funny movie review names

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy . We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The 90 Best Comedies of the 21st Century, from ‘Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World’ to ‘Jackass Forever’

Wilson chapman.

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Share on LinkedIn
• Show more sharing options
• Submit to Reddit
• Post to Tumblr
• Print This Page
• Share on WhatsApp

[Editor’s note: This list was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated many times.]

The pandemic may be in the rearview for the U.S. federal government, but the specter of war, a tortured economy, and human rights issues across the globe have occupied the minds of many instead. So, in desperate need of some humor, we thought it was more important than ever to give our Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century list, originally published in 2017, yet another rethink. Since the list was originally published, we’ve expanded it to 90 entries, including titles released since then that deserved including and other titles we somehow overlooked the first time. (Here’s lookin’ at you, “Spy,” and welcome to the ranks, “Catherine Called Birdy”).

As IndieWire has evolved, so has this list, and it will continue to do so as long as Hollywood keeps making films that make us laugh. What else can you do?

With editorial contributions from Christian Zilko, Alison Foreman, Christian Blauvelt, Samantha Bergeson, David Ehrlich, Kate Erbland, Leonardo Adrian Garcia, Eric Kohn, Ryan Lattanzio, Michael Nordine, Chris O’Falt, Zack Sharf, and Anne Thompson.

90. “Sick of Myself” (2023)

89. “Bottoms” (2023)

A watershed moment of representation for ugly, untalented gays, Emma Seligman’s “Bottoms” feels like a miracle in 2023: an honest to god mainstream teen sex comedy, centering on lesbians, with the boldness and confidence to make those lesbians terrible people. Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott star as Josie and PJ, two unpopular high school seniors who desperately lust after unattainable cheerleader hotties Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber). After a misunderstanding causes the entire school to think the two spent the summer fighting other girls to the death in juvie, the pair parlay their sudden notoriety into starting a “female self-defense class” (glorified fight club) in the hopes of getting closer to the objects of their desire. 

88. “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” (2023)

A lot of blockbusters nowadays have the same sense of humor: pop culture references, endless quipping, and self-aware dialogue that’s less funny than it is aggravating. So it’s a delight to watch “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” and see an action movie that knows how to actually have fun. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley’s followup to “Game Night” isn’t the immediate classic that that film was, but it’s a balm in a sea of dour superhero flicks, letting its talented ensemble (Chris Pine as a perfectly bumbling bard, Michelle Rodriguez as a memorably gruff barbarian, Justice Smith and Sophia Ellis in plum supporting roles, and Hugh Grant in the type of smarmy villain role he can play in his sleep) score just as many laughs as asses they kick. But what makes the movie sing is how it adapts not the actual Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role-playing game, but the experience of playing it with a group of friends. It’s an often goofy, chaotic experience, and “Honor Among Thieves” knows the best way to honor the game is to not take it so seriously. —WC

87. “Scream VI” (2023)

86. “Ratatouille” (2007)

Pixar films are often very funny, but “Ratatouille” deserves its flowers for how much its premise has become a meme in itself; no other film from Disney can boast the fact that it was the subject of a multi-part joke in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Culinary-minded rodent Remy’s (voiced by Patton Oswalt) quest to become a great chef through controlling restaurant busboy Alfredo’s (Lou Romano) actions via hair pulley system is the movie’s window into a colorful and hilarious version of Paris, with a bickering rat colony, a short-tempered restaurateur (Ian Holm), and an adorable rom-com between Alfredo and rôtisseur Collette (Janeane Garofalo) and some excellent physical comedy (watching Remy puppeteer Alfredo’s never gets old). Like most Pixar films, there’s a lot of depth to the script, about the nature of art and elitism, but if you’re going to watch a movie from the company just to laugh, this is the one to go with. —WC

85. “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” (2019)

84. “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” (2022)

Sometimes all you need is two polar opposites to make a comedy work. Very nearly a two-hander, “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” focuses on the temporary but meaningful bond between Nancy (Emma Thompson, luminous), a buttoned-up widow, and Leo (Daryl McCormick), a male sex worker she hires over the course of a few weeks. The contrast between the rigid Nancy, desperate for the great experience in bed she’s never quite managed to receive, and the forthright, charming Leo makes for bluntly, wonderfully amusing banter as they bicker and discuss their shared histories with their sexuality. It’s a frequently cringe-inducing film, but light and sweet, and earnest in its quietly radical exploration of one woman’s attempts to get in touch with herself. —WC

83. “Good Boys” (2019)

82. “Bend It Like Beckham” (2003)

The David Beckham references — from the title to a winking inclusion of the man himself during the film’s final feel-good moments — might feel a bit outdated, but Gurinder Chadha’s winning rom-com remains as warm and uplifting as it was when Becks was scoring goals at Old Trafford. The warm-hearted film goes beyond the pitch as it delves into the plight of Punjabi Sikhs in England and other issues of the day — all while maintaining a loose spirit that keeps it firmly in the comedic realm.

Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, both in star-making roles, make for great teammates and even better castmates, keeping things fleet of foot even as they and their director ensure that “Bend It Like Beckham” is never a mere trifle. Chadha, who grew up in London as part of the Indian diaspora, finds both pain and beauty in her heroine’s attempt to please her traditional parents while forging her own dual identity, a wonderful balancing act between tones that never robs the film of its charm. —KE

81. “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018)

Jon M. Chu’s big screen adaptation of the material, a groundbreaking studio film that is entirely populated by Asian-American performers (the first of its kind at the time since “The Joy Luck Club,” 25 years prior), is a loving take on Kwan’s books, bundled up in a wildly entertaining package. It’s the chemistry among the cast that gives the film its comedic power, be it the back-and-forth zaniness between Constance Wu and Awkwafina or the delightful menace that Michelle Yeoh wraps every line of dialogue. Smiling through every scene is the baseline viewing experience for “Crazy Rich Asians,” which means the cast has you right in the palm of their hands when it’s time to land a joke. As far as contemporary romantic-comedies, “Crazy Rich Asians” is the most irresistible. —ZS

80. “Bad Luck Banging or Looney Porn” (2021)

79. “Chicken Run” (2000)

Aardman Animations’ first feature-length film does plenty to remind viewers of the delirious charms of the stop-motion animation realm and the wacky minds behind it. A feather-rustling, egg-shaking, weirdly very human adventure film, Peter Lord and Nick Park’s comedy follows a group of farmed chickens on the run after they realize — uh, what now? — that they’re about to be turned into meat pies.

It’s a classic story, gussied up with more bird-brained humor than you can shake a chicken coop at, and with all the warmth and love that always runs through Aardman’s work. Care about chickens? How can you not after watching this zippy little slice of feel-good family action. (Apologies to anyone who had to answer some massive questions about the ethics of eating animals after showing this to the young ‘uns, but hey, comedy can be teachable too.) As of last June, a long-rumored sequel seemed to finally be readying to hustle its feathers onto the big screen, thanks to Netflix and Aardman’s continuing production pact.  —KE

78. “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (2010)

77. “Wild Tales” (2014)

Damian Szifron’s Argentine ode to the messiness of life bears the quicksilver changes in tone that define the best work of Bong Joon Ho. But this fearless, riveting collection of six Spanish-language short films underlines something else: the precision needed to do comedy well — to have kinesthetic mastery over your audience’s nervous systems — is the exact same as that needed to do suspense and horror. One short, about a road rage incident that spirals out of control toward such extremity that laughter is only end-response, particularly captures that. As does the very first installment, “Pasternak,” in which everyone aboard a flight discovers that they know the same person. White-knuckle terror and punchlines can be one and the same. And the final short, a wedding that spirals into accusations and infidelities while the reception guests are still partying, takes cringe comedy to its absolute limit.

76. “Bad Grandpa” (2013)

Johnny Knoxville’s prosthetic immersion into playing naughty grandpa Irving Zisman was so impressive that makeup artist Stephen Prouty earned an Oscar nomination at the 86th Academy Awards. This typically raunchy “Jackass” spinoff entry directed by Jeff Tremaine follows Irving and his impressionable grandson (Jackson Nicoll) on a cross-country road trip that pairs them with society’s sleaziest and most unexpecting. Cameos from “Jackass” behind-the-scenes alum Spike Jonze and even Catherine Keener (though left on the cutting room floor) make for another hilarious experience that pushes the edges of good and bad taste. — RL

75. “World’s Greatest Dad” (2009)

74. “Kung Fu Hustle” (2004)

The worldwide success of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” paved the way for a flurry of wuxia movies in the early aughts (what a time to be alive!), and while most of them offered high-flying displays of the martial artistry that has sustained the genre for so many decades, few were as spirited as Stephen Chow’s “Kung Fu Hustle,” and none were as funny. Wielding big laughs and cartoonishly bad CG with the precision of a katana — or at least a giant axe — Chow’s period extravaganza re-envisioned 1940s Shanghai as part Shaw brothers and part “Looney Tunes,” the filmmaker starring alongside Lam Chi-chung as a pair of petty crooks who dream of joining the violent gang that runs their town with an iron touch.

73. “Spy” (2015)

After her breakout “Bridesmaids” turn, Melissa McCarthy has had hit or miss luck with comedy films, providing her undeniable talent to unworthy projects like “The Happytime Murders” and “Life of the Party.” But she and her “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig scored another winner in 2015 when they re-teamed for “Spy,” an action comedy casting McCarthy against type as a doormat CIA operative. A top-of-her-class graduate, McCarthy’s character Susan Cooper has been confined to a desk job for years thanks to her passive nature, working as a backup for her crush Bradley Fine (Jude Law). But when Fine gets murdered on the job, she decides to step onto the field to track down nukes dealer Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne). McCarthy is an utter delight as Susan, and her journey to becoming a confident, badass action hero makes for a rewarding, surprisingly moving character arc. The only bad thing about “Spy” is it somehow hasn’t gotten a sequel yet. —WC

72. “The Climb” (2019)

71. “Klown” (2010)

There may be better raunchy sex comedies, and there may be better parenting comedies, but no film in recent memory combines the two as well as “Klown.” The Danish blockbuster tells the story of an utter doofus who, upon learning that his girlfriend is pregnant, takes a 12-year-old boy on a very adult “boys trip” in a ham-fisted attempt to convince his girlfriend (and himself) that he is capable of being a father. Mikkel Nørgaard extracts a million funny scenarios from that simple premise, with plenty of help from his excellent stars Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen, resulting in some of the best cringe comedy produced on either side of the Atlantic this century. — CZ

70. “Bachelorette” (2012)

69. “The 40-Year-Old Version”

Radha Blank won the Directing Award in the U.S. Dramatic section of Sundance 2020 and no wonder: here was a comedy shot in black-and-white that expressed something vividly, vibrantly new. Blank stars as a version of herself who’s a playwright, but hasn’t had one of her plays produced in a very long time. She’s maybe cherishing that 30 Under 30 award a little too much, the further she gets from having received it. “I just want to be an artist!” she sobs at one point. Yet that’s hard to do when she’s under pressure to write “a Harriet Tubman musical” — something Blank’s been asked to do in real life — and told by one middle aged white male producer that her work is “inauthentic… I asked myself, did a Black person write this?” So Radha ends up cutting a rap mixtape under the name Radhamus Prime, and finds a new creative release. Blank delivered one of the definitive “laugh, or otherwise you’ll cry” comedies of the 21st century. —CB

68. “Everybody Wants Some!!” (2016)

67. “Sorry to Bother You” (2018)

Potentially the strangest comedy on this list, Boots Riley’s directorial debut “Sorry to Bother You” is, in its director’s words, an “absurdist dark comedy with aspects of magical realism and science fiction inspired by the world of telemarketing.” And yet, that really only scratches the surface of what this movie’s about. Filled with an incredibly talented cast led by Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson, the film centers around Stanfield’s Cash, a young black telemarketer who adopts a white accent to succeed at his job. This is before the film becomes a parable of corporate greed, a biting commentary on income inequality and modern-day slavery, and a wild absurdist romp along the boulevard of genetic manipulation.

In the end, however, what makes this film so special is Riley’s uniquely singular vision: It’s no exaggeration to state that there is no other movie quite like “Sorry to Bother You.” And a huge trigger warning for potential first-time viewers: Armie Hammer is in this film. But also, knowing what we know now, he is perfectly cast in this film. —LAG

66. “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (2020)

65. “May December” (2023)

A heartbreakingly sincere piece of high camp that teases real human drama from the stuff of tabloid sensationalism, Todd Haynes’ delicious “May December” continues the director’s tradition of making films that rely upon the self-awareness that seems to elude their characters — especially the ones played by Julianne Moore.

Written by Samy Burch, “May December” is a catty-as-fuck dark comedy that deepens Haynes’ longstanding obsession with performance while poking fun at the kind of actresses he clearly loves so much. The director’s tonal playfulness has sometimes been overshadowed by the unerring consistency of his emotional textures, but here, in the funniest and least “stylized” of his films, it’s easier than ever to appreciate his genius for using artifice as a vehicle for truth. —DE

64. “Paddington 2” (2018)

And yet, for a movie with such an ursa major star at its center, “Paddington 2” is really brought to life by its supporting cast. Brendan Gleeson as prison cook Knuckles McGinty? Iconic. Julie Walters as the distrusting Mrs. Bird? A legend. Hell, Richard Ayoade is only onscreen for about 15 seconds, but he still manages to serve up some pure comic gold. Nevertheless, it should go without saying that no one in this or any other film is able to outshine Hugh Grant’s majestic performance as the villainous Phoenix Buchanan, a washed-up actor whose conviction to do anything for a captive audience is ultimately what elevates “Paddington 2” into the pantheon of great comedies. —DE

63. “A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence” (2014)

And the vignettes just keep coming: one sequence in a beer hall featuring endlessly repeated variants of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” is comedy by repetition that’ll leave you breathless with laughter. Why is “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” being sung in a Gothenburg beer hall? Don’t ask why. Just open yourself to Andersson’s inimitable wavelength. —CB

62. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008)

61. “Bad Trip” (2021)

Directed by Kitao Sakurai, from a script Sakurai co-wrote with Dan Curry and star Eric André, “Bad Trip” is a hidden camera film best likened to “Bad Grandpa”: another wildly inappropriate road trip comedy, also appearing on this list. The straight-to-streaming Netflix original follows Chris (André) and his best friend Bud (Lil Rel Howery) on a misguided mission to reunite Chris with his high school crush, Maria (Michaela Conlin). Having “borrowed” a relative’s car to travel across the country, the pair are pursued by Trina (Tiffany Haddish): Bud’s unhinged sister who happens to be a criminal newly escaped from prison.

As with the “Jackass” franchise, “Bad Trip” works because of the elaborate behind-the-scenes preparation put in place to achieve such high-risk stunts. From André getting butt-naked in front of customers at a car wash to one truly shudder-inducing encounter with a so-called “gorilla” at a petting zoo, the antics endured by the bystanders of “Bad Trip” demand to be seen. —AF

60. “Frances Ha” (2013)

Noah Baumbach’s movie, co-written by and starring Gerwig, was arguably the first film to unleash her true power onto the world. And it’s a Pandora’s Box that nobody’s been able to close since. Her performance is remarkable in that she brings so much joy to a character that frankly has no reason to be happy. Her loyalty to her friends is so strong, and her passion for dance (even if she’s just an apprentice) so infectious that it’s impossible to look away. At the same time, the film’s craftsmanship and commentary are impeccably smart, never shying away from the real problems staring Frances down. The combination proves fatal: We fully understand why Frances shouldn’t be making these choices, but we can’t help but support her. This pattern culminates with Frances taking a spontaneous trip to Paris as her life collapses around her; it’s a funny-but-heartbreaking attempt to mimic the success of her friends for a day. But as her life deteriorates, her joie de vivre still finds a way to shine through. — CZ

59. “The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001)

58. “The LEGO Movie” (2014)

IndieWire called 2014 ’ s “ The Lego Movie ” “ review proof, ” in part due to its unavoidably positive attitude and, let ’ s be real, adorable animation. Emmett (voiced by Chris Pratt) is happy as an anonymous construction worker in Lego City whose monotonous occupation is met every day with a smile. However , after meeting Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks), Emmett ’ s world is turned upside down in a quest to save Lego City from its evil President Business (Will Ferrell). The tongue-in-cheek humor makes “ The Lego Movie ” oddly more geared towards adults than tots, and Emmett ’ s existential quest for purpose is relatable in a darker way. As the IndieWire review included, “ Emmett never thinks outside the box: He IS the box, and his ordinariness runs deep. ” The “ clever and funny ” film reminds viewers to break every mold with a smile. — SB

57. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014)

56. “Booksmart” (2019)

The best possible modern mashup of “Superbad” and “Bridesmaids” and innumerable other comedies about the glory and grossness of close friendship, Olivia Wilde’s feature directorial debut isn’t just an ode to smart girls, bad high school experiences, and one last night of debauchery, it’s also just damn funny. Initially inspired by a decade-old Black List script (which leaned a bit more heavily into the romantic possibilities of a couple of overachievers going nuts during the waning days of high school), screenwriter Katie Silberman’s take on the material puts a fresh twist on a classic setup. Best friends forever, Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) have spent their high school years hitting the books and shrugging off any and all social gatherings (aside, of course, from sleepovers with each other and the necessary political protest), all in hopes of putting all their energies towards getting top grades. It’s all panned out as they planned.

55. “Palm Springs” (2020)

“Groundhog Day” meets “Plus One” in “Palm Springs,” where Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg are trapped in a time-loop rom-com that feeds our existential dread while also paralleling the quest to find a partner to waste away with. Max Barbakow’s film made history at 2020 Sundance, and aptly premiered during a year where quarantine made the twist of “Palm Springs” feel like a prophecy. “Imagine being stuck in a perpetually static purgatory where meaningful change can only be seen through the eyes of the sad bastard suffering alongside you,” IndieWire’s David Ehrlich wrote in his review. “Imagine being surrounded by a million strangers in a world of limitless possibilities, and winding up with the same one every night because of one fateful choice that seemed like a good idea a million years ago. Imagine…being married.” In fact, “Palm Springs” centers around the events of one wedding that takes place over and over again, like a reverse “Melancholia.” — SB

54. “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022)

53. “Barbie” (2023)

Greta Gerwig’s zeitgeist-changing smash hit opens, of course, with an homage to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” A dazzling sunrise stretches over a barren desert, populated exclusively with sad-eyed Dust Bowl-era girls and their unblinking baby dolls, as Helen Mirren (!!) narrates us through what life was like pre-Barbie. It wasn’t just boring (though it was certainly boring), but it was limited (oh, was it limited). For so many little girls, dolls were only ever baby dolls, which meant that their playtime could only ever revolve around motherhood, servitude, and no fun whatsoever.

