The 23 best comedy movies on Netflix

Honestly, Netflix original comedies likely could have filled this list alone, but where would the fun be in that? As such, we’ve pulled together a collection of new and classic comedies, featuring a mix of the streaming giant’s own films, plus many more from outside studios, too.

Here are the 23 best comedy movies on Netflix right now.

50 First Dates (2004)

Six years after Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore teamed up for The Wedding Singer, the two connected on screen for a second time, playing opposite each other in this daffy romantic comedy. Following a commitment-phobic veterinarian (Sandler) who falls in love with an artist suffering from short-term amnesia (Barrymore), 50 First Dates hones in on and heightens the game of finding the woman you can’t stop thinking about — and dealing with the reality that she’ll never remember meeting you.

Set on the island of Oahu — a location so consistently beautiful that it alone negates the idea of time passing — this premise-driven comedy finds emotional resonance amid all the silly gags. Barrymore and Sandler have just as much chemistry as they did in their first film together, leading to what EW’s critic describes as, “an agreeably deranged romance with a geeks-in-paradise Hawaiian setting.” —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch 50 First Dates: Netflix

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Peter Segal

Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Dan Aykroyd

Related: Drew Barrymore found her and Adam Sandler's daughters watching 50 First Dates together: 'This is so sweet'

13 Going on 30 (2004)

Jennifer Garner launches a full-scale charm offensive in 13 Going on 30, a fantasy romantic comedy about Jenna Rink, a 13-year-old who wishes to be grown up after a disastrous birthday party. A cross between Big and The Devil Wears Prada, the film follows Jenna from her childhood home to her New York City luxury apartment and dream job at a magazine. As the teen in a 30-year-old’s body attempts to understand what has happened to her in the last 17 years, she must confront whether growing up was everything she had hoped for.

Garner filmed the movie while on hiatus from her TV show, Alias, and her joyful physicality and unabashed childlike enthusiasm couldn’t have been more of a departure from her ass-kicking work as Sydney Bristow. One of the purest and most rewatchable rom-coms from the early aughts, 13 Going on 30 represents some of the best the genre has to offer, and is a joy to watch regardless of your age. —I.G.

Where to watch 13 Going on 30: Netflix

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Gary Winick

Cast: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis

Related: 13 Going on 30 stars Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and Judy Greer reunite for 20th anniversary

A Simple Favor (2018)

Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is a single-mom blogger, the queen of domesticity, and the perfect PTA mom. When she meets Emily (Blake Lively), a fellow mother who’s a PR exec, the two become fast friends. But when Emily subsequently goes missing, Stephanie decides to take it upon herself to solve the disappearance.

To say this is not an ordinary “missing person” case is an understatement. Beneath the bright, candy-colored, fashion-forward surfaces of A Simple Favor is a deceptively tangled tale of competing identities — mistaken, invented, hidden — that makes great, twisty use of its two stars’ very specific personas. —Will Harris

Where to watch A Simple Favor: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Paul Feig

Cast: Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Jean Smart

Related: Blake Lively is out for revenge (or is she?) in explosive Another Simple Favor trailer

Bad Trip (2021)

Eric André has made a career out of making people extremely uncomfortable in the name of comedy, and he’s at his best in Bad Trip. A hidden camera comedy prank movie in the style of Jackass or Bad Grandpa, Bad Trip is about Bud and Chris (André and Lil Rel Howery), friends who take a road trip from Florida to New York City in search of a woman Chris likes (Michaela Conlin), while struggling to evade Bud’s criminal sister (Tiffany Haddish), whose car they stole.

The movie is a trip to watch, and according to André, even more of one to film. (See: his interview with EW where he talks about how one particular prank in the movie almost got Howrey killed.) A nice addition to the prank-tertainment genre, Bad Trip is fun, funny, and, at times, even heartwarming. —I.G.

Where to watch Bad Trip: Netflix

Director: Kitao Sakurai

Cast: Eric André, Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish, Michaela Conlin

Related: Eric Andre looks back at the wildest things he's done for a laugh

Bad Words (2013)

When 40-year-old Guy Trilby (Jason Bateman) discovers a loophole in the rules of the Golden Quill Spelling Bee — an event not usually intended for adults — he enters the competition, much to the dismay of the other contestants’ parents.

