The 50 Greatest Comedy Movies of All Time
What is happiness? In cinematic terms, it's what we feel when we watch a good comedy movie. But what gives a film such a qualifier?
On the one hand, the inclusion of archetypal characters and, on the other hand, a good dose of gags and absurd jokes framed in unlikely situations.
There are laughs for all tastes, from romantic comedy to family comedy to action comedy. However, all of them share a single purpose: to get the laughter of the public.
If you are looking for funny movies, loaded with good humor and you don't know which one to choose, here is a list of 50 of the best comedy movies of all time.
1. The Fly Man (1923)
Direction: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
Fly man (Safety Last!) is a film starring Harold Lloyd, one of the most legendary comedians of the seventh art. In it, the actor puts himself in the shoes of a man who emigrates to the city in search of a better life. There he begins to work as a clerk in a department store.
If there is something that left a mark on this tape, it is the image of Harold Lloyd hanging from the hands of a gigantic clock. However, this comedy highlights the interpretative mastery of his protagonist, who was always characterized by the elegance of his expressiveness and gestures.
2. The Modern Sherlock Holmes (1924)
Direction: Buster keaton
What would classic comedy be without the sobriety of Buster Keaton? This essential silent film comedian showed the general public how humor can be made without ever showing a smile.
The modern Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock, Jr.) is an unmissable tape of this comedian. It is an agile film, full of stunts and absurd gags. It is also a good example of "cinema within cinema."
His plot revolves around a designer who dreams of being a detective. One night he falls asleep while showing a movie and dreams that he is immersed in it representing Sherlock Jr. His mission is to discover who stole a pearl necklace.
3. The Gold Rush (1925)
Direction: Charles Chaplin
The Gold Chimera (The Gold Rush) is undoubtedly one of the obligatory comedies of the genius who knew how to put a smile on adversity. Charles Chaplin managed to turn a tragic situation into an amusing pantomime.
Here he plays an Alaskan gold digger who wants to get rich for a better life. This film highlights themes such as hunger or cold through scenes that make it difficult for the viewer to avoid laughing.
4. The General's Machinist (1926)
Direction: Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton
The machinist of the general (The General) is another gem of Keaton's cinema. It is set in the Civil War in 1861. In it he plays Johnny Gray, a train driver, who is rejected on the army lists and is involved in a series of absurd situations with his engine. The train journey becomes the true protagonist of the film, a journey full of humor, suspense and gags that make this film a timeless comedy.
5. Goose soup (1933)
Direction: Leo McCarey
Goose soup or Occasion heroes (Duck Soup) is one of the craziest comedies of the inimitable and unique Marx Brothers. This film is necessary to understand the humor of one of the best comedy groups that has left in talkies.
It is worth it because it is loaded with visual and verbal gags, based on verbal abuse, in which you can see the Marx Brothers in their purest form.
6. It Happened One Night (1934)
Director: Frank Capra
If you talk about comedy from the 30s, It happened one night (It Happened One Night) is a required title. Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable are in charge of starring in this film. Ellie is a young woman who has run away from home and Peter is a reporter looking for a great topic to tell. Fate causes the two to meet on a bus and, throughout the film, go from enmity to love.
7. Modern Times (1936)
Direction: Charles Chaplin.
Modern times (Modern times) reaffirms that Chaplin is the master of gag and comedy. In it, Charlot faces the great problems of the 20th century, such as unemployment, inequality or strikes.
It places special emphasis on the idea of "man vs machine", given the imminent replacement of the worker by the technology of the industry. Address one of the main concerns of the human being while adding a tinge of humor. This film teaches us something that Chaplin always wanted to achieve with his cinema: put a good face on bad weather.
8. Terrible truth (1937)
Direction: Leo McCarey
Terrible truth or The rogue puritan (The Awful Truth) is full of crazy situations. Its plot revolves around Jerry and Lucy, a couple who are about to get divorced and fight over custody of their dog.
The film is characterized by its agile pace and stands out for its dialogues and the spontaneity with which the protagonists face the different situations that arise.
9. The beast of my girl (1938)
Direction: Howard hawks
The beast of my girl or The adorable rambunctious (Bringing Up Baby) is a clear example of how a film that was a commercial failure at its premiere can, over the years, become a masterpiece of the genre. It is a pure representation of the extravagant comedy, in which everyday situations turn into something crazy.
