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Last Updated: December 28th
Comedy in film can be strange and varied. Comedies can be difficult to compare, because sometimes you’re in the mood for something cerebral, and other times you just want to watch people get punched in the nuts. Luckily, we have Netflix at our disposal to help us figure out our fancy.
However, while Netflix has been a revolutionary invention, bringing people countless hours of easily accessible entertainment, it can be a little overwhelming. While there are definitely some gems in the movie sections, you have to dig through a lot of straight-to-DVD sequels and bad indie flicks to find the best comedies to watch. While people have cracked the code for finding the best comedies on Netflix right now, we decided to come up with a list of some of the funniest movies as a starting point in your quest for the perfect Friday night in film.
Related: The 15 Funniest Shows On Netflix Right Now
Netflix
20. Mascots (2016)
For a certain type of comedy fan, the work of Christopher Guest will always be the king. With his regular band of players, like Parker Posey, Jane Lynch, Eugene Levy, and Catherine O’Hara, Guest is the gold standard for improvised pseudo-documentary comedies. With the Netflix original, Mascots, Guest looks to explore the competitive world of professional mascots, and while that may not be a real thing, he imbues the film with the mismatched couples, deadpan delivery, and weirdness that fans have come to expect. While it may not be his best work, Mascots will still scratch that itch that Waiting For Guffman first introduced to your life.
Darren Michaels/Focus
19. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)
Yes, the apocalypse can be funny. As the world crumbles around them, odd (and oddly-compelling) couple Dodge (Steve Carell) and Penny (Keira Knightly) hit the road to get her home to her family and for him to find his long-lost love. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World may have its moments of profound sadness, but a cavalcade of comedy cameos — T.J. Miller, Gillian Jacobs, Rob Corddry, Amy Schumer, and Patton Oswalt to name a few — also makes it laugh out loud funny. Knightly and Carell have a comfortable rapport, moving from strangers to friends to something akin to lovers over the course of their journey. If you looking for your comedy to have a heavy dollop of pathos, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World is a safe bet.
Warner Bros.
18. Magic Mike (2012)
While it would be easy to play the world of male strippers for a cheap joke, but director Steven Soderbergh went for surprising nuance with Magic Mike. Yes, Matthew McConaughey bares his oiled chest and crows at a mob of horny women about whether or not they’re “lawbreakers,” but it takes a turn towards more dark comedy, balancing the gyrating thighs with the downside of easy money, adoring crowds, and a life lived fast. Not only did Magic Mike kickstart the McConaissance, it proved that Channing Tatum had acting chops beyond his dance moves. The ladies of Tampa — and everywhere else — will be eternally grateful.
Touchstone Pictures
17. The Waterboy (1998)
Remember when we used to like Adam Sandler? Sure, his comedies were never high art, but you still find yourself quoting them to this very day. The Waterboy is the classic example of this comfortable familiarity. Sandler mugs his way through his performance as a football team’s waterboy who gets a shot at playing due to his ability to channel his rage into unexpected prowess on the field, and you’ll find yourself cocooned in the welcoming embrace of 90s nostalgia.
Netflix
16. The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Anyone who caught Jessica Williams during her tenure on The Daily Show knows that she’s destined for greatness. Despite being so young, she had a confidence, a voice, and a commanding presence that you just can’t fake. The Incredible Jessica James is her first starring vehicle since her time as a correspondent, and it is a true testament to where she’s headed. In a clever look at the life of a struggling playwright who is getting over a breakup, The Incredible Jessica James allows Williams to unleash her fire in the most charming way possible, and she and Chris O’Dowd have an easy chemistry that makes you root for them to make it despite not having a thing in common. The Incredible Jessica James is the latest Netflix original, and easily one of the best.
Dreamworks
15. I Love You, Man (2009)
While it’s hard to believe that the affable Paul Rudd would find himself in a friendless predicament, but as the soon-to-be-married Peter Klaven in I Love You, Man, he finds himself in that very position. Who do you ask to be your best man when you don’t have any friends? Enter Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), Peter’s total opposite who just might help him navigate the often fraught waters of adult friendships. Whether you want to laugh with your buddies or appreciate Bush’s greatest hits, I Love You, Man is a worthy option for your next movie night.