But just as Kubrick’s apes eventually met by an alien monolith that utterly changed their world and worldview, Gerwig’s little girls are about to be descended upon by a world-altering and brain-breaking new entity: a giant, one might even say monolithic, Barbie doll, in the form of a smiling Margot Robbie, kitted out like the very first Barbie doll ever made. And thus spake Barbie. That’s where Gerwig’s funny, feminist, and wildly original “Barbie” begins. It will only get bigger, weirder, smarter, and better from there.

52. “Support the Girls” (2018)

In yet another reminder of how amazing an actress she is, Regina Hall plays the general manager of a Hooters-like breastaurant called Double Whammies in Andrew Bujalski’s “Support the Girls,” an earnest ensemble comedy about working-class women supporting one another while avoiding lecherous men, a rival chain (ManCave), and trappings of late-stage capitalism. A film that unfurls at its own pace and rewards multiple viewings, the real treat of “Support the Girls” is watching the aforementioned ensemble (most notably Hall’s Lisa, Haley Lu Richardson’s Maci, and Shayna McHayle’s Danyelle) navigating both the service industry and their own lives. —LAG

5. “One Cut of the Dead” (2017)

50. “21 Jump Street” (2012)

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum resurrect the 1980s TV series “21 Jump Street” for the present day. The young cop duo go undercover as high school students to infiltrate a drug ring, á la “Never Been Kissed” but with guns and badges. Tatum and Hill’s hilarious chemistry as rival police officers turned best friends, now undercover as faux brothers, carries the film, along with standout performances by Ice-T as their boss, and Brie Larson and Dave Franco as the teens in question. Never mind the questionable love triangles between the cops and the high schoolers; “21 Jump Street” is a wild good time. — SB

49. “Barbershop” (2002)

48. “Adaptation” (2002)

The ultimate in “don’t try this at home” screenwriting, Charlie Kaufman’s deliriously self-reflexive twist on Susan Orlean’s “The Orchid Thief” is so clever and bittersweet that it can be easy to forget how funny it is; between two Nicolas Cages, a homicidal Meryl Streep, and a quick look at the birth of the universe, the hilarity of something like Donald Kaufman’s pitch for “The 3” (“it’s like a battle between motors and horses”) tends to be engulfed by the anxiety that surrounds it on all sides. But much like the film’s dual protagonists, the despair in “Adaptation” is twinned with hilarity, and director Spike Jonze pushes those polarized energies toward each other until they erupt into an unhinged third act that giddily embraces all the things that Kaufman was laboring so hard to avoid. Few movies have ever found such exciting ways to have their cake and eat it too, and even fewer have been able to wring so many laughs from how bad they would’ve been if everything hadn’t gone wrong. —DE

47. “Sideways” (2004)

46. “Catherine Called Birdy” (2022)

Lena Dunham’s work tends to polarize audiences, but it’s hard to think of many comedies more universally appealing than “Catherine Called Birdy.” Based on the 1994 children’s novel by Karen Cushman, Dunham’s film stars “The Last of Us” breakout Bella Ramsey as the titular Birdy: a 14 year-old girl from a noble family in Lincolnshire who must resist her father Lord Rollo’s (Andrew Scott) attempts to marry her off for financial security. The resulting farce and coming-of-age journey is suitably bawdy and heartwarming, and Dunham proves sufficiently capable of bending her 21st century voice (of a generation!) to the 13th century, immersing the characters in the social mores of the time in a way that never feels inauthentic or false. Boosted by sharp turns from Ramsey, Scott, and Billie Piper as Birdy’s mother Lady Aislinn, it’s the sort of smart family comedy that’s been out of theaters for too long. — WC

45. “Greener Grass” (2019)

IFC Midnight snatched up “Greener Grass” out of Sundance 2019: it’s the definition of a midnight movie. Two housewives are best pals in a suburban neighborhood where everyone wears pastels and engages in vicious one-upsmanship  — until one decides, according to what you’ll find is a logic unique unto “Greener Grass,” to give her baby to the other as a gift. Then another child suddenly turns into a dog. It’s a satire of keeping up with Joneses unlike anything else. Well, maybe not quite. Love all that stuff with Kyle MacLachlan as Dougie and Jim Belushi as the gangster in “Twin Peaks: The Return”? Imagine an entire movie of that. As singular and stylish a movie as that sounds, “Greener Grass” is, above all, funny. It’s the hardest this writer has ever laughed at Sundance. —CB

44. “Dear White People” (2014)

43. “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (2005)

It’s always Christmas in Shane Black’s films, and our favorite present to unwrap during the holiday season is watching Robert Downey Jr. as a gruff thief named Harry Lockhart, who mistakenly auditions for a film while on the run from the cops. “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” cemented the return of RDJ in 2005, three years before “Iron Man” hit theaters and gave a jolt to his career. A noir meets black comedy, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” also stars Michelle Monaghan as Harry’s childhood sweetheart Harmony Lane, and Val Kilmer plays the private investigator hired to track down Harry. Fun fact: The film is named after Pauline Kael’s 1968 collection of film reviews, so yes, all those cinephile Easter eggs are very much so intentional. “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” parodies not only action films but SoCal-set neo-noir flicks, with Harry finding out that not everyone in Los Angeles gets their Hollywood ending. — SB

42. “In the Loop” (2009)

41. “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022)

Martin McDonagh’s re-team with his “In Bruges” stars — Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson — is an even bleaker affair, tackling a story of decayed friendship and societal malaise against the backdrop of Ireland’s civil war in 1923. Farrell gives the performance of his career as Pádraic: a simple-minded member of a tight-knit island community whose world is destroyed when his best friend Colm (Gleeson) suddenly and abruptly chooses to end their friendship. Pádraic’s quest to get his friend back is as funny as it is tragic, thanks to brilliant performances from the two leads along with Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan in the supporting cast. Mostly though, “Banshees” resonates because its premise is simply and painfully relatable. Anyone who’s ever lost a friend, through their own fault or not, will be able to see themselves in the tale.  —WC

40. “Jackass Forever” (2021)

39. “School of Rock” (2003)

No one has been able to harness Jack Black’s manic energy quite like Richard Linklater, whose first collaboration with the musically inclined actor resulted in this definitive performance. Sweet, funny and catchy as hell, this earworm of a movie has inspired actual schools of rock to open up across the country and teach impressionable children the power of the riff. That’s good news, as some of the most important lessons — like remembering to get the led out — aren’t found on normal curricula. —MN

38. “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” (2016)

37. “Step Brothers” (2008)

Arriving in theaters less than a year after “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox” story, “Step Brothers” further cemented John C. Reilly as one of the most underrated comedic talents in Hollywood. Reilly holds his own against comedic veteran Will Ferrell in this story of dueling middle-aged step brothers. But it’s not a competition. Ferrell and Reilly are a match made in comedy heaven, their juvenile sparring made all the more funny by just how seriously they commit to the immaturity of their characters. Ferrell and Reilly play arrested development without a wink so that you can’t help but fall in love with their aspirational and dumb-witted characters Brennan and Dale.

36. “What We Do in the Shadows” (2014)

In many ways, Viago, Vladislav, Deacon, and Petyr are just like any other assortment of wacky roommates: they bicker about chores, enjoy nights out on the town with each other, attempt to turn unsuspecting victims into vampires, and do battle with a roving werewolf gang. Pardon? That’s, of course, the great joy of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s painfully funny mockumentary: it approaches its seemingly silly idea – vampires! who are kind of dumb and very self-involved! – with total seriousness.

Both a delightful twist on the mockumentary format – why not use a genre literally beholden to being  fake to playing around with classic legends in need of some light ribbing? – and a master class in spiky comedic acting, “What We Do in the Shadows” is genius on every level. Hell, this is a film that makes a joke about someone’s interests including “being cool” feel both deeply silly and incredibly relatable. Vampires: they’re just like us, but Waititi and Clement’s comedic chops are cut from an entirely different cloth. —KE

35. “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil” (2010)

34. “Lady Bird” (2017)

Greta Gerwig’s feature directing debut earned Oscar nominations for her writing and directing, and Irish actress Saoirse Ronan scored her third Oscar nod as Christine “Lady Bird” Macpherson, a culture-vulture eager to escape her Sacramento Catholic School. When scouting local colleges, her frustrated mother (Laurie Metcalf) drives the teenager so crazy she jumps out of the moving car. Tracy Letts is Lady Bird’s sad and adoring father, while Lucas Hedges and Timothee Chalamet are her challenging romantic entanglements.

It’s the best mother-daughter relationship comedy since “Terms of Endearment,” but the emotional depth that drives the movie forward is never too far away from a well-earned laugh. Gerwig’s sense of comic timing is impeccable, from the memorable car-jumping sequence of its opening moments all the way through the rousing finale. — AT

33. “The Lego Batman Movie” (2017)

“The LEGO Batman Movie” deploys Will Arnett’s guttural voice to skewer the self-seriousness that has always threatened to overwhelm the Caped Crusader. As the meme goes: Men will really watch “Jerry Maguire” alone in the theater above their Batcave and cackle at the most dramatic parts before they go to therapy. This Bruce Wayne laughs at the idea of loving another person because, deep down, he knows that he’d be too afraid of losing them. Lucky for him the Joker appreciates the beauty of their hate-hate relationship, and when Batman tells his arch-nemesis that he means nothing to him, it kickstarts a gripping adventure of personal growth that results in our nine-abbed hero learning that life is best when it’s shared.

32. “Game Night” (2018)

A friendly couples game night goes horribly wrong as a real murder mystery unfolds in front of spouses Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) and their friends, played by Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris, and Kylie Bunbury. It all starts when Max’s older brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) unexpectedly crashes their monthly game, and nosey cop neighbor Gary (Jesse Plemons) starts to clue in that a real crime may be afoot. “ ‘Game Night’ is refreshingly self-aware,” IndieWire’s Steve Greene wrote in his review. “For this group of characters with diverging comic sensibilities, there are certainly enough laughs here to work as glue to keep the whole stretched-out bits from falling apart.” — SB

31. “The Big Sick” (2017)

30. “Blockers” (2018)

29. “Neighbors” (2014)

Like his master teacher Judd Apatow on “Freaks and Geeks,” “Knocked Up,” “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express,” Seth Rogen is a multitasker: he writes, acts, produces and directs. He and partner Evan Goldberg developed and produced “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” director Nicholas Stoller’s raunchy, R-rated “Neighbors,” a well-constructed contemporary slapstick comedy costarring Rogen and “Bridesmaids” star Rose Byrne as hip young parents with an adorable baby. They’ve never been funnier. When a raucous fraternity house dominated by well-muscled ringleader Zac Efron move in next door, the neighbors initially seek to get along, but are soon engaged in all-out war. —AT

28. “Burn After Reading” (2008)

Never underestimate the ability of Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich and George Clooney to play adorably bumbling imbeciles. This precisely crafted Coen brothers Working Title caper comedy is built on people misreading other people. It’s one huge nihilistic cosmic misunderstanding: outrageously unexpected, shocking, and LOL hilarious. —AT

27. “Obvious Child” (2014)

26. “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (2000)

Packed with corn-pone humor and catchy southern roots music, this rollicking Coen brothers 1930s adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” follows a gang of escaped dimwit prisoners led by pomaded charmer Everett McGill (George Clooney), who tries to get back his wife (“Raising Arizona” star Holly Hunter) by singing her into submission. T-Bone Burnett’s best-selling soundtrack won the Grammy for album of the year and cinematographer Roger Deakins nabbed an Oscar nomination for his pioneering digital alterations to this Working Title film’s color palette. But as always, helping Clooney, Hunter, Tim Blake Nelson, John Turturro and John Goodman earn this meandering fable’s countless laughs was the main goal. —AT

25. “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (2005)

24. “Idiocracy” (2006)

With the burgeoning rise of conspiracy theorists and science deniers, as time passes Mike Judge’s satire “Idiocracy” is becoming less a high-concept comedy and more a roadmap to a potential future for the United States of America. It’s the prescience of its central conceit — that when the most “average” guy (Luke Wilson) in 2005 is sent 500 years in the future he ends up being identified as the smartest person alive thanks to corporate conglomerates brainwashing the masses — which has allowed “Idiocracy” to remain in the pop cultural lexicon (and even begin to sneak its way into news headlines). But this prescience shouldn’t be mistaken for perfection, because for all the societal ills it has predicted (pride in ignorance, corporatocracy) the film also has a penchant for punching down. Great satire should always aim to not only hold a mirror up to society, but also “comfort the afflicted while afflicting the comfortable,” and while it strays from the latter often “Idiocracy” never wavers in its funhouse reflection of America. —LAG

23. “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” (2004)

22. “In Bruges” (2008)

Irish directors bring out the best in fellow countryman Colin Farrell. Playwright-director Martin McDonagh, made his film feature directing debut with this anarchic black comedy (and earned an Oscar nomination for his screenplay), handing Farrell his richest comedy role to date as a soulful hitman. Farrell’s Ray is sweetly violent as he hangs out in dullsville Belgium with his partner Ken (Brendan Gleeson), making mischief and mayhem while seeking an ounce of redemption. —AT

21. “Girls Trip” (2017)

Those pure laughs are more than enough to sustain a comedy so crystalline that it was a classic the minute it hit screens, as “Girls Trip” nails laugh after laugh even amidst — and oftentimes because of — dramatic issues that wouldn’t be out of place in a Lifetime movie. As the film’s central ladies make their way through all the glory that New Orleans’ Essence Fest has to offer, including run-ins with a slew of big talents in a seemingly never-ending parade of cameos (Diddy makes off with the best one, predictably bolstered by Haddish’s involvement) and at least one wildly ill-conceived adventure fueled by absinthe, “Girls Trip” keeps the momentum whirling ever onward into the next big comedic set piece. Even as it all ends with a heartwarming reveal, that doesn’t dilute its more raucous sensibilities; it only makes it more clear why Lee and his ladies should turn “Girls Trip” into a franchise that can spawn more uproarious vacations. —KE

20. “Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World” (2023)

19. “Superbad” (2007)

Michael Cera may not actually be the fastest kid alive, but the aughts’ most hilarious movie about teenagers being teenagers was a runaway success all the same. And it wasn’t just McLovin that made it so: Cera and Jonah Hill’s bromance was as genuinely sweet as it was startlingly accurate to the way teens spoke and behaved back then. (As someone who was 19 at the time, I’m more qualified to comment on this than I should probably admit.) —MN

18. “Team America: World Police” (2004)

17. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

It’s tough going picking out the best gag in David Wain’s cult comedy classic, mostly because this wacky summer camp send-up doesn’t take its foot off the gas for even a minute. From an incredible twist on the timing implications of the montage, the lead up to the world’s worst (or best?) talent show, to a running joke involving the fraught background of no less than Christopher Meloni as the camp’s haunted cook, every joke lands with resounding comedic precision.

16. “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” (2007)

On its face, a simple parody of the musical biopic genre made famous by the Academy Awards bait of “Ray” and “Walk the Line,” Jake Kasdan’s “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” elevates past lesser parody films thanks to the bravura performance of John C. Really as the title character. But the real star of the show here is the amazing soundtrack composed for the film by Dan Bern and Mike Viola (among others) that satirizes rock-and-roll from its salad days to the present day. Songs like “Walk Hard,” “Royal Jelly,” and “Beautiful Ride” aren’t simply ringers for insertion into the catalogues of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Glen Campbell, respectively, they’re also great songs that can be enjoyed free of their referential context. In fact, perhaps the music therein allows “Walk Hard” to sit on the very same shelf as the films it parodies, and well above some: (cough cough) “Bohemian Rhapsody” (cough cough). —LAG

15. “The Lobster” (2015)

14. “Hot Fuzz”

Edgar Wright exploded into the geek consciousness with 2004 zombie flick “Shaun of the Dead,” but he showed he was a talent who would endure with his buddy cop comedy. Since the Keystone Cops, the genre had been built around bumbling, inept lawmen, so Wright’s choice for “Hot Fuzz” made it ingenious: Simon Pegg’s officer is extremely competent. Competent to the point of being threatening to his Metropolitan Police superiors (a meta hierarchy of Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan, and Bill Nighy), the Londoner is banished to a Gloucestershire backwater. Good thing because a spate of killings befalls the town and Pegg has to inspire his new country copper colleagues (Nick Frost, Olivia Colman, Paddy Considine et al) to solve the crime.

13. “MacGruber” (2010)

Will Forte’s running “Saturday Night Live” spoof of “MacGyver” landed him a parody film and even a Peacock spin-off series — and there’s no mystery why. Forte’s ongoing collaboration with writer-director Jorma Taccone, along with Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe, proves to be the perfect balance of wide-eyed, heartfelt slapstick humor, with a mystery to boot. “This was probably one of my worst pitches ever,” Forte joked during the 2020 SXSW presentation, about first pitching “SNL” showrunner Lorne Michaels on the parody. “I think it went something like, ‘MacGruber, who diffuses bombs only using pieces of shit and pubic hair.’ And I just got the worst groan… so the fact that we’re sitting here is remarkable.” — SB

12. “Mean Girls” (2004)

Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls” script is effortlessly funny, but what makes the film truly timeless has more to do with the actors’ ability to find the human grace notes amid the absurd high school hijinks (Kälteen Bars, anyone?) and instant-classic one-liners (“That’s so fetch”). It’s a high school comedy with broad genre humor and specific insight into teenage anxieties, and for that it stands the test of time. —ZS

11. “Four Lions” (2010)

10. “Elf” (2003)

The early Aughts were as much a celebration of raunch in comedy as the ‘80s, so what a delight that one of the very best laughers of this new century should not just be family-friendly, but so very sweet. Or as Will Ferrell’s Buddy, a human who crawled into Santa’s bag as a baby and was raised as an elf at the North Pole, might put it: it’s as sweet as “an entire roll of Toll House cookie dough!” Buddy leaves the North Pole, which looks like a Rankin-Bass stop-motion special come to life, to seek out his New Yorker father (James Caan), who’s very much on Santa’s naughty list.

