Wondering what the best Netflix comedy movies on the streaming service are right now? Well, you've come to the right place. In the words of Cosmo Brown from Singin' in the Rain, "Make 'em laugh!" Whether you’re looking for a distraction, to be put in a good mood, or to cry your eyes out come movie night, comedy always has the answer.
Comedy is a hard skill to master, traversing between slapstick and whip-smart humor. In fact, the best comedy movies have even crossed genres, from rom-coms and family favorites to the absurd, "rated R" energy. Yet, each to their own, this smile-inducing genre has consistently entertained audiences, which makes the following selection of the best Netflix movies hard to ignore. The following funny films have raised the bar but still give you that all-important side-splitting stitch. So, there’s no need to be "in a glass case of emotion."
Sit back, grab that remote, and resist the urge to scroll. Here is a helpful guide to the 25 best comedy movies on Netflix, available for you to enjoy right now.
25. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Year: 2023
Director: Sam Fell
Available on: Netflix US/UK
A sequel to the beloved 2000 animated feature, the second installment sees Ginger (Thandiwe Newton) and Rocky (Zachary Levi) welcome a daughter into their lives. But back on the mainland, a new threat to all of chicken-kind has surfaced. Ginger, Rocky, and the rest of their poultry pals embark on an epic quest to set things right – and Mrs. Tweedy is back!
Directed by Flushed Away and ParaNorman helmer Sam Fell, the voice cast includes Bella Ramsey, Imelda Staunton, and Miranda Richardson. It's also one of the best Netflix movies for kids on the service, so if you are looking for a family-friendly pick come movie night, here it is.
For more information, read our Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget review.
24. Paddington 2
Year: 2017
Director: Paul King
Available on: Netflix UK
Paddington 2 is the greatest sequel film ever made (that is, until Paddington 3 comes out). Dialing up its kindness and slapstick humor to eleven, the 2017 sequel sees the loveable bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) return to get a birthday present for his Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) - a one-of-a-kind pop-up book. But when the book is stolen by actor Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant), and Paddington is framed and imprisoned, it’s up to the Brown family to prove his innocence.
Director Paul King and writer Simon Farnaby inject warmth and love throughout every scene (a formula repeated in Wonka). Whishaw is once again on top form alongside the return of Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Samuel Joslin, and Madeleine Harris as the Brown family contingent. But the creative decision to include Grant, along with Brendan Gleeson as Knuckles McGinty, is an inspired choice. They fully lean into their caricature characters, and alongside their comedic timing and energy, the sequel is a delight to watch.
Read our Paddington 2 review if you want to know more about the wholesome gem.
23. Do Revenge
Year: 2022
Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, which is in turn inspired by Patricia Highsmith's novel of the same name, the film was directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. It centers on Drea (Riverdale's Camila Mendes), an IT girl who falls from grace when a nude video of herself intended for her boyfriend is leaked, and Eleanor (Maya Hawke), who is shunned by her peers when a rumor about her forcibly kissing another girl starts spreading.
Determined to turn their lives around, the pair team up to take down one another's bullies. However, revenge plans soon become more complicated than expected, and a few dastardly twists are revealed. Seriously, this may seem like a typical high school story, but trust us, you'll be left shocked as well as giggling.
22. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Year: 2022
Director: Rian Johnson
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – and this time he's in sunny Greece at the invitation of billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). There's an eccentric collection of wealthy guests who join him on Miles' private island, including a Twitch streamer (Dave Bautista), a state governor (Kathryn Hahn), a scientist (Leslie Odom Jr.), and a politically incorrect former model (Kate Hudson) – and Miles' estranged former business partner (Janelle Monáe). But who ends up dead? And who is responsible? Only Blanc has the answers. This film isn't just hilarious, but it's also one of the best Netflix thriller movies (especially for those looking for a less serious mystery).
We don't want to give too many spoilers away here, so head to our Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery review for a more in-depth take on the film.
