Whether you’re in the mood for Adam Sandler, one of the greatest romcoms of the 21st century, or an outrageous mockumentary, Netflix is home to some of the best comedies ever made.
Comedy, arguably more so than any other genre, is very subjective; there are some people out there who hate Airplane (“Surely you can’t be serious,” I’d say… you know the rest), while nobody can decide which is the best film in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s Cornetto Trilogy (it’s Shaun of the Dead, which also happens to be one of the best horror movies of all time).
It’s pretty hard to pick a film that will make everyone laugh, especially if it’s something you’re all watching for the first time; do you want to be the person who suggests something… and then nobody likes it?
Well, with Tires Season 2 and Ginny and Georgia Season 3 arriving in June (two of the best shows on Netflix, by the way), there’s a good chance you’ll be in the mood for something funny. Don’t fret: we’ve narrowed down the streamer’s library to its 15 best comedies.
15. The Mitchells vs the Machines
- Release date: April 23, 2021
- Directors: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe
- Cast: Danny McBride, Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph, Eric André, Olivia Colman
- Regions: Everywhere
What it’s about: A chaotic, dysfunctional family finds themselves humanity’s last hope after a tech uprising turns electronic devices into bloodthirsty overlords. Yes, even your Furby.
Why we like it: Firstly, it’s a visual delight, with the team reusing tech from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to achieve the watercolor-style animation. But the similarities don’t end there. The Mitchells vs. the Machines is equally heartwarming, hilarious, and with just enough emotional depth to make you want to call your loved ones (or at least stop yelling at them about the Wi-Fi). Bonus points for Olivia Colman voicing a genocidal AI.
If you’re into science fiction, we’ve also got a list of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
14. Trainwreck
Universal Pictures- Release date: March 15, 2015
- Director: Judd Apatow
- Cast: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, John Cena, LeBron James
- Regions: US
What it’s about: Amy was told at a young age that monogamy wasn’t realistic. Over 20 years later, beyond her job as a columnist at a men’s magazine, she lives her life without commitments; drinking, partying, and sleeping with as many men as she wants. However, her outlook changes when she meets Dr. Aaron Conners.
Why we like it: Trainwreck is a bit of an anomaly; Schumer’s brand of self-deprecating, blunt humor and Apatow’s increasingly schmaltzy filmmaking shouldn’t have worked. And, yet, it’s one of the best romantic comedies of the past 10 years, with nonstop out-loud laughs (John Cena and LeBron James are standouts) and a couple you genuinely want to root for. The real masterstroke was tapping Bill Hader as a romcom lead – he is sensational and elevates the whole film.
Words by Cameron Frew
13. Shiva Baby
MUBI- Release date: June 9, 2021
- Director: Emma Seligman
- Cast: Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Dianna Agron, Danny Deferrari, Polly Draper
- Regions: US
What it’s about: Danielle is a strung-out college student, talked into attending a Jewish funeral service with her parents. While there, she runs into her sugar daddy and ex-girlfriend, and things get awkward.
Why we like it: The world received a precious gift in the form of Rachel Sennott, who might just be one of the most effortlessly funny voices of her generation. This black comedy was her official introduction to the world, and it still is arguably her best performance to date. In one house, we see people say the unsayable, feel the unfeelable, and have no control over their impulses, and it’s deliciously excruciating to watch.
Words by Jasmine Valentine
12. Burn After Reading
Focus Features- Release date: September 12, 2008
- Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen
- Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, J. K. Simmons
- Regions: US
What it’s about: A pair of clueless gym employees and an ex-CIA analyst’s lives collide over a misplaced disc containing (supposedly) sensitive information, sparking a chaotic series of events.
Why we like it: This is the Coen Brothers at their most unhinged, assembling a cast of absolute idiots (played by geniuses) to bumble through espionage, betrayal, and very bad haircuts (it ranked highly on our list of the best spy movies). Frances McDormand wants plastic surgery, Brad Pitt bops around like a golden retriever in gym shorts, and George Clooney is building… something in his basement. It’s chaos, it’s dark, it’s weirdly philosophical – and you will absolutely cackle when it all blows up.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
11. Cunk on Life
Netflix- Release date: December 30, 2024
- Director: Al Campbell
- Cast: Diane Morgan
- Regions: US
What it’s about: Philomena Cunk, the UK’s most clueless presenter, takes us on a deeply misinformed (and satirical) journey through the history of human civilization. Expect errors, awkward pauses, and unexpected pearls of wisdom.
