40 Best Comedy Movies on Netflix for When You Need a Good Laugh

If you want to watch a new comedy (or a newish comedy) …

Anaconda

Jack Black (A Minecraft Movie) and Paul Rudd (Power Ballad) lead this meta reboot as lifelong best friends Doug McCallister and Ronald “Griff” Griffen Jr., a pair of aspiring filmmakers who get the opportunity of a lifetime: travel to the Amazon with their pals and remake their favorite film, the 1997 horror classic Anaconda. But tragedy strikes when they accidentally kill their killer snake star, halting their already beleaguered production. Armed with a dream and not much else, they journey deeper into the jungle to find a new fanged fiend. What could go wrong? Steve Zahn (The Ridiculous 6) and Thandiwe Newton (Big Mouth) co-star in this buddy comedy directed by Tom Gormican (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F).

Happy Gilmore 2

Adam Sandler returns to the green in the long-awaited sequel to Happy Gilmore, and the comeback is worth every swing. Nearly 30 years after the 1996 cult classic, the Sandman reprises his beloved role as Happy, who joins the Tour Championship to help pay for his daughter’s dream of attending ballet school. In the follow-up, directed by Kyle Newacheck (Murder Mystery), Sandler is joined by fan favorites (Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Blake Clark, and Ben Stiller, to name a few) and new faces, including Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny), Eric André, Eminem, and Post Malone.

Joe’s College Road Trip

Tyler Perry both directs and reprises his role as quick-witted and crass Joe of the Madea franchise. In this audacious romp, Joe decides to take his teenage grandson, B.J. (Jermaine Harris), to visit prospective colleges. Joe worries that sheltered B.J. lacks the exposure to Black culture and history that he needs going into adulthood. As they visit historical spots, B.J. starts to understand his grandfather’s unique way of sharing what’s important to him. But of course, they run the risk that Joe’s irreverent humor and outdated ways will land them in hot water before they make it home.

Kinda Pregnant

Hailing from Adam Sandler’s production company Happy Madison, the comedy from co-writer Amy Schumer and director Tyler Spindel (The Out-Laws) stars Schumer as Lainy, a teacher who could probably use a lesson or two. When Lainy learns that many people in her life are now pregnant, she begins wearing a fake belly, appreciating the attention. But the lie becomes even more complicated when she meets a new suitor (played by Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte). Joining Schumer and Forte in Kinda Pregnant are Jillian Bell, Brianne Howey, Chris Geere, and Damon Wayans Jr.

Ladies First

Damien Sachs (Sacha Baron Cohen) has it all — money, power, and a never-ending stream of casual flings — and he’s not afraid to rub it in everyone’s faces. But as he prepares to take over as CEO at a ritzy ad agency, he suddenly wakes up in a very unfamiliar landscape: a parallel world dominated by women. He must now go head-to-head with the fierce and fearless Alex Fox (Rosamund Pike) for the top job. Richard E. Grant and Emily Mortimer are also in the comedy movie, based on the French feature I Am Not an Easy Man.

Nonnas

In Nonnas, Vince Vaughn trades in his usual wedding-crashing and fraternity-starting buddies for a quartet of grandmas. Based on a true story, the uplifting film from director Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) finds Joe (Vaughn) looking to honor his late mother by opening an Italian restaurant with a group of grandmothers acting as the chefs. And in doing so, Joe is served a new family. The cast includes Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Susan Sarandon, Brenda Vaccaro, Linda Cardellini, Drea de Matteo, and Joe Manganiello. 

Roommates

The fastest way to lose your mind in college? Get a roommate. In this unhinged comedy, Sadie Sandler plays the shy Devon opposite Chloe East’s fiery Celeste. After meeting during their orientation program, the two agree to live together and wade through freshman-year chaos — frat parties, first hangovers, packed school schedules, and new friends — arm in arm. But soon, their blossoming friendship spirals into a war of passive aggression and hilarious chaos. Sarah Sherman (Nimona), Nick Kroll (Mating Season), and Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) also star.