The result is a fish out of water comedy that sparkles like tinsel. It’s quotable like the best comedies — “You sit on a throne of lies,” Buddy tells a department store Santa he knows is an impostor — but its story is structured as an epic journey with such emotion (not to mention worldbuilding) that you can see how its director Jon Favreau would be teed up to direct the blockbusters he has in its wake. —CB

9. “The Death of Stalin” (2017)

Yet Iannucci never sugarcoats the nature of the villains he takes on as his protagonists; if anything, the bleak finale provides a cogent reminder that even the nuttiest leaders are more than just punchlines when real lives are at stake. Still, while the movie contains remarkable period detail, “The Death of Stalin” has more in common with the Marx brothers than anything about the period in which it’s set: It’s “Duck Soup” with dictators. — EK

8. “Along Came Polly” (2004)

“Along Came Polly” wasn’t especially popular upon release, and the movie remains divisive among typical rom-com lovers for its gross-out humor. Still, to reduce this complex and original comedy to its most lowbrow moments (true, the basketball scene is horrifying ) is to miss out on its oceans of brilliant writing and mid-aughts charm. Conversely, to appreciate it for what it is — an out-of-the-box romance that gave us Ben Stiller salsa dancing and Jennifer Aniston playing an even more hapless Rachel Greene-type, now with a newfound sense of cool — is to be truly happy. Happy as a hippo. —AF

7. “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (2004)

There are stretches of “Anchorman” (a wild pool party, for instance) where the jokes land a mile a minute and don’t stop for second, and there are set pieces so inane (the panda pregnancy) that it’s hard not to marvel at McKay and his crew for committing so straightforward to the lunacy of it all. That’s what makes “Anchorman” a great comedy: An ensemble-wide commitment to the tone.  —ZS

6. “Force Majeure” (2013)

5. “Bridesmaids” (2011)

What a treat:  Girls  can be naughty, too. Early reviews of Paul Feig’s box office smash focused on the down and dirty nature of the film, using terms like “rude and crude” and “exuberantly raunchy” and “not afraid to mix women with potty humor” to express the full scope of the film’s apparent depravity. But while “Bridesmaids” unleashed some eye-popping scatological humor (from women! of all people! my goodness!) on the mostly unsuspecting masses, it also didn’t shy away from something much messier and far funnier: real human emotion.

That might not sound  funny , but it’s something better: it’s true, and so much of comedy is rooted in mining authenticity and honesty and still finding something to laugh about in the process. The “Bridesmaids” crew make that all look easy.  —KE

4. “Shaun of the Dead” (2004)

This acerbic action comedy introduced a winning combo: sparring buddies Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and master of style Edgar Wright, who dreamed up the script with Pegg. He plays a sad sack who turns out to be more brave and adept at slaying the walking dead than he ever would have thought. And he gets the girl. More Working Title collaborations followed, but the first time out was the charm: mash up a witty British romance and a zombie gorefest, and hilarity ensues.  —AT

3. “Best in Show” (2000)

2. “Borat” (2006)

If “Bruno” and “The Dictator” taught us anything, it’s that “Borat” was truly lightning in a bottle. Sacha Baron Cohen’s feature-length social experiment pissed off nearly as many people as it delighted, which surely pleased the fearless provocateur (even if Pamela Anderson seemed pretty bewildered by the whole experience). Plus, when’s the last time a comedy was credited with bringing back a comeback as hilariously lame as “…not!”, let alone increasing tourism to Kazakhstan?  —MN

1. “Toni Erdmann” (2016)

For a movie so light on its feet, it has more than a little to say about globalization and its discontents. Ines typifies a white collar mindset where everything, to use the business jargon, has become so “frictionless” that even her massage — which she walks out of for being too soft — is also without meaning. Ade delivered a 21st century comedy of capitalism, a worthy heir to “The Apartment” and “Playtime,” one that shows how humor is lifeblood, the key ingredient to facing our lives and getting through our day. “Toni Erdmann” isn’t just full of some all-time raucous laughter. It’s a film about why we need laughter. That makes it not just the best 21st century comedy, but the most 21st century comedy. —CB

Most Popular

You may also like.

Awesome, you're subscribed!

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon!

The best things in life are free.

Sign up for our email to enjoy your city without spending a thing (as well as some options when you’re feeling flush).

Déjà vu! We already have this email. Try another?

By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions.

Love the mag?

Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions.

• Things to Do
• Food & Drink
• Arts & Culture
• Time Out Market
• Coca-Cola Foodmarks
• Los Angeles

Get us in your inbox

🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed!

The 100 best comedy movies: the funniest films of all time

Giggle along with our list of the best funny movies like ‘Borat’ and ‘Mean Girls’, as chosen by Time Out writers and top comedians

Comedy has a shorter shelf life than just about any other movie genre. A classic drama will still make hearts swell and eyes water decades down the line, and a truly terrifying horror movie can still scare the bejesus out of viewers no matter how standards for scares change. But humour is highly subjective and dependent on context: what’s funny in 1924 might land with a thud in 2024. 

That’s why, when considering the greatest comedy movies of all-time, one of the most important questions is not necessarily how big the laughs are, but how long they can keep audiences laughing. With the help of comedians like Diane Morgan and Russell Howard, actors such as John Boyega and Jodie Whittaker and a small army of Time Out writers, we believe we’ve found the 100 finest, most durable and most broadly appreciable comedies in history. As we said, hilarity is in the gut of the beholder – some like it, silly, others sophisticated or dark or surreal – but if you don’t find something funny on this list, you may want to check your pulse.

Recommended:

🔥 The 100 best movies of all-time 🥰 The greatest romantic comedies of all time 🤯 33 great disaster movies 😬 The best thriller films of all-time 🌏 The best foreign films of all-time

An email you’ll actually love

Best comedy movies of all time

1.  This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

‘What’re the hours?’

Director: Rob Reiner

Cast: Christopher Guest, Rob Reiner

You're asking, how much more funny could this be? And the answer is none. None more funny. Yes, our experts have cast their votes and the winner by a clear margin is Rob Reiner's genre-setting mockumentary – or, if you will, rockumentary – about England's largest-livin', heaviest-riffin', filthiest-lyric-singin', biggest-hair-havin', fluffiest-jumper-ownin' heavy rock combo. Sporting arguably the most quotable script in movie history ('no... these ones go to eleven') and some of the meatiest metal melodies this side of Bon Scott-era AC/DC, this is simply a perfect film: from the first chord of 'Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight' to the very final line ('I dunno, what are the hours?'), there's literally nothing about it that could be improved.

It also, lest we forget, defined an entire genre, accidentally inventing everything from The Office to The Blair Witch Project  (not to mention lead axe-man Christopher Guest's entire subsequent career). Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer would keep gigging as Spinal Tap for three decades – proof that they were so much more than just a joke band in a funny movie. Spinal Tap : for those about to rock, we salute you.

2.  Airplane! (1980)

‘Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.’

Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty

‘Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?’ A movie that raises belly laughs after countless viewings, this was the second film (after 1977’s Kentucky Fried Movie ) from Jim Abraham and the Zucker brothers, who went on to make the Naked Gun  and Hot Shots  movies. Overflowing with on-target visual gags and one-liners, it’s a playful and deeply silly spoof of 1970s disaster movies and stars Robert Hays as a troubled ex-pilot forced to land an airliner when the real pilot collapses from food poisoning. Leslie Nielsen steals the film as an onboard doctor. Just don’t call him Shirley.

3.  Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)

‘He’s not the Messiah. He’s a very naughty boy.’

Director: Terry Jones

Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin

The Pythons’ second feature is their masterpiece. The story is rooted in purest farce, as the Three Wise Men arrive at the wrong manger and unsuspecting everyman Brian Cohen is declared the Messiah. He duly bumbles alongside The Greatest Story Ever Told, ending the film on a Calvary Cross for a reluctant chorus of ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’. What a dizzying achievement this is. The Life of Brian  takes potshots at everything from schoolroom Latin to Biblical epics (most of which it shames with its attention to period detail) and religious hypocrisy – but, crucially, never religion itself. Needless to say, this didn’t stop predictable accusations of blasphemy.

4.  Annie Hall (1977)

‘I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me as a member.’

Director: Woody Allen

Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton

'Annie Hall' is as Woody Allen as Woody Allen gets – hilarious, neurotic and occupied by the realisation that whatever happens, life is going to trample all over you. It’s also one of the greatest romantic comedies every made (with some of the funniest lines: ‘Don’t knock masturbation. It’s sex with someone I love’). Allen is Alvy Singer, who’s just split from scatty singer Annie (Diane Keaton, his real-life ex). What follows is an anatomy of their relationship. Allen has said that the film is not autobiographical – he co-wrote it with Marshall Brickman – but that’s not what we want to hear.

5.  Groundhog Day (1993)

‘I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.’  

Director: Harold Ramis

Cast: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell  

The faux-meteorological American tradition known as Groundhog Day predates the movie Groundhog Day by a good century and a half. Worldwide, however, the words ‘Groundhog Day’ are best known as shorthand for history repeating itself – in fact, there’s probably a not-insignificant population who know the phrase but not the film. It’s not too late to correct that mistake, in the same way poor Phil Connors discovers that it’s not too late to become a better person – in fact, he’s got all the time in the world. Bill Murray gives his most iconic performance as a grumpy, self-absorbed Pennsylvania weatherman who, by some inexplicable cosmic glitch, is forced to live the same day over and over and over and over (and over and over and over and over…) until he learns to look outside himself and let a little love into his heart. Enough movies and TV shows ( Palm Springs and Russian Doll , to name two) have lifted the time-loop concept to explore similar themes, usually with a heavier hand. But Groundhog Day remains the gold standard by taking a more lighthearted approach that nonetheless manages to deliver a poignant message about the things that really matter.

6.  The Jerk (1979)

There's something I want to say that's always been very difficult for me to say: ‘I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit’. 

Director: Carl Reiner

Cast: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters 

When people claim that certain movies ‘couldn’t get made today’, it’s usually just anti-woke grumbling from humourless dolts. But it is a bit hard to imagine many contemporary films opening with a plainly white derelict sitting in a stairwell and proclaiming ‘I was born a poor Black child’. So begins one of the most brilliantly stupid comedies ever. Sure, dumb comedies are a constant in American cinema, but comedies that truly revel in their dumbness really don’t get made often these days. Of course, high-concept stupidity was Steve Martin’s raison d’etre as a standup, and his turn as a spectacularly guileless twentysomething orphan – adopted by African-American sharecroppers as a child – leaving home to discover himself and his ‘special purpose’ made him a bona fide movie star. Comedy superstars from Jim Carrey to Jack Black would follow a similar trajectory, but none ever quite achieved the same level of surreal brainlessness.

7.  Withnail & I

‘I feel like a pig shat in my head!’

Director: Bruce Robinson

Cast: Richard E Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths

The funniest parts of Withnail & I  are the early scenes, when, festering in a Camden flat resembling the inside of a cancerous lung, Withnail and Marwood stumble towards the end of an epic speed and booze bender. There are delirious flights of fancy, bouts of druggy nonsense (‘my thumbs have gone weird’), an abortive attempt to clean the kitchen and a cherishable visit from terrifying drug dealer Danny (Ralph Brown). Later, though, tragedy looms large – and Withnail’s despairing traipse through rain-sodden Regent’s Park ranks among the most heartbreaking closing scenes in all cinema.  

8.  Team America: World Police (2004)

‘I’ve got five terrorists going south-east on Bakalakadaka Street!’

Directors: Trey Parker, Matt Stone

Cast: Trey Parker, Matt Stone

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone had no idea what they were taking on when they decided to make a Thunderbirds -style puppet movie about the War on Terror. A year of 20-hour days later – Stone described it as ‘the worst time of my life’ – the film was unleashed, and justified every minute of the duo’s hard work. As concerned with skewering the twin pomposities of mainstream action cinema and liberal Hollywood as it is with the terrorist armies of Durkadurkastan and North Korea, the film borders on genius in its self-aware use of wooden marionettes, particularly in the notorious sex scene. Even Matt Damon thinks it’s funny.

9.  Duck Soup (1933)

‘I could dance with you till the cows come home. But I’d rather dance with the cows till you come home.’

Director: Leo McCarey

Cast: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx

What to say when a film is creeping towards its first century but still feels as timely, relevant and subversive as it did on release? The Marx Brothers’s best movie, Duck Soup  takes them far out of their New York music hall milieu and into a kind of twisted miniature Mittel-Europa filtered through immigrant memory and fairytales, where war is brewing between the proud people of Freedonia and the crypto-fascists of neighbouring Sylvania. With a far lighter touch than Chaplin’s Great Dictator , the film lampoons not just fascism but patriotism and politics in general: this is satire deployed both with a sledgehammer and a scalpel, often in the same scene.

10.  'Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

'Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!’

Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones

Cast: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Michael Palin

We all love Monty Python’s slapstick savaging of the legend of King Arthur, but we always forget about the llamas: according to the credits, Holy Grail was the creation of Reg Llama of Brixton, and thousands of his llama friends across the world (as well as Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones). Well, Reg and co. created a masterpiece. With its Bergman-ribbing credit sequence, its one-liners and its extravagantly gruesome violence, Holy Grail  was Python’s launchpad to international stardom. Neil Innes’s music and Gilliam’s animations are touchstones for British absurdist humour, while the late Graham Chapman, playing it straight as King Arthur, was never finer. 

11.  Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

‘When you chase a dream, especially one with plastic chests, you sometimes do not see what is right in front of you.’

Director: Larry Charles

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian

No one who saw Borat – and that’s a lot of damn people – should claim to have been surprised by the election of Donald Trump, or the general social climate of the country today. In fact, a decade and a half later, the movie plays less like a mockumentary and more like an anthropological study that could be part of political science curriculums. Spinning off from his brilliant Channel 4 and HBO series, prankster genius Sacha Baron Cohen criss-crosses the United States in the guise of Kazakhstani journalist Borat Sagdiyev, saying and doing offensive things which, in turn, causes the real-life Americans he interacts with to say and do things that are even more offensive, precisely because they are real. In terms of committing to the role, Baron Cohen outworks any Method actor you can think of; last we checked, Jared Leto does not have a naked hotel brawl on his résumé. Amazingly, ten years later, Baron Cohen was able to trick America again – but by that point, we’d all been living the joke too long to find it quite as funny.

12.  The Big Lebowski (1998)

‘That’s just, like, your opinion, man.’

Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore

The Coen brothers’ filmography is like a Buzzfeed personality quiz for cinephiles – your favourite says a lot about who you are, or at least, who you think you are. That’s especially true of The Big Lebowski , which, for its strongest adherents, is as much a lifestyle as a movie. If the number of fans who show up to repertory screenings and country-wide ‘Lebowski Fests’ wearing bathrobes and flip-flops is any indication, there is a sizable demographic that has modelled itself after Jeffrey Lebowski, aka ‘the Dude’, Jeff Bridges’ perpetually unbothered slacker philosopher. And hey, why not? It’s one of the truly iconic performances of all-time. Bridges almost seems to float through the entire movie, even as a case of mistaken identity lands him and his bowling buddies in the crosshairs of a gang of criminal nihilists, and there’s hardly a line of dialogue that doesn’t deserve to be endlessly quoted. In fact, we know of an editor whose career goal was to sneak a different line from the movie into everything he wrote. As we say, it’s, like, a way of life, man. 

13.  The Naked Gun (1988)

‘I promise you: whatever scum did this, not one man on this force will rest one minute until he’s behind bars. Now let’s grab a bite to eat.’

Director: David Zucker

Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, OJ Simpson

Second only to Airplane!  in the gag-for-gag hit-rate stakes, The Naked Gun  never met a dumb pun, slapstick pratfall or deadpan one-liner it didn’t like. The film made Leslie Nielsen a bigger star than he’d ever been playing straight-man roles in ‘proper’ disaster movies – though it has to be said, he tossed away that goodwill almost immediately in the likes of Dracula: Dead and Loving It  – and spawned a fistful of sequels, of which the first is well worth watching for the amazing ‘awfully big moustache’ line alone.

14.  Dumb & Dumber (1994)

‘Hey, want to hear the most annoying sound in the world? ARGHHHGHHHER...’

Directors: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly

Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels

Imagine the contents of your hyperactive little brother’s brain splatted on to a TV screen and you have Dumb & Dumber . Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels star as a pair of stupendously stupid no-hopers who head on a road trip across America to return a woman’s briefcase. Unapologetically gross-out, the movie’s a mulch of butt jokes, toilet jokes, snot jokes and sex jokes. It’s totally regressive but in a whoops-just-snorted-my-drink-everywhere-laughing kind of way.

15.  Some Like It Hot (1959)

‘Real diamonds! They must be worth their weight in gold!’

Director: Billy Wilder

Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis star as Jerry and Joe, two musicians who are forced to flee Chicago after witnessing the 1929 Valentine’s Day Massacre and disguise themselves as female members of a band travelling to Florida. Joe falls for the band’s seductive singer, Sugar (Marilyn Monroe), while Jerry has to fight off the lusty attentions of a wealthy old man. Billy Wilder delivers a pacy, racy cross-dressing farce, full of gags and sauce.

16.  Trading Places (1983)

‘It ain’t cool being no jive turkey so close to Thanksgiving.’

Director: John Landis

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis

America’s love-hate relationship with capitalism has rarely been more cannily explored than in this sadistic fairytale of two conniving businessmen who decide to replace one of their finest employees – Harvard elitist Dan Akyroyd – with Eddie Murphy’s sharp-witted street bum. The image of Aykroyd, drunk and suicidal in a Santa suit on Christmas Eve, says more about the realities (and brutalities) of Wall Street than a hundred financial-crash docs – and means that when he and his erstwhile rival pull together for the big climactic switcheroo, you’re firmly in their corner.

17.  Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

‘Please. Have mercy. I’ve been wearing the same underwear since Tuesday.’

Director: John Hughes

Cast: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean

An underdog contender for the best film in John Hughes’ beloved oeuvre, Planes, Trains & Automobiles isn’t just a Thanksgiving movie. It is the Thanksgiving movie – one of the few that isn’t about how painful it is to spend an evening with your relatives, and thus the only one many families make a point to watch together every year. But it’s not just that, either. Even if the holiday doesn’t exist where you live, its themes resonate: everyone has people they’d go through hell to get home to – and if you don’t, you recognise the loneliness that sits just outside the movie’s zany core. It helps, of course, that Steve Martin and John Candy are an unbeatable comic dream team: hilarious when arguing in cramped hotel rooms and burned-out rental cars, and emotionally devastating in the film’s tearjerking final moments. 

18.  Dr Strangelove: Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb (1964)

‘I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.’