21. Jackass 4.5
Year: 2022
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Sometimes, you feel like watching a comedy with a decent plot that's going to draw you in, make you care for the characters, and leave your cheeks hurting and your heart all warm and fuzzy. Other times, you just want to see a bunch of grown-ups willingly put themselves into uncomfortable, often painful situations and laugh at their misfortune. Enter Jackass 4.5, which pulls together deleted scenes from Jackass Forever. Johnny Knoxville, Danger Ehren, Steve-O, Dave England, Rachel Wolfson, Zach Holmes, Chris Pontius, Jasper Dolphin, Eric Manaka, Sean 'Poopies' McInerney, Wee Man, and Preston Lacy all feature.
We've grown to love this film despite our initial criticisms, which you can read more about in our Jackass Forever review.
20. Don't Look Up
Year: 2021
Director: Adam McKay
Available on: Netflix US/UK
The starry, Oscar-nominated dark comedy Don't Look Up sees two astronomers trying to spread the message that a giant comet is going to wipe out life on Earth. Unfortunately, nobody seems to be listening. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence star as astronomers Randall and Kate, while Meryl Streep is President Orlean, and Jonah Hill is her son and Chief of Staff. Mark Rylance, Timothée Chalamet, Tyler Perry, Cate Blanchett, and Ron Perlman co-star. Adam McKay directs.
Read our Don't Look Up review for more details!
19. Inside
Year: 2021
Director: Bo Burnham
Available on: Netflix US/UK
We haven't included any of Netflix's many stand-up comedy specials in this list of the best Netflix comedies, instead focussing on proper movies. However, Bo Burnham's Inside falls into a very weird place of being both a comedy special but also bordering on being a proper movie. Made and released during the Coronavirus pandemic, Inside is unlike anything else made across the same period.
It starts off laugh-out-loud funny, with some great songs about white women's Instagram profiles and Facetiming with your parents. However, it soon looks inward, with Burnham addressing depression and a growing discontent with the internet. We won't spoil anything more, but the overall experience is a thought-provoking film.
18. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Year: 2021
Director: Michael Rianda
Available on: Netflix US/UK
From the producers behind Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse... need we say any more? Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's fingerprints are all over this animated movie from Gravity Falls alumni Mike Rianda. The movie follows the titular family of four as teenage daughter Katie prepares to leave home for film school. She’s content to fly, but dad Rick spies a chance to mend their ailing relationship by driving her cross-country to her dorm room along with mum Linda and brother Aaron.
While some gags will whoosh over the heads of younger audience members, but amid the apocalyptic chaos, there’s plenty that families will relate to, from dysfunctional disagreements to screen-time addiction. Plus, there’s a genius use of a licensed product to rival anything in The Lego Movie. When it comes to The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, everyone’s a winner.
Check out our The Mitchells vs the Machines review for more information on one of the best Netflix sci-fi movies as well as comedies around.
17. Long Shot
Year: 2019
Director: Jonathan Levine
Available on: Netflix UK
Let’s be honest: politics is a mess right now, but if you need some humor to lighten the load for a small moment, then let Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron offer you the perfect tonic. Here, the pair play journalist Fred Flarsky and US Secretary of State Charlotte Field. As kids, Charlotte used to babysit Fred, and through chance circumstances where they reconnect at a charity event (featuring the legendary Boyz II Men), Fred is hired by Charlotte to be her campaign speechwriter as she charts a course for the presidency.
The chemistry between Theron and Rogan gives the film its Presidential seal of approval. They cleverly play around with the "opposites attract" mantra: she's a workaholic, and he's outspoken. It’s the type of old-school romance that fuels some of the film's funniest moments - and as sparks fly, so does the film.
16. Set It Up
Year: 2018
Director: Claire Scanlon
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Part of Netflix's comedy refresh, Set It Up twists every typical romcom trope into something new. Zoey Deutsch and Glen Powell star as Harper and Charlie, personal assistants to two of New York’s busiest execs, played by Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs. With no social lives due to their hectic schedules, the underpaid and overworked duo concoct a genius plan: set their bosses up with the hopes of getting some time off.
We’re amid a romantic comedy resurgence if you haven’t noticed, and Set it Up is one of the very best to emerge. The plot may hit along similar beats – hey, that’s what you want from a rom-com – yet it pushes at the boundaries and breathes some fresh air into the formula. Powell and Deutsch have ridiculous chemistry that’s easy to champion from the minute they join forces.
