10. Anchorman (2004)
What makes Will Ferrell’s characters so funny? They’re all ridiculous and they all believe their own hype. And Ron Burgundy (Ferrell) is no different.
As the head newsman for a local television station, Burgundy is thrown a curve ball when he finds out that he will be getting some competition. The lineup change was made to increase ratings, but a certain individual doesn’t quite see it that way.
Anchorman earns the #10 spot on our top 10 comedy movies list.
Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Fred Willard
Release date: July 9, 2004
Runtime: 94 minutes
9. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
This romantic comedy movie is one the sweetest you’ll come across. Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller), Pat Healy (Matt Dillon), Dom (Chris Elliott), and Tucker aka Norman (Lee Evans) all vie for the affection of Mary (Cameron Diaz).
These chaps will do whatever is necessary to win her heart. Ted confesses to his good friend Dom that he had one major regret in life: not hooking up with Mary when he had a chance to.
Dom convinces Ted to hire a private investigator friend of his to see if Mary can be found and a love connection rekindled.
Director: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller, Lee Evans, Chris Elliott
Release date: July 15, 1998
Runtime: 119 minutes
8. Swingers (1996)
An ensemble comedy about five young guys that are coping with the mysteries of life and women. Set in a cool and laid-back Hollywood environment, Swingers just feels right.
One of fellas, Mike (Jon Favreau), is having a hard time dealing with a recent breakup. All the guys go all out to get Mike back into the swing of things. Watching a young Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau in action is great.
Although the Swingers comedy is not available to stream on Netflix, you can watch it on DVD.
Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Patrick Van Horn, Alex Désert, Heather Graham
Release date: October 18, 1996
Runtime: 96 minutes
7. Office Space (1999)
90’s comedy movies that are this good are rare. Yes, there are some great ones from the decade, but with a cult following like Office Space? Not so much.
We’re surprised a spoof about the wacky world of nine-to-five life wasn’t done earlier. Nevertheless, Mike Judge’s classic comedy is a fan favorite.
When a bunch of programmers learn that they will be downsized out of a job, they decide to rob their employer first. By creating a virus and uploading it to the company’s servers they will improve their financial futures significantly.
Of course, nothing goes as planned as the computer virus withdrawals too much money. In the end, Peter (Ron Livingston) gets a new job in construction, Peter’s boss Bill Lumbergh (Gary Cole) gets canned, and office dork Milton (Stephen Root) retires to an exotic island.
Director: Mike Judge
Cast: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Gary Cole
Release date: February 19, 1999
Runtime: 89 minutes
6. The Naked Gun (1988)
#6 on our best comedy movies list will make you split your side in laughter. Slapstick comedy and one-liners at their best. Seeking vengeance for the murder of his partner Nordberg (O.J. Simpson), Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) searches for the man responsible.
The target is Mister Big–a heavy weight drug dealer. Drebin has a hunch however that the real culprit is shipping tycoon Vincent Ludwig. But Drebin can’t come close to proving a thing with the everyone working against him from the mayor, his own partner Ed Hocken (George Kennedy), and even Reggie Jackson who has been hypnotized to kill the Queen of England.
Director: David Zucker
Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, O.J. Simpson, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy
Release date: December 2, 1988
Runtime: 85 minutes
5. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
Halfway there on our top 10 comedy movies list with National Lampoon’s Vacation. Before the Will Ferrell’s of the comedy world there was Chevy Chase. Clark Griswold (Chase) becomes consumed with taking his family cross-country to Wally World–a California amusement park.
Less a vacation and more like a descent into hell. The family suffers through a series of catastrophes, culminating in a run-in with the law. But the Griswold’s give us one of the funniest movies of all time.
Director: Harold Ramis
Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, Christie Brinkley
Release date: July 29, 1983
Runtime: 98 minutes
4. MASH (1970)
Robert Altman gives us nonstop laughs with this Korean War satire. Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Robert Duvall, and a host of others provide the goods.
Nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Mash is anti-war, anti-religion, and anti-establishment. The theme resonated with movie goers as they swallowed whole the film’s vulgar yet suggestive humor.
The spinoff TV series was just as popular and ran for a more than a decade. MASH is one of the best comedies you can watch whether we’re talking 1970 or 2020 period.
Director: Robert Altman
Cast: Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Tom Skerritt, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall, Roger Bowen, René Auberjonois, David Arkin
Release date: January 25, 1970
Runtime: 116 minutes
3. Trading Places (1983)
#3 on our top 10 comedy movies list helped to make Eddie Murphy a movie star. Murphy was at the top of his comedic game during the 80’s, and one of his funniest movies was Trading Places.
This film also stars Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jim Belushi, Don Ameche, and Ralph Bellamy. We watch the fun unfold as the incredibly wealthy but low principled Duke brothers (Bellamy and Ameche) make a minuscule wager for sport.
Their curiosity gets the best of them, as their distinguished positions in life change for the worse. Going from rich to bankrupt isn’t good if you’re on the wrong side.
Director: John Landis
Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, Jamie Lee Curtis
Release date: June 8, 1983
Runtime: 116 minutes
2. This is Spinal Tap (1984)
A hilarious backstage pass into the world of rock and roll. Rob Reiner wrote, directed, and starred in this this 1984 rock music mockumentary. Others responsible for straight faced laughs are Christopher Guest, Anjelica Huston, Billy Crystal, and Paul Shaffer.
Audiences think they’re experiencing a documentary of Brit rock group “Spinal Tap” during U.S. concert tour. Obnoxious band member behavior as well as album and band naming–Smell the Glove and The New Originals respectively–are hysterical.
Director: Rob Reiner
Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June Chadwick, Tony Hendra, Bruno Kirby
Release date: March 2, 1984
Runtime: 82 minutes
1. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Mr. Kubrick can do no wrong. Are you looking for one of the best war movies ever? He’s got you covered with Full Metal Jacket. How about a Sci-fi movie that defines the genre? 2001: A Space Odyssey. And, one of the best comedy movies of all time? Yes.
Stanley Kubrick pushes the envelope with his classic comedy movie. We see how far things could potentially go if the wrong person nuclear war power.
Written from a position of laughs, the satire comes to life with outstanding performances from Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, James Earl Jones, and Sterling Hayden. The movie is black and white and more than fifty years old, but the scenes are hilarious.
Funny movie lines like Major Kong’s (Slim Pickens) are the best, “Nuclear combat! Toe to toe with the Russkies!” And the full movie title itself–Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Comedy movie perfection.
Do you agree with our top 10 comedy movies list?
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, James Earl Jones, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens, Tracy Reed
Release date: January 29, 1964
Runtime: 94 minutes