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Cast: Peter Sellers, George C Scott, Sterling Hayden

It takes some kind of genius to make a comedy out of a thermonuclear holocaust – and arch pessimist and master filmmaker Stanley Kubrick was that very genius. Originally intent on a serious treatment (based on Peter George’s book Red Alert ), Kubrick abandoned the attempt because most of his ideas for it ‘were so ludicrous’. The black comedy that resulted – detailing the terminal implications of a mad, lone general’s decision to push the nuclear button – was arguably the director’s greatest achievement. 

19.  Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

‘Apparently my son was on something called acid, and was shooting a bow and arrow into a crowd.’

Director: Adam McKay

Cast: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd


Will Ferrell stepped up from the big-boned manchild of Zoolander  and Elf  to musky, manly movie star in a film that recalls a simpler, polyester time. A time when a man was not judged by the contents of his character but on the raw, unchecked ferocity of his cologne, the lustre of his moustache and the quantity of leather-bound books that lined the mahogany shelves of his apartment. But although everyone is ultimately in the shadow of the glistening chestnut bombast of Ron’s towering hair, Anchorman  is very much an ensemble effort, and everyone brings their A-game to the bullpen.

20.  Four Lions (2010)

‘Rubber-dinghy rapids, bro!’

Director: Chris Morris

Cast: Riz Ahmed, Nigel Lindsay, Kayvan Novak

This first (and so far only) feature from British TV and radio comedian Chris Morris dared to mock the stupidity of homegrown British jihadis in the wake of 2005’s terror attacks on London. Framed as a slapstick sitcom and built on solid satirical foundations, Morris and his co-writers based much of their script on evidence and court transcripts relating to real cases of DIY terrorism. In the years since, the film has become a regular reference point in the news as life – tragically and comically – continues to imitate art.

21.  Young Frankenstein (1974)

‘For what we are about to see next, we must enter quietly into the realm of genius.’

Director: Mel Brooks

Cast: Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle

Mel Brooks’s finest genre parody succeeds as a hilarious send-up because it’s also a love letter to the classic 1930s Frankenstein  movies. As the old Baron’s grandson (co-writer Gene Wilder) brings the family business back to life, Brooks milks the familiar material to the point of absurdity – notably when Wilder performs a tuxedo-ed song-and-dance duo to prove his monster (Peter Boyle) is a civilised creation. The knockabout is great fun, but knowing the originals only increases one’s appreciation. 

22.  Ghostbusters (1984)

‘Don’t cross the streams!’

Director: Ivan Reitman

Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd

When New York is invaded by ghastly ghouls, who you gonna call? You know the answer: four self-styled Ghostbusters ready to dash in and zap the spirits into oblivion. Much of this sci-fi-comedy’s charm lies in its have-a-go-heroes: these underdogs are thrown into the spotlight with delightful results. Bill Murray’s deadpan, womanising scientist is an undoubted highlight, while Rick Moranis brings crazy character humour as the dork living in the most haunted building in Manhattan. 

23.  Tootsie (1982)

‘I have a name. It’s Dorothy. Not Tootsie or Toots or Sweetie or Honey or Doll.’ ‘Oh, Christ!’ ‘No, just Dorothy.’

Director: Sidney Pollack

Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Bill Murray

Sure, this is Dustin Hoffman’s show – he’s the gut in a dress, after all. But it’s Bill Murray who sticks in the memory: the source of most of the film’s big laughs and a goodly portion of its soul. Looking back, the concept of a guy dressing up as a woman to get a better job is a vaguely uncomfortable one, and its approach to feminism is badly out-dated. But the performances still shine, the script still sparkles and director Sydney Pollack’s smooth ’80s style still charms. Now hang on while I fix my lippy.

24.  Play It Again, Sam (1972)

'No, my parents never got divorced. Although I begged them to.’

Director: Herbert Ross

Cast: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts

Woody Allen establishes his on-screen persona as a haplessly neurotic would-be lover in this sparkling adaptation of his 1969 Broadway play, where he’s a movie critic so obsessed by Casablanca  that he’s conjured up an imaginary Humphrey Bogart to dispense hard-boiled wisdom. Bogey’s kiss-or-kill strategies couldn’t be less appropriate, which is where the fun starts, and Diane Keaton makes a most appealing romantic foil as events head to a wittily achieved airport finale with deliciously misappropriated classic movie dialogue.

25.  Bridesmaids (2011)

'Help me I'm poor...'

Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Melissa McCarthy

Bridesmaids  is way more than just a lads comedy with the genders switched. Sure, there are some of the bad-taste trappings, but it more than outgrows them with its silly-but-smart script and the lively direction from Freaks and Geeks  legend Paul Feig. Even better, though, is the note-perfect casting. Kristen Wiig's performance as Annie is raucously hilarious (her impersonation of a penis is a highlight), as is Rose Byrne, whose deadpan performance as Helen is severely underrated. Mostly, though, it works because the relationships between the women feel real and honest.

26.  The Castle (1997)

‘Compulsorily acquired? You know what this means, don’t you… They’re acquiring it. Compulsorily.’

Director: Rob Sitch

Cast: Michael Caton, Anne Tenney, Stephen Curry

Voted Australia’s favourite homegrown film, this modest fable about ordinary folk battling the vested interests who have issued a compulsory purchase order on their property manages the rare trick of laughing with its characters while getting significant comic mileage from their deficiencies of taste, common sense and general knowledge. The Kerrigan household aren’t the sharpest tools in the box, but their affectionate family bond creates a sense of home as something you just can’t put a price on. An irresistible feelgood charmer.

27.  Blazing Saddles (1974)

‘What’s a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a rustic setting like this?’

Cast: Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Slim Pickens

‘My movies rise below vulgarity,’ Mel Brooks once quipped in the salad days of his career. Exhibit A for that claim, surely, is Blazing Saddles . A satire of Hollywood’s white-centric accounts of the American West, and told from the perspective of the first black sheriff in an all-white town, the film can be wince-inducing in the politically-charged, highly racial tone of its humour. Co-written by Richard Pryor (and co-starring Gene Wilder), it remains a riot of bad taste. John Wayne was offered a cameo role, Brooks once claimed in an interview. After reading and considering the script, the iconic Cowboy declined the opportunity. The dialogue, he said was ‘too dirty’. Amen to that.

28.  Zoolander (2001)

‘Have you ever wondered if there was more to life, other than being really, really, ridiculously good looking?’

Director: Ben Stiller

Cast: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell

Did someone say fish in a barrel? Okay, so the fashion world isn’t exactly a challenging subject for satire but Ben Stiller’s tale of international intrigue, haute couture and ludicrous pretension has such great gags, committed performances and cod sincerity that it’s hard not to guffaw. Stiller’s Zoolander is a supermodel on the slide, threatened by up-and-comer Owen Wilson, exploited by grasping designer Will Ferrell and constrained by his gargantuan stupidity, source of most of the big laughs. But he’s also insecure, well-meaning and basically quite sweet, which makes his story all the more amiable.  

29.  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)

‘Lawrence Fells. Lawrence Feings. Forest Lorenston. Low. Lars. LARS. Lawrence. Lawrence. Luch. Lawrence. Tuh. His name is James Jesenthon. Lawrence Fell. Lawrence Jesterton. LAWRENCE JESTERTON!’

Director: Frank Oz

Cast: Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly

Scoundrels  is the perfect description of Steve Martin and Michael Caine’s characters in this remake of 1964’s Bedtime Story . The duo play a pair of conmen who’ve been tricking the rich women of the French Riviera out of their fortunes before realising they share the same turf. Thus begins an increasingly ridiculous duel, with Caine’s buttoned-up Lawrence making the perfect foil for Martin’s goofball Freddy. Their behaviour could easily come off as mean, but by the end of the film they’ve conned you into thinking they’re loveable rogues.

30.  South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

‘Hey Stan, tell them about the part where Terrence calls Phillip a testicle-shitting rectal wart.’

Director: Trey Parker

Cast: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Isaac Hayes

What’s the greatest musical of all time? Singin’ in the Rain ? Too cute. West Side Story ? Too butch. Meet Me in St Louis ? If Judy Garland had called Margaret O’Brien a donkey-raping shit eater, it might have stood a chance. Surely, the finest example of the musical form in cinema has to be this rites-of-passage tale of life in a quiet Colorado mountain town, where all the folks need to worry about is parking provision, bad language, gay dogs, an impending land war with Canada, Satan’s fuck-buddy Saddam, whether it really was Cartman’s mother in that German scheisse video and, of course, those goddamned Baldwins. Aw, shucks. 

31.  ¡Three Amigos! (1986)

‘Would you say that I had a plethora of piñatas?’

Cast: Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short

Pitched somewhere between Seven Samurai  and The Artist  (only with much bigger hats), this goofy Hollywood comedy sees three fading silent-era stars travelling to Mexico to appear at a warlord’s birthday party only to wind up leading a peasant’s revolt. It’s all deeply silly – most of the jokes come at the expense of wacky accents, donkeys and Martin Short falling over – but Alfonso Arau’s thunderous performance as the villainous El Guapo is a major treat, as is Randy Newman’s whacked-out cameo as a singing bush.

32.  Shaun of the Dead (2004)

‘How’s that for a slice of fried gold?’

Director: Edgar Wright

Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield

Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright emerged from the cult TV bliss of Spaced fully formed to take over the midnight-movie circuit with this daffy, hyperkinetic zom-rom-com that defined the director’s unique visual style from the get go. The quips and sight gags come a mile a minute, but the secret to Shaun ’s success is in its respect for the source material: This isn’t a parody. It’s a loving homage, complete with a sly social commentary of the Romero mold lurking behind the gags and gore, both of which hit the screen with glorious frequency. There’s an effortless balance between laughs, genuine thrills and touching pathos. That it all looks so effortless is some sort of miracle. 

33.  A Night at the Opera (1935)

‘I saw Mrs Claypool first. Of course, her mother really saw her first but there’s no point in bringing the Civil War into this.’

Director: Sam Wood

Cast: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx and Harpo Marx

Even funnier than the overblown Queen album of the same name, this was the Marxes at their anarchic apogee, an excoriating dissection of snot-nosed, jazz-age, high-society wags that contained some of their most memorable comic riffs. The story, in which Groucho falls in with a moneyed has-been and has to assist a struggling opera company, plays second fiddle to an intense barrage of puns, tongue-twisters and wisecracks. Chico’s on hand, too, with his unhinged cod-Italiano witterings, while Harpo’s energetic feats of slapstick repeatedly threaten to steal the show. And if you’ve ever pondered how many people can fit into the cabin of an art deco transatlantic ocean liner, then this is the movie for you. 

34.  When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

"I'll have what she's having." 

Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher

We love Rob Reiner and screenwriter Nora Ephron’s bar-setting romantic comedy for many reasons. We love the way it deftly weaves the witty, adult conversationality of Woody Allen into a satisfyingly familiar romcom setup. We love the leads, of course, who perfected the archetype of the clashing A and B types who are nonetheless drawn together, but we also love Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby as their instantly compatible opposites. We love the iconic individual scenes, not just the fake orgasm in Katz’s Deli but the Pictionary party (‘Oh, but “Baby Fish Mouth” is sweeping the nation’), and Harry disclosing his impending divorce to his best friend amid the Wave at a Giants game. And screw the haters, we even love the wagon wheel coffee table. Really, it might be the most lovable comedy ever, because it truly understands the silliness of love, and the strange, almost inexplicable ways people end up together. Just about every romcom since has been chasing it, but none have quite captured what makes it the ultimate comfort film – the cinema equivalent of those cosy old sweatpants you’d never take off were it socially acceptable.     

35.  National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

‘Christ. Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well join the fucking Peace Corps.’

Cast: John Belushi, Karen Allen, Tom Hulce

National Lampoon’s 1978 effort follows a wild fraternity of party lads, playboys and misfits put at danger of being shutdown by the dean of their straight-laced university. If that plotline sounds familiar it’s probably because it’s been aped by a whole host of college movies since, from the American Pie  sequels to the recent Zac Efron film Bad Neighbours . But none of them have the same gutsy energy brought by Animal House  cast members like John Belushi.

36.  The General (1926)

There were two loves in his life: his engine and…’

Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

Cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack

Viewed today, the natural reaction to Buster Keaton’s civil-war masterpiece isn’t so much laughter as sheer, jaw-on-the-floor astonishment. In a world long before health and safety, here is a man literally risking life and limb to present some of the most astonishing sight gags ever performed, from ducking cannon balls to flipping railroad ties to chucking an entire, full-size locomotive off a bridge. It’s hilarious too, of course: the birth of the chase movie, and the template for everything from the Looney Tunes cartoons to Mad Max: Fury Road . 

37.  Elf (2003)

' So, good news...I saw a dog today.'

Director: Jon Favreau

Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart

This story of Buddy the 'elf', a human raised in the north pole by Santa and his real elves, and his journey to find his real dad is fast becoming a festive family staple. The juxtaposition between Ferrell's Buddy, a guileless simpleton who accidentally causes havoc and destruction, and his stiff-lipped and gruff businessman of a father provides genuine moments of humour and heart. Meanwhile, director Jon Favreau delivers any cornball sentiments with an adept balance of irony and sincerity.

38.  Nuts In May (1976)

‘“I want to see the zoo,” she said. “I want to see the zoo.”’

Director: Mike Leigh

Cast: Roger Sloman, Alison Steadman, Anthony O’Donnell

Of all the films Mike Leigh made for TV in the 1970s, this comedy about two ‘green’ middle-class Londoners who pitch up at a Dorset campsite and make fools of themselves is almost as enduring as the better known Abigail’s Party . Arriving in the countryside, priggish Keith (Roger Sloman) turns up his nose at non-free-range eggs (this was 40 years ago), while his wife Candice Marie (Alison Steadman) might not be as floaty and submissive as she first appears. Squirm, and squirm some more.

39.  Coming to America (1988)

‘The royal penis is clean, your highness.’

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones

Just a few years after he became the biggest box-office draw in America, Eddie Murphy’s golden period was already drawing to a close. But this tale of African princes and fast-food heiresses is a scrappily suitable swansong for the Eddie we loved in the ’80s, offering his signature blend of crudity, sweetness, wit, style and vague politicking, all wrapped up in a high-concept romcom package. The highlight, though, has to be ER  star Eriq LaSalle in full Jheri curl nightmare as hair product salesman Daryl. Just let your Soul Glo... 

40.  The Pink Panther (1963)

‘Simone, where is my Surété Scotland Yard-type mackintosh?’

Director: Blake Edwards

Cast: David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner

The first in a series of five films featuring the clumsy antics of Peter Sellers’s bungling pseudo-French detective Chief Inspector Clouseau, The Pink Panther  is also the most measured, languorous and subtle of the lot. While often very funny, Sellers’s incompetent character only came to the fore from the second film, A Shot in the Dark , onwards. Consequently, anyone seeing this expecting wall-to-wall Sellers may be a mite disappointed. But hey, it knocks spots off the awful 2006 remake.

41.  Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

‘Just follow your heart. That's what I do.’

Director: Jared Hess

Cast: Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Efren Ramirez

‘Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills… like bow hunting skills, computer hacking…’ It’s safe to say that lanky Idaho high schooler Napoleon Dynamite (Jon Heder) doesn’t really understand girls – or conversation. This social misfit makes for a terrific underdog hero, and when he decides his skill is dancing, things get really funny. Look out for a hilarious turn from Efren Ramirez as Napoleon’s best friend Pedro, a transfer student running for class president. Vote for Pedro!

42.  His Girl Friday (1940)

‘Never mind the Chinese earthquake, take Hitler and stick him on the funny page. No, no, leave the rooster story alone – that’s human interest!’

Director: Howard Hawks

Cast: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy

Where would screen comedy be without His Girl Friday ? The double-edged cynicism of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s oft-adapted Broadway play The Front Page  couldn’t be more modern. But director Howard Hawks had the inspired brainwave of turning the male Hildy into a female firebrand played by Rosalind Russell – detonating one of the most incendiary, yet affectionate, sex-war duels in cinema history.

43.  The Blues Brothers (1980)

‘Boys, you got to learn not to talk to nuns that way.’

Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd

The controversy around The Blues Brothers  has been raging since its release. Is this a case of two white comedians exploiting the heroes of soul music to make themselves look cool? Or is the film actually a loving tribute to a great American art form? The truth is, a bit of both. But luckily, there’s a brilliantly paced plot, a punchy script and a riot of car chases to keep you distracted every time Belushi and Aykroyd’s mugging gets a bit much. Of course, the heart of the movie is in its musical performances: Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and James Brown all hit hard, but it’s Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ that’ll have you jiving in your seat.

44.  Broadway Danny Rose (1984)

‘If you take my advice I think you’ll become one of the great balloon-folding acts of all time!’

Cast: Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo Forte

Woody comes to both bury and praise his hero Danny Rose in this lyrical note to the dimmer lights of the Great White Way. A cock-eyed optimist and full-time dreamer, guileless theatrical agent Danny dotes over his woeful stable of one-shot novelty acts – blind xylophonists, uniped tap dancers, ice-skating penguins dressed, naturally, as Hassidic rabbis – but it’s clear to everyone else that an age is swiftly passing. It would be an easy world to mock, but Allen gives it a generous, mournful, affectionate send-off that pays far richer, far funnier dividends.

45.  Rushmore (1998)

'Best play ever, man.’

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams

Some films create an entire world, with its own rules and its own geography. Rushmore  is one of the greatest of these. The grounds and environs of Rushmore Academy are at once familiar and strange, populated by bored millionaires and Scottish vagabonds, lost aquatic heroes and their grieving lovers, gruff headmasters and winsome Asian teens, and of course Max Fischer, arguably the most complex, original, loveable but infuriating movie creation of the past three decades. Yes, there’s a little Harold and Maude here, a little Hal Hartley there. But even as it approaches its third decade, Rushmore  still feels blindingly original and unique.

46.  The Producers (1967)

‘I was born in Dusseldorf and that is why they call me Rolf.’

Cast: Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn

The beginning of the Brooks empire, and still his funniest film, The Producers  combines old-school kvetch comedy, Broadway backstage hi-jinks and outright headline-grabbing bad taste to intoxicating effect. Wilder steals the show as the accountant to Mostel’s portly, conniving stage producer. The con itself – an elaborate plan to run with the takings of a show so dreadful it closes overnight – keeps things ticking along at a brisk pace, but it’s that Busby Berkeley ‘Springtime for Hitler’ scene that remains most vividly in the memory.

