The 20 Funniest Comedies on Netflix Right Now

Everyone’s definition of funny is a little different, so it’s great that Netflix offers an impressive variety of films that represent a very broad genre. If you’re looking for something to make you laugh, you could choose a smart, critically acclaimed classic or a brainless comedy that critics hated, but who cares because it’s funny?

Whether it’s highbrow satire or cleverly timed farts, many of the best comedies combine the highbrow and the lowbrow (think Monty Python ), but at the end of the day, the best comedy is the one that makes you laugh the most.

Bad Trip (2021)

I’m not a fan of hidden camera-style comedies, which often seem mean-spirited and arrogant, making fun of people for the crime of not getting the joke. Bad Trip, starring Eric Andre, Lil Rel Howery and Tiffany Haddish, brings a couple of innovations to the form: adding an overarching narrative and, more importantly, approaching everything with heart. In one of the best sequences, Andre’s Chris receives love advice from an older guy sitting on a bench who inspires him to sing, a musical moment that takes him across the street to the nearest shopping center – something that happens a million times in movies, but here she’s scared, annoyed and the confused reaction makes sense. The film even ends with footage of the pranked people finding out they are in the film, and their joy is funny in itself.

We Have a Ghost (2023)

Christopher Landon, writer and director of innovative horror-comedy films such as Happy Death Day and Freaky (and the follow-up Scream ), helms this equally fun, but more family-friendly effort. Anthony Mackie stars as Frank Presley, who buys a cheap fixer-upper with his family only to have his son Kevin (Jahi Winston) discover a ghost (played by David Harbor) unliving in the attic. Familiar territory so far, but Kevin wants to help their new ghost and Dad only wants to make money, so their ghost goes viral.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

The John Hughes classic is often called an ode to slackers, but Ferris (Matthew Broderick), Cameron and Sloane are hard at work on their day off. From creating an elaborate computer simulacrum to fooling school officials and participating in a parade, there’s no doubt that simply going to school would be a lot easier. In the end, the film feels less like a tribute to relaxation and more like a celebration of stepping out of your comfort zone for a little adventure.

Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (2016)

This truly sweet Pee-wee movie was Paul Reubens’ swan song for the unforgettable character. If we have to say goodbye, there could be no better farewell than a film that opens with a joyful Rube Goldberg-style introduction that wouldn’t seem out of place at the Playhouse and sends Pee-wee out for a walk. a journey through America, which could only exist in Rubens’ imagination. With Joe Manganiello as his companion and quasi-romantic interest, it also feels like a true character study that never loses its sense of whimsy and fun.

Coming to America (1988)

One of Eddie Murphy’s best efforts during his era as an untouchable comedy superstar, Coming to America is pure entertainment: there’s a bit of satire of American culture, but mostly it’s a comedy about a fictional prince. The African nation escapes to America and mixes with the common people. Murphy and Arsenio Hall bring their best energy, while James Earl Jones, John Amos and Madge Sinclair give memorable supporting performances.

Groundhog Day (1993)

The time loop narrative has been reworked endlessly but rarely, as well as in this Harold Ramis fable about a world-weary weatherman (Bill Murray) who keeps reliving the same day over and over again until he learns to appreciate the gift of even the mundane, and to be a little kinder to everyone around him, including his put-upon producer (Andie MacDowell). If it’s not always wickedly funny, it’s actually a dry and dark comic gem, drawing laughs from the protagonist’s refusal to learn his lesson.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

This inspired silliness from the Python gang is also one of the most quotable comedies in cinematic history, even if the quotes in question don’t make any sense out of context (“Nee!”, “I feel better!”, “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled like elderberry.” !”). Not that they make much sense in the film’s medieval world either. But that’s part of the fun of anarchy in Britain.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)

One of the most loved rom-coms of Bollywood. Shah Rukh Khan’s Rahul Khanna has had no thoughts other than caring for his daughter Anjali for eight years since her mother died. Anjali’s mom left letters for her daughter, one of which needs to be read every year on her birthday, and when she comes to the last one, she finds out that her father was almost in a relationship with another woman when he was in college. Naturally (according to the rules of a romantic comedy), Anjali decides that her father needs a girlfriend and that she is going to set him up with his old potential flame. The second half of the film gets a little more serious, but the silly complexities of the early part of the film are often very funny in a way that only ’90s rom-coms can be.

Money Pit (1986)

Never a critical favorite, this Tom Hanks and Shelley Long remake of (roughly) Cary Grant’s Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House remains an impressively constructed farce. The plot is simple enough (a couple buys a house that turns out to be, well, a money pit), but the increasingly ridiculous complications that arise are bolstered by a couple of very charming and believable performances from the main characters. Maureen Stapleton, Joe Mantegna and Frankie Faison also give memorable performances.

Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)

I couldn’t choose between the sheer silliness of Monty Python and the Holy Grail or the bolder, more political sequel, so I included them both. While “The Grail” took a couple of shots at the feudal system, “The Life of Brian” challenges organized Christianity since the birth of Christ (the titular Brian was born in a nearby stable and is often confused with Jesus). The film cleverly avoids making fun of Jesus himself, but instead weaves through centuries of twisted interpretations of a fairly simple message and our desire to be told what to do. All this plus an extended riff on a character named Biggus Dicus.

