My favourite comedies (ranked)
by Teyss | created - 08 Jul 2020 | updated - 3 months ago | Public... sometimes with a twist (drama, irony or dark humour). Excludes shorts and movies which do not essentially aim to be funny. Listed roughly by preference (1 = preferred).
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1. Modern Times (1936)
G | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford
Votes: 259,677 | Gross: $0.16M
2. Life of Brian (1979)
R | 94 min | Comedy
Born on the original Christmas in the stable next door to Jesus Christ, Brian of Nazareth spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.
Director: Terry Jones | Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam
Votes: 421,983 | Gross: $20.05M
3. City Lights (1931)
G | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
With the aid of a wealthy erratic tippler, a dewy-eyed tramp who has fallen in love with a sightless flower girl accumulates money to be able to help her medically.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee, Harry Myers
Votes: 196,189 | Gross: $0.02M
4. Annie Hall (1977)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Romance
Alvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane
Votes: 278,562 | Gross: $39.20M
5. The Gold Rush (1925)
Passed | 95 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A prospector goes to the Klondike during the 1890s gold rush in hopes of making his fortune, and is smitten with a girl he sees in a dance hall.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Henry Bergman
Votes: 118,732 | Gross: $5.45M
6. Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Crime, Romance
Miles, a high-profile divorce lawyer, wins a case for his rich but adulterous client Rex Rexroth. But Rex's ex-wife, Marylin, who is no saint and is a gold-digger, plots to take revenge on Miles.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy Bob Thornton, Geoffrey Rush
Votes: 101,883 | Gross: $35.33M
Coens' funniest.
7. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.
Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones | Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam
Votes: 570,617 | Gross: $1.23M
8. Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958)
Not Rated | 106 min | Comedy, Crime
A motley quintet of inept small-time thieves attempt the burglary of a local pawnshop in this Italian farce.
Director: Mario Monicelli | Stars: Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Renato Salvatori, Totò
Votes: 11,525
"La Grande Guerra" is also great but only the beginning is funny.
9. Love in the Afternoon (1957)
Not Rated | 130 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A middle-aged playboy becomes fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with the wife of a client.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, John McGiver
Votes: 17,078
Wilder's funniest (but not deepest).
10. Chicken Run (2000)
G | 84 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When a cockerel apparently flies into a chicken farm, the chickens see him as an opportunity to escape their evil owners.
Directors: Peter Lord, Nick Park | Stars: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Phil Daniels, Lynn Ferguson
Votes: 212,401 | Gross: $106.83M
11. The Circus (1928)
Passed | 72 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
The Tramp finds work and the girl of his dreams at a circus.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Merna Kennedy, Al Ernest Garcia, Harry Crocker
Votes: 36,078
Even better than "The Great Dictator".
12. The General (1926)
Passed | 78 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
After being rejected by the Confederate military, not realizing it was due to his crucial civilian role, an engineer must single-handedly recapture his beloved locomotive after it is seized by Union spies and return it through enemy lines.
Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton | Stars: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley
Votes: 98,222 | Gross: $1.03M
Best Keaton.
13. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
Not Rated | 106 min | Comedy, Crime
A distant poor relative of the Duke D'Ascoyne plots to inherit the title by murdering the eight other heirs who stand ahead of him in the line of succession.
Director: Robert Hamer | Stars: Dennis Price, Alec Guinness, Valerie Hobson, Joan Greenwood
Votes: 39,744
14. The Ladykillers (1955)
Not Rated | 91 min | Comedy, Crime
Five oddball criminals planning a bank robbery rent rooms on a cul-de-sac from an octogenarian widow under the pretext that they are classical musicians.
Director: Alexander Mackendrick | Stars: Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom
Votes: 31,418
Much better than the Coens' remake.
15. In the Name of the Italian People (1971)
103 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
A judge investigates the death of a young woman, possibly a murder. He suspects a famous industry tycoon with high political connections. But to what extent do the latter's lies and frauds influence the magistrate's opinion?
Director: Dino Risi | Stars: Ugo Tognazzi, Vittorio Gassman, Ely Galleani, Yvonne Furneaux
Votes: 1,704
Overall a drama but details and some dialogues make it a tragi-comedy.
16. The Guard (2011)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is partnered with an uptight F.B.I. agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.
Director: John Michael McDonagh | Stars: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Mark Strong, Ronan Collins
Votes: 95,676 | Gross: $5.36M
Mix of humour and thriller.
17. Being John Malkovich (1999)
R | 113 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A puppeteer discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of movie star John Malkovich.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich
Votes: 353,521 | Gross: $22.86M
18. The Meaning of Life (1983)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Musical
The comedy team takes a look at life in all of its stages in their own uniquely silly way.
Director: Terry Jones | Stars: John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones
Votes: 125,370 | Gross: $14.93M
19. Crooks in Clover (1963)
105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A dying mob boss hands over his business to an old friend, Fernand. The boss' assistants want to get rid of the latter. But are the Volfoni brothers and Théo real threats? Ensuing fights and shootouts are more comical than deadly.
Director: Georges Lautner | Stars: Lino Ventura, Bernard Blier, Francis Blanche, Claude Rich
Votes: 6,598
20. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
G | 85 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Wallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.
Directors: Steve Box, Nick Park | Stars: Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Peter Kay
Votes: 146,168 | Gross: $56.11M
Also "A Grand Day Out", "The Wrong Trousers" and "A Close Shave" but they are shorts.
21. Safety Last! (1923)
Not Rated | 74 min | Action, Comedy, Thriller
A boy leaves his small country town and heads to the big city to get a job. As soon as he makes it big his sweetheart will join him and marry him. His enthusiasm to get ahead leads to some interesting adventures.
Directors: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor | Stars: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother, Noah Young
Votes: 22,936 | Gross: $1.36M
22. The Awful Truth (1937)
Passed | 90 min | Comedy, Romance
A married couple file an amicable divorce, but find it harder to let go of each other than they initially thought.
Director: Leo McCarey | Stars: Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Ralph Bellamy, Alexander D'Arcy
Votes: 21,388
23. His Girl Friday (1940)
Passed | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A newspaper editor uses every trick in the book to keep his ace reporter ex-wife from remarrying.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart
Votes: 63,209 | Gross: $0.30M
Hawks' funniest.
24. A Night at the Opera (1935)
Passed | 96 min | Comedy, Music, Musical
A sly business manager and the wacky friends of two opera singers in Italy help them achieve success in America while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies.
Directors: Sam Wood, Edmund Goulding | Stars: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle
Votes: 34,775 | Gross: $2.54M
Marxs' funniest. Best scenes: stacking in the ship's cabin; the messy performance.
25. The Man in the White Suit (1951)
Approved | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
An altruistic chemist invents a fabric which resists wear and stain as a boon to humanity, but big business and labor realize it must be suppressed for economic reasons.
Director: Alexander Mackendrick | Stars: Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker, Michael Gough
Votes: 10,820 | Gross: $0.01M
26. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953)
Not Rated | 83 min | Comedy
Monsieur Hulot comes to a beachside hotel for a vacation and accidentally, but good-naturedly, causes havoc.
Director: Jacques Tati | Stars: Jacques Tati, Nathalie Pascaud, Micheline Rolla, Valentine Camax
Votes: 20,283
Even better than "Jour de Fete".
27. My Uncle (1958)
Not Rated | 116 min | Comedy
Monsieur Hulot visits the technology-driven world of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, but he can't quite fit into the surroundings.
Director: Jacques Tati | Stars: Jacques Tati, Jean-Pierre Zola, Adrienne Servantie, Lucien Frégis
Votes: 24,267
28. OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009)
Not Rated | 101 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Another mission of world-known French secret agent leads him to exotic Brazil.
Director: Michel Hazanavicius | Stars: Jean Dujardin, Louise Monot, Rüdiger Vogler, Alex Lutz
Votes: 16,524 | Gross: $0.09M
29. The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, Mystery
A hapless orchestra player becomes an unwitting pawn of rival factions within the French secret service after he is chosen as a decoy by being identified as a super secret agent.
Director: Yves Robert | Stars: Pierre Richard, Bernard Blier, Jean Rochefort, Mireille Darc
Votes: 9,256 | Gross: $0.40M
30. Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
PG | 85 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.
Directors: Mark Burton, Richard Starzak | Stars: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili, Richard Webber
Votes: 43,465 | Gross: $19.38M
31. Inside Out (I) (2015)
PG | 95 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.
Directors: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen | Stars: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling
Votes: 786,249 | Gross: $356.46M
32. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
R | 82 min | Comedy, Music
Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Kimberly Stringer
Votes: 147,437 | Gross: $4.74M
Fake documentary on a lousy band.
33. The Blues Brothers (1980)
R | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Jake Blues rejoins with his brother Elwood after being released from prison, but the duo has just days to reunite their old R&B band and save the Catholic home where the two were raised, outrunning the police as they tear through Chicago.
Director: John Landis | Stars: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway, John Candy
Votes: 214,642 | Gross: $57.23M
Mix of second-degree humour and musical.
34. Four Lions (2010)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Four incompetent British terrorists set out to train for and commit an act of terror.
Director: Christopher Morris | Stars: Will Adamsdale, Riz Ahmed, Adeel Akhtar, Kayvan Novak
Votes: 85,346 | Gross: $0.30M
35. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
Passed | 99 min | Comedy, Romance, War
During the German occupation of Poland, an acting troupe becomes embroiled in a Polish soldier's efforts to track down a German spy.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch | Stars: Carole Lombard, Jack Benny, Robert Stack, Felix Bressart
Votes: 43,083
Lubitsch's funniest (but not deepest).
36. OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006)
Not Rated | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Secret agent OSS 117 foils Nazis, beds local beauties, and brings peace to the Middle East.