47.  Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

‘I never forget a pussy... cat.’

Director: Jay Roach

Cast: Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, Michael York

Take Sean Connery’s suave James Bond out of his ’60s-martini-bar comfort zone and you’re left with Austin Powers. He’s a flouncy-collared, womanising secret agent who was cryogenically frozen in the 1960s, then awoken in 1997 to battle cat-stroking villain Dr Evil. Written and starring Mike Myers in both the lead roles, the film’s storyline is as silly as it sounds but that’s what makes it so much fun. Shame about the sequels. 

48.  The King of Comedy (1982)

‘Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime!’

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Sandra Bernhard

Martin Scorsese isn’t exactly known for his comedy, although his 2013 hit The Wolf of Wall Street  was perhaps the most out-and-out funny film he’s made so far. This 1982 film, which followed Raging Bull , thrives on awkward laughs as Robert De Niro’s sociopathic and deluded Rupert Pupkin is so desperate to become a successful stand-up comic (despite an apparent total lack of talent) that he hatches a crazy kidnap plot involving a chat-show host played by Jerry Lewis. It’s watch-through-the-fingers stuff – amusing, yes, but also seriously uncomfortable.

49.  In the Loop (2009)

‘I don’t want to have to read you the riot act, but I am going to have to read you some extracts from the riot act.’

Director: Armando Iannucci

Cast: Tom Hollander, Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini

Scabrous and smart, Armando Iannucci’s political satire is the sort of film that rewards repeated viewing, if only to catch the jokes you laughed through last time round. It opens out the action from original sitcom The Thick of It  by sending mad-eyed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker, hapless government minister Simon Foster and their cohorts to the States, where they flip and flop for our entertainment, groping towards a coherent policy. The vulgarity is tumultuous, the wit pointed and the performances impeccably judged. Proof that transferring a great sitcom to the big screen need not be difficult, difficult, lemon difficult.

50.  Raising Arizona (1987)

‘Does the Pope wear a funny hat?’

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter

The Coen Brothers did a full 180 turn after the nihilistic noir of Blood Simple to deliver perhaps their most madcap comedy: a live-action cartoon full of wildly conceived characters, tongue-twisting dialogue and a huge amount of heart. Sure, Raising Arizona is about a couple – a manic Holly Hunter and an oddly subdued Nicolas Cage – who snatch a baby from a millionaire, then flee opportunistic criminals and a battle-scarred biker seemingly forged in hellfire across the same hoodoo-laden Arizona desert Wile E Coyote calls home. This is a Coen brothers movie, after all. But it’s also their sweetest and most warmly deranged, highlighted by a deeply felt pair of central performances and whisked along by Carter Burwell’s yodel-intensive score.

51.  Sons of the Desert (1933)

‘Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into.’

Director: William A Seiter

Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy

Eccentric man-child Stan Laurel and roly-poly fall-guy Oliver Hardy make the screen’s most revered comedy double-act and this is reckoned to be their finest 68 minutes, as the boys plot to evade their domineering wives and slope off to their fraternal lodge convention. It all goes horribly wrong, of course, setting off a whole series of inventive, exquisitely timed sight-gags as the hapless twosome wind up hiding out in their own attic. Short, sharp and delightful. 

52.  The Odd Couple (1968)

‘He's too nervous to kill himself. He wears his seat belt in a drive-in movie.’

Director: Gene Saks

Cast: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau

Unrepentant slob Oscar (Walter Matthau) and cleaning-obsessive neurotic Felix (Jack Lemmon) make a perfect match as two old pals driven by marriage troubles to sharing a Manhattan apartment. This film version plonks Neil Simon’s Broadway smash on screen without rethinking it for celluloid. Still, the obvious theatricality allows the performers to play to their contrasting strengths, whipping up a frenzy of love-hate exasperation underpinned by life-long friendship. It’s so funny because it’s so believable – everyone knows an Oscar and a Felix.

53.  Bedazzled (1967)

I, Stanley Moon, hereinafter and in the hereafter to be known as “the damned”… The damned?’

Director: Stanley Donen

Cast: Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Eleanor Bron

Forget the underwhelming remake with Brendan Fraser and Liz Hurley. The original Bedazzled  is a vintage piece of swinging London comedy and probably Pete and Dud’s finest big-screen outing. Dudley Moore is a sad-sack cook mooning after a waitress (Eleanor Bron) and Peter Cook plays the devil, who procures his soul in exchange for seven wishes. What follows is a Faustian series of set-pieces – some witty, some garish, some a tad aged – that offer plenty of opportunities for the duo’s distinctive power play. 

54.  The Man With Two Brains (1983)

‘Into the mud, scum queen!’

Cast: Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, David Warner

The early Steve Martin movies catch comedy at a crossroads: on the surface they’re old-school slapstick romps complete with dubious innuendo, pratfalls and happy-ever-after endings, a short step from Abbott and Costello. But they also manage to incorporate the best of everything new that was happening in comedy at the time: the sight-gag overload of Airplane! , the romance of Woody Allen, the confrontational attitude of the new stand-ups and perfect surrealism of Martin’s own live act.

55.  Toy Story (1995)

‘That wasn’t flying! That was falling with style!’

Director: John Lasseter

Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles

In the past, there were cartoons made for children and cartoons aimed at adults, but scant few intended to appeal equally to both demographics. It’s probably not historically accurate to say Pixar’s debut feature was the first movie to thread that particular needle, but it certainly did so better than any before and maybe even since, particularly as a comedy – after all, how many other G-rated animated flicks do you see on this list? Subsequent entries in the series upped the emotion and thematic maturity, but the original is the most purely hilarious. A kind of Planes, Trains and Automobiles in (literal) miniature, it introduces anthropomorphic playthings Woody the Cowboy (Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen) as a squabbling odd couple trying to make it back home to their beloved owner Andy. Jokes shoot at the screen at a rate that would impress the Zucker brothers, and for each that might fly over the little ones’ heads, there’s another just behind that will hit them square in the funny bone. It’s a formula Pixar would eventually make its name on, but in terms of gag-to-laugh ratio, they’ve never quite topped it. 

56.  It Happened One Night (1934)

‘I don't know very much about him, except that I love him.’

Director: Frank Capra

Cast: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert


Ask a film historian: what was the first ever romcom? Chances are they’ll tell you that it’s this this deliciously fizzy 1934 screwball comedy. Clark Gable is the newspaper hack who stumbles across a spoilt heiress (Claudette Colbert) on the bus to New York – she’s running away from her rich daddy to marry a fortune hunter. Pay attention and you’ll see elements that romcom scriptwriters have been ‘paying homage’ to ever since: a couple who can’t stand each other at first sight, quick-fire bickering and the realisation that they’re head-over-heels. Irresistible.

57.  Mrs Doubtfire (1993)

'He was hit by a Guinness truck. So it was quite literally the drink that killed him.’

Director: Chris Columbus

Cast: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan

The set-up of this 1993 family comedy might be slushy and very, very silly, but it showcases Robin Williams at his most anarchic. He plays struggling actor and divorced dad Daniel who tries to stay in his kids’ lives by dressing up as an (unconvincing and slightly creepy) older woman and getting hired by his ex-wife (Sally Field) to be the children’s nanny. What comes next is a whole lot of meddling.

58.  Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

‘Insanity runs in my family… it practically gallops.’

Cast: Cary Grant, Priscilla Lane, Raymond Massey

This 1944 jet-black farce about serial-killing old dears was years ahead of its time. Cary Grant’s a real trouper, all wide eyes and double takes, as he uncovers the dark secret of his dotty aunt’s cellar. He shifts into another gear when his sinister murderous brother (Raymond Massey) enters the fray. Plotted with precision, delivered with panache, still a model of controlled comic hysteria. 

59.  Clueless (1995)

‘Why should I listen to you, anyway? You're a virgin who can't drive.’

Director: Amy Heckerling

Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy

Based on Jane Austen's Emma , Clueless  follows Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), a teenager obsessed with shopping and clothes, as she guides newbie Tai (Brittnay Murphy) through high school. It's much more than a teen movie, however - for a film that's nearly 30 year old, Clueless  still holds a lot of cultural clout, whether it's inspiring music videos, fashion trends or on-going cries of 'As if!' Mostly, though, it's that stellar performance from Silverstone that gives this film so much charm and wit.

60.  Midnight Run (1988)

‘Nothing personal, but fuck off.’

Director: Martin Brest

Cast: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin

A film whose reputation seems to grow with each passing year (it’s shot up by 34 places since the last time we put together this list), Midnight Run  comes on like just another buddies-on-the-road comedy thriller. That is, until you notice just how flawlessly written and ferociously performed it is. Robert De Niro wisely plays it straight as the bail bondsman tracking down mob informant Charles Grodin, who proceeds to whinge and whine all the way from New York to LA. The pace is relentless, the supporting players are brilliantly sketched and the script cuts like a scalpel.

61.  A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

‘You’re the vulgarian, you fuck!’

Director: Charles Crichton

Cast: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin

Perhaps the best British comedy since the heyday of Python, since John Cleese deliberately attempted to move away from satirical silliness and back to a more inclusive, plot-driven, unmistakably British brand of comic caper. (He even went so far as to hire 78-year-old Ealing stalwart Charles Crichton to direct.) The result is a film which, like its slippery American heroine, is madly in love with language, from tongue-teasingly delicious sarcasm to some truly outrageous swearing. Add to this four iconic performances (five if you count the inimitable Tom Georgeson as cockernee gangster George ‘Unbe-fackin’-lieveable!’ Thomason), and the result speaks for itself.

62.  Wayne's World (1992)

‘Did you ever find Bugs Bunny attractive when he put on a dress and played girl bunny?’

Director: Penelope Spheeris

Cast: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Tia Carrere

Penelope Spheeris captured the easygoing slacker rapport of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey’s cable-access SNL heroes perfectly, speaking to the emerging aimlessness of the grunge era that directors like Cameron Crowe were simultaneously trying to deify. Perhaps we weren’t worthy: Wayne’s World is a gift of slice-of-life absurdism with a huge heart that has endured well beyond the shelf-life of most early ‘90s teen-centric cultural phenomena. And sure, without Wayne’s World , there would be no A Night at the Roxbury or It’s Pat . But there would also be no MacGruber or Austin Powers. We’ll take that as a win.

63.  Bananas (1971)

‘I once stole a pornographic book that was printed in braille. I used to rub the dirty parts.’

Cast: Woody Allen, Louise Lasser, Carlos Montalbán

The plot of Woody Allen’s second feature movie sounds like a Seth Rogen stoner comedy: lazy guy stumbles into job as leader of a South American revolution. Except this is a Woody Allen film, so amidst daft slapstick, cutting one-liners and guerrilla warfare you’ll find commentary on the corruption of power and the role of the media. It’s a bit mad – there’s one scene where someone orders 1,000 grilled cheese sandwiches – but it’s one of Allen’s best.

64.  Swingers (1996)

‘You’re so money and you don’t even know it.’

Director : Doug Liman

Cast : Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Heather Graham, Ron Livingston

A decade before ‘bromance’ became its own subgenre, Jon Favreau broke through as a writer and actor by depicting male friendship as something more than just shoulder-slugs and high-fives. An endlessly quotable slice of life about LA transplants struggling to make it in Hollywood, Swingers  is anchored by the real-life friendship between Favreau and Vince Vaughn, effectively playing themselves as then-underemployed actors whose competing personalities – the former sensitive but self-defeating, the latter obnoxious yet loyal – form a crucial balance for each other, and their peers. Made for basically nothing, its s uccess launched the careers of just about everyone involved, including director Doug Liman and Heather Graham. Some of the details have aged poorly – there’s no explaining Gen X’s brief obsession with swing music – but as long as there are confused twentysomethings in the world, its smart observations and themes of career anxiety and romantic despair will resonate. 

65.  Heaven Can Wait (1943)

'It’s a father's function to save his son from the mistakes he made.’

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Cast: Gene Tierney, Don Ameche, Charles Coburn

A satirical portrait of a womaniser who messes up the great romance right in front of him, this Technicolor delight from the legendary Ernst Lubitsch features the screen’s most elegant visualisation of hell: all marble columns and shiny floors, presided over by Laird Cregar’s suave Satan, who decides whether new arrival Don Ameche is to go ‘down below’ or ‘up above’. This is a sophisticated watch – if a little forgiving of male foibles, and more likely to give you an attack of wry smiles than out-and-out guffaws.

66.  Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)

'There's a lotta things about me you don't know anything about, Dottie.’

Director: Tim Burton

Cast: Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton

Tim Burton’s first feature might just be proof that the blockbuster visionary is better off with lower budgets, so long as he has a solid collaborator. Kicking off with an iconic score from Danny Elfman (then simply known as ‘that guy from Oingo Boingo’) and culminating with an ultra-meta spy spoof, Pee-Wee is pure joy: A classic road film in which a hyperactive manchild becomes a nigh-mystical roadside prophet brightening the lives of drifters and wayward souls as he searches for a lost bike. Burton’s signature style is everywhere, from the menacing roadside dinosaurs to the nightmarish dream sequences and the generation-scarring Large Marge. But it’s Paul Reubens’ finely calibrated mania that makes the film as essential now as it was when it launched its creators’ careers: the comedian captures the essence of childhood joy one obnoxious giggle at a time.

67.  Take the Money and Run (1969)

'Nobody wears beige to a bank robbery!’

Cast: Woody Allen, Janet Margolin, Marcel Hillaire

If you try to rob a bank, it helps if you can convince the bank you’re a robber. And if you play the cello, it’s maybe best not to join a marching brass band. Such is the life of Virgil Starkwell, the remarkably committed and useless criminal who, as a kid. Take the Money and Run , Woody Allen’s directorial debut, is a messy, at times romantic, often baggy film, full of sight gags, overlaid with some of Allen's most trusted nightclub material. If this lacks the emotional dexterity of Allen’s mid-career film, it remains a remarkable early calling card for one of the twentieth-century’s defining comic actor/directors.

68.  The Death of Stalin (2017)

‘You’re not even a person, you’re a testicle!’

Director Armando Iannucci

Cast Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Rupert Friend, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin, Jason Isaacs

First time round, we were too busy laughing to notice just how dark Armando Iannucci’s Stalinist satire really is. With the benefit of hindsight – not to mention three more years of contemporary demagoguery under our belts – it feels a lot more like Animal Farm than Animal House : nasty, venal politicians vying for power in a game of snakes and ladders where the loser ends up in the gulag. The kind of world where Jason Isaacs’s Marshal Zhukov feels like a hero because, hey, at least he’s honest enough to be openly psychotic. Of course, it’s bloody funny too – just very literally so.

69.  Top Secret! (1984)

‘I know a little German. He’s sitting over there.’

Cast: Val Kilmer, Omar Sharif, Billy J Mitchell

Eager to parody the WWII spy flick but keenly aware that, despite what Mel Brooks might think, the Nazis really weren’t all that funny, the Airplane!  team of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker hit upon the notion of a dimwit American rock star sent into East Berlin to infiltrate the Russkies. The result isn’t quite as rampantly gag-stuffed as either Airplane!  or The Naked Gun , but the jokes there are land hard: Peter Cushing’s amazing giant eye, Kilmer’s pitch-perfect Beach Boys parody and some timeless wordplay (see above).

70.  The Cable Guy (1996)

‘Free cable is the ultimate aphrodisiac.’

Cast: Jim Carrey, Matthew Broderick, Leslie Mann

Produced by Judd Apatow, directed by Ben Stiller and starring Jim Carrey, Jack Black and Matthew Broderick, The Cable Guy  has all the building blocks of a legendary lad comedy. The film is no bromance though – Carrey plays a manic cable guy who drags newly single Broderick into his twisted fantasy world. Featuring a weird scene where a trip to a Medieval-themed restaurant leads to the two pals jousting viciously, this dark comedy’s strengths lie in revealing the nasty side of Carrey’s acting persona.

71.  Mr Hulot's Holiday (1953)

'Mr. Hulot is off for a week by the sea. Take a seat behind his camera, and you can spend it with him.'

Director: Jacques Tati

Cast: Jacques Tati, Nathalie Pascaud, Micheline Rolla

A sleepy French seaside resort becomes the playground for director-star Jacques Tati’s lanky, kindly middle-aged bachelor Monsieur Hulot, whose efforts at enjoying himself invariably end in disaster. Former mime Tati essentially dispenses with dialogue, but while his approach certainly draws on silent comedy, he's less interested in quick-fire slapstick than slowly escalating complications whose intricate choreography often proves more whimsical, or beautiful even, than out-and-out hilarious. Filled with sunny nostalgia and bittersweet longing, its funny-sad demeanour is quintessential Tati.

72.  Way Out West (1936)

‘Any bird can build a nest, but it’s not everyone that can lay an egg.’

Director: James W Horne

Laurel and Hardy’s frontier tale is their most varied featurette, and ranks with their very best. Having witlessly contrived to hand over a valuable property deed to a scheming saloon owner, their attempts to make amends involve an airborne mule, an ill-fated piano and much tickling. All this plus several utterly charming old-timey musical numbers (including 1970s novelty number one ‘Trail of the Lonesome Pine’) and the convincingly surreal sight of Ollie using his thumb as a lighter. Solid gold. 

73.  Best in Show (2000)

'Bratwurst and shillelaghs... Paging Dr. Freud!’

Director: Christopher Guest

Cast: Jane Lynch, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey

The best of Christopher Guest’s post- Spinal Tap  mockumentaries (see also Waiting for Guffman , A Mighty Wind  and… actually, don’t see For Your Consideration ), this chronicle of a dog show overflows with hilarious caricatures, from yuppies and A-gays to laconic backwoodsmen and addled commentators. The largely improvised material is generally geared around character rather than out-and-out gags but the simmering neuroses and blithely inane foot-in-mouth outbursts build to a fist-biting tsunami of excruciation. 

74.  Kingpin (1996)

‘ You’re on a gravy train with biscuit wheels.’

Cast: Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Bill Murray

The oft-overlooked oddity squeezed between the giant blockbuster tentpoles (oo-er) of Dumb and Dumber  and There’s Something About Mary , Kingpin  sees the Farrelly Brothers drawing on some mysterious inner pool of inexplicable comedy genius and coming up with the ludicrous tale of a thatch-headed Amish bowling prodigy (Quaid) and his bitter, one-handed mentor (Harrelson) as they head cross-country to the national championships. Lin Shaye’s turn as Harrelson’s grotesque, sexually rapacious landlady is unforgettably despicable.