This is a comedy you watch to see what imaginatively offensive thing Guy will say next — think Veep vibes, but with the barbs aimed at 12-year-olds and their folks. It also doubles as a breezy buddy movie, with young competitor Chaitanya (Rohan Chand) breaking down Guy’s bitter exterior to find the soft, nougaty center underneath. —W.H.

Where to watch Bad Words: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jason Bateman

Cast: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Ben Falcone, Philip Baker Hall, Allison Janney

Related: Jason Bateman says he nearly 'ran over' Michael Jackson with his bicycle as a kid

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

The Coen brothers got tired of limiting themselves to one narrative in their projects, so for their Netflix film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, they decided to mix it up and tell multiple stories. Set up as a six-part Western anthology, the film focuses thematically on the American frontier, and tells the stories of a cheerful cowboy, an unlucky would-be bank robber, a traveling promoter whose business is going downhill, a grizzled prospector, a woman headed West in search of a husband, and a group of passengers in a stagecoach.

While the Coens mess around with genre in each chapter and the cast differs from story to story, the six narratives are given a sense of consistency courtesy of the unique Coen voice, which the pair previously deployed on projects like True Grit and No Country for Old Men. And while there are certainly frontrunner stories in terms of quality and effectiveness, the entire film is worth a watch. —I.G.

Where to watch The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Cast: Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jonjo O'Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, Tom Waits

Related: The Coen brothers movies, ranked

Barbie (2023)

The summer of 2023 will forever be remembered as the summer of Barbenheimer. While Oppenheimer was the overtly intellectual, historical prestige film, Barbie more than held its own in the smarts department. A fiercely funny and feminist reading of the dolls that everyone has an opinion on, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie follows Stereotypical Barbie’s (Margot Robbie) journey of self-discovery, which leads her away from Barbie Land and into the real world.

Ryan Gosling may have scored the Oscar nod for his performance as Ken, but the entire cast is worthy of recognition, and as far as satirical romps go, you don’t get much better than this. EW’s critic writes, “It's Gerwig's care and attention to detail that gives Barbie an actual point of view, elevating it beyond every other cynical, IP-driven cash grab.” —I.G.

Where to watch Barbie: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera

Related: Lucy Boynton says Proust Barbie was cut from Barbie because test audiences didn’t get literature reference

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

In this biopic written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, Man on the Moon), Eddie Murphy plays Rudy Ray Moore, who works at a record store but knows he has something more to offer. Through sheer force of will — and a sharp ear for the raunchy, rough-edged poetry found on the streets and fringes — he transforms himself into a cult sensation, from his so-called “party records,” to live performances, to some of the most ridiculous and memorable Blaxploitation films of the ’70s.

Murphy’s sheer charisma and star power make this movie land, but Wesley Snipes’ surprising comic chops are the secret sauce. —W.H.

Where to watch Dolemite Is My Name: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Craig Brewer

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess

Related: Dolemite Is My Name premiere hails triumphant comeback for Eddie Murphy

Don't Look Up (2021)

For all the disaster movies Hollywood has brought us over the years, it took Adam McKay to posit an all-too-realistic scenario in which a pair of scientists (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) become aware of impending doom, bring their intel to the government, and see their warning spun for political gain.

It’s a dark comedy, to be sure, but one that takes full advantage of its star power: as EW’s critic writes, “[McKay’s] casting cup overruns almost casually with A-list guests, from a distinctly silly Ariana Grande cameo to a charming and markedly more substantial turn by Timothée Chalamet as a delinquent skateboarder with a thing for Kate's choppy bangs.” —W.H.

Where to watch Don’t Look Up: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Adam McKay

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet

Related: Matthew Perry pulled out of Don't Look Up after his heart stopped for 5 minutes

Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

The Eurovision Song Contest has been beloved globally for decades…except in the U.S., where it’s virtually unknown. As such, many Americans missed the boat on this absurd yet sincere comedy. Lars (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) are longtime not-quite-sweethearts from Iceland who, as Fire Saga, are on a quest to win the competition.

In addition to being funny, Eurovision is also filled with quippy and catchy performances and songs, so expect some of the tunes to get stuck in your head. —W.H.

