There’s arguably no other genre that evolves as much ascomedy. The style of writing, the subjects that fall within the realm of humor, and the kind of performance associated with comedy don’t stay the same even for as short a period as five years. Changing needs of entertainment prompt the swift evolution of the genre to meet viewer demands.
So, even if they’ve had lengthy careers, thefunniest movie actors of the 1980s, despite continued success over the succeeding decades, weren’t the best at comedy in the ’90s. Similarly, themost rewatchable comedy movies of the 2000smay have stood the test of time, but their style of comedy has not been recreated on a mainstream level since then.
The success of the recentNaked Gunlegacy sequel might prove crucial in reviving the lost art of the purely silly screwball comedy, but that remains uncertain. As the best comedy movies of the last 10 years prove, there’sa clear shift towards a drier, more emotionally charged, and morbid sense of humorin comedy movies that are often cynical.
102015: Tangerine
While he now holds the record for the most Oscars ever won by someone on a single night, Sean Baker, writer, director, editor, and producer ofAnora, one of thebest thriller movies of 2024, had to wait a long time before being recognized by the Academy. His 2015 feature,Tangerine, is often considered one of the worst Oscar snubs.
Shot entirely on an iPhone, the movie follows two transgender sex workers on Christmas Eve as they go on a journey through LA to find the truth about some scandalous rumors. Gorgeously shot, witha soundtrack that evolves to capture the mood throughout the passing day, it’s a humanitarian story chock-full of hilarious exchanges that are based on everyone’s hotheadedness.
92016: Sing Street
When it comes to the art of picking the perfect soundtrack for a movie, few names will outshine John Carney.Begin Again, which made him a household name, is perhaps the epitome of filmmaking about music, but just likeOnceis more emotionally raw than that,Sing Streetis funnier than that, andmight just be Carney’s funniest movie ever.
WhileSing Streettackles heavy themes and treats moments of emotional turmoil with utmost sincerity, there’s a very palpable British sense of humor that embellishes the screenplay. Following a boy’s attempt to woo his crush by forming a band,Sing Streetis a heartfelt journey through the work involved in making a genuinely cathartic, catchy, and romantic piece of music.
82017: Paddington 2
Unless you avoid movie memes, irrespective of whether you’ve seen the film, you’ll have encountered either a shot of Pedro Pascal passionately explaining why, or a tear-stained Nicolas Cage moodily claiming thatPaddington 2is the best movie of all time. While I don’t entirely agree with that assessment,Paddingtonis amovie trilogy whose second film is the best.
With a political message that challenges the status quo,Paddington 2joyously follows our titular bear through more hilarious misadventures that make us wish we all knew a Paddington in real life. Funny, warm, and cheerful, Paddington tackles more disgruntled and passionately hateful men in this movie, andhelps them find joy in their lives along with his teary-eyed audience.
72018: The Favourite
Yorgos Lanthimos' uniquely macabre sense of humor has given us comedy movies that feel like traumatizing and scarring exercises in moral philosophy. Withweird premises, he makes extremely entertaining moviesthat eventually leave you with a moral conundrum that can take days to figure out, butThe Favouriteis more straightforward that way and is the funniest of his works.
Set in the early 18th Century, it follows three women, namely Queen Anne, her confidante Sarah Churchill, and Sarah’s cousin, Abigail Hill. Sexual jealousy and the thirst for power drive all three women to take extreme measures that lead to darkly funny and messy situations.You won’t know whether to laugh or frownas the movie’s awkwardness grows with time.
62019: Booksmart
From John Hughes in the ’80s and ’90s to theSuperbadandAmerican Piestrains of movies in the 2000s, to movies likeThe Edge of SeventeenandMe, and Earl, and the Dying Girl, teenage comedies have undergone a radical transformation, and Olivia Wilde’sBooksmartis arguably the best of the teen comedies made in the last 10 years.
With the simple premise of two high school girls realizing their academic records have come at the cost of their social lives,Booksmartfollows them during a wild night when they try to make up for all the fun they missed. With well-crafted punchlines, perfectly timed epiphanies, and a heartfelt message,Booksmartshould be the blueprint for teen comedies now.
52020: Another Round
Thomas Vinterberg isn’t known for making funny movies. Devastating stories about people who lose control of their lives are much more associated with him. However,if you want to watch Mads Mikkelsen dancing on a pier while grieving a tragedyin one of the most life-affirming climaxes ever put to screen, look no further than Vinterberg’s latest film,Another Round.
The film follows four colleagues who undertake a daring project. After one of them discovers research that claims that the optimal blood alcohol percentage is above the percentage in a sober person, they turn to day drinking. The series of misadventures, of varying degrees of seriousness, and that unforgettable climax, putAnother Roundamong the best comedies of all time.
42021: The Worst Person in the World
It is interesting to note that two influential Danish directors known for their heartbreaking cinema chose to inject more humor than ever before into their works in the 2020s. Joachim Trier’s final film in his Oslo trilogy,The Worst Person in the World, isa comedic and cautiously cynical look at the stages of a relationshipin the modern world.
From wild drug trips to quintessentially Gen Z observations about dating and adulting,The Worst Person in the Worldbeautifully balances the conflicting emotions in its protagonist. The screenplay is so inventive that it’s already become a classic among thebest modern romance movies. Set in a world that draws you in, this is Trier’s most intoxicating film to date.
32022: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis are legends in Hollywood, but it wasn’t until 2023 that the Academy recognized them. One of thebest martial arts adventure moviesever made, the wacky choreography and visual grammar of this emotional action caper that addresses immigration, generational trauma, and queer trauma create some of the weirdest scenes in the history of cinema.
Everything Everywhere All At Oncefollows a disgruntled woman who wants to divorce her husband and feels completely disconnected from her daughter. With the power to harness the abilities of her versions of alternate realities, she goes on a battle to save her universe thatbrings her closer to her daughter and her husband, and helps her find stability.
22023: The Holdovers
The heartwarming Christmas comedy feels like a lost brand of cinema at times, but every so often, a film likeThe Holdoverswill remind you that all hope isn’t lost. A sweet story abouta grumpy teacher forced to babysit a high school studentwho has to stay over for Christmas, it’s the perfect holiday film to enjoy with eggnog.
Asthe only remaining holdover school student inThe Holdovers, Dominic Sessa’s character shares a gradually improving bond with Paul Giamatti’s character, the teacher. The evolution of their dynamic is heartwarming and reflects the spirit of Christmas, which used to be the theme of the memorable and iconic seasonal movies I watched when I was growing up.
12024: A Real Pain
One of the best movies to come out in 2024 is Jesse Eisenberg’s sophomore directorial feature. It follows two cousins who visit Poland in honor of their grandmother after her death. Unfortunately, they couldn’t be more different if they tried, and one’s (Kieran Culkin) enthusiasm and eccentricity are often in conflict with the other’s (Jesse Eisenberg) composure and politeness.
Kieran Culkin becomes the heart of the movie as his overly loud character, who is full of life, nearly goes on a rampage every day, before making everyone burst into fits of laughter. The film’s exploration of familial tensions and brotherly love makes it both lovable and hilarious.A Real Painisexactly the kind of comedy in demand today.