Cary Grant plays David Huxley, a paleontologist who is engaged to his secretary, who is about to finish gathering the bones of a brotonosaurus. Soon, on his path he crosses Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn), a young millionaire who will change the course of her life and her events.
10. Ninotchka (1939)
Direction: Ernst Lubitsch
This is one of the few films in which Greta Garbo, its protagonist, will be seen laughing.
It is inspired by the Paris of the 1920s, where Ninotchka (Greta Garbo) travels there with the mission of recovering some very valuable jewels. Political themes are the backdrop to this film and serve to create all sorts of memorable humorous situations.
11. Philadelphia Stories (1940)
Direction: George Cukor
Based on a play by the same name, Philadelphia Stories or Wrong sinner (The Philadelphia Story) is a romantic comedy set in refined American society.
Performers of the stature of Katherine Herpburn and Cary Grant are responsible for bringing Trancy Lord and Drexter Heaven to life, respectively. They are both divorced and Trancy plans to remarry another man. Then, Dexter returns to change the course of events.
12. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
Direction: Preston struges
Sullivan's Travels (Sullivan's Travels) is one of the most representative works of Struges' filmography. The film, shot during the Second World War, is a clear example of how to “put a good face on bad weather”.
Sullivan is a humorous film director, who wants to change genre and make a film to show the great problems that affect society. To do this, he decides to travel the country pretending to be a vagabond to experience misery on his own skin and thus translate it into his work. Finally, he comes to the conclusion that his thing is to make people laugh.
This comedy offers a very beautiful teaching, since it shows how cinema, especially humor, can be a means capable of healing the soul.
13. To be or not to be (1942)
Direction: Ernst Lubitsch
To be or not to be (To Be or Not to Be) was shot during World War II and is one of the greatest anti-Nazi satires in cinema and one of Lubitsch's funniest films. It stars Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, who play a married couple who run a theater company in Warsaw in the 1930s.
14. Compassionate Arsenic (1944)
Direction: Frank Capra
After a film career marked by the dramatic genre, Frank Capra turns black comedy upside down. Compassionate arsenic (Arsenic and Old Lace) is an adaptation of the homonymous play.
Although not the best portrayal of him, Cary Grant plays Samuel Brewster, a theater critic who hates marriage but eventually marries young Elanie. Before the honeymoon he decides to visit his three unmarried aunts to tell them the news. Once in his house, he discovers that women are dedicated to killing old people by introducing a poison in the wine, supposedly, they do it out of compassion.
15. Eight death sentences (1949)
Direction: Robert Hamer
Eight death sentences (Kind Hearts and Coronets) is a required title when talking about British comedy. Also for those who love good black comedy. It is based on the novel Israel Rank by the writer Roy Horniman.
Actor Dennis Price plays Louis Mazzini, a man sentenced to death. Through flashback, Mazzini reveals the past of his mother, to whom the title of Duchess belonged and was taken from her for falling in love with the wrong man, his father. The protagonist wants to take revenge for what happened and eliminate the eight candidates for the title that belongs to him.
16. Monsieur Hulot's Vacation (1953)
Direction: Jacques tati
It is one of the best comedies of the French director and actor Jacques Tati. It is a film capable of extracting humor from everyday life, full of gags and unforgettable situations.
The action takes place in a seaside hotel, where French families are going to spend the summer period. Despite the luxuries and amenities, guests are unable to break away from the routine. Suddenly, Hulot arrives who will change the course of events and alter the "tranquility" of the vacationers.
17. In skirts and crazy (1959)
Direction: Billy Wilder
Whit skirts and being crazy (Some like it hot) has it all. It's a fresh, snappy, gag-filled comedy.
It tells the story of two musicians who witness a fight. Soon they will be hunted by the mob and, in their flight, they end up being part of a female music group, in which they are dressed in skirts. There they meet Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe) for whom both are interested.
18. The Apartment (1960)
Direction: Billy Wilder
Apartment or Bachelor flat (The Apartment) is a satire of the capitalist system, corruption and influence peddling in American society at the time.
Starring Jack Lemmon, its plot revolves around C.C. Baxter, an insurance company employee who lives in a small apartment, which he sometimes rents to his superiors so that they can have their love dates with their respective lovers.
