The Best Comedy Movies to Watch on Netflix When You Need a Laugh
Kim Simms/Netflix
Netflix has something for everyone in the comedy department, whether you’re a fan of rude shenanigans or subtle political satire. From originals like Murder Mystery starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler to timeless classics like The Addams Family and She’s Gotta Have It, the streamer has a plethora of comedic content to keep you laughing. Here, we round up the 25 best comedy movies on Netflix to lift your mood any day of the week.
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The once popular Drea (Camila Mendes) finds her reputation destroyed when her boyfriend leaks an intimate video. She teams up with exchange student Eleanor (Maya Hawke), who’s also haunted by her own secrets, to “do revenge.” A stylish throwback to the teen comedies of your adolescence.
Travel book store owner William (Hugh Grant) unexpectedly meets American actress Anna (Julia Roberts), and the pair begin a brief romance. With a script by rom-com aficionado Richard Curtis, and filled with unforgettable moments, Notting Hill remains a classic romantic comedy that never gets old.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Based on the book by Jenny Han, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before follows Lara Jean (Lana Candor), a high school senior who writes letters to all of her crushes, but never sends them. However, Lara Jean’s life completely changes when someone secretly mails her love letters to their recipients.
Gone Girl icon Rosamund Pike stars as Marla Grayson, a sleek con artist who preys on vulnerable seniors to become their court-appointed guardian. She then seizes their lucrative assets, making her very wealthy in the process. However, Marla bites off more than she can chew when she accidentally scams the mother of a very dangerous person. A seriously dark comic thriller that’ll keep you guessing right up until the end.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Regardless of whether you follow the real life Eurovision Song Contest, Netflix’s The Story of Fire Saga is a funny and faux look behind the scenes. Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams co-star as Icelandic childhood best friend Lars and Sigrit. Lars has always dreamed of winning the Eurovision Song Contest, and the pair’s attempts to achieve their dreams will have you cackling.
This debaucherous buddy comedy stars Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg as former best friends Sonny and Huck. When Sonny’s family goes away for the weekend, he decides to reconnect with the wild and crazy Huck, whose extravagant lifestyle is a world away from Sonny’s life as a stay-at-home dad. Needless to say, the pair gets into to many totally inappropriate situations.
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
After taking a job as a telemarketer, Cash (Lakeith Stanfield) is advised to use a “white voice,” which helps him excel at work. When his co-workers begin protesting against their workplace, Cash is drawn into a strange corporate conspiracy, and discovers that the company is a front for some seriously dark deeds. An often trippy comedy co-starring Tessa Thompson and Steven Yeun.
This apocalyptic satire stars everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence to Meryl Streep, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, and Timothée Chalamet. Doctoral candidate Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) discovers an unknown comet is hurtling towards earth. Along with her professor (DiCaprio), she tries to convince humanity that the world is about end, with little success.
Overworked assistants Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell) decide to set up their demanding bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs) with one another. However, their plan is anything but smooth and, while attempting to keep their bosses happy, Harper and Charlie inadvertently spend a lot of time together.
If you’ve been watching Netflix’s Wednesday, then it’s the perfect time to revisit one of the best adaptations of The Addams Family. The movie’s incredible cast includes Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd, and Raul Julia. If you were a kid in the ’90s, this version of The Addams Family was likely one of your favorite films, and it’s every bit as hilarious 30 years later.
Police officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are tasked with going undercover as high school students, in an attempt to stop a new drug from being distributed. However, the assignment is far from easy, and the pair finds themselves thrown into the terrifying and hilarious world of teenagers.
She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
Written and directed by Spike Lee, She’s Gotta Have It explores one woman’s attempt to attain sexual freedom. Brooklyn-based graphic artist Nola Darling is juggling three completely different men at once, refusing to commit to just one person. The comedy was later adapted into a two-season TV series at Netflix.
Jack Black stars as popular author R. L. Stine in this adaptation of everyone’s favorite young adult horror series. When all of the Goosebumps monsters escape from Stine’s books, he works with his daughter and their next door neighbor to try and stop the town from being destroyed. Hilarious and a little spooky to boot.
Based on the book by Kotaro Isaka, Bullet Train follows an assassin (Brad Pitt) who is faced with fighting several other killers during a seriously dangerous journey. Starring everyone from Bad Bunny to Joey King and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bullet Train is an action-packed comedy that’s bound to keep you entertained.
Dope follows a group of friends on an unexpected night filled with adventure. A chance encounter with a drug dealer gets Malcolm (Shameik Moore), Jib (Tony Revolori), and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) invited to a birthday party. But when the night turns violent, the trio flees, accidentally taking some of the dealer’s products with them. Zoë Kravitz and A$AP Rocky co-star.
Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (2016)
The iconic Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) returns in this Netflix sequel to 1988’s Big Top Pee-wee. In Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, Pee-wee Herman meets and befriends delicious actor Joe Manganiello (playing himself), and is convinced to leave his small town in favor of New York City. A wild and unexpected roadtrip ensues.
Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer team up in this superhero comedy, which was written and directed by McCarthy’s husband, Ben Falcone. Emily (Spencer) has dedicated herself to fighting a group of supervillains called Miscreants. When her old school friend Lydia (McCarthy) accidentally develops superpowers, the pair decides to work together to protect the world. Jason Bateman co-stars.
Murder Mystery reunites Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler for this loose adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express. Married couple Nick (Sandler) and Audrey (Aniston) finally embark on their honeymoon to Europe after 15 years of marriage. After meeting a billionaire on the plane, the pair get drawn into a (pretty comedic) murder investigation. A sequel is on its way.
On the verge of a breakup, troubled couple Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Leilani (Issa Rae) accidentally witness a murder. Forced to go on the run, the pair works surprisingly well together to survive some terrifying, but hilarious, situations. Nanjiani and Rae are truly a team to be reckoned with.
Action comedy The Takedown stars Lupin‘s Omar Sy as Ousmane, a cop whose partner, François, couldn’t be more different from him. The unlikely pair starts work on a new investigation, which draws them into a high-profile drug case, putting them both in danger in the process.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Comedians Ali Wong and Randall Park co-write and star in this adorable romantic comedy. Childhood sweethearts Sasha (Wong) and Marcus (Park) reconnect as adults, and forge a friendship. While dating other people, Sasha and Marcus are forced to find out whether they should give their romance another try.
Emma Roberts stars as Sloane, a woman constantly dodging questions about her love life. Enter Jackson, a cute single man also in need of a date on the holidays. Sloane and Jackson make a pact, deciding to be each other’s plus one for every important holiday event for an entire year. What could possibly go wrong?
Joey King, Jacob Elordi, and Joel Courtney co-star in Netflix’s adaptation of The Kissing Booth. Elle (King) and Lee (Courtney) decide to set up a kissing booth to raise money for their school. However, Elle risks her lifelong friendship with Lee when she starts dating his older brother, Noah (Elordi).
Rebel Wilson stars as Steph, a woman who’s been in a coma for 20 years. Still feeling like a teenager, Steph decides to go back to high school to complete her education, but it’s no longer the happy place it once was. As usual, Rebel is completely hilarious in this fish-out-of-water comedy.
Addison Rae and Tanner Buchanan take the lead in this updated remake of iconic teen comedy She’s All That. Social media influencer Padgett agrees to a bet to turn the unpopular Cameron into a prom king. After spending time with Cameron, Padgett starts to realize that the life she had before perhaps wasn’t as great as she used to think.
Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist.
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