Where to watch Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga: Netflix

Director: David Dobkin

Cast: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Melissanthi Nahut, Mikael Persbrandt, Olafur Darri Olafsson

Related: Oscars go to Iceland with pre-show performance of Eurovision song 'Húsavík'

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Rian Johnson is a man who laughs in the face of genre: from fantasy blockbusters like Star Wars to whodunnit comedies, this writer-director gets around. And after a three-year hiatus, he and everyone’s favorite pastel-clad detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), are back with a second addition to their Knives Out franchise. Released both in theaters and on Netflix, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery tells the story of a friend group caught up in the allures of money, fame, power, and murder — but in all truthfulness, the film is just as effective as travel propaganda for the Greek island on which the story is set.

Glass Onion pales slightly when directly compared to the first film in the franchise, but as our critic writes, the sequel is not here for that. “It’s here strictly to dazzle you with money and murder and famous-people pandemonium, then sharpen its knives for the next installment.” —I.G.

Where to watch Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: Netflix

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr.

Related: Everything we know about Knives Out 3

The Lovebirds (2020)

After four years of dating, Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Leilani (Issa Rae) are prepared to call it quits — until the couple finds themselves involved in a murder that requires them to put their break up aside and go on the run. Too concerned about racial profiling to involve the police, Jibran and Leilani must hunt down the identity of the man who was murdered so they can find out who killed him and clear their own names.

Directed by Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer), The Lovebirds is a romantic evening gone wrong in the style of films like 2010's Date Night and 2018's Game Night. Boasting a high ratio of jokes per minute and a pair of lead actors who know how to wield their witticisms like machetes, Nanjiani and Rae's on screen bickering and loving needling will have you rooting for their relationship, even as it's falling apart. —I.G.

Where to watch The Lovebirds: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Michael Showalter

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae, Anna Camp, Paul Sparks

Related: Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani have a quarantine conversation about relationships and Marvel fights

The Munsters (2022)

There was a time in the 1960s when the so-called “monster kids,” i.e. fans of the Universal stable of horror icons, would regularly bicker back and forth about which was better: The Addams Family or The Munsters. For Rob Zombie, it was The Munsters, and he took his love of that sitcom, combined it with his cinematic sensibilities, and rebooted the franchise.

Zombie’s film offers the origin of the Transylvanian love story between Frankenstein’s monster Herman (Jeff Daniel Phillips) and vampire Lily (Sheri Moon Zombie). It’s a weird piece of work, but you can feel the love. —W.H.

Where to watch The Munsters: Netflix

Director: Rob Zombie

Cast: Jeff Daniel Phillips, Sheri Moon Zombie, Daniel Roebuck, Richard Brake, Jorge Garcia, Sylvester McCoy

Related: Ranking every Rob Zombie movie, from House of 1000 Corpses to Halloween

No Hard Feelings (2023)

Jennifer Lawrence is such an accomplished dramatic actress, it’s easy to forget her first big career break came on the TBS sitcom The Bill Engvall Show. But her comedic chops are rock solid, and she gets to show them off in the 2023 raunch-com No Hard Feelings. Lawrence plays Maddie, a struggling thirtysomething who agrees to seduce a wealthy couple’s introverted 19-year-old in exchange for a car.

The premise is simple but the execution is designed to let Lawrence play in ways we haven’t seen since Silver Linings Playbook. From taking throat punches to brawling naked, the Oscar winner manages to balance the physical comedy of the film while still centering the story’s emotional heart. As EW’s critic writes, No Hard Feelings is “a reminder that Lawrence is one Hollywood's best (and funniest) leads.” —I.G.

Where to watch No Hard Feelings: Netflix through April 20

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Gene Stupnitsky

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Matthew Broderick

Related: No Hard Feelings star Andrew Barth Feldman is a graduate of the Jennifer Lawrence school of comedy

Notting Hill (1999)

When it comes to ‘90s romantic comedies, Notting Hill checks every box. The film is set in a charming London neighborhood, it stars Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, and there’s a klutzy meet cute and an eccentric/charming best friend (Rhys Ifans) who can be relied upon for lighthearted laughs. What distinguishes Notting Hill from other films in the genre is the role reversal: Here, the woman is the powerful, successful catch and the man is the one fumbling over himself to keep her attention.