Unfrosted

For his feature directorial debut, Jerry Seinfeld unwrapped a hilarious treat. Loosely based on the true story of the creation of Pop-Tarts, Unfrosted goes inside the battle between Kellogg’s and Post to be the first to come up with a pastry that will be the breakfast game changer. Appearing alongside Seinfeld and Gaffigan is an A-list ensemble that includes Jim Gaffigan, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, James Marsden, and Christian Slater.

If you want to watch something more romantic…

A Family Affair

If you thought you had a tough situation with your boss, then imagine how Zara (The Kissing Booth’s Joey King) must feel. An aspiring producer, Zara is the overworked and underappreciated personal assistant to self-absorbed movie star Chris Cole (Zac Efron). Things reach official nightmare status when Zara walks in on Chris sleeping with her widowed mother, Brooke (Nicole Kidman), an esteemed author. The trio navigates the awkward situation with help from a supporting cast that features Liza Koshy, Sherry Cola, and Kathy Bates.

Hit Man

Talk about a hit, man. Released to great acclaim, director Richard Linklater’s Hit Man marked co-writer and leading man Glen Powell’s official arrival as a movie star. Based on a true story, the romantic comedy follows Powell’s Gary, a mild-mannered New Orleans professor who moonlights as a police contractor, posing as a hit man to prevent planned murder-for-hires. But things take a dangerous and sexy turn when Gary meets Madison (Adria Arjona), who’s looking for someone to eliminate her abusive husband. Stealing scenes opposite Powell and Arjona are Austin Amelio (The Walking Dead) and Retta (Parks and Recreation).

The Incredible Jessica James

The romantic comedy centers on the titular Jessica James (Jessica Williams), a struggling playwright who’s finding even less success in the dating world. Still reeling from a recent breakup, she goes on a blind date with divorcé Boone (Chris O’Dowd) and they soon begin a relationship, while also agreeing to keep tabs on each other’s exes (Someone Great’s LaKeith Stanfield and Master of None’s Noël Wells, respectively). Like most rom-coms, Jessica James flourishes due to the inherent likability of its leads.

The Kissing Booth

Looking for some euphoria? Enter The Kissing Booth. Based on Beth Reekles’ popular young adult novel, the teen rom-com stars Joey King as quirky high school junior Elle Evans, who suddenly begins attracting the attention of her bad-boy crush Noah (Jacob Elordi). Unfortunately, there’s one big problem: Noah is the older brother of Elle’s lifelong best friend, Lee (Joel Courtney), and the budding romance puts their friendship in jeopardy. Viewers couldn’t stay out of The Kissing Booth, prompting the arrival of a second and third film to make up the trilogy.

People We Meet on Vacation

Emily Bader (My Lady Jane) and Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) star in this globe-trotting romance as the free-spirited Poppy and the routine-loving Alex. Even though they live in different cities, they’ve maintained their unlikely friendship for a decade by spending every summer vacation together. But their bond is put to the test and hijinks ensue when they start to question if they could actually be the perfect romantic match. This adaptation of Emily Henry’s bestselling novel has an ensemble cast featuring Sarah Catherine Hook, Jameela Jamil, Lucien Laviscount, and Lukas Gage.

Players

Famously, you should hate the game, not the player — and you definitely won’t hate Players. Pitch Perfect 3 filmmaker Trish Sie hits a home run with the Gina Rodriguez-led rom-com, which stars the Jane the Virgin alum as Mack, a New York City sportswriter who’s perfected the art of devising hookup “plays” for her and her friends. But when she meets the devilishly handsome Nick (Tom Ellis), the games might be over. Rodriguez and Ellis’ extremely charming team of co-stars includes Damon Wayans Jr., Ego Nwodim, Liza Koshy, and Joel Courtney.

Someone Great

If you want to watch something great, writer-director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson has you covered. Produced by Paul Feig, this comedy, like his Bridesmaids, clicks thanks to the endearing friendships between the main characters — not because of a romantic relationship. Gina Rodriguez stars as Jenny, a music journalist who’s on the verge of leaving New York City for her dream job in San Francisco. But her happy ending is derailed when her longtime boyfriend (LaKeith Stanfield) ends things. Luckily, her best friends Blair (Brittany Snow) and Erin (DeWanda Wise) are ready to take her mind off the breakup and give her one last unforgettable night in the Big Apple.