Revenge (2022)

Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke star in this dark teen comedy based on Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train , which also takes aim at teen comedies of the past. Think Scream , but for fans of She’s All That and Mean Girls . I know there are a lot of references here, but the film is full of them – mostly for the better. And yet, the comedy is so sharp that it stands apart from the classics of the “High School is Hell” genre.

Big Short (2015)

Adam McKay’s award-nominated film, based on the bestselling non-fiction book of the same name by Michael Lewis, dramatizes (but mostly satirizes) the lead-up to the 2008 financial crash, telling the story of hedge fund managers and traders who mastered the maze. The US banking systems, at least as well as they could, anticipated the coming collapse – and the opportunity to make a ton of money from it. Christian Bale, Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling play the main characters, finance guys who aren’t very brilliant or even smart, but who have figured out how to make money by lighting a match in a world ready to burn.

My name is Dolemite (2019)

Eddie Murphy gives one of the best performances of his career as real-life comedian Rudy Ray Moore from Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer. Moore was a stand-up (as well as a singer, actor, producer and rap pioneer) who decided to bring his popular pimp character Dolemite to the big screen, resulting in a trilogy of Blaxploitation classics. The film has a lot of fun with the stereotypical elements of Moore’s background and the trappings of the era, positioning Moore as a more savvy Ed Wood of the 1970s.

Jerk (1979)

The late, great Carl Reiner directed this silly slapstick comedy that captured Steve Martin at the height of his success as a pioneering stand-up comedian. His genius was that he wasn’t afraid to play incredibly stupid, and “The Jerk” is as good a showcase of his place in the pop culture of the time as you can imagine. From the line “I was born a poor black kid” (Martin’s adopted character isn’t even smart enough to realize he’s white), the film stops at nothing to wring every possible laugh out of every scene.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of the Fire Saga (2020)

While nothing can beat the real Eurovision for laughter, thrills and pure joy, given that you have to wait a whole year between competitions, The Story of Fire Saga is a fun and hilarious way to fill the time. Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell play Iceland’s plucky best friends and leaders of the Fire Saga group, who dream of taking home a prize for their country, even though the people back home only want to hear the traditional Ja Ja Ding Dong from them. The original music is silly and fun, in the best Eurovision spirit.

Glass Bow (2022)

Having created the excellent detective comedy Knives Out , writer-director Rian Johnson is back with this sequel that almost surpasses the original and certainly surpasses it in size and scope. Daniel Craig returns as the slow-moving, quick-witted detective Benoit Blanc, this time sent to a billionaire’s island and, as expected, with many murders to solve. Like the original, the film combines fast-paced, compelling characters with incredible social satire. The supporting cast makes up the entire A-list, with two cameos marking the final screen performances of Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury.

Mitchells vs. Machines (2021)

At the heart of this Netflix animated film is the relationship between aspiring college-bound filmmaker Kate Mitchell and her technophobic father Rick, which develops from the start into intra-family conflict and quickly escalates into a global war against a rogue AI that, frankly, seems less stupid. now than just a couple of years ago. With the rest of the family caught in the middle, Kate and Rick are forced to find a middle ground as the world crumbles around them. Great voice acting from Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride and Maya Rudolph ground the film in such a way that the action-packed plot and outrageously funny situations still feel somewhat real.

Wendell and Wild (2022)

Wendell and Wilde are a pair of demons (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele) who meet their match in Kat (Lyric Ross), a punk-loving teenager who has few friends except Raul (Sam Zelaya), a cute trans boy . who is also a talented artist trying to expose the injustice of his city’s corrupt prison system. From The Nightmare Before Christmas / Coraline director Henry Selick, the film expands on the creepy possibilities of those earlier films, creating something both scarier and funnier, with playful jokes ranging from a possessed scarecrow named Baby Bear to hair cream for balding people. men who can raise the dead, and the worm in the candy apple is the cause of many deaths.

You weren’t invited to my Bat Mitzvah (2023)

Adam and many of his fellow Sandlers appear in this film from Fiona Rosenbloom’s bestselling teen novel. Whether you like the lore or not, the elder Sandler takes a backseat here, playing the dim-witted father figure in favor of Sunny Sandler’s Stacy and her best friend Lydia (Samantha Lorraine). It’s a solid teen comedy that gets a lot of laughs from the awkwardness and confusion of growing up.

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

Stylish, funny and very dynamic, this genre mash-up spins a lot of plates and manages to keep them from breaking most of the time. John Bodega plays Fontaine, a drug dealer in a world this side of ours (there’s definitely some Blaxsploitation influence in the clothing styles). After a run-in with former pimp of the year Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), Fontaine is shot and then wakes up in his bed, seemingly unchanged. Teaming up with Slick Charles and sex worker Yo Yo (Teyonah Parris), he draws the three of them into an incredible web of scientific conspiracy. It shouldn’t work, but the stellar cast and Jule Taylor’s confident direction sell it.