Roberts plays Anna Scott, a beloved American actress who stumbles upon a nerdy British bookstore clerk (Grant) and ends up liking him enough to hang around and meet his quirky circle of friends and family. An odd couple comedy about a privileged star who has everything but privacy and the normal guy who woos her with his everyday charm, Notting Hill is the perfect film for those who loved Four Weddings and a Funeral or America’s Sweethearts. —I.G.

Where to watch Notting Hill: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Roger Michell 

Cast: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers, James Dreyfus, Rhys Ifans, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee

Related: Julia Roberts reveals why she almost turned down Notting Hill: 'I didn’t even know how to play that person'

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young boy with Down syndrome, manages to elude the nurses at his facility and embark on a quest to live his dream and become a professional wrestler under the tutelage of the Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). He’s joined by a new friend (Shia LaBeouf) and, eventually, his former caretaker (Dakota Johnson).

Ostensibly a sort of modern-day take on Huckleberry Finn, it’s a heartwarming road trip movie, as you’d guess, but it’s also a quirky comedy that takes some turns you might not expect. —W.H.

Where to watch The Peanut Butter Falcon: Netflix

Directors: Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Zack Gottsagen, Jon Bernthal

Related: Shia LaBeouf forms an adorable bond in sweet Peanut Butter Falcon trailer

Saturday Night (2024)

Saturday Night Live turns 50 this year, and to commemorate of one of the most iconic television institutions of our time, director Jason Reitman presents Saturday Night. The film is part comedy/drama, part (slightly fictionalized) TV history, and takes place on Oct. 11, 1975 — the night a group of twentysomething comedians and young producers held NBC’s airwaves captive as they debuted the network’s first counterculture, late-night comedy show.

NBC intended to use Saturday Night Live as leverage in a dispute with Johnny Carson about rerunning old episodes of his show. What emerged instead was a dynasty. But that night in October, all Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) can focus on is somehow getting 90 minutes of alternative sketch comedy past censors and network suits, and broadcast live. Perfectly cast, it’s a beautiful tribute to the show and everyone involved. —I.G.

Where to watch Saturday Night: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O'Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, J. K. Simmons

Related: Saturday Night fact check: The true stories behind movie's wildest tales of SNL premiere

She's Gotta Have It (1986)

Spike Lee’s first feature film as a writer and director, She’s Gotta Have It presents intertwining romances as lead character Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) decides which of the three men she’s dating (Lee, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell) she wants to have a monogamous relationship with. Luxuriating in Lee’s creative sensibility and shot in crisp black and white, Nola’s journey towards picking a partner is funny, thought-provoking, and unique in every respect.

In a review of Netflix’s 2017 She’s Gotta Have It adaptation (also directed by Lee), EW’s critic describes the original movie, writing, “She’s Gotta Have It was Spike Lee’s first feature film, and few movies feel so joyfully first.” A dramedy that questions sexual, relationship, and gender norms of the time, She’s Gotta Have It is notable for its subject matter, aesthetic, and for launching Lee’s storied Hollywood career. —I.G.

Where to watch She’s Gotta Have It: Netflix

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: Spike Lee 

Cast: Tracy Camilla Johns, Spike Lee, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell

Related: The 25 most stylish movies of all time

Shiva Baby (2021)

Released during the pandemic, Shiva Baby is both an indie rom-com and a delightful reminder of the emotional dangers that come with spending time in a room full of acquaintances — especially when that room includes at least two people you've slept with. Danielle (Rachel Sennott) plays a college student and call girl who, along with her parents (Polly Draper and Fred Melamed), attends a Jewish mourning ritual held at the home of a family member.

While there, Danielle finds herself caught between her past (in the form of her more successful best friend and former lover, Maya) and her present (her sugar daddy Max, who thinks she's in law school, and who brought along the wife and baby he never told her about). Based on director Emma Seligman's short by the same name, Shiva Baby is a comedy that requires the emotional fortitude of a horror film, as viewers are forced to withstand an onslaught of cringe moments. —I.G.

