We’re all in need of a good laugh, or at the very least a brief distraction. Katie Parker selects the best comedy films now streaming on Netflix.
See also:
* All new movies & series on Netflix
* All new streaming movies & series
Asteroid City (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXWes Anderson’s brand of whimsical yet affectless comedy has been carefully honed into an instantly recognisable style—and this ensemble sci-fi rib-tickler proves that practice makes perfect. Featuring a slew of stars, it’s a wryly hilarious 1950’s period piece that ranks among Anderson’s best.
Bad Trip (2020)
Watch on NetflixCombining real life hidden camera pranks with a scripted buddy comedy narrative, Bad Trip saw comedian Eric Andre turn his infamously renegade comic stylings into a full-length film—and, however juvenile, the result is irresistibly hilarious. Following a pair of best friends (Andre and Lil Rel Howery) on a road trip from Florida to New York, the film’s best moments see members of the public unwittingly caught up in the action.
Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Where to watchBest-known for horror movies with nightmarish moments, director Ari Aster did not get enough credit for his knack for wry, pitch black humour until this big and incredibly strange story. It follows a pathologically neurotic man’s attempt to make his way to his mother’s house, proving that Aster is just as capable of finding the horror in humour as he is humour in horror.
Blockers (2018)
Watch on NetflixWith a more progressive attitude and diverse cast than the sex comedies of yesteryear, 2018’s Blockers still captures all of the crude charm of its predecessors with its story of a group of parents attempting to stop their daughters losing their virginity on prom night. Starring John Cena, Leslie Mann, and Ike Barinholtz alongside an excellent young supporting cast, Kay Cannon’s film takes an intelligent approach to the subject matter without sacrificing laughs.
Do Revenge (2022)
Watch on NetflixRiffing on everything from Cruel Intentions to Alfred Hitchock’s Strangers On A Train, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s 2022 black comedy was a welcome return to the teen flicks of yesteryear, and a slyly successful satire. Following a pair of private school girls (Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes) who agree to carry out each other’s vengeance plots in order to evade suspicion, this winking, witty and gleefully wry comedy proved that the art of the high school comedy is not yet lost.
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (2022)
WATCH ON NETFLIXTaking the 2023 Academy Awards by storm, this action-adventure comedy garnered widespread critical acclaim and commercial success with its story of multiverse madness. Following a woman (Michelle Yeoh) who finds herself and her family embroiled in a battle across parallel universes, whilst in the midst of an IRS audit, it’s irreverent, ambitious and very funny.
Glass Onion (2022)
Watch on NetflixRian Johnson’s follow-up to his 2019 hit Knives Out, Glass Onion saw another ensemble cast—including Edward Norton, Kate Hudsen, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr.—join Daniel Craig’s suave southern detective Benoit Blanc for another sly, twisty, and incredibly wry mystery. A send up of the absurdly wealthy (and in particular a certain breed of tech billionaire), Glass Onion’s whip smart wit created a stunningly prescient and fabulously cathartic comedy.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
WATCH ON NETFLIXWhile the name Adam Sandler may not always connote quality, Happy Gilmore is a reminder that, at his best, he really was very, very good. The story of an
unorthodox golfer who enters a snooty tournament to save his grandmother’s house, this comedy classic is fun and wacky enough to remind you why, not so long ago, Sandler was the king of comedy.
Hitman (2024)
WATCH ON NETFLIXRichard Linklater’s crowd-pleasing comedy harnesses the star power of Glen Powell to create an action caper that’s impossible to resist. Following an undercover police officer who poses as a hitman for undercover stings, Powell proves he has as much charm and wit as he does rippling muscles—in a sexy, romantic thriller that’s also incredibly funny.
The Holdovers (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXAlexander Payne’s beautifully bittersweet and funny film follows a curmudgeonly New England boarding school teacher tasked with staying on over Christmas, to mind the boys with nowhere to go. Memorably pairing Paul Giamatti alongside Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa, it’s a modern holiday classic.
