Skip to main content

The best comedies on Netflix right now

John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell in Step Brothers.
Sony Pictures Releasing

Netflix is having a comedy refresh this month, as several of the best comedies on the streamer are going out the door. Bruce Almighty, School of Rock, Blazing Saddles, The Blues Brothers, Neighbors, and Beverly Hills Cop are all leaving Netflix at the end of March.

Fortunately, Netflix’s comedy movie lineup remains strong. Earlier this month, Netflix added Step Brothers, Animal House, Dumb and Dumber, and The Disaster Artist. Those films, plus the rest of our picks for the best comedies on Netflix right now, should keep you laughing all the way through March until we get a fresh lineup of movies in April.

We’ve also curated guides to the best comedies on Hulu, the best romantic comedies on Netflix, and the best rom-coms on Hulu if you’re looking for additional recommendations.

Recently added to Netflix

Step Brothers (2008) new

Step Brothers
51 %
6.9/10
r 98m
Genre Comedy
Stars Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen
Directed by Adam McKay

Is it typecasting to feature Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as manchildren? If so, Step Brothers made it work. Ferrell and Reilly respectively play Brennan Huff and Dale Doback, a pair of nearly 40-year-old men who have never moved out of their parent’s houses and started their own lives. When their parents, Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen) and Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins), get married, Brennan and Dale become step-brothers.

Although the duo initially hate each other, Dale and Brennan eventually forge their own bond. Regardless, their lack of maturity or filter soon threatens the marriage of their parents, which may finally force Brennan and Dale to face the consequences of their arrested development.

Animal House (1978) new

Animal House
79 %
7.4/10
r 109m
Genre Comedy
Stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon
Directed by John Landis

The late John Belushi’s comedic brilliance was on full display in Animal House. Belushi’s character, John “Bluto” Blutarsky, was chaos personified, and he was completely over-the-top. Yet some of the funniest moments in the movie came from Belushi’s facial expressions, which perfectly conveyed what was on Bluto’s mind. Belushi’s simple raise of an eyebrow is still hilarious 46 years later.

Animal House takes place in the early ‘60s, as Bluto, Eric “Otter” Stratton (Tim Matheson), Larry “Pinto” Kroger (Tom Hulce), and the rest of the misfits in Delta House are close to being kicked out of Faber College. Instead of trying to save themselves at all costs, Delta House doubles down on pranks and even wilder antics. And the result is one of the funniest movies that came out of the ‘70s.

Dumb and Dumber (1994) new

Dumb and Dumber
41 %
7.3/10
pg-13 107m
Genre Comedy
Stars Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly
Directed by Peter Farrelly

Jim Carrey was already well on his way to becoming a movie star when Dumb and Dumber hit theaters, but this film wouldn’t have worked without Jeff Daniels as his co-star. Carrey and Daniels play lifelong friends, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, neither of whom is particularly bright. While working as a limo driver, Lloyd becomes infatuated with a rich woman, Mary Swanson (Lauren Holly), which is why he retrieves her briefcase in an airport that she left as a ransom for the men who kidnapped her husband.

Soon after, Lloyd tricks Harry into taking a trip to Colorado, where the former plans to return the briefcase to Mary and romantically pursue her. What neither of them realize is that the kidnappers are furious about the missed ransom drop, and they’re willing to kill Harry and Lloyd to get the money.

The Disaster Artist (2017) new

The Disaster Artist
76 %
7.3/10
r 104m
Genre Comedy, Drama
Stars James Franco, Dave Franco, Ari Graynor
Directed by James Franco

If you’ve never seen The Room, it may be difficult to follow The Disaster Artist or to fully appreciate that the real Tommy Wiseau is about as close to being a living cartoon as humanly possible. In this fictionalized version of The Room’s production, Tommy (James Franco) befriends a young actor, Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), and they eventually move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood.

Tommy impulsively decides to make his own movie, co-starring himself and Greg. However, Tommy is so inept that his attempt to create drama and tension results in an unintentionally hilarious film that still plays to midnight crowds to this day.

