12 best comedy movies on Netflix if you need a laugh

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Nothing feels as good as a deep, genuine laugh. It’s an expression of joy! It’s a workout. It’s a sign that you’ve having a good time.

Netflix has a huge archive of comedy movies that put that good-time feeling on demand, and there’s something for anyone who wants to kick back and enjoy the glory of filmed farces, jokes, and general mayhem. Of course, if you’re more in the mood for the best Netflix movies in general, or a nice Netflix original series, we’ve that covered too.)

From hidden gems to legendary favorite films, here are our top 12 picks (plus, two honorable mentions) for the best comedies on Netflix streaming right now. Enjoy!

Note: We’ve ranked Netflix’s best stand-up specials and romantic comedies separately.

12. Andaz Apna Apna

The greatest comedy in Bollywood, Hollywood, and human history is tucked away on Netflix. Andaz Apna Apna is an Indian cult classic starring Aamir Khan, Salman Khan (two huge stars who rarely if ever share top billing), Karisma Kapoor, and Raveena Tandon. Amar and Prem (Aamir and Salman, respectively) are extraordinarily lazy schemers who dream of getting rich without lifting a finger. When they hear that the wealthy heiress Raveena (Tandon) is visiting from London to find a husband, they both seek her hand and all its perks.

The two are sometimes the best of friends and worst of enemies throughout this quest, which also involves Raveena’s assistant (Kapoor), dubious manager, and evil uncle (Paresh Rawal) plotting her murder. Did we mention the millions of rupees in stolen diamonds? Just watch it. -Proma Khosla

How to watch: Andaz Apna Apna is now streaming on Netflix

11. Between Two Ferns: The Movie

Zach Galifianakis’ awkward celebrity interview web series Between Two Ferns might not seem like fodder for a full-length movie, but Between Two Ferns: The Movie goes double meta by presenting Galifianakis’ success on Funny or Die as an insult to the actor’s intention to host a “serious” interview show. Galifianakis the character sets off to correct the assumption that his original show is a joke by interviewing even more celebrities, like John Cho, Keanu Reeves, Gal Gadot, Tiffany Haddish, and more. -Alexis Nedd

How to watch: Between Two Ferns: The Movie is now streaming on Netflix

10. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams really commit to their roles as wannabe Icelandic pop stars in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Fire Saga’s journey from their small town to the big Eurovision stage is packed with dazzling (and occasionally slapstick) stage performances, quirky regional humor, and a touching romance at the heart of it all. Also, Downton Abbey‘s Dan Stevens plays a Russian Eurovision contestant and he’s incredible. That’s all, really. -AN

How to watch: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is now streaming on Netflix

9. Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Taika Waititi’s 2016 charmer stars Deadpool 2’s Julian Dennison and Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill as an unlikely family unit bonded by loss and life on the run. Ricky (Dennison) is a delinquent sent to live with Hector (Neill) and his wife Bella, but the caring Bella suddenly passes away leaving the de facto father and son to butt heads. Ricky runs away from home with Hec hot on his heels and they agree on one thing: To live in the New Zealand bush and never go back to society. That decision goes over with literally everyone else, namely the government, who track Hector and Ricky through the wilderness and threaten to separate them for good.

Look out for a signature cameo from the writer/director and Thor Ragnarok’s Rachel House, as well as that unapologetically Kiwi humor that is Waititi’s sweet spot. -PK

How to watch: Hunt for the Wilderpeople is now streaming on Netflix

8. Dolemite Is My Name

Once again, legend Eddie Murphy completely crushes it. Portraying the late Rudy Ray Moore (aka Dolemite), Murphy embarks on the poignant and uproarious ride of an underdog with a dream. Supporting performances by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson, and more. -Alison Foreman

How to watch: Dolemite Is My Name is now streaming on Netflix.