Where to watch Shiva Baby: Netflix

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Emma Seligman

Cast: Rachel Sennott, Polly Draper, Fred Melamed, Molly Gordon, Dianna Agron

Related: Bottoms up! Shiva Baby duo on reuniting to form their queer teen fight club

They Cloned Tyrone (2022)

A single genre isn't enough to contain They Cloned Tyrone. A sci-fi comedy that combines '70s Blaxploitation with mystery and social satire, the film has similar vibes to movies like Get Out (2017) or Sorry to Bother You (2018) while employing a far more absurd premise. Fontaine (John Boyega) is a drug dealer living in an impoverished area called the Glen. While trying to collect funds owed to him by a local pimp named Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), Fontaine is shot and killed — but that doesn't stop him from showing up on Slick's doorstep the next day to collect his money.

Joined by sex worker YoYo (Teyonah Parris), the trio attempts to get to the bottom of what appears to be a massive government conspiracy aimed at exploiting their disenfranchised community as medical subjects. A satirical romp that has as much to say about class and racial injustices as it does about mystery movie tropes, They Cloned Tyrone is smart, silly, and uniformly well-acted. —I.G.

Where to watch They Cloned Tyrone: Netflix

Director: Juel Taylor

Cast: John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx

Related: John Boyega calls They Cloned Tyrone with Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx 'a new vibe entirely'

This Is 40 (2012)

Judd Apatow expands the Knocked Up universe with This Is 40. Set five years after Ben and Alison’s whirlwind courtship and pregnancy, This Is 40 follows Alison’s sister Debbie (Leslie Mann) and her husband Pete (Paul Rudd) as they explore what it means to be partners and parents in their 40s.

Knocked Up was about the beginning of a relationship, but This Is 40 explores the gnarly portion in the middle of a marriage when you know everything about your partner, and have to figure out how to love them anyway. The film doesn’t offer the same laugh out loud gags as its predecessor, but EW’s critic writes “it’s ticklishly honest and droll about all the things being a parent can do to a relationship. And why it’s still worth it.” —I.G.

Where to watch This Is 40: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Judd Apatow

Cast: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Albert Brooks

Related: The feature films of Judd Apatow, ranked

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

Nicolas Cage has enjoyed a long, illustrious career — who else has the range to do Moonstruck, Gone in 60 Seconds, and Pig? — but in this meta action comedy, Cage assumes his most difficult role yet: himself. In The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage plays a struggling Nicolas Cage (going by Nick instead of Nic) who quits acting and accepts a $1 million offer to be the guest of honor at billionaire Javi Gutierrez's (Pedro Pascal) birthday.

What began as a job transforms into a friendship, but when the FBI tips Nick off that his new pal might be an arms dealer who kidnapped a politician's daughter, he agrees to assist with their investigation. Pascal is, frankly, adorable as a Nicolas Cage superfan. In another actor's hands, Javi's obsession with and devotion to Cage and his work might read as creepy, but Pascal plays the role earnestly while still offering up enough edge to make the audience concerned for Nick's safety. —I.G.

Where to watch The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent: Netflix through April 15

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Tom Gormican

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Ike Barinholtz, Alessandra Mastronardi, Jacob Scipio, Neil Patrick Harris, Tiffany Haddish

Related: Nicolas Cage wanted to drop a 'transcendent' F-bomb in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Wedding Crashers (2005)

A bromantic comedy with more depth than meets the eye, Wedding Crashers tells the story of John (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy (Vince Vaughn), two D.C. mediators with little faith in the sacred bonds of matrimony. What they do believe in, however, is the power of the wedding reception to act as an accelerant for picking up women, which is why these two best friends have turned the act of crashing weddings into a seasonal sport.

But after John meets Claire (Rachel McAdams) at her sister’s wedding, he finds he’s willing to overlook traditional crashing etiquette to get closer. And while spending the weekend with Claire’s wealthy and powerful family at their Maryland compound, John and Jeremy are forced to reexamine their beliefs around love and marriage, and discover there might be more to life than crashing. —I.G.

Where to watch Wedding Crashers: Netflix

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: David Dobkin

Cast: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper, Jane Seymour

Related: From the EW archives: The story of Wedding Crashers

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly