Best Modern Comedies
This is a list of my all-time favorite comedies. Movies considered Romantic Comedies, do not appear on this list. Additionally, animated movies do not appear on this list either.
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- DirectorTerry GilliamTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseEric IdleKing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.Monty Python has been the inspiration for dozens of modern day actors, including Robin Williams. Monty Python has lived on well past the 70's and people today still quote lines from the Holy Grail.
It's ironic that the movie is entitled Holy Grail, because that is what they achieved with this comedy classic. - DirectorCharles CrichtonJohn CleeseStarsJohn CleeseJamie Lee CurtisKevin KlineIn London, four very different people team up on a jewel heist, then try to double-cross one another for the loot, complicated by their efforts to fool a very proper barrister.Two of the Monty Python founders wrote and produced this, mostly overlooked, 1988 comedy. This movie was something that many comedies in the 80's weren't - it was smart. It was not a movie about physical comedy, but instead relied on its wit to create laughter.
This move gave rise to Kevin Kline as he won an Academy Award for his role. I have spent countless minutes repeating lines from this movie. - DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsZach GalifianakisBradley CooperJustin BarthaThree buddies wake up from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, with no memory of the previous night and the bachelor missing. They make their way around the city in order to find their friend before his wedding.When this movie launched in the summer of 2009 no one thought this movie was going to do very well. That's hard to imagine now given the success the movie had.
The reason it is on this list, is quite simple, I have never laughed out loud as much during any movie as I did during this one.
No one was playing with their phone or checking Facebook because everyone was too busy laughing. Too bad The Hangover 2 did not achieve the same results. Albeit, part of the Hangover's success is due to the fact that no one had an expectations going into the theater. - DirectorDavid DobkinStarsOwen WilsonVince VaughnRachel McAdamsJohn Beckwith and Jeremy Grey, a pair of committed womanizers who sneak into weddings to take advantage of the romantic tinge in the air, find themselves at odds with one another when John meets and falls for Claire Cleary.
- DirectorMike JudgeStarsRon LivingstonJennifer AnistonDavid HermanThree company workers who hate their jobs decide to rebel against their greedy boss.
- DirectorDean ParisotStarsTim AllenSigourney WeaverAlan RickmanThe alumni cast of a space opera television series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help. However, they also have to defend both Earth and the alien race from a reptilian warlord.
- DirectorDavid WainStarsPaul RuddSeann William ScottElizabeth BanksWild behavior forces a pair of energy drink reps to enroll in a Big Brother program.
- DirectorHoward DeutchStarsKeanu ReevesGene HackmanBrooke LangtonDuring a pro football strike, the owners hire substitute players.
- DirectorRawson Marshall ThurberStarsBen StillerChristine TaylorVince VaughnA group of misfits enter a Las Vegas dodgeball tournament in order to save their cherished local gym from the onslaught of a corporate health fitness chain.
- DirectorMichael RitchieStarsChevy ChaseJoe Don BakerDana Wheeler-NicholsonWhile working undercover wisecracking newspaper reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher is offered a large sum by a millionaire with a terminal disease to kill him. Intrigued, Fletch decides to unearth the full story behind the offer.
- DirectorAdam McKayStarsWill FerrellChristina ApplegateSteve CarellIn the 1970s, an anchorman's stint as San Diego's top-rated newsreader is challenged when an ambitious newswoman becomes his co-anchor.
- DirectorPeter FarrellyBobby FarrellyStarsJim CarreyJeff DanielsLauren HollyAfter a woman leaves a briefcase at the airport terminal, a dumb limo driver and his dumber friend set out on a hilarious cross-country road trip to Aspen to return it.
- DirectorTom ShadyacStarsJim CarreyCourteney CoxSean YoungA goofy detective specializing in animals goes in search of the missing mascot of the Miami Dolphins.
- DirectorTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseMichael PalinBorn on the original Christmas in the stable next door to Jesus Christ, Brian of Nazareth spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.
- DirectorJason MooreStarsAnna KendrickBrittany SnowRebel WilsonBeca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.
- DirectorGreg MottolaStarsMichael CeraJonah HillChristopher Mintz-PlasseTwo co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.
- DirectorFrank OzStarsSteve MartinMichael CaineGlenne HeadlyTwo con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of fifty thousand dollars first.
- DirectorSeth GordonStarsJason BatemanCharlie DayJason SudeikisThree friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.
- DirectorRobert YoungFred SchepisiStarsJohn CleeseJamie Lee CurtisKevin KlineZookeepers struggle to deal with the policies of changing directors.
- DirectorJay ChandrasekharStarsJay ChandrasekharKevin HeffernanAndré VippolisFive Vermont state troopers, avid pranksters with a knack for screwing up, try to save their jobs and out-do the local police department by solving a crime.
