Best Comedies on Netflix Right Now (August 2021)

Are you looking for the best comedy movies to stream on Netflix right now? The service is often flooded with comedies, and it's not always clear which are funny and which will flat-out ruin your evening. So we've scoured the vast expanse of the service's catalog and come back with our picks for the best comedies Netflix has to offer, including recent hits like Dolemite is My Name, as well as true classics like Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

So read on for the hottest and funniest comedy movies on Netflix! This list is updated frequently to reflect the service's current offerings, and new additions to the list are added to the top and marked with an asterisk.

Oh, and when you're done here, be sure to also check out our list of the 25 Best Comedies Ever and what's new to Netflix in August.

The Best Comedies on Netflix Right Now

Or follow these links for the best of other genres:

Please note: This list pertains to U.S. Netflix subscribers. Some titles may not currently be available on international platforms. This article is frequently amended to remove films no longer on Netflix, and to include more comedy films that are now available on the service.

The Austin Powers Series (1997-2002)*

Netflix is once again home to all three Austin Powers movies, including 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, 1999's Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and 2002's Austin Powers in Goldmember. All three films manage to spoof our favorite Bond tropes while also working as pretty entertaining spy/time-travel movies in their own right. These three movies feature Mike Myers at his comedic best, stealing the show as both hero and villain.

Talladega Nights (2006)*

Following the release of Anchorman in 2004, writer-director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell teamed up once again for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Ferrell stars as the eponymous Ricky Bobby, a pit-crew-member-turned-driver who quickly finds himself at the center of the racing world. Your mileage may vary depending on your enjoyment (or lack thereof) of Ferrell's comedy, but Talladega Nights succeeds in satirizing the racing community while simultaneously embracing the passion of its fans. Regardless, the movie features memorable performances from supporting actors John C. Reilly (as Ricky Bobby's driving partner) and Sacha Baron Cohen (as rival driver Jean Girard).

The Big Lebowski (1998)*

One of many excellent Coen Brothers films, The Big Lebowski is a cult comedy classic starring Jeff Bridges as a pot-smoking bowler who calls himself "The Dude." It's often ridiculous, filled with subplots that are each more ludicrous than the last, yet through that absurdist humor and the Coen Brothers' signature wit, The Big Lebowski earned its spot in the conversation of all-time great comedies.

Superbad (2007)

Superbad has become one of the defining coming-of-age comedies of the 21st century, and for good reason. This movie's crew includes big names like producer Judd Apatow and writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, but it really thrives on the strength of stars Michael Cera and Jonah Hill. Superbad is an uproariously funny look at two dorky high school graduates determined to finally lose their virginity, and a surprisingly heartfelt one at that.

Chef (2014)

We always get a kick out of seeing MCU veterans reuniting for smaller, more off-kilter projects. Chef is easily among the most memorable of these projects. Iron Man's Jon Favreau writes, directs and stars as Carl Gasper, a talented cook forced to reinvent himself as a food truck owner after butting heads with his boss. Favreau may have helmed some of Disney's most ambitious and expensive blockbusters over the past decade, but Chef is a welcome reminder he's still at home tackling smaller, more intimate comedies as well.

Easy A (2010)

Many of us probably have bad memories of slogging through Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter in high school, but this goofy comedy puts a clever spin on that stuffy old classic. Less an adaptation than a modernized, loosely connected tribute, Easy A casts the always entertaining Emma Stone as Olive, a high school loner who finds she can profit from pretending to sleep around with her classmates. Naturally, that scheme quickly spirals out of control, resulting in one of the better high school comedies in recent memory. That's thanks in no small part to co-stars Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, who play the most eccentric and hilarious hippie parents a social outcast could ever ask for.

Stone's most recent film, Cruella, is now streaming on Disney Plus. IGN's review awarded it a 7/10, saying its "gonzo fashion, complicated characters, and truly bonkers backstory are compromised by obligations to be kid-friendly and its time-consuming need to over-explain everything it does."

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

While it oddly struggled to find a foothold at the box office, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is easily among the best comic book adaptations of the past decade. It captures the fun, quirky spirit of Brian Lee O'Malley's graphic novels, casting Michael Cera as the titular video game-loving, responsibility-averse hero. Come for the cartoonish special effects and celebrity cameos, but stay for the earnest look at a boy finally realizing he needs to grow up.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is coming back to theaters later this year with a special Dolby Cinema cut. Meanwhile, director Edgar Wright recently reminisced about Scott Pilgrim's box office struggles, its eventual cultural success, and its divisive ending.

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Eddie Murphy delivers one of the best performances of his career in Dolemite Is My Name, a biopic about Dolemite creator Rudy Ray Moore. It's basically the blaxploitation equivalent of Ed Wood, a comedy that lovingly celebrates an eccentric, off-kilter artist who was never truly appreciated in his own time. It's also one of the most purely funny movies you'll find on Netflix, and definitely one of the streaming service's better original films.

Murphy's latest comedy, Coming 2 America, is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is easily one of the silliest, funniest, and most inspired comedies ever made. The British sketch comedy troupe Monty Python took aim at the history of Britain and its most beloved cultural icon, chopped all the limbs off, and made more than a few pointed remarks about just how ridiculous humanity was in the past (and, by extension, just how ridiculous it still is). Graham Chapman stars as Arthur, tasked with locating the Holy Grail, a quest that sends him and his idiot knights on one absurd and unforgettable mission after another, to accomplish tasks like buying shrubberies, ruining arranged weddings and not having sex.

Be sure to check out our list of the 25 funniest Monty Python movie moments.

How We Choose the Best Comedy Movies on Netflix

Netflix is full of amusing comedies, and we've narrowed down the list by trying to pick a mixture of recent hits like Dolemite Is My Name with classics like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. And, of course, movies that fare well on aggregate sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, like Superbad, are always a plus. The goal is to have a list that can make anyone laugh, regardless of tastes.

Upcoming Comedy Movies on Netflix

August is a great month for new comedies on Netflix. You'll likely find something that suits your comedic taste among these new additions, which are all available to stream as of August 1.

New additions include the classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the beloved stoner comedy Pineapple Express, Trey Parker and Matt Stone's outrageous Team America: World Police, the coming-of-age comedy The Edge of Seventeen, and Spike Lee's documentary/concert film The Original Kings of Comedy.