Buena Vista Pictures
14. Cool Runnings (1993)
The inspirational sports film is very common in the film landscape, but few are as heartwarming and genuinely funny as Cool Runnings. Loosely based on a true story, John Candy played a disgraced coach who is enlisted by some Jamaican runners who were disqualified from the Olympic Games but decided to use their talents in a slightly chillier sport: bobsledding. As they build their skills and their friendship, you’ll be singing “Jamaica, we have a bobsled team!” for the rest of the week.
Miramax
13. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
There are so-called “singletons,” and then there’s Bridget Jones. Between Renee Zellweger’s winning turn as Bridget, a sharp script, and dueling suitors in Hugh Grant and Colin Firth, Bridget Jones’s Diary has all the essential ingredients for a great romantic comedy. As your staring down the barrel of your 30s and still find yourself wondering what you’re supposed to be doing with your life, pour yourself a glass of wine (or, hell, drink the whole bottle) and watch Bridget slide down that disastrous firemen’s pole. You might not be inspired to start a journal of your own, but you will definitely be swooning over Firth’s Mark Darcy.
Focus Features
12. Burn After Reading (2008)
Burn After Reading is for people who like their comedy unapologetically mean. Pitch black and filled with irredeemable idiots, Burn After Reading features Brad Pitt as the opportunistic himbo Chad who accidentally acquires the sensitive memoirs of a CIA agent and George Clooney as the inept and unscrupulous U.S. Marshall who is trying to retrieve it. While these two morons may be at the center of the film, scene-stealing supporting performances from Frances McDormand and John Malkovich really elevate this to one of the Coens’ funniest films to date.
Paramount
11. The Big Short (2015)
While we should all know to trust Adam McKay at this point, there was certainly some doubt about whether or not he could make the financial crisis of the early 2000s genuinely hilariously. Sure, there were stories to be told there, but funny ones? However, those misgivings were put to rest with 2015’s The Big Short, which proved that sharp comedies can still thrive in the modern megaplex. With an Oscar-winning screenplay, a talented cast, and an unorthodox structure, The Big Short is the perfect kind of comedy that doesn’t require you to turn off your brain. In fact, it encourages you not to.
Focus Features
10. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Wes Anderson’s style is an acquired taste, but Moonrise Kingdom is easily one of his best. In New England in the 60s, two kids, Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), decide to run away together. A hilariously inept manhunt ensues, featuring Anderson stalwarts like Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Jason Schwartzman. At once a love letter to young love and a reverie on the pain of getting older, Moonrise Kingdom has enough sense and sensibility to overcome the twee. If you’ve ever felt the need to run away from your problems and carve out a new existence using wilderness skills, this is the movie for you.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
9. Tommy Boy (1995)
Yes, Tommy Boy is dumb. Yes, it probably shouldn’t be this high on the list. However, between Chris Farley’s legacy and the fact that it is almost always on television (it is comedy’s Die Hard in that respect), many people have a soft spot for this one. As Tommy (Farley) and Richard (David Spade) stumble their way across America in an attempt to save Tommy’s father’s legacy and his auto parts business, it’s hard not to laugh in spite of yourself at their dopey antics and road trip misfortunes. If Farley’s office meltdown, one that includes a wide range of characters and model cars getting set on fire, doesn’t bring tears of laughter to your eyes, you might be dead inside.
Touchstone Pictures
8. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2012)
The creative partnership between Wes Anderson and Bill Murray has certainly been a fulfilling one, but The Life Aquatic might be the best effort. While Murray usually is a standout in an ensemble in an Anderson joint, his turn as Steve Zissou is the one where he is given the space to really shine. While hunting for the possibly mythic “jaguar shark” that killed his partner, Zissou is also handling complicated family dynamics with his ex-wife (Anjelica Huston) and his possible son (Owen Wilson) are also along for the ride. Add in pirates, a gonzo crew, and Zissou’s own enormous ego, and you’ve got one hell of an awkward sea trip.
