So you’re browsing through Netflix, looking for something to watch, but you’re in the mood for something light. Netflix’s massive library can be intimidating, especially when you’re looking for a good comedy amidst a sea of subpar entries in the genre. Not to fear, though, because we here at Collider have you covered. Below, we’ve curated a list of the very best comedies on Netflix right now. We’ve got everything from silly buddy comedies, big splashy commercial comedies, more esoteric indies, and even a couple of films that toe the line between comedy and drama. Surely you’ll find something to your liking, so scroll through our list of the best comedies on Netflix below and find that perfect pick.
And if you’re looking for a broader list of recommendations, check out our list of the best movies on Netflix right now.
Easy A
Image via Screen Gems
Director: Will Gluck
Writer: Bert V. Royal
Cast: Emma Stone, Dan Byrd, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Hayden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Cam Gigandet, Patricia Clarkson, and Stanley Tucci
If you’re looking for a teen romcom with wit and charm to spare, 2010’s Easy A is an excellent choice. The story is partially inspired by The Scarlet Letter as Emma Stone plays a charismatic high schooler named Olive who, on a whim, pretends to hook up with a classmate to help hide the fact that he’s gay. This leads to many other classmates coming to her asking her to lie about hooking up in exchange for gifts, leading to a sullied reputation that she embraces a la The Scarlet Letter. Stone is already a movie star in this early film from her career, and the film is surprisingly smart and engaging at every turn. It also features Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as two of the best movie parents in cinematic history. – Adam Chitwood
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Image via The Orchard
Director/Writer: Taika Waititi
Cast: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rhys Darby, Rima Te Wiata, and Rachel House
If you’re in the mood for a whimsical comedy from Thor: Ragnarok writer/director Taika Waititi, you absolutely have to see Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Released in 2016, this New Zealand adventure movie follows a grumpy Sam Neill as he’s forced to team up with a foul-mouthed child when the two are the target of a manhunt throughout the New Zealand bush. It’s based on an existing book, but in tone and execution Hunt for the Wilderpeople oftentimes feels like an adaptation of a Roald Dahl book we never knew about. It’s delightful and whimsical and a little terrifying, with Waititi’s playful anarchy filling the whole thing out for good measure. This movie is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
Coneheads
Image via Paramount Pictures
Director: Steve Barron
Writers: Tom Davis, Dan Aykroyd, Bonnie Turner, and Terry Turner
Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtain, Michelle Burke, David Spade, Michael McKean, and Chris Farley
One of the better SNL movies ever made, Coneheads is a delightfully silly and odd sci-fi comedy that follows a family of aliens who crash-land on Earth and try to make a life for themselves. Their lives are upended as they’re hunted by the INS, all while the prospect of returning to their home planet remains always just out of reach. Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain really make this thing worth watching, but it should come as no surprise to learn that Chris Farley steals every scene he’s in. – Adam Chitwood
Pineapple Express
Image via Sony Pictures
Director: David Gordon Green
Writers: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Cast: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Danny McBride, Gary Cole, and Rosie Perez
Pineapple Express is an underrated movie. While Superbad gets all the acclaim, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg‘s next film is a tonal tightrope walk that is also just incredibly funny. Indeed, David Gordon Green’s take on the action-comedy is a delight through and through. The premise is essentially, “What if an 80s buddy action comedy, but both of the heroes are stoned the entire time?” Hilarity ensues as Seth Rogen and James Franco deliver a pair of top-notch performances as reluctant buddies, and Danny McBride absolutely steals the whole movie. – Adam Chitwood
Mr. Deeds
Image via Columbia Pictures
Director: Steven Brill
Writer: Tim Herlihy
Cast: Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, Peter Gallagher, Jared Harris, Allen Covert, and John Turturro