Director: Michel Hazanavicius | Stars: François Damiens, Jean Dujardin, Khalid Maadour, Youssef Hamid
Votes: 23,130 | Gross: $0.30M
37. Life Is a Long Quiet River (1988)
90 min | Comedy
A revengeful nurse switches a girl and a boy at birth. They are raised in two radically different families. When the switch is revealed many years later, the now teenagers and families need to cope with their new environments.
Director: Étienne Chatiliez | Stars: Benoît Magimel, Hélène Vincent, Valérie Lalande, Tara Römer
Votes: 4,724 | Gross: $0.19M
If only for Gelin's "Oh la salope" scene.
38. 9-Month Stretch (2013)
82 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Ariane Felder, a judge of strict morals discovers she's pregnant by Bob Nolan, a criminal wanted for murder.
Director: Albert Dupontel | Stars: Albert Dupontel, Sandrine Kiberlain, Nicolas Marié, Philippe Uchan
Votes: 5,387
39. Le viager (1972)
101 min | Comedy
The greedy Galipeaus, thinking the old Martinet is about to die, provide him a life annuity to own his house after his death. But Martinet continues living for years, so the Galipeaus opt for radical actions.
Director: Pierre Tchernia | Stars: Michel Serrault, Michel Galabru, Claude Brasseur, Rosy Varte
Votes: 1,258
About France in the 20th century.
40. Divorce Italian Style (1961)
Not Rated | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A married Sicilian baron falls in love with his cousin and vows to wed her, but with divorce illegal he must concoct a crime of passion to do away with his wife.
Director: Pietro Germi | Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Daniela Rocca, Stefania Sandrelli, Leopoldo Trieste
Votes: 14,182
41. Groundhog Day (1993)
PG | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.
Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky
Votes: 685,618 | Gross: $70.91M
42. Johnny English (2003)
PG | 87 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
After a sudden attack on MI5, Johnny English, Britain's most confident, yet unintelligent spy, becomes Britain's only spy.
Director: Peter Howitt | Stars: Rowan Atkinson, John Malkovich, Natalie Imbruglia, Tasha de Vasconcelos
Votes: 174,327 | Gross: $28.08M
Atkinson's funniest.
43. The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (2017)
G | 83 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Whoever thinks that the countryside is calm and peaceful is mistaken. In it we find especially agitated animals, a Fox that thinks it's a chicken, a Rabbit that acts like a stork, and a Duck who wants to replace Father Christmas. If you want to take a vacation, keep driving past this place.
Directors: Patrick Imbert, Benjamin Renner | Stars: Guillaume Darnault, Damien Witecka, Kamel Abdessadok, Antoine Schoumsky
Votes: 3,693 | Gross: $0.04M
Faithful adaptation of the graphic novel.
44. The Pentagon Wars (1998 TV Movie)
R | 104 min | Comedy, War
Story of a cover up in the military.
Director: Richard Benjamin | Stars: Kelsey Grammer, Cary Elwes, Viola Davis, John C. McGinley
Votes: 5,062
45. Return of the Hero (2018)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, History
1809, France. Captain Neuville is called to the front, leaving his future bride heartbroken. Her sister decides to write letters on his behalf to cheer her up. But it all goes south when Neuville reappears.
Director: Laurent Tirard | Stars: Jean Dujardin, Mélanie Laurent, Noémie Merlant, Christophe Montenez
Votes: 4,491 | Gross: $0.04M
46. I Feel Good (2018)
103 min | Comedy, Drama
Jacques, a clueless opportunist is obsessed with finding the project that will make him rich; he decides that the only answer lies in offering cut-price quickie cosmetic surgery.
Directors: Benoît Delépine, Gustave Kervern | Stars: Jean Dujardin, Yolande Moreau, Joseph Dahan, Jean-Benoît Ugeux
Votes: 1,440
Funny to an extent.
47. The Brand New Testament (2015)
Not Rated | 114 min | Comedy, Fantasy
Did you know that God is alive and lives in Brussels with his daughter?
Director: Jaco Van Dormael | Stars: Pili Groyne, Benoît Poelvoorde, Catherine Deneuve, François Damiens
Votes: 35,018 | Gross: $0.09M
Slightly provocative.
48. Man Bites Dog (1992)
NC-17 | 95 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A film crew follows a ruthless thief and heartless killer as he goes about his daily routine. But complications set in when the film crew lose their objectivity and begin lending a hand.
Directors: Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde | Stars: Benoît Poelvoorde, Jacqueline Poelvoorde-Pappaert, Nelly Pappaert, Hector Pappaert
Votes: 43,755 | Gross: $0.21M
Second-degree dark humour.
49. Snatch (2000)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Crime
Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Stephen Graham, Vinnie Jones
Votes: 911,581 | Gross: $30.33M
Fourth-degree very dark humour.
50. I Married a Strange Person! (1997)
R | 75 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A newlywed develops a strange lump on his neck that gives him the ability to transform people or objects at will. His wife is very upset. Meanwhile, the CEO of Smilecorp learns of this man ... See full summary »
Director: Bill Plympton | Stars: Charis Michelsen, Tom Larson, Richard Spore, Chris Cooke
Votes: 2,157 | Gross: $0.20M
Crazy stuff.
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