Netflix is constantly acquiring a colorful and diverse film catalog, with some of Hollywood’s most celebrated and fan-favorite comedies being added. Regardless of what kind of humor viewers are looking for, the streaming platform is sure to satisfy any and all needs with its extensive list of feel-good flicks. Some of the big screen’s most beloved performers headline the movies available, with big names like Bill Murray, Jim Carrey, and Seth MacFarlane.
From universally beloved classics like Smokey and the Bandit and Groundhog Day to Jesse Eisenberg's awkward tour de force performance in the sidesplitting Zombieland franchise, Netflix always brings laughter and humor to audiences with some of the best comedy movies to watch right now (in no particular order).
12 This Is The End (2013)
When actors play themselves in comedies, the results are mostly painful but occasionally funny. "Stars” have a brand conscience persona attached to them, percolating in a reluctance of making fun of their own inhibitions. This Is The End brilliantly sidesteps this trap, operating on the core fundamentals of bromance and the collective decline in brain cells that takes place during a male bonding session. As over the top most of the film's scenes are, they’re turbocharged with a sense of debauchery and degeneracy, making This Is The End a prime jewel of locker-room humor.
Aptly titled, This is The End throws light on the dark and twisted side of Hollywood that's often swept under the rug. Charting the course of a drug-fuelled party thrown by James Franco, his core group of friends like Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Jay Baruchel mark their attendance along with a string of celebrity cameos with Rihanna being one of them... As the party rages on into the night, weird oddities start rising to the surface coinciding with an apocalypse of biblical proportion which takes the survival comedy in an entirely new direction.
11 Bullet Train (2022)
A hybrid cross between a sloppy action film and the byproduct of situational comedy, Bullet Train has a lot going for it on both fronts. David Leitch’s film complies with the tropes of the genre but not without offering its own take on them. A moving train inhabited by oddball characters isn’t the most revolutionary idea, but Leitch interjects the film with a plethora of weird characters and plays them off each other to derive humor.
Brad Pitt’s Ladybug is the heart and soul of the film. He plays a former assassin in a bit of an existential crisis about his job, repudiating its nature and the impact it has on him. In a last-minute replacement, Ladybug is ordered to board a train and retrieve a briefcase. Trouble brews when other elite assassins board the train looking for the same briefcase, clashing with a halfhearted Ladybug who’s left with no choice but to shun his first-world problems and embrace the job he’s been running away from.
10 Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland is cut from the same cloth as Shaun of the Dead but differs from Edgar Wright’s masterpiece in its approach to comedy. While Wright’s film predominantly creates humor visually, Zombieland leans on its narrative and over-the-top antics to propel its comic juices.
In another oddity, Zombieland represents characters of different walks of life, who would realistically be the first ones to turn in a real-world apocalypse. However, they somehow survive and thrive in the film's context. Covering the base by including a short-fused killer paired with a rarely seen, physically inept nerd, Zombieland also adds a much-needed interjection of the brain in a world full of brawn. Gore lovers and zombie fans will also appreciate Zombieland's dedication to the genre while adding something new for viewers to enjoy.
9 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
A classic comic treat for the ages, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the most densely packed comedies in the Monty Python series. Playing out like an adventure that’s filled with jokes, gags, and moments of sheer innovative genius, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a film with a continuous barrage of laughter and no dull moment.
An interesting aspect about Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones's film is that even about 48 years since its release, it’s still funny, relatable, and visually gorgeous. Wreathed in the vast landscapes of Scotland, the film takes the viewer on a medieval journey primarily told through the story of King Arthur and his knights. They traverse across the length and breadth of the land in search of the Holy Grail, encountering questioning bridge-keepers, incredibly deadly cave monsters, and the Knights Who Say "Ni!" on the way.
8 Kick-Ass (2010)
Kick-Ass follows high-school student Dave Lizewski who decides to become a "real-life" street-level superhero who gains an added edge after he is severely injured in his first fight. As Kick-Ass, he uncovered the real fight between heroes and villains that threatens to overtake the city if he doesn't step up and help Hit-Girl save the city. Mathew Vaughn bet everything he had on Kick-Ass, a superhero movie that was based on a comic book that hadn’t been completed.
Doing the rounds of various studios, Vaughn failed to generate interest or money as no studio wanted to touch a film that featured an 11-year-old girl indulging in acts of brutal violence. While Kick-Ass uses violence and superhero stigmas as a vehicle to touch upon important topics such as crime and corruption, it does so with a generous serving of humor, making it a film that's steeped in reality and high on relatability.
7 Ted (2012)
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Seth MacFarlane directed and starred as the foul-mouthed titular stuffed animal in the 2012 satirical fantasy comedy Ted. He teamed up with big stars like Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, and Joel McHale to tell the story of a teddy bear who is brought to life by eight-year-old John Bennett and remains enchanted nearly three decades later. Wahlberg and MacFarlane's sidesplitting comedic chemistry is off the charts in the uproarious flick, as their characters' friendship and co-dependency start to become an issue and hinder John's romance with his girlfriend Lori (Kunis).
