Everybody loves a good comedy film. However, they’re not easy to make. There are two kinds of comedy movies: a funny and good movie, and a funny but bad movie. A film can be bad and still be funny, but comedy flicks are truly special when they’re funny and of good quality. Oftentimes, comedies can find comedy as a crutch to make up for a lackluster story, but those who don’t do that are something to be celebrated.
A good comedy movie is funny and entertaining from start to finish, keeping viewers invested and engaged the whole time. Bad ones that are simply funny will lose people at some point, barely hanging on through the laughs. A good and funny comedy doesn’t come around all that often these days, making people mourn the older decades of comedy, where the batting average was much better.
10
‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ (1989)
The National Lampoon’s Vacation franchise is one of the funniest comedy franchises of the ’80s-’90s. Starring the ever-hilarious (albeit problematic) Chevy Chase, these movies really captured the hearts of people everywhere. The fact that it follows a family and the hijinks that come with typical family outings. One of their best, though, is their Christmas-themed project, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Christmas is always a wild time of year for most families, and no comedy movie from the ’80s showcases that better than National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The Griswold family is back at it again as their big plans for Christmas go nuts and ensue in schenanigans that anyone who celebrates Christmas can come to relate to in some way or another.
9
‘Groundhog Day’ (1993)
Not many can do it the way Bill Murray does, and proof of that can be found within the runtime of Groundhog Day. Directed by his Ghostbusters bestie, the late Harold Ramis, Groundhog Day showcases some of Murray’s best work as a performer, because not only is this movie a funny one, but the character arc he goes on is very meaningful.
His character, a narcissistic weatherman named Phil,gets caught in a time loop that just so happens to be on Groundhog Day. This movie is so iconic that dozens of movies and shows have taken inspiration and the entire premise from Groundhog Day ever since it was released. Phil learning to be a better man with each new chance at Groundhog Day is a great watch—both funny and heartwarming.
8
‘Ghostbusters’ (1984)
Speaking of Ghostbusters, imagine a movie that doesn’t just have the comedy legend, Bill Murray, but multiple other comedy legends, as well: Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, and more. Ghostbusters is far more than just a comedy film, though. It’s also a supernatural flick that is quite thrilling and engaging.
“Who you gonna call?” was a quote that swept the nation, and is part of the theme that is sung to this very day. Ghostbusters is a national phenomenon that is still an active franchise, with the most recent iteration coming out just last year in 2024. It’s a cult classic, and there isn’t anything great that can be said about it that hasn’t been sung to the heavens already over the last 41 years.
7
‘The Hangover’ (2009)
The 2000s were the golden era for comedy films, and one of the late additions that is hilarious the entire way through is The Hangover. Despite being more of a “dumb comedy,” The Hangover is a great flick that actually has a really fun story that is written pretty well. The screenplay is scripted by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, who drafted not just a story that features ridiculous antics, but one about friendship, too.
This flick has a stellar cast, as well, featuring the likes of Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis. There are also a lot of hilarious cameos from great celebrities like Mike Tyson, as well. The Hangover begs the question, “How far would you go for your friend?” and makes people laugh over and over along the way.
6
‘The Other Guys’ (2010)
What happens when a director like Adam McKay (otherwise known for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Don’t Look Up) brings the likes of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg together to star in a buddy cop comedy? The Other Guys happens. The Other Guys feels like if Dumb and Dumber met a movie like Rush Hour, which results in some of the funniest scenes in 2010 comedy.
Will Ferrell has always been a funny guy, but putting him on screen with an actor whose comedy is a bit different from his leads to the two stars complementing each other’s styles very well. Anna Smith from Metro called it “The funniest movie of the year so far” in her review on September 16th, 2010. The Other Guys is such a fun movie that balances comedy and buddy cop tropes very well.
5
‘Airplane!’ (1980)
Airplane! is known as one of the most popular and funny comedy films of all time, and for very good reason. Spoofing the gigantic wave of disaster movies that had released the decade prior, the ’70s, Airplane! has so much fun being an absolutely ridiculous ride that does not pull its punches. Directors and writers Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker clearly had such a fun time poking fun at disaster movies and making ridiculous jokes in general.
A lot of people claim that for comedy fans, Airplane! is a must-see, a statement that has a lot of validity to it. The reviews don’t lie, with the film having a 97% critics score and 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The cast, made up of Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more, play off of each other very well, making jokes even better when acted out. No one should be surprised when people consider this a masterpiece.
4
’21 Jump Street’ (2012)
When it comes to more modern comedy films, there aren’t a lot of great ones, but the one and only 21 Jump Street defies that. Based on the 1987 television series, 21 Jump Street is more so a spoof of said series. It still brings its two protagonists to high school to go undercover to break a case that needs two people on the inside. However, due to this being a ridiculous concept, hilarity ensues beyond anyone’s expectations.
Both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill have an incredible dynamic that makes every scene they’re in electric, which makes the entire movie electric. It feels like there’s never a dull moment in 21 Jump Street, and that allows it to be a great example of how reboots could be handled in the future. Rather than simply becoming a hollow copy of the original, it pulls a total 180 and makes it a total satire.
3
‘Big’ (1988)
Tom Hanks is a total icon of ’80s filmmaking, and a huge (pun intended) part of this is because he starred in the legendary comedy, Big. Unlike some of the other comedies mentioned, Big‘s humor doesn’t come from a “dumb humor” place, but rather a very natural one. Is the humor silly? Yes, but it’s not from ridiculous and wild situations. Big, in fact, keeps its premise, stakes, and scope pretty small, and that serves it for the better.
Hanks gets to run around acting like a kid for the entire movie, which he clearly has so much fun with. Big is filled with heart and whimsy that could make even the grumpiest grouch smile. Not only that, though, it also gets incredibly emotional, with a story that actually has a great message and is wildly captivating. Many viewers find themselves relating to this one because, at the end of the day, we all want to be kids again a little bit, don’t we?
2
‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
Oh boy, The Princess Bride is one of the most iconic movies out there, honestly. With astounding reviews, like a 96% critics score and a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear that The Princess Bride is a movie that has become a cult classic among most households. It’s quotable, hilarious, romantic, adventurous, and has so much of what every good movie should have.
People have even gone on to call The Princess Bride perfect, which is some pretty high praise, of course. There’s a sense of adventure and grandness that comes with this movie, as well as all-around well-written humor that is extremely useful in getting audience members to fall in love with the characters on screen.
1
‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ (1975)
As if Monty Python and the Holy Grail could not be mentioned when discussing comedies that are perfect from beginning to end. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the comedy movie. Without hyperbole, a large portion of the world considers this one of the best comedies ever made. Sure, it may be catered to audiences that are more open to the medieval fantasy vibe, but for those who enjoy it, this movie holds up even 50 years later.
This movie is chaos in all the best ways. Some may consider its slight incoherence in plot a bit of a drawback, but it honestly just adds to the calamity that makes the film so funny in the first place. The wit and satire that takes place is gut-wrenchingly funny and feels absolutely timeless, given how much people still enjoy it in the modern age.