75.  The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

‘“Vamonos, amigos,” he whispered, and threw the busted leather flintcraw over the loose weave of the saddlecock. And they rode on in the friscalating dusklight.’

Cast: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Luke Wilson

Wes Anderson’s third feature film follows three child prodigies turned adult burnouts, called back to New York by their dying father. Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson and Ben Stiller play the siblings, who function in a typically Anderson world painted in hyper-stylised strokes and grubby pastel shades. The script (especially the narration from Alec Baldwin) is full of dry wit, but it’s the sweetly sad narrative about love and disappointment that gives the film its magic.

76.  Ace Ventura, Pet Detective (1994)

‘If I’m not back in five minutes... just wait longer.’

Director: Tom Shadyac

Cast: Jim Carrey, Courteney Cox, Sean Young

When ‘Snowflake’, a 500-pound dolphin and mascot of American football team the Miami Dolphins, is stolen on the eve of the Super Bowl, the only person with the animal instincts to solve the crime is Ace Ventura. Played by Jim Carrey, he’s a second-tier detective with a penchant for Hawaiian shirts and the hyperactive energy of a six-year-old. It’s Carrey at his most Carrey. Be warned: there’s a lot of toilet humour. 

77.  The Great Dictator (1940)

‘Heil Hynkel!’

Director: Charlie Chaplin

Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard

Charlie Chaplin’s courageous 1940 satire sees him sending up Adolf Hitler as the fictional despot Adenoid Hynckel. The famous scene where he dances with a giant globe offers a comic pisstake on vaunting megalomania, though there’s also a murderous reality to Hynkel’s behaviour – and prescient talk of ‘concentration camps’. Overall, it’s more a movie about the power of comedy than a chuckle-fest in itself, since the subplot with Chaplin also playing a plucky barber rather struggles to raise a smile.

78.  Office Space (1999)

'It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.’

Director: Mike Judge

Cast: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston

As the world rethinks the concept of the workplace post-pandemic, Mike Judge’s furious satire of capitalist drudgery seems both sharper than ever and increasingly anachronistic. Will future generations even understand the joyless forced camaraderie of the breakroom birthday party? Or the intense desire to curb-stomp a malfunctioning copy machine? Or trying to Mission: Impossible out the back door early on Friday to avoid getting asked to come in on the weekend? (Surely, the running gag about a poor computer programmer sharing a name with Michael Bolton is already lost to time.) Then again, where we work might change, but as long as there are barely-definable corporate jobs, there’ll be drones dreaming of escaping and/or defrauding them….and even if there isn’t, Diedrich Bader’s stone-serious delivery of the line ‘two chicks at the same time’ will remain forever hilarious.

79.  The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

‘Compared to Clouseau, Attila the Hun was a Red Cross volunteer!’

Cast: Peter Sellers, Christopher Plummer

Eleven years after A Shot in the Dark , Edwards and Sellers revived the Clouseau franchise. And though several dismal cash-ins followed, quality control is still in evidence for this sequel to the first movie, with Christopher Plummer now the gem-snaffling Sir Charles and Catherine Schell battling to keep a straight face as his slinky spouse under close surveillance by a disguise-swapping Sellers. Twitchy boss Herbert Lom and ninja butler Burt Kwouk rather overplay their hand, but Sellers’ mangled Gallic vowels remain resplendent.

80.  Slap Shot (1977)

‘I may be bald, but at least I'm not chickenshit like you.’

Director: George Roy Hill

Cast: Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean

Paul Newman thrives in what’s surely the least-heroic, worst-dressed role of his career as the has-been player-coach of a lower-league ice hockey team, threatened by closure just as their fortunes improve by whacking the living daylights out of their opponents. Pilloried at the time for its relentlessly salty language, George Roy Hill’s film has since gathered a considerable cult following and now stands as a milestone sports comedy that’s also a telling portrait of threatened masculinity in a declining America. Well worth discovering.

81.  Old School (2003)

'Every now and then I get a little bit nervous then I see the fuckin’ look in your eyes...’

Director: Todd Phillips

Cast: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn

Director Todd Phillips found critical and commercial acclaim with The Hangover and, more surprisingly, Joker . But he forged his cult with this early aughts Animal House riff that serves as an appetiser for a decade of Apatow-adjacent bro comedies. The plot is pretty boilerplate (old guys start an on-campus frat for outcasts, blowhard dean can’t deal with it), but it’s all executed with chaotic zeal thanks to a stacked Frat Pack cast that includes an especially manic Vince Vaughn. The real breakout, though, is Will Ferrell, whose internal battle between middle-aged family man and party-obsessed Frank the Tank provides the film a Jekyll and Hyde dynamic soaked in bong water and cheap beer. Old School announced the arrival of Will Ferrell, Movie Star, and it did it in the most Ferrell way possible: by going streaking. 

82.  Sullivan's Travels (1941)

‘There’s a lot to be said for making people laugh. It isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing in this cock-eyed caravan.’

Director: Preston Sturges

Cast: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake

Sullivan’s Travels  is perhaps best known today as being the movie that ‘inspired’ the Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? , but this meaning-of-life masterpiece deserves so much more. At once witty, wacky, wholesome, devious and devastatingly smart, it showcases director Preston Sturges at the absolute pinnacle of his game, offering up not just a wildly entertaining Hollywood romp but a razor sharp (and explosively political) examination of why comedy matters at all. A work of genius, plain and simple. And damn, Veronica Lake!

83.  The Big Sick (2017)

‘So... to fully know I love someone, I have to cheat on them?’ Director: Michael Showalter Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano There aren’t too many modern comedies with the chutzpah to pull off a 9/11 joke. There are even fewer to give us a Pakistani-American culture-shock romance that isn’t awash with clichés (okay, ignoring at least one killer Uber gag). Take a bow, then, Emily V Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, the real-life couple who penned an inspired-by-real-life gem that does both – and a whole lot more besides. We meet Emily (Zoe Kazan plays Gordon’s on-screen surrogate) and Kumail (Nanjiani playing a version of himself) doing all the standard stuff: dating, having sex, watching Vincent Prices movies. Then she falls into a coma and suddenly for Kumail, there’s heartache, hospitals and parents to deal with. Funny and wise, The Big Sick  is one of those rare comedies with something genuinely fresh to say.

84.  Waiting for Guffman (1996)

‘People say, “You must have been the class clown.” And I say, “No, I wasn’t. But I sat next to the class clown and I studied him.”’

Cast: Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara

As axeman Nigel Tufnel, Christopher Guest was part of the timeless success of This Is Spinal Tap . But he also picked up the filmmaking baton, going on to direct masterworks of situational improv such as Best in Show , For Your Consideration  and this movie. The superb cast play members of a small-town, amateur-dramatic society pinning their hopes on a visit from a big-shot critic, though what he’ll make of the pageant ‘Red, White and Blaine’ is regrettably clear to everyone else. Often painful, sometimes moving, frequently hilarious, it’s an oddball delight and a tribute to self-deluding ambition everywhere. 

85.  School of Rock (2003)

‘God of Rock, thank you for this chance to kick ass.’

Director: Richard Linklater Cast: Jack Black, Mike White

Under certain circumstances, Jack Black cranked to 11 can be a form of comedic tinnitus. In the case of Richard Linklater’s rock’n’roll underdog story, it’s hard to imagine the movie working with anyone else, or with his Jack Blackness dialed down even a single decibel. Black is remarkably endearing as a headbanging ball of unhinged enthusiasm named Dewey Finn, a slacker musician who cons his way into a substitute teaching gig and ends up unleashing the inner rock gods in a group of nerdy band kids – and their buttoned-up principal, wonderfully played by Joan Cusack. It sounds corny on paper (and a little like Sister Act 2 ) but Black annihilates all shreds of cloying sentimentality through sheer force of energy. The kids are all pretty good, too.

86.  Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

‘E ver since I was born, I was dope.’

Director : Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone Cast : Andy Samberg , Jorma Taccone , Akiva Schaffer Like Spinal Tap  on Adderall, The Lonely Island’s mile-a-minute lampooning of modern pop stars and their egos and, in the case of fast-fading solo artist Conner4Real (Andy Samberg), the 30 people they have around them to make them look dope is a wild and ridiculous ride. There are hilarious riffs here on everything from boyband politics to the perils of celebrity weddings (avoid wolves, basically). Fittingly, Connor’s PR person gets one of the best – and most stinging – lines:  ‘I'd love to get Connor to the point where he's just kind of everywhere – like oxygen or gravity or clinical depression.’

87.  The Mask (1994)

Director : Chuck Russell

Cast : Jim Carrey, Cameron Diaz, Peter Riegert

88.  The Gold Rush (1925)

'Climbing! Plodding! Mushing! Back and forth... back and forth.'

Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain

Chaplin’s little tramp finds himself braving the Alaskan gold rush in this celebrated silent feature, whose surreal invention – watch him fend off starvation by chomping down his boots – has gone down in screen history. The romantic asides (his poignant longing for a flighty showgirl) still play too, showcasing the sophistication of Chaplin’s acting as well as his facility for balletic knockabout. Lovely stuff, but do try to see the silent original rather than the awkwardly narrated sound reissue.

89.  There's Something About Mary (1998)

“Getting your dick stuck in your zipper was the best thing that ever happened to you.”

Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Cast: Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon

By 1998, the Farrelly brothers had firmly established themselves as the new masters of the unapologetically dumb comedy, elevating the gross-out gag to the level of high art. A romcom, however, seemed far out of their depth. But There’s Something About Mary turned out to be their career highpoint; a movie with genuine heart that sacrifices none of the duo’s body-fluid-intensive comedic sensibility. Give much of the credit to the chemistry of its leads. Ben Stiller is perfect as Ted Stroehmann, an anxiety-riddled sports agent still carrying a torch for his high school crush. And Cameron Diaz, as the titular Mary, proves exceedingly game to get down and dirty: how many ascendant It Girls in history would agree to a gag about inadvertently styling their hair with semen? Later attempts to reproduce the same alchemy failed rather spectacularly – the less said about Shallow Hal   the better – but Mary is still the finest mixture of sweetness and shit jokes you’ll find anywhere.

90.  Booksmart (2019)

‘Who allowed you to take my breath away?’ Director:  Olivia Wilde Cast:  Kaitlyn Dever,  Beanie Feldstein Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are two high-school besties on the cusp of living their best Ivy League dreams. But on graduation day they discover a cruel fact: a life of bookish abstinence isn’t the only pathway to those ivory towers. Their cooler, sexier, harder-partying classmates are likewise heading to elite universities. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut captures the friends’ hilarious (and heartfelt) attempt to grab the fun they deserve before leaving town. Following her scene-stealing role as Saoirse Ronan’s sidekick in Lady Bird , Feldstein yet again proves she’s one of the funniest actresses around (and the one we’d really, really love to be pals with IRL). 

91.  The Heartbreak Kid (1972)

‘They should have warned us that there was a danger of running out of pecan pie.’

Director: Elaine May

Cast: Charles Grodin, Cybill Shepherd, Jeannie Berlin

Improv pioneer Elaine May completely changed comedy through her influential stage work with Mike Nichols, yet as a director she’s mostly associated with the unfairly maligned mega-bomb Ishtar . In a just world, her Heartbreak Kid would be her calling card – a proto cringe comedy from the pen of Neil Simon that features one of the best jittery performances of Charles Grodin’s career. In a masterpiece of awkward tension, Grodin stars as an aloof salesman who suddenly – as in, en route to the honeymoon – realises his new bride (Jeannie Berlin, May’s real daughter) is the absolute worst, then promptly falls for another guest (Cybil Shepherd) while his unsuspecting spouse heals from a bad sunburn. Grodin and Shepherd do wonders in making their shallow characters believable, and the fact that charming Ben Stiller and Michelle Monaghan couldn’t do the same in the Farrelly Brothers’ ill-conceived remake is a testament to the tightrope walked by May in her underseen classic.    

92.  Harold and Maude (1971)

‘Harold, everyone has the right to make an ass out of themselves.’

Director: Hal Ashby

Cast: Bud Cort, Ruth Gordon

Genre-non-specific movies like Harold and Maude  have suffered on this list: is it really a comedy? Isn’t there a bit too much death and holocaust talk for that? But if it’s not a comedy, what is Harold and Maude ? Therein, of course, lies its genius: it’s not anything, except real. Controversial on first release, forgotten for decades and then happily rediscovered (at least in part thanks to Cameron Diaz in There’s Something About Mary ), Harold and Maude  is now firmly established as one of the all-time romantic classics. The central relationship may be unconventional – teenage boy falls for 79-year-old concentration camp survivor – but the themes of self-discovery and universal love speak to all of us. 

93.  The Philadelphia Story (1940)

‘The course of true love gathers no moss.’ Director: George Cukor Cast: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart A romcom that sparkles like champagne, The Philadelphia Story  is a delicious comedy of misunderstandings and misdemeanours. Which of three men will win the heart of Katharine Hepburn’s icy heiress on the eve of her wedding: her millionaire ex-husband Cary Grant, snooping reporter James Stewart or her dull businessman fiancé John Howard? At the end you might decide that she picks the wrong man, but you can’t argue with the fact that this witty, charming and romantic movie is a near-perfect comedy. 

94.  Local Hero (1983)

'We've been invaded by America. We're all gonna be rich!' Director: Bill Forsyth Cast: Peter Riegert, Burt Lancaster, Peter Capaldi

There’s nothing quite like an hour or two in the company of Bill Forsyth’s evergreen comedy to fill your bucket. Peter Riegert, a genuinely underrated ‘comic’ straight man (see also: The Mask , Animal House ), is a lawyer sent to scope out a Scottish fishing village that’s in the sights of an American oil company, only to fall under its spell. The story of the little man thumbing his nose at a corporate behemoth, here even the corporate behemoth – represented by Burt Lancaster’s oil baron – catches the bug. Maybe there is more to life than chasing dollars after all?

95.  Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

‘Goddamnit, this is a dark fucking period!’

Director: Jake Kasdan

Cast: John C Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, Kristen Wiig

Spoofs of the grandly silly Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker variety were decades out of style in 2007, but the genre almost had to be resurrected in order to deliver an all-out roasting of an ascendant brand of awards bait: the prestige musical biopic. Arriving on the heels of Jamie Foxx’s Oscar-winning Ray Charles impression and the Carter-Cash box-office phenomenon Walk the Line , co-writers Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow superimpose elements of both – along with not-at-all subtle bits of Elvis, Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson – into the lumpy form of Reilly’s Dewey Cox. He’s a well-meaning rube turned rock’n’roll pioneer who never quite sheds his dopey innocence, even while getting hooked on stronger and stronger drugs and writing increasingly indulgent songs featuring ‘an army of didgeridoos’. While plenty absurd, Walk Hard lacks the anarchic zaniness of its parodic forebears but makes up for it with direct-hit explosions of its chosen target, from the reductive portrayal of the creative process (the title song shoots to number 1 half an hour after its recorded) and questionable casting (‘I’m Dewey’s 12-year-old girlfriend!’ yells a full-grown Kristen Wiig) to the cradle-to-grave structure. If it had been a bigger hit, it might have spared us Bohemian Rhapsody – just out of sheer embarrassment.      

96.  Safety Last! (1923)

‘The idea of working in your shirt sleeves! Think of the shock to your customers, women of culture and refinement!’ Director: Fred C Newmeyer Cast: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis Always sporting round specs and straw boater, silent comedian Harold Lloyd’s shtick was to cultivate a likeable boy-next-door persona, then put his protagonist in hair-raising jeopardy. In his best-known feature, his plan to get an athletic acquaintance to climb a department store facade as a publicity stunt backfires, so Harold tackles the perilous ascent himself. Cue pesky pigeons and an inconvenient clock face in a beautifully constructed, very funny set-piece whose clever use of perspective creates vertiginous thrills without back projection – or a single computer pixel! 

97.  The Trip (2011)

‘I  think anyone over 40 who amuses themself by doing impressions needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror. ’

Director : Michael Winterbottom Cast : Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan

Here’s what happens in The Trip : Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, playing fictionalised versions of themselves, drive across the English countryside, eating fancy meals, bickering about their careers, singing ABBA and doing a lot of celebrity impressions. That’s literally the whole thing – and that’s all it needs to be. Trimmed to film length from a six-episode BBC television series, it’s arranged by director Michael Winterbottom as a series of vignettes that all play out more or less the same way, and yet it’s hysterical. Explaining why is difficult: it’s a road movie that quickly succumbs to travel delirium, that point in a long excursion where boredom, exhaustion and annoyance combine into a sort of euphoria, and things become funny for no reason at all. But Coogan and Brydon have the kind of comic chemistry where that concept can sustain itself across three, almost equally funny films. Make this your starter.

98.  Hot Fuzz (2007)

• Action and adventure

‘He’s not Judge Judy and executioner!’

Director: Edgar Wright Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman

Action movies are an easy target for parody, what with their stone-faced seriousness amid all the explosions and pun-intensive one-liners. As with their breakthrough zom-com Shaun of the Dead , though, the team of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost don’t simply point to the genre’s tropes à la MacGruber and Hot Shots! – great comedies in their own right, to be sure – but build an actual movie around them. In this case, it’s a movie that also mashes up staid ITV dramas with buddy cop flicks and a Satanic-panic twist, and in the incongruity of that mix finds huge laughs. It doesn’t pack the emotional punch of Shaun of the Dead , but it does have a missing swan, a shootout in a grocery store and Timothy Dalton as a very obviously evil villain that no one but Pegg’s hardened big-city cop seems to find suspicious.

99.  Mean Girls (2004)

'You can't sit with us.'

Director: Mark Waters

Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett

When Cady (Lindsay Lohan) moves from being home-schooled by her parents in Africa to an American high school, she has rude awakening. Confronted by the school's hierarchy where popularity means everything, she finds herself infiltrating the girl clique The Plastics. Loaded with laugh-out-loud moments, the script, penned by Tina Fey, is filled with zingers. It's a film that provides genuine insight and empathy as well as a hefty dose of putdowns and comeuppances.

100.  Meet the Parents (2000)

‘I have nipples, Greg. Could you milk me?’

Cast: Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro

Meeting your partner’s parents is bound to be stressful – but Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) has it worse than most. Turns out his potential father in law (Robert De Niro) is a former CIA agent with a suspicious nature – and a polygraph lie-detector machine at his disposal. Over the course of an eventful visit, Focker’s misfortune builds to a farcical crescendo as his intended (Teri Polo) looks on. Stiller is on hilarious, hapless form and De Niro has never been funnier.