The Interview (2014)

The Interview
52 %
6.5/10
r 113m
Genre Action, Comedy
Stars James Franco, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan
Directed by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

Seth Rogen co-directed and co-stars in The Interview as Aaron Rapaport, the producer of a successful talk show hosted by his friend, Dave Skylark (James Franco). To legitimize their show as a news program, the duo hatches a plan to interview North Korean President Kim Jong Un (Blue Eye Samurai‘s Randall Park), who is apparently a big fan of Dave’s work.

Before they get to North Korea, CIA Agent Lacey (Lizzy Caplan) enlists Dave and Aaron in a plot to assassinate Kim to prevent any more nuclear escalations from his country. Once they get there, Dave and Aaron start to rethink going through with the assassination, especially when Kim is eager to befriend Dave. Aaron and Dave also discover that getting out of North Korea is going to be a lot harder than they planned.

Fletch (1985)

Fletch
68 %
6.9/10
pg 98m
Genre Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Stars Chevy Chase, Tim Matheson, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Directed by Michael Ritchie

Outside of Clark Griswold in the Vacation movies, Chevy Chase’s most iconic movie role is Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher, the investigative reporter and comedic master of disguise in the Fletch films. The first Fletch opens with the title character undercover as a junkie when he’s approached by an executive, Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson), who offers Fletch $50,000 to kill him and stage his death as an accident rather than an assisted suicide to avoid a painful death from bone cancer.

Fletch is immediately suspicious, and he begins putting his drug investigation on the back burner so he can get a closer look at Stanwyk’s finances. Fletch also makes some serious enemies along the way, including the LAPD’s Police Chief Jerry Karlin (Joe Don Baker), who threatens to kill Fletch if he publishes his report.

Twins (1988)

Twins
53 %
6.2/10
pg 107m
Genre Comedy
Stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston
Directed by Ivan Reitman

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito play the title characters in Twins, and even their respective characters, Julius and Vincent Benedict, have trouble believing it. Decades earlier, their mother, Mary Ann Benedict (Bonnie Bartlett), was part of a science experiment, and she was led to believe that none of her children survived.

After tracking Vincent down in the present, Julius has to convince him that they really are brothers while protecting his sibling from vicious criminals who are out to kill him. If they survive that, maybe they can even reunite with their mother.

The Other Guys (2010)

The Other Guys
64 %
6.6/10
pg-13 107m
Genre Action, Comedy, Crime
Stars Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes
Directed by Adam McKay

Most of the action comedies in Hollywood would be about super cops like Detective P.K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Detective Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson). The Other Guys turns this trope on its head by shifting the focus away from the cops portrayed by megastars and instead focuses on two losers on the police force: Detective Allen “Gator” Gamble (Elf actor Will Ferrell) and Detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg).

When Gamble and Hoitz uncover a conspiracy, they finally realize their chance to be heroes and win the respect of their fellow officers. However, they are badly outgunned and outmaneuvered by the bad guys. If Gamble and Hoitz want to redeem themselves, they will have to stick together.

No Hard Feelings (2023)

No Hard Feelings
59 %
6.4/10
r 104m
Genre Comedy, Romance
Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti
Directed by Gene Stupnitsky

What kind of woman answers a Craigslist ad promising money from wealthy parents in return for dating their awkward son? Why, that would be Jennifer Lawrence’s character in No Hard Feelings. Lawrence plays Maddie Barker, a woman in her early 30s who is on the verge of losing everything she has, including her home and her car.

Unfortunately for Maddie, dating 19-year-old Percy Becker (newcomer Andrew Barth Feldman) may be next to impossible. He seems impervious to her charms and even afraid of intimacy. For Maddie, it’s just a job, but she also hasn’t thought about what will happen if Percy ever learns the reason she pursued him.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Hot Tub Time Machine
63 %
6.4/10
r 101m
Genre Science Fiction, Comedy, Adventure
Stars John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry
Directed by Steve Pink

It’s a rare movie that has a title that gets right to the point of its high concept. There is indeed a Hot Tub Time Machine in this film, but this is more of a comedy than a sci-fi story. In the aftermath of a suicide attempt by Lou Dorchen (Rob Corddry), his friends Adam Yates (John Cusack) and Nick Webber-Agnew (Craig Robinson), decide to take him to the Colorado resort where they vacationed decades earlier. Adam’s nephew, Jacob Yates (Clark Duke), also accompanies them.