Adam Sandler movies run the gamut from hilarious to terrible, and while Mr. Deeds is somewhere in between, it falls a bit closer to the “good, actually” side of the scale. A remake of a 1936 Frank Capra movie, Mr. Deeds stars Sandler as a young man running a pizzeria who discovers he’s the heir to a multibillionaire’s fortune. Winona Ryder plays a reporter for a tabloid TV show who’s tasked with getting close to the titular Mr. Deeds and getting close to him for a story. Their relationship quickly turns genuine, however, and she’s stuck between delivering for her employer and being true to her feelings. Deeds, meanwhile, struggles to acclimate to the lifestyles of the rich and famous. – Adam Chitwood
Ocean’s Eleven
Image via Warner Bros.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: Ted Griffin
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Carl Reiner, Elliot Gould, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Eddie Jemison, and Shaobo Qin
Ocean’s Eleven is one of the most purely fun movies of the 21st century so far, and in addition to being a cool heist movie it’s also an extremely funny (and dry) comedy. Soderbergh’s cast absolutely nails the film’s specific tone, and clearly George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, etc. are having a blast as they portray lifelong con men who conspire to rob a massive Las Vegas casino. If you’re in the mood for a movie that will have you laughing but also just put you in a good mood, you can’t go wrong here. – Adam Chitwood
Ocean’s Twelve
Image via Warner Bros.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: George Nolfi
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Casey Affleck, Bernie Mac, Scott Caan, Vincent Cassel, Eddie Jemison, Carl Reiner, and Elliott Gould
Ocean’s Twelve is a blast and a half, and it’s high time it was recognized as such. When it was released, Ocean’s Twelve was not nearly as warmly received as its predecessor, but that’s because director Steven Soderbergh opted to try something entirely different. The plot is purposefully convoluted, and if you read Ocean’s Twelve’s story as a metaphor for how hard it is to make a good sequel, it is immensely more satisfying. The story mirrors Soderbergh’s task of following up a huge hit film with a movie that’s the same but different: Benedict (the studio) demands Ocean’s Eleven (Soderbergh and his cast) form once again to pay him back his money. Hilarity ensues, and the film never takes itself too seriously as the cast is all in on the joke. It’s divisive to be sure, but give the film another shot. It may surprise you. – Adam Chitwood
Baby Mama
Image via Universal Pictures
Director/Writer: Michael McCullers
Cast: Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard, Romany Malco, Maura Tierney, Holland Taylor, Sigourney Weaver and Steve Martin
While the 2008 comedy Baby Mama doesn’t entirely deliver on everything you’d hope from a Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy (and the actresses have admitted the film is a tad mean-spirited when it pits their characters against one another), it’s still good for a number of laughs and is largely a joyful affair. Fey plays a single woman who decides to have a child via surrogate, with Poehler playing her irresponsible and obnoxious surrogate. As it turns out, however, Poehler’s character isn’t actually pregnant and has to keep the rouse going. – Adam Chitwood
The Addams Family
Image via Paramount Pictures
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Writers: Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson
Cast: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, and Elizabeth Wilson
While filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld is best known as the director of Men in Black and the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events, his signature style was on full display in his directorial debut: the 1991 adaptation The Addams Family. While this movie may not be suitable for all kids, it’s got a spooky, creepy sensibility that will appeal strongly to certain folks without crossing the line into inappropriate territory. The production design is gorgeous, the performances are delightfully kooky, but above all the throughline of humor makes The Addams Family a supremely entertaining watch. – Adam Chitwood
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Image via Netflix
Director: David Dobkin
Writers: Will Ferrell and Andrew Steele
Cast: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan, Dan Stevens, and Demi Lovato
If you think Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is just another “dumb Will Ferrell comedy,” think again. One of 2020’s most pleasant surprises, this musical comedy is surprisingly sweet and genuinely emotional – don’t be surprised if you find yourself welling up with tears by the end. The story follows a pair of lifelong friends and musicians from Iceland who are unexpectedly thrust into the Eurovision Song Contest, which tests their talents and their relationship to one another. Ferrell is hilarious as always, but it’s Rachel McAdams who steals the show here and proves yet again she’s one of the best comedic talents working right now. Oh and the songs? They’re spectacular. – Adam Chitwood
Airplane!