Why we like it: Ever since her debut in Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, we’ve been obsessed with Morgan’s Cunk. Her deadpan delivery and killer one-liners are on full display in this comedy special, where she asks “deep questions that strike at the very core of our a**holes.” It will leave you bamboozled, crying with laughter, and you might even learn something (though not from Cunk herself).
Words by Daisy Phillipson
10. Big Daddy
Sony Pictures- Release date: June 25, 1999
- Director: Dennis Dugan
- Cast: Adam Sandler, Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, Leslie Mann
- Regions: Everywhere
What it’s about: Sonny, a 32-year-old slacker and law-school dropout who lives off an insurance payout, gets a surprise on his doorstep: a five-year-old boy. He’s not his kid, but in an effort to be more responsible to impress a girl, he takes him in.
Why we like it: Big Daddy is vintage Sandman; funny, stupid, with the customary out-of-his-league girlfriend, a great soundtrack (specifically, Garbage’s ‘When I Grow Up’) and moments that may leave a lump in your throat. It’s one of the star’s most rewatchable films, and compared to the likes of Little Nicky and The Waterboy (both funny, to be clear), it’s aged incredibly well too.
Words by Cameron Frew
9. Anyone But You
Sony Pictures- Release date: December 22, 2023
- Director: Will Gluck
- Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp
- Regions: US
What it’s about: Bea and Ben fall for each other, then fall out with each other, then fight their feelings for each other during a beautiful and sometimes disastrous destination wedding in Australia.
Why we like it: Every few years the rom-com is declared dead, until a hit movie revives the genre, and Anyone But You did just that at the tail-end of 2023, annoying critics, but beguiling audiences to the tune of $220 million. That success also suggested that Hollywood’s newest megastars are Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, who burned up the screen as the bickering couple in question.
Words by Chris Tilly
8. Kneecap
Curzon Film- Release date: August 23, 2024
- Director: Rich Peppiatt
- Cast: Mo Chara, DJ Próvai, Móglaí Bap, Jessica Reynolds, Michael Fassbender
- Regions: All
What it’s about: Local ‘no-gooders’ Naoise and Liam Óg persuade a teacher to help them get their dreams – being an Irish hip-hop band – off the ground. They soon become the face of a movement to save their mother tongue.
Why we like it: The band hasn’t been making headlines because of their movie of late, but regardless of what you think, Kneecap was easily one of the best movies of 2024. Full of fresh, dynamic energy while not being afraid to stir up a storm, the trio’s origin story is just as authentic as it is humorous. The laugh-out-loud moments aren’t exactly PG, but they’re all the richer for their shock value.
Words by Jasmine Valentine
7. Hit Man
Netflix- Release date: May 24, 2024
- Director: Richard Linklater
- Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao
- Regions: Everywhere
What it’s about: Based on the true story of Gary Johnson, a university lecturer who works part-time as a police contractor, finds himself in the spotlight by posing as a hit man. While Gary takes to the job like a duck to water, he soon falls for a desperate woman trying to flee her abusive husband.
Why we like it: While it’s a crying shame this one didn’t get a fully-fledged cinema release – it’s best viewed with a crowd, trust us – Hit Man is the guaranteed good time you’ll want to watch over and over. It’s packed with unique and empathetic characters exploring a far-fetched police ploy we’ve always wanted to know more about. As Gary gets more comfortable in his multiple personas, the jokes are a mile a minute (shoutout to the final double bluff scene, which is pure brilliance).
Words by Jasmine Valentine
6. The Gentlemen
Entertainment Film Distributors- Release date: January 1, 2020
- Director: Guy Ritchie
- Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
- Regions: US
What it’s about: Mickey Pearson is one of the most powerful drug kingpins in the UK, but he’s ready to get out of the game, sell his marijuana empire, and settle down. With the help of his consigliere Raymond, they scope out buyers – but it doesn’t take long until blood is spilled, and as his wife says, “there’s f**kery afoot.”