Once the group accidentally turns a hot tub into a time machine, everyone except Jacob finds themselves back in their 1986 bodies. And while the guys realize that history has to be maintained, the temptation to fix their past mistakes may prove to be too difficult to resist.

Fatherhood (2021)

Fatherhood
53 %
6.6/10
pg-13 109m
Genre Drama, Comedy
Stars Kevin Hart, Melody Hurd, Alfre Woodard
Directed by Paul Weitz
In Fatherhood, Kevin Hart ditches the four-letter-word shtick (for the most part) in favor of a role that allows him to deliver some humanity in a warm and embracing way. After the passing of his wife, Matt (Hart) is determined to do everything in his power to give their daughter the life she deserves. As any parent can attest to, raising a child can be the most beautiful adventure of your life … but also a never-ending nightmare, complete with diapers, saving for college, and any number of unexpected, overbearing situations. While not reinventing the wheel by any means, Fatherhood lands its laughs with kindness and compassion for its characters.

The Polka King (2017)

The Polka King
65 %
5.9/10
pg-13 95m
Genre Comedy
Stars Jack Black, Jenny Slate, Jason Schwartzman
Directed by Maya Forbes
The Polka King stars Jack Black as the ever-off-kilter Jan Lewan, a polka band leader who has dreams of making it big in America. Leaning on the love, support, and cold hard cash of his dedicated fans, Jan launches a Ponzi scheme to grow the funding for his polka-flavored empire. But as the government starts closing in on his exploitive financial gains, the figurative walls start closing in too, as thousands of invested dollars evolve into millions. A rags-to-riches narrative with a “fall from grace” backbone, The Polka King leans heavily on the idiosyncratic chops of Jack Black, a calling card talent that does a pretty great job at portraying Jan Lewan, a real-life Ponzi devotee and polka extraordinaire.
The Polka King | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019)

Between Two Ferns: The Movie
59 %
6.1/10
r 82m
Genre Comedy
Stars Zach Galifianakis, Lauren Lapkus, Ryan Gaul
Directed by Scott Aukerman
Between Two Ferns: The Movie goes for a meta approach, treating the Between Two Ferns web series as a cultural sensation that bumbling host Zach Galifianakis has no choice but to rescue. After getting recognition from comedic content host Funny or Die, platform-helmer Will Ferrell pitches Zach the deal of a lifetime: shoot 10 celebrity interviews in two weeks and become president of Funny or Die. Thus, the infamously clueless TV personality hits the road to chase his dreams of true stardom. Leaning on the many awkward strengths of the series it’s based upon, Between Two Ferns: The Movie manages to deliver plenty of laughs and a handful of ultra-cringeworthy moments, too.

Metal Lords (2022)

Metal Lords
r 97m
Genre Comedy, Drama, Music
Stars Jaeden Martell, Isis Hainsworth, Adrian Greensmith
Directed by Peter Sollett
Game of Thrones co-creator D.B. Weiss is making his Netflix debut as the writer of a new rock comedy, Metal Lords. Within the film, high school students Kevin Schlieb (Jaeden Martell) and Hunter Sylvester (Adrian Greensmith) form their own heavy metal band even though they don’t quite have the talent to work as a duo. A new student, Emily Spector (Isis Hainsworth), may be just what the band needs. However, personality conflicts between the trio threaten to tear them apart before the big battle of the bands.