Image via Paramount Pictures
Directors/Writers: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker
Cast: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, and Peter Graves
The 1980 comedy Airplane! is a very specific parody of a film genre that’s near-extinct nowadays, and yet it still holds up tremendously well. Taking aim at the “disaster movie” boom of the 1970s, Airplane! follows the exploits aboard an airplane after the pilots and some of the crew get sick from food poisoning. Goofy flashbacks and cutaways to Lloyd Bridges huffing glue in the control tower keep the setting fresh, but the slapstick antics of those aboard the plane are the engine that propels this joke machine. Some of the jokes have aged poorly, as is true of almost every comedy film, but on the whole this one will have you in stitches. – Adam Chitwood
The Death of Stalin
Image via IFC Films
Director: Armando Iannucci
Writers: Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin
Cast: Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Simon Russell Beale, Michael Palin, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Paddy Considine
If you like your comedy as dark as human history, you’re in for a real treat with The Death of Stalin. A horrifying, hilarious, existentially terrifying treat. Veep and The Thick of It creator Armando Iannucci is Hollywood’s best working political satirist and with his 2017 feature, he hones in on the absurdity of totalitarianism with a razor-sharp comedic bent on the death of the Soviet Union’s infamous fascist leader, Joseph Stalin. And believe me when I say this movie is razor-sharp. Carried out in the fashion of Iannucci’s signature acerbic stylings, The Death of Stalin is the kind of movie you have to laugh at to keep from crying out in horror, because every absurd beat and bit is laced with terrible truth, laying bare the fragility of human life, nations, and ideas alike. There have been many attempts to capture the helpless, surreal experience of watching authoritarian, nationalist leaders around the world over the last 5 years, but The Death of Stalin might be the most cutting yet. Fortunately, Iannucci twists the knife right into your funny bone. – Haleigh Foutch
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Image via Columbia Pictures
Director: Jake Kasdan
Writers: Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan
Cast: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, Kristen Wiig, and Jonah Hill
Much like Hot Rod or Step Brothers, the 2007 comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a film that didn’t hit big when it hit theaters, but grew a passionate cult following in the ensuing years. And for good reason, because it’s one of the funniest movies of the 21st century so far. The movie is ostensibly a send-up of cradle-to-grave music biopics like Walk the Line and Ray as it follows the trajectory of Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly) from an aspiring musician in Alabama to a worldwide superstar. But the film goes beyond parody to really delve into the history of music, as Dewey’s story incorporates real-life stories from legends like The Beach Boys and The Beatles and descends into absolute chaos. What’s more, the songs are genuinely catchy and funny as hell. If you missed this one in theaters, now’s your chance to catch up with this deliriously funny comedy. – Adam Chitwood
Lady Bird
Image via A24 and Merie Wallace
Director/Writer: Greta Gerwig
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet, and Stephen Henderson
Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird rules so incredibly hard, and is so tremendously funny. This is a coming-of-age story with soul, as Saoirse Ronan plays a young girl named Christine who struggles through her senior year at a Catholic high school—struggles with boys, struggles with friendships, struggles with money, and struggles with her parents. At heart this is a mother-daugther story, and while it gets intensely emotional, it’s also incredibly funny. Ronan is tremendous in the Oscar-worthy lead role, Beanie Feldstein is a hoot as her BFF, Timothee Chalamet nails the “pretentious cool guy” role, and Gerwig’s writing and direction are downright masterful. This is one of the best comedies of the last decade. – Adam Chitwood
The Disaster Artist
Image via A24
Director: James Franco
Writers: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, and Jackie Weaver
A film about the making of the infamously terrible movie The Room should not be this good nor this emotional, but here we are. The Disaster Artist is technically a chronicle of how Tommy Wiseau defied pretty much every cinematic convention (for the worst) to make his film The Room, and how the movie became a cult favorite for its absolutely bonkers construction and execution. James Franco is legitimately great both in front of and behind the camera here, as the film hones in on the friendship between Tommy and Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) serves as a surprisingly emotional foundation for this stranger-than-fiction story that is also very, very, very funny. – Adam Chitwood
Hail, Caesar!
Image via Universal Pictures
Directors/Writers: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Cast: George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, and Frances McDormand
This 2016 comedy from the Coen Brothers was a long time in the making, and while it earned solid reviews, it’s still somewhat underrated. Hail, Caesar! takes place in 1951 follows a day in the life of Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), a “fixer” for a movie studio called Capital Pictures who spends the day trying to stave off various scandals, put out fires, and track down a missing movie star. Chaos and shenanigans ensue, and George Clooney delivers one of his best comedic performance. This movie will also remind you that, whatever you think of Solo: A Star War Story, that Alden Ehrenreich can sure act. – Adam Chitwood
The Other Guys
Image via Columbia Pictures
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Adam McKay and Chris Hency
Cast: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Ray Stevenson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne Johnson
The 2010 comedy The Other Guys may not be on the level of pitch-perfect hilarity of Adam McKay’s other films like Step Brothers or Anchorman, but it’s still good for a number of laughs and fascinating when viewed as a step-ladder to McKay’s more dramatic films like The Big Short and Vice. This movie is ostensibly an action movie in which “the other guys” are the stars—in this case a mild-mannered forensic accountant (Will Ferrell) and a hot-tempered detective who mistakenly shot Derek Jeter (Mark Wahlberg). The two become embroiled in a case involving corporate maleficence, with McKay blending his passion for politics with an incredibly silly comedy. There are a number of insane gags here that are great, like Ferrell’s character’s past as a pimp for McKay’s own cameo as Dirty Mike of Dirty Mike and the Boys. And again while not as satisfying as some of McKay’s other films, this one certainly isn’t bad. – Adam Chitwood
Dolemite Is My Name
Image via Netflix
Director: Craig Brewer
Writers: Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, and Titus Burgess
Not only does the Netflix original comedy film Dolemite Is My Name give us the best Eddie Murphy performance in years, it’s also just a tremendously entertaining movie about creative expression. The movie is based on the true story of Rudy Ray Moore, a comedian who aimed to bring his hit standup character “Dolemite” to the masses by writing, producing, and starring in an extremely low-budget film. Not unlike Bowfinger, this movie is a hilarious behind-the-scenes story of one man’s creative passion coming to life against all odds. Murphy is explosive, Da’Vine Joy Randolph gives the definition of a breakthrough performance, and Wesley Snipes goes full To Wong Fu in an outrageous turn as the director of the Dolemite movie. This is an extremely entertaining comedy that is also incredibly inspiring. – Adam Chitwood
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Image via Universal Pictures
Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, and Jason Schwartzman.
Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s outstanding comic didn’t find much of an audience upon its release, but over the years it has grown into a cult classic. The movie follows Scott Pilgrim (Cera), a sweet if slightly selfish and misguided young man who falls for delivery girl Ramona Flowers (Winstead). He can only continue to date her if he defeats her seven evil exes. Scott’s comfortable with the video game framework, but the film is really about two people discovering they have to get over their own baggage if they’re going to find new love. Wright decorates the whole picture with video game tropes and fun little nods, but never loses sight of the core romantic story. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is funny, effervescent, and only gets better on repeat viewings. – Matt Goldberg
Always Be My Maybe
Image via Netflix
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Writers: Ali Wong, Randall Park, and Michael Golamco
Cast: Ali Wong, Randall Park, Michelle Buteau, James Saito, Daniel Dae Kim, Karan Soni, and Keanu Reeves
Netflix brought the romcom back in a big way with 2018’s Set It Up, and the streaming service’s 2019 effort Always Be My Maybe is similarly charming and delightful. Co-written by and starring Randall Park and Ali Wong, the film follows a pair of teenaged best friends who have since drifted apart and are pushed together once more in adulthood, even though their lives have followed very different paths. Park and Wong are dynamite together, and the film takes time to breathe with some well-paced dramatic sequences. It’s also not lacking in scene-stealers, as Michelle Buteau is a hoot and Keanu Reeves once again proves his talent knows no bounds. – Adam Chitwood
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