Why we like it: If you miss the halcyon days of Snatch and Lock Stock, The Gentlemen is the movie for you. It is a supremely naughty, nasty, and invigorating return to Guy Ritchie at his best, with mega-watt movie star turns from Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant, not to mention a drink-spluttering performance from Colin Farrell. In other words, it’s “beautiful, beautiful cinema” – and its TV follow-up is one of the best shows on Netflix.
Words by Cameron Frew
5. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Netflix- Release date: November 23, 2022
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae
- Regions: US/UK
What it’s about: Master detective Benoit Blanc holidays on a Greek Island, where he’s drawn into a mystery concerning the murder of a tech billionaire.
Why we like it: The Knives Out movies have rightly received acclaim for their twists and turns, but they don’t get enough credit for just how funny they are. Daniel Craig is hilarious as larger-than-life gentleman sleuth Benoit Blanc, while in Glass Onion he’s surrounded by funny people playing funny people, most notably Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn and – delivering unexpected laughs – Edward Norton.
Words by Chris Tilly
4. Barbie
Warner Bros.- Release date: July 21, 2023
- Director: Greta Gerwig
- Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Ariana Greenblatt
- Regions: US
What it’s about: In Barbie Land, Barbie and Ken (yes, all the different versions of them) live perfect lives. But when Barbie is called to visit the real world, she finds out that life is not what it seems.
Why we like it: Barbenheimer feels like a lifetime ago, but we’ve been riding the cultural high ever since. Sure, we’re all definitely going to cry when the ‘What Was I Made For?’ montage plays, but Robbie’s Barbie is the comedy genius we never knew we needed. Her supporting Barbies and Kens all have impeccable timing (and dance moves), while Helen Mirren as narrator possibly has the best jokes in her arsenal – and you’ll never see them coming.
Words by Jasmine Valentine
3. Uncle Buck
Universal Pictures- Release date: August 16, 1989
- Director: John Hughes
- Cast: John Candy, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, Macaulay Culkin, Amy Madigan
- Regions: US
What it’s about: Cindy’s father has a heart attack, so she has to leave town for a few days. With nobody else around to look after the kids, their parents enlist the help of their Uncle Buck, a gambling, cigar-puffing, carefree bachelor who always has his heart in the right place – but he struggles to win over Tia, their eldest daughter.
Why we like it: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles may be Candy’s funniest movie, but Uncle Buck is the perfect, gut-clutchingly funny showcase of what made him one of the most beloved comedy stars in the world. Hughes simply let him cook, from every hilarious interaction with Culkin and Hoffman to “Buck Melanoma” and pretty much every moment he’s on screen. It gets extra points for its freeze-frame ending, which is incredibly emotional now.
Words by Cameron Frew
2. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Universal Pictures- Release date: June 3, 2016
- Director: Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone
- Cast: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone
- Regions: US
What it’s about: When pop group The Style Boyz split, singer Conner Friel reinvents himself as a solo artist Conner4Real, but quickly discovers that he’s nothing without his former bandmates.
Why we like it: The brainchild of comedy collective The Lonely Island, Never Stop Never Stopping does for pop music what Spinal Tap did for heavy metal. And while it flopped quite spectacularly at the time, a cult following has since built around the mockumentary, thanks to some banging tunes, and bonkers cameos from the likes of Seal, Mariah Carey, Martin Sheen, Katy Perry, and Ringo Starr.
Words by Chris Tilly
1. Crazy, Stupid, Love
Warner Bros.- Release date: July 29, 2011
- Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
- Cast: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone
- Regions: US/UK
What it’s about: During a split with his wife, Cal Weaver gets dating advice from the ultimate player, little realising that the young hunk mentoring him is in love with Cal’s daughter.
Why we like it: Crazy, Stupid, Love is a grown-up rom-com in reverse, with Cal and Emily Weaver breaking up over the course of the movie before making up at the end. A charming Dan Fogelman script keeps the laughs coming, while Ryan Gosling’s chemistry with his co-stars elevates the material, as sparks fly between Gosling and Emma Stone, while he and Steve Carell make a hilariously odd couple.
Words by Chris Tilly
If you’re looking to pad out your watchlist, check out our rundown of the best movies ever made and the greatest TV shows of all time.
