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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