15. Hot Fuzz
Year: 2007
Director: Edgar Wright
Available on: Netflix UK
As buddy comedies go, Hot Fuzz is ranked amongst the best. Edgar Wright’s second entry into the Cornetto Trilogy sees police sergeant Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) reassigned to the small town of Sandford, Gloucestershire. Witnessing the easy-going standards of its local police force, Angel becomes suspicious when some strange murders occur within the village, and alongside his new friend, police constable Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), they decide to investigate.
Wright, Pegg, and Frost are at their brilliant best in this satirical spin on British police officers. Together (along with a swan), they give them the Bad Boys/Point Break/Lethal Weapon treatment, along with several other action tributes to the genre. And for 121 minutes, it's a kick-ass ride from start to finish.
For the greater good, you should check out our Hot Fuzz review.
14. Bad Trip
Year: 2021
Director: Kitao Sakurai
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Eric André and Lil Rel Howery star in this road trip comedy, playing two best friends traveling from Florida to New York City so one of them can confess his love for his high school crush (Michaela Conlin), all the while being chased by the other's criminal sister (Tiffany Haddish), whose car they have stolen for the trip. The movie is filmed using hidden cameras and, like André's previous work, there's plenty of surreal comedy and absurd situations. Prepare to be surprised by some very funny and cringe-worthy skits.
13. Hit Man
Year: 2023
Director: Richard Linklater
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Can Glen Powell do no wrong? The simple answer is no and the former Scream Queens idol is currently living his best life with his best role to date. Inspired by a true story, in Hit Man, he plays Gary Johnson, a university professor-turned-fake hitman, when he assists the New Orleans police department in their undercover sting operations. Proving himself a natural (including some great caricature disguises), he quickly grows in confidence and success until he meets his match in Adria Arjona’s Madison, who hires him to kill her husband. The pair fall in love, and the rest, as you can imagine, gets complicated!
After films such as Dazed and Confused, The Before Trilogy, and Boyhood, Linklater is a revelation here. It almost feels out of character for the director, yet for a story that is a fun, sexy, madcap riff of movie hitmen with some serious comedic chops delivered by Powell and Arjona, he delivers a cinematic treat. So much so that you’ll be saying, "All pie is a good pie" by the time the credits roll.
Check out our Hit Man review for more information.
12. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Year: 2020
Director: David Dobkin
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams co-star as a pair of small-town Icelandic songwriters who go by the name Fire Saga. Clamoring for the fame and glory that comes from winning the titular music competition, they wind up representing their country through an amusing early sequence that wipes out the actual Iceland team. This hammy send-up of the Eurovision Song Contest plays like an extended Saturday Night Live skit. It manages to avoid the tedium you might expect from that setup by sharing its comedy gold throughout the cast. This isn’t JUST Ferrell’s show.
McAdams brings much merriment via her deadpan deliveries. Yet the best laughs hail from Dan Stevens, who deftly steals the entire movie as ostentatious Russian Alexander Lemtov, keen to sabotage and save the Fire Saga duo. This spoof is ridiculous, runs long, and is responsible for far too many memes, yet you’ll be laughing along merrily and thoroughly warmed by the love story at its center.
For more music in your life, read our Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga review.
11. Always Be My Maybe
Year: 2019
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Available on: Netflix US/UK
A trio of Asian American talent from Fresh Off The Boat join forces for a thoroughly refreshing love story. Ali Wong and Randall Park, who wrote and appeared in the aforementioned show, respectively, co-star as childhood sweethearts who reconvene 15 years later under drastically different circumstances.
Always Be My Maybe skirts barfy saccharine territory despite the homeliness of its story. Wong’s character, Sasha, has struck it big as a successful chef who returns home to San Francisco to help open a new restaurant, while Park’s Marcus has barely moved on at all. Despite the gap in their living circumstances, the pair rekindle their relationship, and comedy hijinks ensue. Throw in a dynamite A-list cameo, truly awful rapping from Marcus’ musical troupe, and Wong on top form; there’s plenty here to enjoy.