The Wrong Paris

Expectation: baguettes and cafés. Reality: cowboy boots and small-town charm. Believing it’s set in France, Dawn (Miranda Cosgrove) signs up for a dating show to follow her Parisian dreams — only to arrive in Paris, Texas. Determined to bow out gracefully, she schemes to get eliminated, but her plans are thrown off when she starts developing unexpected feelings for a cowboy bachelor. Pierson Fodé, Madison Pettis, Frances Fisher, and Yvonne Orji co-star in this charming rom-com directed by Janeen Damian.

If you want to watch a family comedy …

Family Switch

You know what’s better than one body swap? Three body swaps! Adapted from Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s 2010 children’s book Bedtime for Mommy, the film stars Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms as parents Jess and Bill. A forced attempt at bonding ends with the family of five waking up to find they’ve all swapped places. (Well, technically six of them, since baby Miles and dog Pickles also get switched.) And the Christmas-themed comedy features something that every movie-lover can appreciate: the legendary Rita Moreno as the mysterious figure who facilitates the switch.

In Your Dreams

Strap in for the adventure of a nighttime. This imaginative animated comedy, written and directed by Alex Woo, follows siblings Stevie and Alex, whose lives take a chaotic turn when they stumble upon a magical picture book promising that the Sandman can turn any dream into reality. Wishing for the perfect family, the pair set off on an enchanting trip into the dream realm to track down the mythical figure. Simu Liu, Cristin Milioti, and Craig Robinson lead the voice cast.

Leo

If you’re a child in need of advice and support, then you can do a lot worse than a tuatara voiced by Adam Sandler. This animated musical comedy is about a charming but disgruntled classroom pet who is having a midlife crisis at the ripe old age of 74. He decides to share his wisdom with the quirky fifth grade students at the school. The heartfelt movie is a whole family affair: Sandler co-wrote the script; Sandler’s wife, Jackie, and daughters, Sunny and Sadie, also voice characters in the film.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

This funny and touching (not to mention Oscar-nominated) animated comedy tracks a dysfunctional family on their road trip from Michigan to California, where they’ll drop aspiring filmmaker Katie (Disenchantment’s Abbi Jacobson) off at college. But the mission of patriarch Rick (Danny McBride) to bond with his daughter is sidetracked by a global robot uprising — you know, usual road trip stuff. Joining Jacobson and McBride on this hilarious ride are Maya Rudolph, Olivia Colman, Eric André, Fred Armisen, Conan O’Brien, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Blake Griffin, and Doug the Pug.

Swapped

This animated body-swap comedy follows two unlikely friends — a fuzzy woodland creature named Ollie (voiced by Michael B. Jordan) and a noble bird named Ivy (Juno Temple) — who are forced to work together. The only problem? They’ve accidentally swapped bodies, and are walking around in each other’s fur and feathers. Their species are sworn enemies, but when another creature threatens the valley they love, will their newfound bond be enough to save the day? Directed by Nathan Greno (Tangled), the movie also features additional voices by Tracy Morgan (Green Eggs and Ham) and Cedric the Entertainer (Madagascar).

We Have a Ghost

This family-friendly horror-comedy follows a teenager, Kevin (Jahi Di’Allo Winston), who discovers a ghost (David Harbour) living in the attic of his family’s newly-purchased house. After befriending the specter and naming him Ernest, Kevin offers to help his paranormal pal settle some unfinished business — but things take a turn when Kevin’s dad (Anthony Mackie) learns about Ernest and shares a video of him that goes viral. The film also stars Jennifer Coolidge as a cable TV psychic who gets more than she bargained for when she attempts to make contact with Ernest.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

It’s one of those things that are just inevitable about adolescence: two teenage girlfriends, fighting over the same boy. Sunny Sandler and Samantha Lorraine lead this comedy as the besties in question, and the rest of the Sandler family — Adam Sandler and his wife, Jackie Sandler, and their other daughter, Sadie Sandler — are all part of the cast. Idina Menzel, Sarah Sherman, Jackie Hoffman, and Luis Guzmán also appear in the movie, which is based on the young adult novel of the same name and directed by Sammi Cohen.

