ByBrian Tallerico,
a film critic with over 20 years of experience covering movies and TV.He is the president of the Chicago Film Critics Association, the co-producer of the Chicago Critics Film Festival, and managing editor of RogerEbert.com.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.Photo: DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection/�DreamWorks/Courtesy Everett Collection
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.
21 Jump Street
Year: 2012 Runtime: 1h 49m Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller made their live action directorial debuts with this 2012 buddy comedy that really has no right to be as funny as it is. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star in the adaptation of the ‘80s TV series but they turn it into a charming flick about perception, identity, and the best and worst of high school life. Note: The sequel is on Netflix too.
Comedy history changed in 2004 with the introduction of an egocentric news anchorman from San Diego. Set in the 1970s, Anchorman gave Will Ferrell arguably his best film character as Ron Burgundy, a man caught between his career and his love for his new co-anchor, played by Christina Applegate. A blissfully goofy movie, this felt like an instant classic, a movie that people started quoting the day it came out.
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.
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.
Year: 2004 Runtime: 1h 20m Director: Richard Linklater
Nine years after Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) met on one fateful European night, Richard Linklater reunited them for the equally special sequel, catching up with them in the city of Paris. With sharp dialogue, palpable chemistry, and a gorgeous backdrop, Before Sunset is one of the most romantic movies ever made. And that ending!
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been over a decade since Bridesmaids shattered all expectations, making a fortune and turning Melissa McCarthy into a household name (especially after she landed an Oscar nomination). Smart and heartfelt, it’s the story of a woman (Kristen Wiig) who struggles in her role as Maid of Honor to a friend played by Rose Byrne. It’s still very, very funny.
Remember the GameStop short of a few years ago, when day traders pumped up the cost of the stock and Wall Street lost its mind? This star-studded ensemble comedy unpacks that insanity with some fun performances from Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman, and many more. It’s an underrated movie, a sharp comedy that reveals how rigged the financial systems in this country truly are.
Emma Stone burst on the scene in this clever comedy that has built a loyal fan base in the decade since its release. Partially inspired by The Scarlet Letter, it’s the story of a high school girl who pretends to have sex at a party and gains a very unexpected reputation at school. It’s got a smart script, but it’s Stone’s instant star power that really drives it.
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.
Comedies of the ‘80s have a habit of rolling from one streaming service to the next one, but this 1982 classic hasn’t been readily available on any subscription service in the last few years. It’s exclusively on Netflix right now, so check out Cameron Crowe and Amy Heckerling’s formative coming-of-age comedy with one of the most iconic performances of its era from Sean Penn.
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.)
Year: 2017 Runtime: 1h 58m Director: Steven Soderbergh
One of the best American directors came out of his mini-retirement for this 2017 heist film, one of his best late-period efforts. The cast here is ludicrously charismatic, including Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, and Daniel Craig in a film about a family trying to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Martin Brest directed one of the best ‘80s buddy comedies in this gem of a movie that paired Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. The Oscar winner plays a bounty hunter assigned to bring back Grodin’s embezzling accountant, who stole money from the Chicago mob. Easier said than done. Grodin and De Niro have perfect comic chemistry.
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.
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.
One of the final films of the McKay/Ferrell partnership is also maybe the most underrated. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg star in this buddy comedy about the two cops who almost never get to save the day, but they’re forced into action when the legends at the precinct make a fatal mistake. The comedy timing between Wahlberg and Ferrell is some of the best of its era and this movie is much sharper than people remember.
The director of Transformers and Bad Boys worked outside of his comfort zone a bit and delivered one of his best movies in this true story of the Sun Gym gang. Dwayne Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, and Anthony Mackie star in the story of a group of bodybuilders who would ultimately be convicted of extortion, torture, and murder. A study in excess, this is a fascinating comedy about a truly pumped-up form of evil.
Greg Mottola’s comedy became so beloved for a generation that it’s already a reference point for other comedies that try (and usually fail) to do the same kind of thing. Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Superbad turned Michael Cera and Jonah Hill into stars overnight, and introduced the world to future Oscar winner Emma Stone. Some of its gender issues already seem a little dated, but there’s an innocent charm to the film that holds up. And it’s just damn funny.
A huge hit for Netflix already, this comedy/documentary features mega-star Will Ferrell in a very different role, playing himself. Ferrell documents a road trip he spent with his friend Harper Steele over 17 days, as the pair traveled the country to see how Harper’s transition impacted their relationship, and how she’s seen in small-town America. It’s smart, tender, and funny.
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