10. Someone Great
Year: 2019
Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Someone Great sounds like a sentimental romantic comedy you’ve seen countless times before. Heck, even the promo and marketing materials paint it as such. But despite its vague title it’s a sweet and funny farewell, as three friends spend one last day together in New York City. Eager to shed her Jane the Virgin persona, Gina Rodriguez snags the meatiest role as Jenny, a music journalist whose nine-year relationship ends the night before she leaves for a Rolling Stone job in California.
This prompts her two besties to blow off their workdays to help her source tickets for a must-see show before she departs. Thankfully, the film flits to and from the love story, instead of focusing mostly on the friendships. The Someone Great of the title turns out to be the friends that help her through the hardest time in her life and the person that Jenny never believes herself to be when she’s beholden to Nate.
9. Monty Python's Life of Brian
Year: 1979
Director: Terry Jones
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, Life of Brian still stands as one of the funniest films ever made. To prove that Holy Grail wasn’t a fluke, and eager to craft a winning follow-up, the Monty Python crew got together and gave us Life of Brian. Another period film, another set of ridiculous circumstances blended together to be as offensive as possible. This time, the focus is on a young Jewish man named Brian, who, through an unfortunate mixup, is heralded as being the Messiah.
But he’s not. He’s a very naughty boy. Razor-sharp dialogue, witty one-liners, daft slapstick scenarios; there isn’t a type of comedy that Life of Brian doesn’t wrangle into its story. This is a classic comedy that will no doubt still be topping 'best of' lists in another forty years.
For more whimsical pickings, check out our list of the best fantasy movies on Netflix.
8. We Have a Ghost
Year: 2023
Director: Christopher Landon
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Now for some family fun, spooky style. Starring Stranger Things’ David Harbour as a ghost with the most, Netflix original We Have a Ghost follows a young boy named Kevin who becomes an overnight social media sensation when he finds a ghoul named Ernest living in his family home. But when the new living/dead duo goes rogue to investigate the ghost's mysterious past, their supernatural finding attracts the attention of the CIA and gets the family into more trouble than they bargained for.
We Have a Ghost encompasses everything we love about Netflix family comedies, from its silliness to the array of colorful characters. Alongside Harbour, the cast also includes The White Lotus’ Jennifer Coolidge and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s Anthony Mackie, as well as Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Tig Notaro, Erica Ash, Faith Ford, Niles Fitch, Isabella Russo, and Steve Coulter.
7. Dolemite Is My Name
Year: 2019
Director: Craig Brewer
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Launching his career with raunchy standup, Eddie Murphy’s subsequent dive into family-friendly comedies didn’t exactly leave his hardcore fans pleased. When might we see the return of his no-holds-barred former self? His comeback movie, the Netflix Original Dolemite is My Name, is a damn fine start. While it might not pack quite the same R-rated punch as Raw it’s not supposed to.
Murphy stars as Rudy Ray Moore, an entertainer desperate to strike it rich. His humble musical beginnings soon make way for his foray into the movie business, where he charts his own path as blaxploitation icon, Dolemite. In the title role, Murphy excels, stealing every scene he’s in, proving that he’s got dramatic and comedy chops. His supporting cast, including Wesley Snipes, Tituss Burgess, Craig Robinson, and Keegan-Michael Key, absolutely slay.
6. The Fundamentals of Caring
Year: 2016
Director: Rob Burnett
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Based on the novel by Jonathan Evison, this buddy road trip movie walks the line between poignant drama and sharp, observational comedy perfectly. Paul Rudd stars as Ben, a failed writer who takes a wholly different approach to life after the tragic death of his son. He adopts a new livelihood as a caregiver which leads him to meet the brusque Trevor (Craig Roberts), a teen with muscular dystrophy who asks his new caregiver a simple request: to take him on a road trip.
The duo hit the road after convincing Trevor’s mom to let them visit "The World’s Deepest Pit." Their jaunt is, of course, not about the destination. It’s about the gags – and revelations – they make along the way, many of which revolve around Ben having to help Trevor pee. Selena Gomez’s achingly hip Dot jumps in on the action, with cheeky throwaway lines oozing crush-worthy cool, giving this fun, heart-warming comedy a little added bite.
5. Zombieland
Year: 2009
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Zombieland stars Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus, a shy student on his way home to Ohio to search for his parents…during a zombie apocalypse! Surviving on strict rules to stay alive, he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a Twinkie-loving cowboy who agrees to take him to Ohio. Little did they know that their journey would be disrupted not just by the zombies but also by Emma Stone’s Wichita and Abigail Breslin’s Little Rock.