19. The Nutty Professor (1963)
Direction: Jerry lewis
The nutty professor (The Nutty Proffesor), movie starring and directed by Jerry Lewis, part of a very funny plot: a chemistry teacher with a very unique appearance creates a potion capable of transforming his bizarre image for a more Elegant.
The film is loaded with comic effects and sends a message that goes beyond the limits of humor: the importance of being happy with oneself, without following the patterns established by society.
20. Red phone? We flew to Moscow (1964)
Direction: Stanley kubrick
Dr. Unusual or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the pump (Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) is a film whose plot is based on a thriller (Red Alert).
Kubrick managed to transform the story into a satirical black comedy about the Cold War. In this film he encourages about the dangers of technology thanks to some of the most grotesque characters and comic situations.
21. The Daisies (1966)
Direction: Vera Chytilová
Conceived during the golden age of Czech cinema, in the so-called “New Czechoslovak Wave”, the director Vera Chytilová sought to break with the norms established in the cinematographic medium. It is a black, surrealist and experimental comedy that is a song of rebellion. Its protagonists are two young girls who decide to kill boredom by sowing chaos wherever they go. The film is a non-linear narrative that is made up of different disconnected sequences in which the protagonists will show their obstinacy with the world around them.
22. The Guateque (1968)
Direction: Blake edwards
The Guateque or The unforgettable party (The party) is one of those films that elevated the comedy genre of the 1960s.
British comedy genius Peter Selles played Hrudi V. Bakshi, an actor who, after a long time doing extra work, gets a leading role. Due to his behavior he is fired from the film. Later, he is mistakenly invited to a party hosted by the film's producer, who had banned him from the movie world. During the party a series of funniest events takes place.
23. Playtime (1967)
Direction: Jacques Tati.
It is a film as comical as it is thoughtful in which Tati plays Hulot again. But, this time, with the intention of criticizing the modern world and large cities, where society is increasingly individualistic.
The film plays with intelligent and subtle humor. At the same time, it stands out for having such a beautiful photograph that it is perfectly comparable to expressionist films.
24. The discreet charm of the bourgeoisie (1972)
Direction: Luis Bunuel
The discreet charm of the bourgeoisie (Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie) is a surreal film that is halfway between comedy and absurdity.
The action revolves around six couples, belonging to the bourgeoisie who, due to different circumstances, every time they meet for dinner there is something that prevents them.
25. American Graffity (1973)
Direction: George Lucas
Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, this dramatic comedy, inspired by the teen movies of the 1950s, portrays the lives of some teenagers recently graduated from high school who go out to have fun on the last night of summer to welcome an uncertain future and thus make way for the stage adult.
This film, available on Netflix, awakens the nostalgia of adolescence to the rhythm of the best classic rock songs.
26. Young Frankenstein (1974)
Direction: Mel brooks
Young Frankenstein or Frankenstein Junior (Young frankenstein) is a good choice for horror and comedy lovers. It is a parody of Mary Shelly's book and stars Gene Wilder, who plays the grandson by Victor Frankenstein, a neurosurgeon who returns to Transylvania and begins to perform his Grandpa.
27. The Knights of the Square Table (1977)
Direction: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
From the 70s we can highlight some good comedy titles by the legendary Monthy Python.
Knights of the square table (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) a parody about King Arthur and his knights, immersed in the search for the Holy Grail. This hilarious film is available on Netflix.
28. Annie Hall (1977)
Direction: Woody Allen
Annie hall or Two strange lovers is starring and directed by Woody Allen, who plays Alvy, a neurotic comedian, who after parting ways with Annie, recounts his love life in retrospect.
It is an outlandish comedy in which Alvy reflects on his behavior in relationships and his obsessions.
29. Brian's Life (1979)
Direction: Terry jones
Brian's life (Life of Brian) is full of surreal and humorous situations. Directed by the Monty Pythons, the film tells the story of Brian, a man who is born on the same day as Jesus Christ and is often mistaken for the Messiah. It is a fun movie, with a clever humor that plays with the characters of the New Testament.
30. Land as you can! (1980)
Direction: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker
Land as you can! or And, where is the pilot? (Airplane!) is a classic for fans of the absurd comedy genre (spoof-movies).
Its development centers on a flight that goes from Los Angeles to Chicago. Due to the bad state of the food, the pilots cannot make the trip, thus the plane is adrift. The comedy is a full-blown parody of the catastrophic movies that became all the rage in the 1970s.