Ted was a massive critical and commercial success, earning over $549 million at the box office and going on to become the second highest-grossing-R-rated comedy of all time. Fans couldn't get enough of the raunchy screenplay and delightful performances of its talented cast, and it went on to spawn a 2015 sequel and a planned prequel television show.
6 Bruce Almighty (2003)
Jim Carrey is put through the heavenly ringer when he takes on the monumental role of serving as God for a week in the 2003 smash hit fantasy comedy Bruce Almighty. The film follows the discouraged and unlucky Bruce Nolan as he vents his frustration over his cosmic karma and lack of help from the supreme being (Morgan Freeman), only to be given the job and his powers for seven days.
Jam-packed full of Carrey's delightful shenanigans and endearing zaniness, the film beat out fellow competition The Matrix Reloaded during its opening weekend. Bruce Almighty shocked the industry when the comedy came out on top over the big odds-favorite blockbuster. The slapstick humor and the charisma of Carrey and Freeman helped propel the movie to become a beloved comedy staple and led to the less-than-successful sequel spin-off Evan Almighty, starring Steve Carell.
5 Bad Words (2013)
Jason Bateman made his directorial debut with the raunchy 2015 black comedy Bad Words, in which the Arrested Development star also portrays a 40-year-old misfit. He causes quite an uproar when he enters a national spelling bee competition after discovering a loophole, leading to a media sensation in the process. Bateman originally had no intention of appearing as the lead in the film, but after struggling to find the right actor he came to the conclusion it would be easier to play the sardonic Guy Trilby himself in order to accurately capture his "tricky tone" and personality.
The funnyman enlisted the help of fellow comedic performers like Allison Janney, Kathryn Hahn, and Ben Falcone for the rude and crude flick, all of whom helped push the envelope for the racy satire; many considered it to be one of Bateman's best movies and praised his profanity-laced performance.
4 Easy A (2010)
Emma Stone landed her first major breakthrough role when she was cast as Olive Penderghast in the 2010 teen romantic comedy Easy A, a modern-day adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. It follows the straight-laced high school student as she becomes the subject of teenage gossip after lying about losing her virginity. Instead of letting the rumors get the best of her, Olive decides to take back her power and embrace her new promiscuous image in order to climb the social hierarchy ladder and benefit from her personal debacle.
For her fearless performance as the empowered lead heroine, Stone garnered widespread critical praise and received a Golden Globe Award nomination, showcasing her impeccable comedic timing and delightful charisma in the fan-favorite flick. Easy A has also been credited with redefining teen films and specifically the sex comedy genre, breathing new life into the often overlooked movie style.
3 Groundhog Day (1993)
Harold Ramis directed the 1993 comedy juggernaut Groundhog Day, which features the delightfully quirky Bill Murray as narcissistic TV weatherman Phil Connors. He finds himself reliving February 2 over and over again after becoming trapped in a neverending time loop. Phil must figure out why he is doomed to re-live the same day and right his past wrongs to escape the loop.
Murray landed the sardonic role after beating out fellow comedic greats like Chevy Chase, Michael Keaton, and Tom Hanks. He portrayed the character as someone who was detached and cynical but also a person moviegoers would still connect with. Groundhog Day was a huge hit upon its release and has since become a spiritual and philosophical masterpiece that is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies to emerge from the 1990s.
2 The Dictator (2012)
Sacha Baron Cohen was at his wild and wacky shenanigans once again when he appeared in the 2012 political satire black comedy The Dictator. Cohen portrayed the fictional leader Admiral General Aladeen as the callous oppressor. He traveled to New York City to make an appearance at a UN assembly to address the current state of his destitute country. His journey to America becomes deadly and dangerous as the vulgar dictator becomes targeted by hitmen and exiled citizens who would love nothing more than to see Aladeen meet a violent and brutal demise.
The Dictator marks Baron Cohen's fourth outing as one of his uproarious original satirical characters, and the actor is once again fearless and uncompromising in his performance as the sexist, antisemitic fictional tyrant. For his over-the-top on-screen persona, Baron Cohen drew inspiration from real-life dictators like Muammar Gaddafi and Kim Jong-il and the classic 1933 Marx Brothers' hit Duck Soup, as well as Charlie Chaplin's performance in 1940's The Great Dictator.
1 The Cable Guy (1996)
Jim Carrey embraced his dark and deranged side when he starred opposite Matthew Broderick in Ben Stiller's 1996 black comedy The Cable Guy. The film tells the story of the erratic cable installer Chip Douglas who develops an unhealthy obsession with one of his customers (Matthew Broderick). Both Chris Farley and Adam Sandler were approached to headline the film before Carrey nabbed the role, and the menacing part was a major departure from the comedian's usually delightful and hapless characters he was known for up until that point in his career.
While many critics weren't sure what to make of Carrey's comedic shift and the dark nature of the flick, it nonetheless dominated the box office and earned over $100 million worldwide, with moviegoers appreciating Carrey's nuanced portrayal. His turn as Chip helped the actor seek more serious projects including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Truman Show, and has since become a celebrated cult classic.