Zombieland is not your typical zombie movie, which is what makes it great in the first place. It's a fresh take on zombie lore, including its sports-style announcement of 'Zombie Kill of the Week.' I mean, it’s not every day you see zombies getting massacred en masse while Tallahassee rides a rollercoaster! But the film’s best moment belongs to Bill Murray’s cameo. Played to such parody levels, how he survived a zombie apocalypse is genius, and yet somehow, you wouldn’t put it past him doing it again if an actual apocalypse occurred!
Want to know more about one of the best Netflix horror movies? Check out our Zombieland review.
4. The Forty-Year-Old Version
Year: 2020
Director: Radha Blank
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Radha Blank’s own life is the inspiration for her directorial debut, The Forty-Year-Old Version. She plays Radha, a woman whose biggest creative accomplishments lie nearly a decade in her past. Initially reluctant to change, she eventually snaps and decides she can’t trudge through more of the same. Emboldened, she hits up a local beat boy to support her rapping aspirations while seeking a theatrical home for her new play.
Movies about the creative process can feel a little inside baseball at times, yet Blank’s debut is more inclusive. Uproariously hilarious without being alienating, the concept of trying to make it against all odds is a universal one Blank handles with aplomb. The Forty-Year-Old Version is an authentic and painfully funny dive into how we handle dissatisfaction later in life and the endless rewards that we can bring if we’re willing to be brave and change our circumstances.
3. The Lovebirds
Year: 2020
Director: Michael Showalter
Available on: Netflix US/UK
One of 2020's first big post-lockdown successes, The Lovebirds sees Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani play two lovebirds who are anything but. Their relationship is on the rocks, and their breakup plans are interrupted by a car crash that spirals into a world of conspiracies and criminals. It's a comedy, honest.
Following on from that climatic incident, The Lovebirds becomes pure farce, flitting between hilarious set-piece after hilarious set-piece, each designed to make you cringe and wince. The Lovebirds, like so many rom-coms, revels in the chemistry between the two leads as their situation slips further and further out of their control. No spoilers here, but let's just say you won't see a certain form of torture coming. It also cements Nanjiani as one of the most interesting and necessary actors when it comes to modern-day relationships. A perfect double bill with The Big Sick. One of the best Netflix comedies you can really laugh along with.
2. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Year: 2018
Director(s): Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Available on: Netflix US/UK
The Coen brothers bring their unique style to a series of short tales told throughout the Old West. Over the course of six stories, the American frontier serves as a backdrop for a range of characters to come to the fore to reveal their own truths about life in the American West. Sharpshooters, bank robbers, prospectors, and more lay bare their lives in these wildly different stories.
Coen fans tend to vary wildly on which is their favorite movie from the duo - and that’s why Buster Scruggs is a winner. It steals from across their career, snagging bits and pieces from their entire repertoire, linking together the six-part anthology flick through their signature style of black comedy and compelling drama. And the cast? To die for.
If you are after more shoot-outs and gun fights, read our list of the best action movies on Netflix right now.
1. The Incredible Jessica James
Year: 2017
Director: James C. Strouse
Available on: Netflix US/UK
Another stand-out Netflix Original comedy that embraces the cliches and makes them palatable thanks in large part to its spot-on casting. Jessica Williams stars as Jessica James, a twenty-something New Yorker reeling from her split with Damon (Lakeith Stanfield, who, yes, is playing another ex-boyfriend). The movie opens as she launches back into dating, her scathing, take-no-prisoners schtick an apparent turn off from the get-go.
Enter Boone. Chris O'Dowd trots out his loveable Bridesmaids persona again as a fellow recent dumpee who immediately hits it off with Jessica. The fun explored between this pair is the shared heartache they each experience, that’s a neat story trick that works to unite them. Williams and O’Dowd’s chemistry is terrific, and their humor is infectious.
For more streaming picks, head over to our lists of the best Netflix shows and the best movies on Disney Plus to watch right now. We also have recommendations on the best HBO Max movies and the best Amazon Prime movies for all your streaming service needs.
