into stand-up comedy. Her stand-up was so impressive that it attracted the attention of the producers of Laugh-In , the notorious 1960s sketch comedy show. Tomlin went on to snag an Oscar nomination for her acting work.

Dana Carvey

One of SNL 's most talented and beloved alumni, Dana Carvey absolutely dominated during his six seasons on Saturday Night Live , creating some of the show's most memorable characters. He never drifted far from stand-up though and has continued to take the stage and release specials .

Tom Hanks took the weirdest route to stand-up of anyone on this list. He was already in Hollywood and establishing a nice career when he decided to audition for a movie about stand-up comedy called Punchline . As part of that process, he developed his own stand-up routine and performed in clubs. There's even footage of it that trends every now and again.

Bob Odenkirk

Starting out as a D.J. in Illinois, Bob Odenkirk got his start in local improv workshops in Chicago, where he also did open-mic stand-up comedy for several years. In Chicago, he became friends with Robert Smigel, who would later help him become a writer for Saturday Night Live .

Larry David

Starting out in stand-up comedy, Larry David befriended Jerry Seinfeld and later went on to co-create Seinfeld . He also wrote for Friday's and Saturday Night Live and famously went on to create the all-time ridiculous show Curb Your Enthusiasm . 

Ed Helms was studying improv with the Upright Citizens Brigade when he got his big break as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He later moved on to the hit NBC show The Office where he played Andy Bernard. From there, Helms went on to star in The Hangover trilogy. More importantly, he also acted in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.

There aren't many names in the world of comedy that stand larger than Mel Brooks. The legend started his career in stand-up before working as a writer for Sid Caesar's variety show Your Show of Shows from 1950 to 1954. After that, he, of course, took over Hollywood, winning an EGOT and directing classics like Blazing Saddles , The Producers and Robin Hood: Men In Tights .

A comedic force to be reckoned with in the U.K. before dropping smash hits like Sean of the Dead in the U.S., Pegg once told The Hollywood Reporter “I went into stand-up because comedy was something I enjoyed but also because it offered me a certain autonomy that I wouldn’t have if I was sitting and waiting for the phone to ring as an actor.”

Dan Aykroyd

Dan Aykroyd started performing comedy at 17 and later joined the main casts of Second City in Toronto and Chicago. Later, it was his work in the sketch comedy powerhouse Saturday Night Live that turned him into a huge name and opened the door for him to start in classics like The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters .

And those are some of the actors who also took the stage to perform stand-up or sketch comedy at some point during their careers!

Morbidly curious pizza enthusiast with a heart of gold. Has no time to hear why you think The Office is overrated and is pretty sure the meaning of the Universe can be found in the movie Cats. Co-host of American Hauntings Podcast. Inaugural class of Enstitute, an entrepreneurial alternative education program written about by Forbes , The New York Times , and PBS .

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