If you want to watch a dark comedy …

Do Revenge

Loosely inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train, this black comedy from Someone Great’s Jennifer Kaytin Robinson stars Camila Mendes (Riverdale) and Maya Hawke (Stranger Things) as new friends who bond over their mission to get revenge on the spoiled rich kids who turned them into high school outcasts. Between the stylish look and direction, clever script, and winning performances by Mendes, Hawke, Austin Abrams, and Sophie Turner (plus Sarah Michelle Gellar as the school’s headmaster), Do Revenge makes us nostalgic for the glory days of teen movies.

Don’t Look Up

Directed by Adam McKay, this movie is both a star-studded dramedy and a call to action — and it also features what’s possibly the most romantic song ever written about climate doom. Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Mark Rylance, and more star in this dark comedy about a meteor racing toward Earth and a world of civilians and leaders alike who couldn’t care less. The meteor, in our case, is the ongoing threat of a changing climate.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Rian Johnson’s whodunit is the follow-up to Knives Out, and tracks the ultra-savvy Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), as he travels to a remote Greek island after receiving a mysterious invitation from a tech billionaire (Edward Norton). When one of the wealthy guests winds up dead, Detective Blanc must sniff out the murderer among the ensemble of colorful characters (Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Madelyn Cline, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jessica Henwick). The backdrop to this darkly funny murder mystery is crystal-clear waters, blue skies, and a view literally to die for.

I Care a Lot

Prepare to care a lot about this film. Rosamund Pike won a Golden Globe for her performance as Marla, a con woman who tricks courts into appointing her as the guardian for elderly people whom she claims can’t take care of themselves. She then places them in assisted-living facilities and sells off their assets. But her latest scam puts her in jeopardy when she hones in on the mother of a dangerous crime lord. Part thriller, part satirical black comedy, I Care a Lot features colorful supporting turns from Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, Chris Messina, and Dianne Wiest.

IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE

A pre-wedding party gets flipped upside down and inside out in this sci-fi horror comedy from writer-director Greg Jardin. IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE stars Brittany O’Grady, Devon Terrell, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and more as a group of friends whose celebration goes in an unexpected direction when an old acquaintance reemerges — with a body-swapping device. It’s got all the trappings of the horror genre, from the creepy home where danger could lurk in every corner to a cast of attractive young people (in this case, all hiding secrets from their nearest and dearest) — but it delivers laughs amid the thrills.

The Thursday Murder Club

Some hobbies never lose their thrill, and for the members of the Thursday Murder Club at Coopers Chase retirement village, solving mysteries is serious business. Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie star as a group of senior sleuths who spend their spare time reviewing cold cases for fun. When their peaceful home is threatened by a developer and one of the residents turns up dead, they find themselves in the middle of a real-life murder mystery. This cozy crime caper, directed by Chris Columbus, is adapted from Richard Osman’s bestselling novel.

If you want to watch an action comedy …

Back in Action

Cameron Diaz made her return to acting in the aptly-titled Back in Action, alongside her Annie and Any Given Sunday co-star Jamie Foxx. The duo play former CIA agents Emily and Matt, who disappear after an operation goes bad, starting a new life and family. Fifteen years later, a viral video blows their cover, and they must team up with their kids to survive the incoming threats. The ensemble also includes Andrew Scott, Kyle Chandler, Jamie Demetriou, and Glenn Close.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Forty years after debuting his iconic action-comedy hero Axel Foley, Eddie Murphy dusted off the Detroit Lions jacket to return for the long-awaited fourth Beverly Hills Cop installment. It’s been three decades since Beverly Hills Cop III, but Axel F finds the ever-funny and clever Detective Foley up to his old tricks, when a new case brings him back to Beverly Hills and reunites him with old friends and his estranged daughter. Axel F also stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon, Judge Reinhold, and the late John Ashton.

Day Shift

Veteran stuntman J.J. Perry (Django Unchained) made his directorial debut with a supernatural action comedy you can really sink your teeth into. Day Shift stars Jamie Foxx as Bud Jablonski, who poses as a pool cleaner as a cover for his real job: vampire hunter. But business hasn’t been booming for Bud, hence the reason he reluctantly rejoins the vampire-hunting union that previously kicked him out. Joining Foxx on this frighteningly funny gig are Dave Franco, Meagan Good, Scott Adkins, Steve Howey, and Snoop Dogg. In other words, watching Day Shift will feel like the opposite of work.