31. Tootsie (1982)
Direction: Sydney pollack
What is the price to pay to become a successful star? Dustin Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey, a frustrated actor who's not going through his prime. One day he decides to go to a casting disguised as a woman and gets a role for a female character in a television series.
Tootsie is a fresh and funny film whose background contains a critical message about machismo in society that can be perfectly extrapolated to the present day.
32. Good moorning Vietnam (1987)
Direction: Barry levinson
Good Morning, Vietnam It is one of those films that is worth watching for the great interpretive work of Robin Williams, who gave the film a good dose of comedy.
In it he plays a radio host who is sent to the Vietnam War to work for the US Army radio station. Soon, due to his peculiar way of working, he is criticized by his superiors.
33. Arizona Baby (1987)
Direction: Joel coen
Educated in Arizona or Arizona Baby is an original comedy by the Coen brothers that tells the story of a supermarket thief (Nicolas Cage) who falls in love with and marries a prison official (Holly Hunter). During their marriage they discover that they cannot be parents and decide to steal a baby from parents who have just had quintuplets.
This film stands out for the characters who, involved in unlikely situations, give unbeatable dialogues loaded with a good sense of humor.
34. The Princess Bride (1987)
Direction: Rob reiner
Based on the novel by Wiliam Goldman, The engaged princess (The Princess Bride) is a comedy and fantasy film that serves as a tribute to medieval stories.
This film plays with fiction within fiction: a grandfather reads an old book to his sick grandson, who at first seems bored. The story tells of a beautiful princess named Buttercup, who is betrothed to an evil prince and separated from the man she truly loves.
The story is full of adventures and is a parody of traditional tales. Under a script with a perfect structure, which hides a great sense of humor, the film is simply funny and entertaining.
35. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Direction: Rob reiner
When Harry found Sally (When Harry Met Sally ...) is one of the most relevant comedies of the 80s.
Billy Cristal and Meg Ryan were in charge of giving life to two young people, Harry and Sally, respectively whose destinies intersect by chance. Harry does not believe in friendship between men and women, while Sally does not share her opinion. Over the years the young man will change the way he thinks about it.
36. Home Alone (1990)
Direction: Chris Columbus
Home alone or My poor angel (Home alone) is a classic in the family comedy of the 90s. For many who lived in those years it is a mandatory tape at Christmas. The story revolves around Kevin McAllister, played by Macaulay Culkin, an 8-year-old boy who is left alone in his house due to an oversight by his family. Meanwhile, a couple of thieves try to break into the houses of the whole neighborhood, what they do not know is that the young man will make life miserable for them when they enter his house.
37. Stuck in time (1993)
Direction: Groundhog day
Also known as Spell of time (Groundhog day), this film starring Bill Murray is one of the most representative comedies of the 90s. In it he plays Phil Connors, a television meteorologist who travels to a small town to cover Groundhog Day. A storm interrupts his return and he has to stay at the place for one night. The next day, Phil discovers that he is trapped in Groundhog Day, from which point he loops it over and over again.
38. The Big Lebowski (1998)
Direction: Joel and Ethan Coen
What if because of your last name you are mistaken for a tycoon and you are chased by thugs?
This is what happens to "the Note", played by Jeff Bridges. The protagonist of The big lebowski (The Big Lebowski), who they persecute for sharing a last name with the powerful Jeff Lebowski.
From that moment on, the Note starts a chase on his behalf to find the man they have mistaken him for in exchange for a financial reward. This fun cult film by the Coen brothers can be enjoyed through the Netflix platform.
39. Zoolander (2001)
Direction: Ben stiller
This comedy written, directed and starring Ben Stiller welcomed the new century that mocks the world of fashion through sarcasm. Dereck Zoolander is an established model and one of the most valued in recent years. In a pageant he hopes to win the crown for the fourth year in a row and, to his surprise, the award goes to another model. Later he decides to retire from the world of fashion but a designer makes him an interesting proposal that makes him change his mind.
40. Like God (2003)
Direction: Tom shadyac
Can you imagine being God for a day? This is what happens to Bruce (Jim Carrey), a reporter tired of what happens around him and constantly reproaches him. So God challenges him to change roles and grants him his powers. It is then that he will discover that being God is not easy and will use his power to turn his life even more upside down.
41. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Direction: Adam mckay
Translated into Spanish as The Reporter: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, this American comedy has its strong point in the absurd and surreal humor. It is contextualized in the 70s and revolves around Ron Burgundy, a newscaster with a thought retrograde, which sees his renown in jeopardy with the arrival of Verónica, a journalist who goes to work at the drafting.
42. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Direction: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Can a movie make you laugh while criticizing a superficial society based on "labels"? Little Miss Sunshine (Little Miss Sunshine) is one of these comedies to watch as a family that captures the unique life of the Hoober, a family made up of the most stereotyped members.
But, without a doubt, the secret of this little (big) story starts from a simple idea: young Olive wants enter a children's beauty pageant and her whole family will take a trip in a van to achieve achieve her dream. This premise embodied in a brilliant script envelops the viewer in a journey full of crazy and funny situations.
43. Borat (2006)
Direction: Larry charles
Borat: Cultural Lessons from America for the Benefit of the Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is a comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen, who plays Borat, a Kazakh journalist who is commissioned to travel to United States with the mission of investigating the most relevant lessons from there in order to translate them into a character documentary pedagogical.
This satire on human stupidity is a groundbreaking mockery loaded with jokes and unforgettable situations.
44. My Best Friend's Wedding (2011)
Direction: Paul feig
My best friend's Wedding or Ladies in war (Bridesmaids) is a must-have ribbon for fans of unusual weddings.
This comedy about friendship revolves around Annie, a woman in her late thirties, with a sad love life, to which one of her best friends asks him to attend her wedding as a lady of honor. From the first moment, she shows her interest in the preparations so that everything goes well, for this, she will have to deal with the impositions of the rest of her friends, who seem not to be in favor of things going as well as they waiting.
45. Birdman (2014)
Direction: Alejandro González Iñárritu
This tape is a must have for lovers of black comedy. Starring Michael Keaton who plays Riggan Thomson, an actor famous for giving life to the superhero Birdman, who intends to rise from the ashes of him. To do this, he prepares a play on Broadway. Birdman is a sublime film in terms of cinematographic technique, as it is made with a brilliant false sequence shot.
46. The Illustrious Citizen (2016)
Direction: Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat
This Argentine comedy tells the story of Daniel Mantovani, played by Óscar Martínez, a prize Nobel Prize in Literature who four decades ago left his small town in Argentina behind to move to Europe. There he achieved different successes as a writer, that is why the mayor of his town wants to recognize him as an "Illustrious Citizen", so he returns to his land. The film, which crosses between the genre of comedy and drama, reveals stereotypical scenes from the rural environment that are very funny.
47. Kiki, love is made (2016)
Direction: Paco Leon
This fun comedy, with a choral protagonism, focuses on the story of five couples and their peculiar sexual affiliations. In this way, it makes dacryphilia visible, which consists of excitement through crying or herbofilia, excitement by plants. It is a comedy that invites you to live love freely and without taboos, through some of the most peculiar characters.
48. The Call (2017)
Direction: Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi
The film became a cultural phenomenon the year it was released. It revolves around two 17-year-olds, María and Susana, who are in a camp with their school of nuns in Segovia. This does not prevent them from sneaking out to party and sneaking out for fun. Everything changes the day that Maria begins to see God, who appears to her singing Whitney Houston songs. To a crazy argument we must add a brilliant cast of women and the spectacular performances of Belén Cuesta and Gracia Olayo, who play the nuns.
It is a film that tries to amuse and entertain the viewer through a story that invites you to pursue your dreams and to always be yourself.
49. Champions (2018)
Direction: Javier Fesser
It is a necessary film not only because of the way it makes disability visible, but also because it is done in the cinematographic medium, something that is rarely done. It is a fun comedy to enjoy with the family that tells the story of Marco, a basketball coach who does not have the best moment of him. His life changes when he begins to coach a basketball team for the intellectually disabled. A team that ends up showing you that you must not stop fighting or give up in the face of adversity. It is a film that undoubtedly awakens a smile thanks to the transparency and spontaneity of its protagonists.
50. I leave it when I want (2019)
Direction: Carlos Theron
What to do when an economic crisis has taken your job away? Pedro, Arturo and Eligio, three unemployed and penniless university professors, decide to manufacture a vitamin complex that causes exaltation and lag in consumers. Thus, they begin their businesses as traffickers in the world of the night.
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