Our latest comedy movie reviews

Wicked Little Letters

• 3 out of 5 stars

There’s a mild sense of subversion from the opening seconds of Thea Sharrock’s (Me Before You) new film, as the usual cosy British movie score – you know, the one with the gently tinkling piano keys – is undercut by a steel guitar more reminiscent of a western showdown at high noon. What’s fun is that both feel appropriate to this odd comedy, based on a true story. Here the duellers here are Olivia Colman’s pious middle-aged spinster and an uninhibited Irish single mother played by Jessie Buckley. Their weapons of choice? The kind of bad language that would have your granny reeling. Incredibly, it’s based on the true story from 1920s Littlehampton, a chocolate box of an English seaside town. Colman’s upstanding Edith Swan started to receive grotesquely worded and flagrantly libellous letters, scandalising the whole town, and everyone leapt to blame her potty-mouthed, no-better-than-she-should-be neighbour Rose Gooding (Buckley). The police prosecuted Rose for criminal libel but some, notably pioneering Police Officer Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan), began to suspect that they’d fingered the wrong woman. As it were. Cue a battle of wits, wills and nosiness, as some of Rose’s friends sleuth to find the real culprit and Edith eats up her moment in the sun. Her inappropriate relish is rendered a little more sympathetic as we learn about her domineering father (Timothy Spall, on monstrous form). Even so, it’s far, far easier to root for the straightforward, outspoken Rose. Sharrock has

A Real Pain

• 4 out of 5 stars

Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg play once-tight cousins in a road trip comedy-drama that has the latter returning to his Jewish-Polish roots to get to grips with his real family history. Culkin, just as motor-mouthed and f-bombing as Succession’s Roman Roy, but here with an extra slug of despair, is the manic yin to Eisenberg’s neurotic but compassionate yang. It’s an inspired on-screen pairing that plays to both actor’s strengths and finds space for melancholy amid some deeply awkward laughs. The set-up sees Eisenberg’s digital ad salesman David leaving his beloved wife and daughter at home to accompany Culkin’s manically exuberant Benji on a trip to Poland. The pair are tracing the younger life of their now-deceased grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, and their emotionally draining itinerary holds ghettos, concentration camps and a journey to bubbe’s hometown. So what could go wrong for a man with absolutely no filter joining a tour of Holocaust sites? Obviously, everything. In an assured debut that owes a little something to the thorny naturalism of Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip series, Eisenberg-the-filmmaker leans on Eisenberg-the-actor to keep things grounded. David is a perennial worrier, and one of his major concerns is what people around him are thinking. Being stuck with Benji, therefore, is a burden. But he worries deeply for his cousin, too, and loves him too. Culkin has the much showier role as Benji. He flips out and vacates the group’s first-class train carr

Ruthlessly funny and endlessly memeable, 2004’s Mean Girls is right at the twisted heart of the teen movie canon. This fun-but-timid musical reboot doesn’t have much hope of upstaging its sharper older sister, but it’s an enjoyable retread for anyone who doesn’t mind seeing this cattiest of films getting declawed. You can almost smell its creators’ damp-armpitted nervousness as they navigate 2024’s woker sensibilities: the cast is newly diverse and the script treads more lightly that the original, which hammered out jokes skewering teens’ ignorant stereotypes of Africa, fat shaming, and gay panic. In this Gen Z high school, the threat of getting mocked online is much, much scarier than an acid putdown in the corridors. Accordingly, the story’s beats are the same but they land differently: some are fumbled (the cringey attempted internet-speak of ‘I’m a cool mom with six 0s #besties’ just doesn’t hit the same), some are freshly hilarious (fawning Karen describes queen bee Regina’s pimple as ‘sexy – it’s like a face breast’). And everything’s heightened by a punchy-but-underused score of songs plucked straight from the hit 2018 Broadway ‘Mean Girls’ musical. Reneé Rapp’s performance as super-mean Regina is a highlight here, as she fills this high school tyrant with near-demonic levels of evil charisma. She’s got a great voice too, showcased in her barnstorming rock number ‘World Burn’. New girl Cady is no match for her: The Nice Guys’ Angourie Rice is Lindsay Lohan’s nerdier, s

Dream Scenario

For every limitation that exists IRL, there’s an equal realm of wild possibilities that can be found in our dreams: from trippy unicorns, to poker tables people by card-dealing aliens, to, well, Nicolas Cage. That’s the premise of Kristoffer Borgli’s (Sick of Myself) offbeat, dark comedy that has Cage haunting the dreams of the entire planet.  Cage plays Paul Matthews, an unremarkable college professor with unrealised ambitions of publishing a paper on evolutionary biology. He’s no inspiring, Robin-Williams-in-Good-Will-Hunting type; his awkward demeanour, receding hairline and ill-fitting Parka hardly capture the attention of his class of yawning Z-ers. But much as he’d hate to admit it, Paul yearns for notoriety. There’s a testy exchange with a former colleague who won’t give him a co-credit in her research paper, despite his desperate whimpering and valid arguments. Then, suddenly, it happens: everyone seems to know who Paul is. Old acquaintances and new admirers begin crawling out of the woodwork, all with the same opening line: ‘I saw you in my dream.’ Dream Scenario ushers into those gonzo dream sequence in a flurry of mad visuals involving alligators and earthquakes that invite comparisons with fellow A24 production Everything, Everywhere All At Once. And while not as inherently funny as some of Cage’s more out-there characters, there’s still ample scope for him to flex his comedic muscles, including a runaway contender for cringeworthy sex scene of the year. As a show

[image] [title]

More on Time In

Discover Time Out original video

• Press office
• Investor relations
• Work for Time Out
• Editorial guidelines
• Privacy notice
• Do not sell my information
• Cookie policy
• Accessibility statement
• Terms of use
• Modern slavery statement
• Manage cookies
• Advertising

Time Out Worldwide

• All Time Out Locations
• North America
• South America
• South Pacific

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, your choice: sadism or masochism.

"Anyone who leaves the cinema doesn't need the film, and anybody who stays does." -- Michael Haneke on his previous version of "Funny Games"

The new Hollywood edition of "Funny Games," writer-director Michael Haneke's clinical reenactment of his Austrian torture-comedy experiment from 10 years ago, is an attempt to replicate the earlier study under English-language conditions.

You (the lab rat) are placed in a Skinner box (the movie theater) and subjected to random negative stimuli (filmed violence, as a substitute for painful electrical jolts). Haneke, whose academic background is in psychology, philosophy and theater, assumes the role of empirical taskmaster. He hypothesizes that his box will shock you into a knee-jerk ethical dilemma. To pass the test, you must reject the false premise of the experiment itself (if only on the grounds of insufferable smugness) and walk out.

An even better response, theoretically, would be to storm the booth and rip the film out of the projector, thus symbolically declaring your refusal to swallow the force-fed medicinal doses of synthesized abuse the film is administering. And if you really wanted to ace the challenge, you would just not see the movie .

But if you liked those pictures from Abu Ghraib, you'll love "Funny Games"! See the captors tighten a pillowcase over a young boy's head, force Mom to strip (no actual nudity shown) by the TV, smash Dad's leg with a golf club and play hide and seek with the body of the family dog they've just killed with the same driver! For the price of a ticket, you can choose the level and nature of your vicarious involvement with the sadism on the screen, and the masochism in your seat. Enjoy.

The game's narrative parameters are as follows: A dubiously American bourgeois family -- Ann ( Naomi Watts ), George ( Tim Roth ), their pre-teen son Georgie ( Devon Gearhart ) and their golden retriever -- arrive at their vacation home on Long Island. They are upper-class ciphers who stock soy milk in the refrigerator, feed their dog expensive Wellness brand kibble and keep a Tivoli radio in the kitchen. The attention paid to the details of their conspicuous consumption may or may not express the film's attitude: that these cardboard caricatures somehow deserve to be humiliated, tormented and killed for exhibiting Eurocentric yuppie tastes, including implicitly sinful predilections for golf, boating and classical music. Or maybe the movie is simply suggesting that you give yourself permission to feel that way.

Two symbolic young men, Paul ( Michael Pitt ) and Peter (Brady Corbett), show up at the screen door, dressed in shorts, canvas shoes, white sweaters and white gloves. They proceed, politely and methodically, to terrorize, torture and murder their hostages, offering a rigged "bet," in the guise of "entertainment," on behalf of the film: that all family members will be dead by a certain hour. Meanwhile, the victims are bludgeoned into submission and despair. The torturers are blandly passive-aggressive and genteel, their motiveless actions appearing alternately logical and irrational, inexorable and impulsive, cruel and -- even more cruelly -- kind. The movie's running time is 1 hour and 52 minutes.

Every once in a while, Paul addresses the camera with a conspiratorial smile or a nudge-nudge, wink-wink joke. He guesses that "you [the audience] are probably on their [the victims'] side." He and Peter represent the film's side. What do you want to bet they will win the already-decided bet?

As an academic exercise in learned helplessness, the film flaunts the ultimate power to rewrite its own "rules" whenever it likes, including taking back anything that has already been shown. A movie with no restrictions holds no real suspense, and no surprises, so any revelation of plot details in, say, a review, is meaningless.

What makes "Funny Games" different than any other campy-scary horror movie that gets off on tormenting its characters and teasing its audience? Not much. It's being pitched to the "Hostel" crowd (who are invited to laugh) and the art-house crowd (who are invited to feel ennobled as they shake their heads and lament the state of violence in movies).

Haneke (whose masterworks include "Code Unknown" and "Cache") explains that his distinctively European film is "a reaction to ... the way American cinema toys with human beings ... [so that] violence is made consumable." That's true, and it's what "Funny Games" sets out to do, but Haneke's essay fails because he hasn't a clue about what makes American movies tick. "Funny Games" doesn't seduce you with conventional storytelling and character development and then turn them around on you -- like, say, Alfred Hitchcock's " Rear Window " and "Psycho." Instead, as the press kit explains, it encourages its viewers "to see their own role through a series of emotional and analytical episodes." In other words, this isn't a movie, it's a thesis.

"Funny Games" represents the laborious execution of an abstract notion. The concept is the movie, kind of like Andy Warhol's ''Empire'' (1964), an eight-hour stationary shot of the Empire State Building. You don't have to sit through the whole thing to get the point, unless you really want to.

> > > >

Read more and participate in the discussion at Scanners here:

http://tinyurl.com/ynwyak

Now playing

Kim's Video

Brian tallerico.

Turtles All the Way Down

Peyton robinson.

LaRoy, Texas

Robert daniels.

Dusk for a Hitman

Sweet Dreams

Matt zoller seitz.

We Were the Lucky Ones

Film credits.

Funny Games (2008)

Rated R for terror, violence and some language

111 minutes

Naomi Watts as Ann

Tim Roth as George

Michael Pitt as Paul

Brady Corbet as Peter

Devon Gearhart as Georgie

Written and directed by

• Michael Haneke

Latest blog posts

The Problem and the Solution: Why Palpatine from Star Wars is One of the Great Movie Villains

A Good Reason to Be a Coward: Jim Cummings on The Last Stop in Yuma County

Launch Day for My Book, It's Time To Give a FECK! Book Tour Dates, Tamron Hall Show

Short Films in Focus: Floating Through the Nowhere Stream with Director Luis Grané

41 One-Star Movie Reviews That Are Equal Parts Hilarious And Baffling

12. Taken 3

13. The Lion King

14. Kung Fu Panda

15. There Will Be Blood

16. Goodfellas

17. The Blair Witch Project

18. Bohemian Rhapsody

19. The Wizard of Oz

20. Peter Rabbit

©2021 RuinMyWeek

613 Movie Blog Name Ideas to Direct Your Success Story

If you’ve ever thought of launching your very own movie blog, you might have gotten stuck on the most basic yet crucial step: naming it. 🎥✍️

Just like choosing the title of a blockbuster movie, your blog’s name can set the tone for your entire platform.

This article will guide you through the maze of choosing the perfect movie blog name.

Whether you’re looking to start a movie review blog, a movie news blog, or a film-based website, these movie blog name ideas are the perfect inspiration for your blog.

Just go through this list and pick the name you feel is suitable for your movie blog.

Catchy Movie Blog Names

Here’s the deal: Your blog name is like the headline of a magazine. It’s the first thing people see, and a catchy name can make them want to dive deeper.

Why Catchy Names Matter:

👉 Immediate Recognition: A catchy name sticks. People remember it, helping you build a brand.

👉 Engagement: If it piques interest, they’re more likely to click on your site from search results or social shares.

👉 Establishing Tone: A snazzy name gives off vibes of fun and entertainment, perfect for a movie blog.

Now, remember the magic formula for catchiness: simplicity + creativity = catchiness . Too complex, and you risk losing potential readers. Too bland, and well, it’s just another name in the crowd.

So, ready to roll the film on these catchy names?

Here goes the premiere of our catchy blog names:

• Movie Mingle
• Screen Scoop
• Film Frontrunners
• Cine Circle
• Film Fraternity
• Movie Metropolis
• Filmroll Chronicles
• The Film Forecast
• Cinematic Canvas
• Reel Rundown
• Movie Matrix
• Film Fanatics
• Reel Reflections
• Film Fluent
• Screen Dreams
• Movie Momentum
• Silver Screen Speak
• Movie Mosaic
• Screen Sage
• Cine Critic Central
• Silver Screen Sightings
• Cine Stream
• Film Facade
• Movie Manifesto
• Reel Report
• Film Fiesta
• Cine Cellar
• Film Forecast
• Screen Savvy
• Movie Meadow
• Film Frontier
• Movie Magnet
• Silver Screen Seeker
• Cine Savant
• Film Fountain
• Movie Marathon
• Reel Reviews
• Cine Century
• Film Frequency
• Screen Scope
• Movie Mirror
• Movie Majesty
• Cine Cluster
• Screen Seer
• Movie Morsels
• Reel Resonance
• Cine Chronicle
• Screen Synopsis
• Movie Meridian
• Reel Ripple
• Film Feature
• Movie Metric
• Cine Canvas
• Screen Spotlight
• Reel Reviewers
• Film Flicker
• Screen Stories
• Movie Mentor
• Cine Centric
• Film Facets
• Screen Series
• Cine Corner
• Film Fusion
• Screen Segment
• Movie Mystique
• Reel Roundup
• Cine Connect
• Screen Sift
• Movie Mural
• Reel Roster
• Screen Slate
• Reel Thoughts
• Screen Seen
• Moviewpoints
• Reel Life Stories
• Clips Chips
• Flicks N Sticks
• Screen Beans
• Cine Scene Seen
• Plot Twist Tips
• Reelationships
• Flicker Picker
• Frame By Fame
• Reel Lovers Lane
• Scene Cuisine
• Cine Binge Bin
• Reel Recipe
• Movie Motive
• Frame Fame Game
• Celluloid Savvy
• Flick Flicker
• Cine Sine Wave
• Frame Tales
• Reel Rewards
• Plot Hotspot
• Screen Queen
• Movie Maven
• Cinema Scope
• Screen Siren
• Indie Inklings
• Blockbuster Buzz
• Cinema Sizzle
• Plot Twists
• Celluloid Charm
• Popcorn Premiere
• Flick Fusion
• Silver Screen Sage
• Flick Fables
• Screen Spectacle
• Indie Imprints
• Talkie Tales
• Cinema Cascade
• Director’s Cut
• Box Office Bonanza
• Picture Perfect
• Reel Ripples
• Film Fables
• Flick Frills
• Cinema Carnival
• Filmy Fairytales
• Scene Stealers
• Screen Symphony
• Flick Feast
• Cinematic Capers
• Feature Follies
• Cinema Capers
• Flick Fixation
• Celluloid Symphony
• Silver Screen Sparkle
• Film Flurry
• Talkie Trends
• Blockbuster Blast
• Script Scintillations
• Picture Palooza
• Movie Magic
• Cinematic Chorus
• Film Festival Fervor
• Star Struck Screen
• Cinema Centric
• Flick Fervor
• Celluloid Circuit
• Frame Frenzy
• Movie Maelstrom
• Silver Screen Scoop
• Film Fest Feast
• Cine Circuit
• Film Frolics
• Celluloid Cavalcade
• Cinema Chronicles
• Magic Movie Moments
• Silver Screen Saga
• Cine Spectacles
• Final Cut Frenzy
• Screen Side Stories
• Movie Midway
• Cinema Circuit
• Fab Film Features
• Scene Seers
• Indie Impressions
• Action Angle
• Screen Sagas
• Film Fondue
• Movie Montage
• Cinema Courier
• Silver Screen Symphonies
• Reel Ruminations
• Cine Scroll
• Silver Screen Serenade
• Film Fable Fusion
• Picture Perfect Pundits
• Cinematic Charm
• CineSavvy Lens
• Flicks Digest
• Cinematic Sequences
• The Reel Reviewer
• The Reel Rundown
• Classic Cinema Chronicles
• Cinephile’s Spotlight
• Flashback Features
• Movie Maestro Musings
• Protagonist Pundit
• The Flick Whisperer
• The Cinematic Cineaste
• The Reel Authority
• Projector Projections
• Auteur’s Avenue
• Cinematic Quill
• The Auteur Advocate
• Filmosphere Chronicles
• The Flick Fanatic
• Film Noir Nook
• Screenplay Savvy
• Cinematic Showtime
• Popcorn Perspectives
• The Filmic Foresight
• Cinephile’s Society
• Retro Reel Reviews
• The Filmlore Foreseer
• Lights, Camera, Reaction!
• Indie Impressions Insider
• The Marquee Master
• Cinematic Catharsis
• The Movie Buff’s Guide
• Scripted Shadows
• The Film Philosopher
• Screenlife Chronicles
• Hollywood Highlights
• Marquee Mavens
• CinemaScope Lens
• On-Set Observations
• The Film Cognoscente
• The Movie Montage
• Cinequill Chronicles
• Fade In Film Insight
• Cinema Serenade
• The Reel Rat
• Film Reel Radar
• Final Cut Forefront
• Flicker Fusion
• The Cinema Cicerone
• Movieland Musings
• Filmic Frontier
• Talkies Tribune
• FilmVerse Chronicles
• Silver Screen Scholar
• Cinemania Conversations
• Tale of Talkies
• Frame-In-Focus
• The Framed Fiction
• Cinema Curation Chronicles
• Silver Screen Synapses
• Flicker Feels
• TakeTwo Chronicles
• Frame Perfect Pundit
• The Cinematic Chronicles
• Frame by Frame Flicks
• Frame Freeze Fables
• Panoramic Picturehouse
• Stardust Screenplay
• Rolling Reels Insider
• Scene by Scene Scrutiny
• MovieLovers Manifesto
• Celluloid Secrets
• Cinematic Cadence
• The Panoramic Projectionist
• Silver Screen Analysis
• The WideScreen Wisdom
• Cineaste’s Central
• Little Big Screen
• The Scripted Saga
• Celluloid Scribe
• Scene Stealer Insights
• Film Fanatics Forum
• The Epic Film Echo
• Classic Chronicle Cinematics
• Frame Narrative Navigator
• The Spotlight Scribe
• Epicenter of Film Enthusiasm
• The Luminary Lens
• The Premier Prognosticator
• Director’s Cut Corner
• Sequel Seeker
• The Projectionist’s Prophecy
• Scene to Screen
• Silver Linings Scriptbook
• The Feature Framer
• Feature Presentation Forecast
• Filmstrip Forecaster

Creative Movie Blog Names

Diving into the realm of creativity can set your movie blog miles apart. Why? Because creative names hint at a deeper understanding and appreciation of films.