- DirectorBobby FarrellyPeter FarrellyStarsJack BlackGwyneth PaltrowJason AlexanderA shallow man falls in love with a 300-pound woman because of her inner beauty.
- DirectorJake KasdanStarsColin HanksJack BlackSchuyler FiskA guidance counselor mistakenly sends out the wrong transcripts to Stanford University under the name of an over-achieving high schooler.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsMichael CeraMary Elizabeth WinsteadKieran CulkinIn a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
- DirectorAdam McKayStarsWill FerrellMark WahlbergDerek JeterTwo mismatched New York City detectives seize an opportunity to step up like the city's top cops, whom they idolize, only things don't quite go as planned.
- DirectorHarold RamisStarsChevy ChaseBeverly D'AngeloImogene CocaThe Griswold family's cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated.
- DirectorDennis DuganStarsJason BiggsSteve ZahnJack BlackA pair of buddies conspire to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman.
- DirectorJim AbrahamsDavid ZuckerJerry ZuckerStarsRobert HaysJulie HagertyLeslie NielsenAfter the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must safely land a commercial airplane full of passengers.
- DirectorHart BochnerStarsJeremy PivenChris YoungMegan WardA high school senior visits college for the weekend, and stays at the wildest house on campus.
- DirectorDonald PetrieStarsGene HackmanRay RomanoMaura TierneyA US president who has retired after two terms in office returns to his hometown of Mooseport, Maine and decides to run for Mayor against another local candidate.
- DirectorPeyton ReedStarsJim CarreyZooey DeschanelBradley CooperA man challenges himself to say "yes" to everything.
- DirectorJudd ApatowStarsSteve CarellCatherine KeenerPaul RuddGoaded by his buddies, a nerdy guy who's never "done the deed" only finds the pressure mounting when he meets a single mother.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsSimon PeggNick FrostMartin FreemanAn overachieving London police sergeant is transferred to a village where the easygoing officers object to his fervor for regulations, all while a string of grisly murders strikes the town.
- DirectorMel BrooksStarsMel BrooksJohn CandyRick MoranisA star-pilot for hire and his trusty sidekick must come to the rescue of a princess and save Planet Druidia from the clutches of the evil Spaceballs.
- DirectorElizabeth BanksStarsAnna KendrickRebel WilsonHailee SteinfeldAfter a humiliating command performance at The Kennedy Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform.
- DirectorJoe DanteStarsTom HanksBruce DernCarrie FisherAn overstressed suburbanite and his neighbors are convinced that the new family on the block is part of a murderous Satanic cult.
- DirectorRichard BenjaminStarsTom HanksShelley LongAlexander GodunovA young couple struggles to repair a hopelessly dilapidated house.
- DirectorDavid S. WardStarsTom BerengerCharlie SheenCorbin BernsenThe new owner of the Cleveland Indians puts together a purposely horrible team so they'll lose and she can move the team. But when the plot is uncovered, they start winning just to spite her.
- DirectorAmy HeckerlingStarsAlicia SilverstoneStacey DashBrittany MurphyShallow, rich and socially successful Cher is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school's pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other.
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsBreckin MeyerSeann William ScottAmy SmartFour college buddies embark on a road trip to retrieve an illicit tape mistakenly mailed to a female friend.
- DirectorMel BrooksStarsCary ElwesRichard LewisRoger ReesA spoof of Robin Hood in general, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) in particular.
- DirectorDavid SchwimmerStarsSimon PeggThandiwe NewtonHank AzariaFive years after jilting his pregnant fiancée on their wedding day, out-of-shape Dennis decides to run a marathon to win her back.
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsBen StillerOwen WilsonSnoop DoggTwo streetwise cops bust criminals in their red and white Ford Gran Torino, with the help of a police snitch called "Huggy Bear".
- DirectorJay RoachStarsBen StillerRobert De NiroBlythe DannerAll hell breaks loose when the Byrnes family meets the Focker family for the first time.
- DirectorDennis DuganStarsAdam SandlerKevin JamesJessica BielTwo straight, single Brooklyn firefighters pretend to be a gay couple in order to receive domestic partner benefits.
- DirectorPeter SollettStarsMichael CeraKat DenningsAaron YooTwo newly acquainted music-lovers spend the night scouting the streets of New York City in search of their favourite band's surprise secret show. All the while, they're both being chased after by their tempting but devious exes.
- DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsDavid DuchovnyOrlando JonesJulianne MooreA fire-fighting cadet, two college professors, and a geeky but sexy government scientist work against an alien organism that has been rapidly evolving since its arrival on Earth inside a meteor.
- DirectorBarry W. BlausteinStarsJohnny KnoxvilleKatherine HeiglBrian CoxA young guy's only option to erase a really bad debt is to rig the Special Olympics by posing as a contestant.