Red Notice

This globe-trotting adventure brings together three of Hollywood’s most powerful A-listers (and Fast & Furious alums): Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot. Written and directed by Johnson’s frequent collaborator Rawson Marshall Thurber, Red Notice introduces Johnson as top FBI profiler John Hartley, who teams up with wisecracking criminal Nolan Booth (Reynolds) to catch the world’s most wanted art thief, Gadot’s Sarah “The Bishop” Black. Expect plenty of action and jokes (including a dynamite Vin Diesel-Cats gag), a surprising twist, and the urge to watch even more heist movies.

If you want to watch a dramedy … 

Dolemite Is My Name

“Can you dig it?” Eddie Murphy stars in this biopic as Rudy Ray Moore, a struggling Los Angeles comedian who took the creative and financial risk to bring his stand-up character to the big screen, and in turn made one of the greatest blaxploitation films of the 1970s. The dramedy about the “Godfather of Rap” has a stacked cast, including Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, and Wesley Snipes.

The Laundromat

There’s nothing dirty about Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh making a movie with Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Antonio Banderas — one that documents the infamous Panama Papers scandal. Banderas and Oldman serve as narrators for three stories, including one in which Streep plays a widow who learns she won’t receive the insurance money she’s owed after her husband’s death. She then comes across a powerful Panamanian company run by two cunning lawyers (again, Banderas and Oldman) who hide money for the extremely wealthy. The cast also features Jeffrey Wright, David Schwimmer, Will Forte, Robert Patrick, and Sharon Stone.

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

Noah Baumbach is now a Netflix mainstay, but the writer-director of Marriage Story and White Noise made his debut on the service with the critically adored dramedy The Meyerowitz Stories. The film follows a group of dysfunctional adult siblings trying to live in the shadow of their father, a noted professor and artist. The film’s star-packed cast includes Baumbach veterans Adam Driver and Ben Stiller, as well as Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, and Adam Sandler (who received high praise for his against-type performance as the floundering eldest son).

If you want to watch a raunchy comedy …

Good on Paper

Stand-up comedian and Spenser Confidential scene-stealer Iliza Shlesinger takes center stage with Good on Paper. The rom-com stars Shlesinger (who also wrote the film) as Andrea, an aspiring actor and comedian who’s long put work ahead of romance. But that all changes when she meets the smart and kind Dennis (Ryan Hansen), a Yale graduate and hedge-fund manager. So, basically, the perfect package — or so Andrea thinks. Margaret Cho and Rebecca Rittenhouse also star in the film, which is even better on-screen than it sounds on paper.

Ibiza: Love Drunk

Executive produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, this raunchy rom-com stars Community alum Gillian Jacobs as Harper, an overworked New York City publicist who’s sent to Barcelona for an important business meeting. On the trip, Harper is accompanied by her hard-partying friends Nikki (Vanessa Bayer) and Leah (Phoebe Robinson), and a night of clubbing finds Harper connecting with a famous DJ, Leo West (Richard Madden). Work be damned, Harper and her crew follow Leo to nearby noted party hotspot Ibiza, where romance and shenanigans are always on tap.

Incoming

Every generation deserves their own raunchy high school comedy, and Incoming more than fits the bill for the teens of the 2020s, tracking one of the most important nights in a young man’s life: his first high school party. Mason Thames plays Benj, an incoming freshman with his eyes set on his older sister’s best friend. But first, he and his three buddies must survive a party they weren’t invited to. The true scene-stealer of Incoming is Bobby Cannavale as Mr. Studebaker, who’s trying a little too hard to be “the cool teacher” to his students.

Me Time

Friends for life, right? This buddy comedy pairs Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg as best friends who have grown apart. The duo reunite when stay-at-home dad Sonny (Hart) finally has some time to himself and decides to partake in the wild annual birthday celebration for Huck (Wahlberg). When they aren’t full-on raging, Sonny and Huck discover that they have much to learn about each other — and themselves. Also getting in on Me Time are Luis Gerardo Méndez, Jimmy O. Yang, and Regina Hall.