The Power of Creative Names:

👉 Uniqueness: Stand out in a sea of generic blog names.

👉 Brand Potential: Easier to design logos, themes, and content strategies around.

👉 Conversations: Creative names spark curiosity. “Oh, what’s that blog about?”

And our little secret to creativity? Merge two seemingly unrelated ideas or words. You’d be surprised at the results!

Without further ado, let’s unveil the masterpieces.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the creative movie blog names spotlight:

• Cinematic Cerebration
• Filmophile’s Frenzy
• Film Frames
• Silver Screen Sapiens
• Lights Camera Action
• Hollywood Herald
• Film Flamboyance
• Film Flashbacks
• Red Carpet Review
• Films and Feelings
• Director’s Dissection
• Screen Scene
• Theater Thesaurus
• The Dialogue Digest
• Cinematic Celebrations
• The Movie Mingle
• The Film Fable
• Director’s Diary
• The Premiere Post
• Movie Mavens
• The Movie Matrix
• Pictorial Projections
• The Movie Mill
• Fantasy Film Files
• Movie Marquee
• Best Seat Reel Reviews
• Star-studded Screens
• The Drama Digest
• Cinema Seekers
• Behind The Scenes
• Action Packed Adventures
• Silver Screen Studies
• Film Fascination
• Flick Finesse
• Cinephilia Central
• The Movie Mosaic
• Feature Flick Forum
• Screenplay Scoop
• Film Buff Forum
• On-Screen Ovation
• Picture Perfect Reviews
• The Movie Mastermind
• The Movie Muse
• Reel Review Rendezvous
• Screen Savor
• Film Fervor
• Premiere Perspectives
• Projector’s Pick
• Motion Picture Musings
• Cinephile Chronicles
• Blockbuster Breakdown
• The Popping Popcorn
• Cinema Cognizance
• Celluloid Cognoscenti
• Screening Stories
• The Oscar Oracle
• Cinematic Chronicles
• Film Fantasy
• Screenplay Symphony
• Filmic Feast
• Epic Ensemble
• Roll Credits
• Classic Cinephiles
• Cinematic Symphony
• Flick Forecaster
• Cinema Connoisseur
• Movie Maestros
• Flick Finds
• Box Office Banter
• Silver Screen Secrets
• The Flick Files
• The Movie Maestro
• Picture Palace Perspectives
• The Projectionist’s Picks
• Silver Screen Smorgasbord
• The Film Flaneur
• Movie Mantra
• Motion Picture Muse
• Feature Film Files
• Scene By Scene
• Cinematic Critic
• Projector Prose
• Premiere Pundit
• Script Scribbler
• Epic Epilogues
• Protagonist Picks
• Box Office Buzz
• Shutterbug Scoop
• Film Fanfare
• Red Carpet Reviews
• Silver Lining Screenings
• Star Studded Stories
• Cinematic Celestial
• Talkie Takes
• Filmstrip Feed
• Iconic Imagery
• Celluloid Ciphers
• Blockbuster Blog
• Premiere Pulse
• Screenplay Speak
• Reelin Reviews
• Technicolor Talks
• Panavision Perspectives
• Scene Screen
• Filmic Feeds
• Cinemascope Chats
• Flicker Feeds
• Rolling Reel Reviews
• Take Two Talks
• Cinematic Cues
• Screen Story
• Matinee Musings
• Frames Focus
• Showtime Shifts
• Altered Angles
• Lens Lookout
• Celluloid Circle
• Filmroll Fables
• Picture Perfect Pages
• Stills Story
• Cinemascope Scribes
• Vibgyor Views
• Filmstrip Fables
• Studio Scoop
• Cinephile Circle
• Screenplay Scribes
• Movie Mumble
• Flicker Flare
• Scene Scribes
• Filmic Fusion
• Silver Screen Stories
• Analog Angles
• Feature Flick Facts
• Narrative Niche
• Scripted Screens
• Premiere Pages
• Directorial Digest
• All About Angles
• Cineaste Circle
• Flicker Frames
• Iconic Imprints
• Big Screen Buzz
• Feature Lenses
• Cinematic Contours
• Filmic Footnotes
• Rolling Reel Rants
• Screen Savants
• Showbiz Scoop
• The Moving Picture Blog
• Silver Screen Scroll
• Flicker Folks
• Take Two Tales
• Picture Perfect Projections
• Reel Reality
• Cine Sculpt
• Reel Radiance

Movie Blog Name Generator

Ah! If you’re someone who’s thinking, “I love movies, not the naming game!” then this section’s for you. A movie blog name generator can be a handy tool to churn out ideas when your creative well seems dry.

Why Use a Movie Blog Name Generator?

👉 Volume: Instantly receive a list of names, giving you plenty of choices.

👉 Inspiration: Even if you don’t choose one of the generated names, they might spark a unique idea.

👉 Time-Saving: Instead of spending hours brainstorming, get a list in seconds.

👉 Customization: Some generators allow you to tweak settings like name length, keywords, or themes.

But remember, while generators are great, they’re not foolproof. Some names may seem robotic or lack the personal touch. Our advice? Use them as a starting point or for inspiration, not the end-all solution.

Using a Name Generator:

👉 Specify Keywords: Most generators ask for a keyword. This could be “film”, “cinema”, or even your favorite movie.

👉 Tweak Settings: Some allow you to set the tone – playful, serious, quirky, etc.

👉 Generate & List: Hit the generate button and list down names that catch your eye.

👉 Personalize: Feel free to mix and match or add your personal touch.

Curious about what a blog name generator can dish out?

Behold, the cinematic ensemble generated by our movie blog name generator:

• Popcorn Flix
• Cine Chatter
• Movie Mania
• Cine Flicks
• Movie Pulse
• Picture Party
• Screen Jive
• Flick Frenzy
• Film Frolic
• Flick Tales
• Popcorn Chronicle
• Showtime Shenanigans
• Silver Cine Sightings
• The Movie Magnet
• Plot Point Pulse
• Reel Chatter
• Flick Fever
• Movie Banter
• Flix Galaxy
• Cinema Craze
• Film Giggle
• Playful Flix
• Flicks N Chats
• Screen Sirens
• Movie Munch
• Movie Maniax
• Screen Sizzle
• Popcorn Pulse
• Reel Reverie
• Picture Playhouse
• Reel Vortex
• Popcorn Fever
• Screen Chirp
• Movie Frolic
• Flick Vibes
• Film Dazzle
• Flix Junkie
• Flick Pulse
• Flick Flair
• Reel Playful
• Movie Fiesta
• Movie Whimsy
• Cinema Whimsy
• Flix Playground
• Flicker Frolic
• Cine Dazzle
• Screen Cheer
• Showbiz Joy
• Reel Ruckus
• Picture Playful
• Flix Giggles
• Cine Whimsy
• Flix Chatter
• Flick Frolic
• Cine Giggle
• Cine Whisper
• Flix Tastic
• Cinema Chuckles
• Movie Whirl
• Film Frenzy
• Flicks Fizz
• Flix Whimsy
• Picture Playground
• Flick Squad
• Popcorn Fiesta
• Flickosphere
• Screen Serenade
• Cine Frolic
• Movie Playpen
• Flicks Nook
• Picture Playtime

How To Name Your Movie Blog?

So, you’ve seen the names, but perhaps you’re thinking, “How can I craft one myself?”.

Let’s get into the director’s chair and understand the art of naming.

Steps to Name Your Movie Blog:

• Define Your Niche: Are you reviewing indie films, blockbusters, or diving deep into film theories?
• Know Your Audience: A quirky, young audience? Or a mature group looking for in-depth analysis?
• Make it Memorable: Alliteration, rhymes, or puns can be your best friend here.
• Check Domain Availability: Before getting too attached, ensure the domain name is available!
• Seek Feedback: Share the name with friends, family, or even your social media followers. Their feedback is invaluable.

Just remember, naming is a combination of art and science. It’s about resonance. When it feels right, you’ll know.

Roll credits! 🎥🍿

Conclusion: Movie Blog Names

Choosing the perfect name for your movie blog isn’t just about finding a cool title. It’s about encapsulating your passion for cinema, your blog’s unique perspective, and connecting with your intended audience. Think of it as choosing the perfect title for your own movie. 🍿

A piece of advice? Don’t fret over it too much. Just like in filmmaking, sometimes the first take might be the magic one. But even if it’s not, revisions lead to perfection.

So, next time you watch a movie, and the title captures your heart, let it inspire you. Because if it can leave a lasting impression on you, imagine what the perfect blog name can do for your readers.

Happy naming, future film critics! 🎬

If you enjoyed our article, please remember to share it on social media because sharing is caring 🙂

657 Entertainment Blog Name Ideas For a Scene-Stealing Presence

543 Cool Blog Name Ideas That Will Get Your Blog’s Reel Rolling

Soocial Team

One thought on “ 613 Movie Blog Name Ideas to Direct Your Success Story ”

Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful info. It is so appreciated!!!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

• 25 Poorly Explained Movie Plots That Are As Tru...
• 16 Hollywood Movie Myths (That Actually Aren't ...
• 18 Movies That Rely Heavily On The Narrator
• 18 Movies You Thought Were Stupid That Are Secr...
• 12 Movie Subplots That Are WAY More Interesting...
• 15 Movies That Sounded Like Terrible Ideas But ...
• Made Up Movie Premises That Actually Happened i...
• Critically Acclaimed Dramas That Haven't Aged Well
• Movie Scenes That Genuinely Terrified The Actors
• 25+ Nostalgic Movies That Were Actually Pretty ...
• Director's Cuts That Are Better Than The Theatr...
• The 16 Most Expensive Movies Ever Made And Why ...
• 28 Movies That Actually Taught Us Something

25 Poorly Explained Movie Plots That Are As True As They Are Funny

Inspired by a wildly popular /r/AskReddit thread , users have created another subreddit, /r/BadMovieDescriptions , where they describe a movie's plot in the worst possible way. Some of these bad movie descriptions may be obvious to you, but will definitely surprise you when you're stumped. They also do a great job at shouting out the things that don't quite make sense in a movie, like a character trait or a weird plotline . 

Most of these bad movie descriptions are so funny because of how true they are to the plot, so browse below and vote up the most creative descriptions for your favorite movies.

Man gets steroids and a frisbee to fight off Nazis.

• Dig Deeper... Behind-The-Scenes Facts From Captain America: The First Avenger That Demand A Rewatch
• And Deeper... Famous Movies From Scotland
• # 223 of 264 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time

Orphan farm boy kisses sister while dead beat dad tries to get him to join the family business.

By Redditor /u/MonaPizzaSmile

• Dig Deeper... People Who Saw 'The Empire Strikes Back' In Theaters Describe The Reaction To The Twist
• And Deeper... List of All Fantasy Movies
• # 25 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

A group spends nine hours returning some jewelry.

By Redditor /u/Paradox227

Drug addicted girl takes advantage of mentally challenged boy for three decades.

By Redditor /u/EpicHunterII

• Dig Deeper... 20 Crazy Behind-the-Scenes Facts About Forrest Gump
• # 5 of 50 on The Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 103 of 264 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time

A man ends world hunger with his rock collection.

By Redditor u/Subscribe_to_Sam24

• Dig Deeper... Small Details From 'Avengers: Infinity War' That Enhance Our 100th Viewing
• And Deeper... The Objectively Worst Decisions Made In 'Avengers: Infinity War'
• And Deeper... All Of The Foreshadowing For 'Infinity War' From Marvel's First Decade Of Films

Man saves woman from drowning. Woman doesn't return favor.

By Redditor /u/eebsy_does_it

• Dig Deeper... Weird But True Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Set Of 'Titanic'
• # 6 of 50 on The Biggest Movies Of The '90s, Ranked
• # 20 of 96 on The Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture

Dude invites some kids to a factory, 4 of them possibly die, then he tries to rip off the 5th one before letting him use the elevator.

By Redditor /u/meower500

• Dig Deeper... Strange Stories From Behind The Scenes Of Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory
• And Deeper... Grandpa Joe Was The Worst Person In ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,’ And We All Know It
• And Deeper... The Best Roald Dahl Books

An office worker does drugs to learn Kung Fu.

By Redditor /u/Ohemdal

• Dig Deeper... 33 Things You Didn't Know About 'The Matrix' Trilogy
• And Deeper... 15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About The Original 'Matrix' Film
• And Deeper... 11 Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'The Matrix' That Made Us Say 'Whoa'

A nun bangs her boss, renounces her faith, and flees the country.

By Redditor /u/jakecn93

• Dig Deeper... The Real Story Behind ‘The Sound of Music’ Is Far More Depressing Than The Film
• And Deeper... Every Song in The Sound of Music, Ranked by Singability
• And Deeper... Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes

A couple with an inordinate number of children use their special talents to find their kids after they are kidnapped by a mass murderer who aims to wear their skin.

By Redditor /u/Emmyfishnappa

• Dig Deeper... List Of Animated Feature Films
• And Deeper... List of All Movies Released in 1961
• # 35 of 447 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies

Man’s wife dies. He tries to get high in order to cope. Accidentally gets a minor high along with himself. They go on a major trip and end up good friends when they come down.

By Redditor /u/justfrench

• # 4 of 447 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies

A fox, a bear, and a badger have some serious disagreements with the way a wolf and a lion choose to govern the land.

• And Deeper... Every Major Romance Movie
• # 36 of 447 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies

A guy abandons his trash collection for his crush, only to be confronted by obese beings unlike him.

By Redditor /u/FullyB8ked

• Dig Deeper... The Most Fascinating Facts You Didn't Know About WALL-E
• And Deeper... List Of Animated Feature Films
• # 15 of 447 on The 400+ Best Animated Kids Movies

Woman saves cat from an intruder on her spaceship.

By /u/ctrain___

• Dig Deeper... 43 Surprising Facts You Didn't Know About 'Alien'
• And Deeper... 20th Century Fox Movies List
• # 155 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

A guy and his imaginary friend take on the finance sector.

By Redditor /u/FabioEGonzales

• Dig Deeper... 'Fight Club' Fan Theories That Just Might Be True
• And Deeper... List of All Dark Comedy Movies
• # 8 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time

Man crawls through a sewer to get to Mexico.

By Redditor /u/MrMonkrat

• Dig Deeper... Behind The Scenes Of 'The Shawshank Redemption,' And The Making Of An Unlikely Classic
• And Deeper... Movies Distributed by Warner Home Video
• # 1 of 769 on The Most Rewatchable Movies

A man traveling on a train doesn't like his seat, so he goes to speak to the driver.

By Redditor /u/nikchalakkal

• Dig Deeper... Post-Apocalyptic Classic ‘Snowpiercer’ May Be The Most Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Of The Century
• # 44 of 165 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies
• # 32 of 91 on The 95+ Greatest Dystopian Action Movies

Man goes to meet estranged wife and kids for the holidays and ends up crawling in ventilation shafts.

By Redditor /u/hiphopanonymous13579

• Dig Deeper... Behind The Scenes Of Alan Rickman's Defining Role: Hans Gruber
• And Deeper... Famous Movies Filmed in Los Angeles
• # 14 of 126 on The Best Christmas Movies Of All Time

Boy gets friend zoned by a tiger, no one believes him.

By Redditor /u/youngrockyraccoon

• Dig Deeper... 20th Century Fox Movies List
• # 212 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
• # 57 of 69 on The Most Confusing Movies Ever Made

Ex-pilot regains her memory.

By Redditor /u/Anorak006

• Dig Deeper... Things You Didn't Know About Captain Marvel
• And Deeper... List of All Superhero Movies
• # 139 of 178 on The 150+ Best Movies With Aliens

Rich white man is barely punished for DUI.

By Redditor /u/FinallyAnonymous24

• Dig Deeper... Movies Directed By Stephen Herek
• And Deeper... Movies Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
• # 173 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The 1990s

A man and a woman meet each other, complain about their lives, and then leave each other with no change.

By Redditor /u/Epicfaceguy75

• Dig Deeper... Every Major Romance Movie
• And Deeper... List of All Romantic Comedy Movies
• # 195 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars

A man and a kid watch Shrek whilst fighting a zombie outbreak.

By Redditor /u/ThatonguyDS

• Dig Deeper... List of Zombie Movies
• And Deeper... Famous Movies Filmed in New York City
• # 28 of 165 on The 150+ Best Futuristic Dystopian Movies

Boy makes rockets with other boys, goes to mine coal with his dad, then makes more rockets with the boys.

By Redditor /u/Astro-Wizard

• # 72 of 115 on The 100+ Best Movies About High School
• # 85 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
• # 28 of 35 on Great Movies That Take Place In Autumn

Teens drink, do drugs, and have sex while they're supposed to be conducting a medical procedure.

By Redditor /u/awesomelogan217

• # 98 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
• Entertainment
• Watchworthy

All about the films you've gotta know if you're gonna take on the persona of ~cinephile~.

To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.

0, text: error()">

Let's fight boredom together!

Become a member

0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass">

Password reminder

Please provide your email address and we will send your password shortly.

If there's a Bored Panda account associated with , you'll receive an email with instructions.

If you don't receive an email, please check your spam inbox, or enter your email address again .

Please enter your email to complete registration

Activate to continue

Your account is not active. We have sent an email to the address you provided with an activation link. Check your inbox, and click on the link to activate your account.

• Relationships

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here .

• Partnership
• Success stories
• --> -->