- DirectorMichael LehmannStarsBrendan FraserSteve BuscemiAdam SandlerThree band members hoping for a big break head to a radio station to play their demo tape and wind up holding everyone hostage with plastic guns when the head D.J. refuses to play them.
- DirectorBen StillerStarsJim CarreyMatthew BroderickLeslie MannA designer makes a grievious mistake when he rejects the friendship of a borderline cable guy.
- DirectorTodd PhillipsStarsLuke WilsonVince VaughnWill FerrellThree friends attempt to recapture their glory days by opening up a fraternity near their alma mater.
- DirectorJohn HughesStarsSteve MartinJohn CandyLaila RobinsA Chicago advertising man must struggle to travel home from New York for Thanksgiving, with a lovable oaf of a shower-curtain-ring salesman as his only companion.
- DirectorTrey ParkerStarsTrey ParkerMatt StoneElle RussPopular Broadway actor Gary Johnston is recruited by the elite counter-terrorism organization Team America: World Police. As the world begins to crumble around him, he must battle with terrorists, celebrities and falling in love.
- DirectorFrank OzStarsMatthew MacfadyenPeter DinklageEwen BremnerChaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family.
- DirectorFrank CoraciStarsAdam SandlerDrew BarrymoreChristine TaylorRobbie, a singer, and Julia, a waitress, are both engaged, but to the wrong people. Fortune intervenes to help them discover each other.
- DirectorRobert LuketicStarsReese WitherspoonLuke WilsonSelma BlairElle Woods, a fashionable sorority queen, is dumped by her boyfriend. She decides to follow him to law school. While she is there, she figures out that there is more to her than just looks.
- DirectorTom ShadyacStarsJim CarreyJennifer AnistonMorgan FreemanA whiny news reporter is given the chance to step into God's shoes.
- DirectorTom DeyStarsJackie ChanOwen WilsonLucy LiuA Chinese man travels to the Wild West to rescue a kidnapped Princess. After teaming up with a train robber, the unlikely duo takes on a Chinese traitor and his corrupt boss.
- DirectorJeremiah S. ChechikStarsChevy ChaseBeverly D'AngeloJuliette LewisThe Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.
- DirectorJohn HamburgStarsPaul RuddJason SegelRashida JonesFriendless Peter Klaven goes on a series of man-dates to find a Best Man for his wedding. But, when his insta-bond with his new B.F.F. puts a strain on his relationship with his fiancée, can the trio learn to live happily ever after?
- DirectorBobby FarrellyPeter FarrellyStarsBen StillerMichelle MonaghanMalin AkermanA newly wed man who believes he's just gotten hitched to the perfect woman encounters another lady on his honeymoon.
- DirectorJesse PeretzStarsPaul RuddElizabeth BanksZooey DeschanelA comedy centered on an idealist who barges into the lives of his three sisters.
- DirectorBobby FarrellyPeter FarrellyStarsOwen WilsonJason SudeikisChristina ApplegateRick and Fred, two husbands who are having difficulty in their marriages, are given a Hall Pass by their wives: for one week, they can do whatever they want.
- DirectorSteve PinkStarsJustin LongJonah HillBlake LivelyA high school slacker who's rejected by every school he applies to opts to create his own institution of higher learning, the South Harmon Institute of Technology, on a rundown piece of property near his hometown.
- DirectorDavid WainStarsJennifer AnistonPaul RuddMalin AkermanRattled by sudden unemployment, a Manhattan couple surveys alternative living options, ultimately deciding to experiment with living on a rural commune where free love rules.
- DirectorCraig GillespieStarsBilly Bob ThorntonSeann William ScottSusan SarandonTaken aback by his mother's wedding announcement, a young man returns home in an effort to stop her from marrying his old high school gym teacher, a man who made middle school hell for generations of students.
- DirectorRobert B. WeideStarsSimon PeggKirsten DunstMegan FoxA British writer struggles to fit in at a high-profile magazine in New York City.
- DirectorFred SchepisiStarsTom SelleckKen TakakuraAya TakanashiJack Elliot, once a great baseball player, is forced to play in Japan where his brash, egotistical ways cause friction with his new teammates and friends.
- DirectorShawn LevyStarsVince VaughnOwen WilsonRose ByrneTwo salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age find their way into a coveted internship at Google, where they must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses for a shot at employment.
- DirectorDennis DuganStarsAdam SandlerJennifer AnistonBrooklyn DeckerOn a weekend trip to Hawaii, a plastic surgeon convinces his loyal assistant to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife in order to cover up a careless lie he told to his much-younger girlfriend.
- DirectorGreg MottolaStarsSimon PeggNick FrostSeth RogenTwo English comic book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.
- DirectorWill GluckStarsEmma StoneAmanda BynesPenn BadgleyWhen Olive lies to her best friend about losing her virginity to one of the college boys, a girl overhears their conversation. Soon, her story spreads across the entire school like wildfire.