In Bruges (2008)
Watch on NetflixLong before he was making us all cry our hearts out over dear little donkeys, The Banshees of Inisherin director Martin McDonagh established himself as the master of pitch black comedy with the 2008 story of two Irish hitmen who find themselves stranded in a picturesque Belgian town. Starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges pairs dark farce with thriller to create something entirely original, surprisingly poignant and incredibly funny.
Johnny English (2003)
WATCH ON NEONThe sort of comedy that was kind of made for watching with your parents, Rowan Atkinson’s spy spoof doesn’t exactly push the cinematic boat out. But despite being decidedly tame and very silly, it never fails to have me roaring with laughter (and entirely willing to go along with Natalie Imbruglia as a love interest for Mr. Bean). Pure buoyant fun with nothing weighing it down, this film is so dumb it’s genius.
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2022)
WATCH ON NETFLIXThis part live-action, part stop-motion, semi-meta mockumentary follows a tiny shoe-wearing shell named Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) who becomes a documentary filmmaker’s newest subject, while he goes about locating his long-lost family. Critically acclaimed and completely adorable, it’s an absolutely irresistible film.
Notting Hill (1999)
WATCH ON NETFLIXA classic of the rom-com golden age, Notting Hill captures two of the 90s most magnetic stars at their most gorgeous, charming and witty. Twenty-five years on from its release, no-one has ever quite topped the irresistible humour and swoonworthy romance of this timeless story of a London book retailer (Hugh Grant) who miraculously lands Hollywood’s hottest movie star (Julia Roberts).
Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
Watch on NetflixComedy horror is so hard to get right—which is why Edgar Wright’s 2004 zombie satire remains such a beloved entry into both genres. Following an unambitious man-child (Simon Pegg) and his best friend (Nick Frost) who find their hum-drum lives upended when the undead start terrorising the streets of London. Balancing brilliant black comedy with genuinely freaky horror, Shaun Of The Dead rightfully remains a cult classic of both genres.
She’s The Man (2006)
WATCH ON NETFLIXThe kind of teen movie we once took for granted, this crowd-pleaser puts a modern twist on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, turning a gender-bending farce into a delightfully silly high school comedy. It’s a testament to Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum’s comedic powers.
Spoiler Alert (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXSometimes the best comedies are the ones that leave you crying uncontrollably. Based on Michael Ausiello’s memoir about his experience of watching his long-time partner die from terminal cancer, Michael Showalter’s film is as sweet, funny and life-affirming as it is utterly heartbreaking.
Spree (2020)
Watch on NetflixA darkly funny, occasionally disturbing, and incredibly canny commentary on the lengths some will go to for clout on social media, Eugene Kotlyarenko’s 2020 film is a scathingly hilarious satire for the current age. Starring Stranger Things actor Joe Keery as a ride-share driver and social media obsessive who, in a quest to go viral, starts murdering his passengers, Spree skewers the pitfalls of influencer culture with rare acidity and gleeful abandon.
Superbad (2007)
Watch on NetflixSeth Rogen and Evan Goldberg began development on the screenplay for Superbad when they were just 13 years old, which is perhaps why even the crudest and most adolescent jokes in Greg Mottola’s 2007 coming-of-age film hit so perfectly. Starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as a pair of sex-obsessed high schoolers, the endlessly quotable and instantly beloved film is among the best in producer Judd Apatow’s stable, and easily one of the best teen comedies of all time.
White Chicks (2004)
Watch on NetflixIt’s only years later with the benefit of hindsight that we can truly appreciate what the Wayans brothers were doing in the 2000s—and the once panned, now cult classic, 2004 comedy White Chicks proves that it was on a whole other level. The story of two FBI agents (Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans) donning whiteface to go undercover as women to thwart a kidnapping plot broke every rule in the book and remains undeniably hilarious.
This guide is regularly updated to reflect changes in Netflix’s catalogue. For a list of capsule reviews that have been removed from this page because they are no longer available on the platform, visit here.
