The 50 Best Comedies of All Time
From Animal House to Dr. Strangelove, the best comedies ever released share a special spark that you just can't put into words.
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"An apple a day keeps the doctor away," right? Well, a laugh a day might help keep that nagging sense of total doom at bay. At least we can hope. In many ways, it’s vital for humans to laugh whenever we can, especially in times of crisis. What better option to induce laughter—a natural stress reliever, mind you—than a movie? A comedy classic is the best medicine for such moments.
That brings us to the best of the best. There are comedies coming out all the time. But to become a great, you have to have a few things. Part of it is a little bit of time, to make sure the laughs weren't just in the moment. The next is a die-hard fan base that will keep the story alive. And the third part is a little bit of movie magic. Dark comedies, slapstick, rom coms... the best of their sub-genres all have it.
Even if you’re not the type to laugh out loud at comedies, the following films are sure to elicit some small giggle, or perhaps even one of those loud, surprising guffaws. From National Lampoon comedy classics to iconic stoner adventures plus new takes on the sex comedy genre, below are the 50 funniest films of all time.
Animal House
The National Lampoon masterpiece continues to set the bar for cinematic depictions of collegiate debauchery. See John Belushi in one of his greatest roles as a fraternity brother at the riotous Delta house, as the brothers fight a college dean who wants to see their charter revoked and their house disbanded.
The Big Lebowski
“I’m the Dude. So that’s what you call me. You know, that or, uh, His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.” Jeff Bridges’s character in this stoner classic is truly iconic. The surreal, tumultuous story of mistaken identity, bowling, and the Dude’s soiled rug is just as hilarious today as ever.
Bridesmaids
Paul Feig and Judd Apatow’s comedy follows Annie (Kristen Wiig), a single woman in her 30s who’s asked to be the Maid of Honor at her best friend Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) wedding. Broke and alone, Annie navigates being ostracized when the bachelorette party and other wedding rites are commandeered by her seemingly perfect rival, Helen (Rose Byrne).
Superbad
There’s a reason Superbad continues to define the coming-of-age teen comedy. The highly quotable film—“I am McLovin!”—follows two inseparable best friends (Michael Cera, Jonah Hill) as they navigate the last weeks of high school and try to lose their virginity before heading off to college. Along with their geeky friend, the pair tries a series of shenanigans to score alcohol for a huge party in the hopes of getting lucky.
When Harry Met Sally
Even the uninitiated will know this 1989 romantic comedy for its “I’ll Have What She’s Having” scene, in which Meg Ryan fakes an orgasm over sandwiches at Katz’s Delicatessen. Nora Ephron’s award-winning screenplay makes this a total classic, a movie that exists to make people happy and will continue to do so for years to come. Plus: all the academic-sweater, smart-blazer 80s fashion and golden New York autumn shots your heart desires.
Dazed and Confused
Richard Linklater's stoner comedy chronicles the events of the last day of school in a 1976 Texas town. The plot centers on Randall 'Pink' Floyd's choice between the freedom to be his reefer-toking self and his commitment to his football team, and rising freshman Mitch Kramer as he evades hazing from a particularly sadistic senior (Ben Affleck). Come for famous lines Matthew McConaughey's "Alright, alright, alright" and a fantastic 70s rock soundtrack. Stay for drill sergeant Parker Posey yelling "Air raid!" at the top of her lungs.
Coming to America
Best in Show
Christopher Guest's hilarious mockumentary follows five Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show contestants and their wacky owners as they travel to and compete in the show. Featuring all-star cast including Jennifer Coolidge, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, and Parker Posey. Fun fact: it inspired the actual National Dog Show that airs on TV every Thanksgiving.
Shaun of the Dead
One of the pioneers of the zombie comedy genre. Stuck in a dead-end job and dumped by his girlfriend, Shaun’s life is stagnant and mundane, until the zombie apocalypse strikes. Shaun must fight back against the zombies, hiding out in his local pub and fighting for his life along with his friends.
M*A*S*H
Meatballs
There had to be at least a couple Bill Murray movies on this list— but why Meatballs, you ask? Because Meatballs, in all its ridiculous summer camp glory, is Murray's first starring film role and one of his most underrated movies. Murray plays a camp counselor in charge of 300 kids as they compete with a rich neighboring camp. It's funny, it's heartwarming, it's Meatballs. Try watching Murray's impassioned "It just doesn't matter!" speech without feeling just a tiny bit better.
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder), a teenage outcast in his small Idaho town, teams up with the new kid, Pedro, to run a campaign for class president against all odds. It’s impossible to sum up the strange shenanigans Napoleon gets up to—the liger doodling, the tater tots, and of course his “Vote for Pedro” dance performance—it’s something you have to see for yourself.
Harold and Maude
Blockers
Don't be fooled by the title: director Kay Cannon’s boundary-breaking sex comedy is fantastic, through and through. Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz play a trio of parents who try to stop their daughters (Big Little Lies’s Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideon Adlon) from following through on a prom night sex pact. Produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (the comedy duo behind Superbad).
Girls Trip
Girls Trip is a fun, raucous comedy about four best friends (Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish) who reunite for a trip to the Essence Music Festival. They rekindle their wild partying spirits and reconnect as friends through a series of adventures in New Orleans.
Little Miss Sunshine
In this eccentric tragicomedy, a dysfunctional family takes a cross-country road trip so that their spirited 7-year-old, Olive, can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. With a phenomenal ensemble cast of Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, and Steve Carell, Little Miss Sunshine is as unique and heartfelt as it is wild and hilarious.
The Breakfast Club
Ah, John Hughes. The director defined 1980s teenagehood with his honest portrayals of everyday angst, identity, and longing. Coming-of-age dramedy The Breakfast Club follows five high school students ("a brain, a beauty, a jock, a rebel, and a recluse") as they're brought together for Saturday detention and realize they have more in common than they'd thought.
Clue
The Birdcage
A remake of the classic French farce, Robin Williams stars as Armand, a gay Miami drag club owner, whose son is to be married to the daughter of a conservative Republican senator (Gene Hackman). When the future in-laws are set to meet, Armand's son asks his father and his partner Albert (Nathan Lane) to hide their true identities and pretend to be straight.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
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