Tribeca
7. Don’t Think Twice (2016)
There is a certain appeal to watching very funny people hang out. Yes, having a plot is all well and good, but if that camaraderie and chemistry is there, where the story goes can almost feel secondary. Such is the case with Mike Birbiglia’s Don’t Think Twice, a hilarious and insightful meditation on friendship, comedy, and success. When a member of a longstanding improv group gets a taste of SNL-esque success, the rest of the troupe is left wondering if a life chasing the next great joke is really worth it. Featuring stellar performances from Birbiglia, Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, and Chris Gethard, this is a movie for stand up nerds (and I mean that in the best way possible).
Magnet
6. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010)
This indie comedy has quickly become a cult classic, turning familiar horror tropes on their heads in bloody and hilarious ways. Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine star as two bumbling-yet-well-meaning hillbillies who get pulled into a nightmare scenario when a group of horny coeds think they’re trying to kill them. In a series of events that escalates in violence, Tucker and Dale try to do the right thing while managing to stay alive in the process. It’s a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by those looking for an off-the-beaten-path comedy.
Paramount Pictures
5. Mean Girls (2004)
Few films are as instantly quotable as Mean Girls. Tina Fey’s take on queen bees and wannabes instantly cemented itself into the cultural zeitgeist, defining a generation’s jokes with a simple “She doesn’t even go here!” Whether you were an actual teen when it came out or discovered it sometime after high school, the themes of identity, desperation for popularity, and realizing that it’s all just bullish*t anyway are nigh on universal. Plus, it’s just really damn funny. Fey’s writing has never been sharper, and it launched the careers of Hollywood mainstays like Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried. It’s one of those films where you find a new joke with every viewing, so you should definitely add it to your Netflix queue.
Castle Rock
4. Best In Show (2000)
Sure, you watch the Westminster Dog Show as you rest off your holiday meal, but have you ever wondered what the people who move in the professional dog show circuit are actually like? Well, hopefully they’re nothing like the people in Best In Show, one of Christopher Guest’s best mockumentaries. Between the neurotic dogs and even more neurotic owners, Best In Show is an excellent showcase for Guest’s regulars, including Parker Posey, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, John Michael Higgins, and Michael McKean. Guest excels at turning normal situations into an absolute carnival of weirdness, and the world of competitive show dogs might be his strangest to date.
Paramount Pictures
3. Trading Places (1983)
Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd were at the height of their powers when they made Trading Places, and this comedy is proof of their combined talents. When a homeless hustler and a high powered broker end up switching lives as part of an elaborate bet, hijinks ensue and justice is served. One part screwball comedy, one part social satire, Trading Places doesn’t fall into a lot of the pitfalls of ’80s comedies. On top of making great jokes, our characters actually learn how to be better people. It’s a classic for a reason.
Anchor Bay
2. Heathers (1981)
One for the outsiders, Heathers is the darkest of the ’80s teen comedies. While your “teen-angst bulls*t” may not have had a body count, everyone can relate to the constant pressure to be popular that plagues high school hallways. Winona Ryder proves herself to be the ultimate cool girl as Veronica, who takes matters into her own hands in order to destroy a toxic clique. Cynical and more than a little cruel, Heathers changed the game for teen films forever. While Mean Girls may be its spiritual successor, Heathers remains the one Queen Bee to rule them all.
Universal
1. Hot Fuzz (2007)
Nick Frost and Simon Pegg have teamed up many times (usually with director Edgar Wright) to create almost universal awesomeness, but there’s something about Hot Fuzz that stands above the rest. The film is simultaneously a hilarious parody of and passionate love letter to classic action films and Pegg has never been better than as Nicholas Angel, a London cop forced to take a position in the small village of Sanford. He soon begins to realize that the unfortunate “accidents” that keep happening in town are no accident at all, leading to a bloody standoff between Angel and those who have a truly warped way of maintaining “the greater good.” Made by people who love action films for people who love action films, it’s a comedic masterwork.
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