7. Hail, Caesar!

The Coen brothers bring their signature style to old Hollywood in Hail, Caesar!, a period comedy about a studio problem-solver who has to wrangle pregnant starlets, miscast cowboys, kidnapped actors, and gossip columnists as part of a day’s work. Its great cast includes Scarlett Johansson, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Tilda Swinton, and Ralph Fiennes. -AN

How to watch: Hail, Caesar! is now streaming on Netflix

6. Lady Bird

Coming-of-age stories are nothing new at the movies, but Greta Gerwig’s sharp, funny, and empathetic portrait of a mid-aughts Sacramento teen’s senior year of high school still stands out as something special. The sense of time and place leaps off the screen (those perfect music cues!), and the details of Lady Bird’s (Saoirse Ronan) complicated relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf) and with herself made us flash back to a time when life was all crushes and friendships and waiting, and possibilities felt both just out of reach and approaching more quickly than ever.

How to Watch: Lady Bird is now streaming on Netflix.

5. The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Take your typical family road trip comedy, toss in a robot apocalypse, and top it all off with a heavy smattering of meme-worthy filters, doodles, and GIFs, and you might end up with something like The Mitchells vs. The Machines: a truly fun-for-the-whole-family feature that hinges on whether an artsy teen (voiced by Abbi Jacobson) and her luddite dad (voiced by Danny McBride) can set aside their differences long enough to save all of humanity from being launched into space by Siri Pal.

Come for the jokes about our impending AI-led dystopia, stay for the heart-tugging moments of Mitchell family bonding. Seriously, we might never hear T.I. and Rihanna’s “Live Your Life” without tearing up ever again.

How to watch: The Mitchells vs. The Machines is streaming on Netflix.

4. Legally Blonde

Legally Blonde is one of the shiniest jewels in queen Reese Witherspoon’s crown because it’s basically a comedy masterpiece. It’s a careful and hilarious deconstruction of the “dumb blonde” stereotype that doesn’t make women choose between caring about how they look and being taken seriously by their peers. So many of its iconic lines and scenes have entered the pop culture vernacular — who can’t perform the Bend and Snap at will? — and will be a comedy classic for years to come.

How to watch: Legally Blonde is now streaming on Netflix

3. Vampires Vs the Bronx

It takes one hell of a good script to break into the zombie and vampire–saturated comedy-horror genre with a fresh perspective and a crystal clear parallel to gentrification, and Vampires Vs. The Bronx absolutely has one of those scripts. It’s funny and spooky without being too scary, and its fantastic cast of young actors more than carry the burden of making this movie a future Halloween comedy classic.

How to watch: Vampires Vs the Bronx is now streaming on Netflix

2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

There are tons of great Monty Python films to pick from (including Life of Brian, which is also streaming on Netflix), but The Holy Grail will forever hold a special place in our hearts. It’s endlessly quotable, stupidly funny, and captures everything that made this comedy team spectacular. Not to mention, it forever changed how we see coconuts, swallows, hamsters, and elderberries. -AF

How to watch: Monty Python and the Holy Grail is now streaming on Netflix.

1. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

We are Sex Bob-Omb: 1-2-3-4! Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s beloved graphic novel series, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the favorite we keep coming back to. It’s got great actors: Chris Evans! Anna Kendrick! Brie Larson! Kieran Culkin! Plus, a killer soundtrack, wonderful visual effects, more references than you can count, and some of the best lines ever written. We’re in lesbians. -AF

How to watch: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is now streaming on Netflix

Honorable Mention: The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience

A celebration of rap, comedy, and the Oakland Athletics, The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience is the surprise short film Lonely Island fans didn’t know they needed. Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer, portraying MLB players Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, unceasingly commit to the bit in a 30-minute tribute to the limits of sanity, reason, and acceptability.

How to watch: The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience is now streaming on Netflix

Honorable’s Mention’s Honorable, Mention: Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein

As the foremost experts on David Harbour’s mind-boggling short film, we cannot begin to recommend this Netflix original enough. We’ve seen it countless times, analyzed it even more, and sought answers every way we know how. Still, it charms us with its perplexing WTF-ery each time. You’re welcome.

How to watch: Frankenstein’s Monster’s Monster, Frankenstein is now streaming on Netflix.

This story was originally published in March 2020 and updated in August 2021.

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