Vampires vs. the Bronx (2020)

Vampires vs. the Bronx
76 %
5.7/10
pg-13 86m
Genre Comedy, Horror
Stars Jaden Michael, Gerald W. Jones III, Gregory Diaz IV
Directed by Oz Rodriguez
Vampires vs. the Bronx may have skipped a theatrical release, but this Netflix original has earned its place on this list. As the title implies, gentrification isn’t the only evil thing to worry about, as Miguel Martinez (Jaden Michael) and his friends, Bobby Carter (Gerald W. Jones III) and Luis Acosta (Gregory Diaz IV), discover that the pale Europeans taking over the neighborhood literally want to suck out their blood. Realizing that the vampires are real and proving it are two different matters. The only guide these kids have to fighting vamps is the original Blade movie. But when push comes to shove, the people of the Bronx aren’t going to let some creatures of the night take their blood — or their homes.
VAMPIRES VS THE BRONX | Official Trailer | Netflix

A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)

A Futile and Stupid Gesture
55 %
6.7/10
tv-ma
Genre Comedy
Cast Will Forte, Domhnall Gleeson, Martin Mull
This Netflix original movie tends to get buried under more high-profile releases, but A Futile and Stupid Gesture is a strongly constructed comedy biopic about Douglas Kenney (Will Forte), the co-founder of National Lampoon. Martin Mull co-stars as an older Doug while looking back at his career with his comedy partner-in-crime, Henry Beard (Domhnall Gleeson). Together, Douglas and Henry helped revolutionize comedy, and also paved the way for Animal House. But Doug’s struggle with addiction destroys nearly all of his relationships in the process. A very talented supporting cast including Joel McHale, Ed Helms, Matt Lucas, Thomas Lennon, Rick Glassman, and more also play some comedy legends who came to prominence thanks to Doug and Henry. This is a story that needed to be told, even though Doug’s legacy has largely been forgotten.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
91 %
8.2/10
pg 91m
Genre Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
Directed by Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow? How do you tell if someone is a witch? And if you come across a rabbit at the entrance of a cave, how fast do you run and why aren’t you running already? All of these questions and more can be at least partially answered only with the 1975 comedy classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The second feature film made by the legendary cast of Monty Python’s Flying CircusHoly Grail is absolutely mandatory for any fan of swords and sorcery fantasy, comedy, or any kind of movie that keeps you laughing so hard from start to finish that you’ll never stop to consider whether or not it makes any sense (SPOILER: it does not).

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Dolemite Is My Name
76 %
7.2/10
r 118m
Genre Drama, Comedy, History
Stars Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps
Directed by Craig Brewer
All hail the return of Eddie Murphy! Murphy plays Rudy Ray Moore in this Netflix original. Moore was a washed-up musician who transformed himself into the 1970’s blaxploitation character named Dolemite, becoming a cult star in the process. An ode to extremely independent filmmaking with a subtler touch than Bowfinger, this film features additional, outstanding performances from Wesley Snipes and Keegan-Michael Key.
Dolemite Is My Name | Official Trailer | Netflix

Life of Brian (1979)

Life of Brian
77 %
8/10
r 94m
Genre Comedy
Stars Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam
Directed by Terry Jones
A person doesn’t truly love Monty Python unless they love Life of Brian. Well, and Flying Circus. There’s much more to Monty Python than Holy Grail. While Grail is the better-known film, Life of Brian is more ambitious, cynical, and downright crazier for a very simple reason: It parodies Jesus Christ rather than King Arthur. Well, Christ’s neighbor, Brian Cohen, played by Graham Chapman. The film follows a case of mistaken identity as Brian is treated as a prophet, blasphemer, and enemy of the state in a series of events meant to skewer the Bible. It was, needless to say, not popular with the Church upon its release, but it’s still darn funny and encourages everyone to “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life.”

Related Topics: Netflix | Hulu | Amazon Prime | More Streaming Services

Can’t find what you want on Netflix? Fortunately, we’ve also rounded up the best comedies on Amazon Prime Video and the best comedies on Hulu.

Editors' Recommendations

Movie images and data from:
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
The best movies on Hulu right now (March 2024)
Emma Stone in Poor Things.

Oscar season may be over, but Hulu is adding two of 2023's top nominees to this month's movie lineup. Poor Things is already available to stream, and on March 22, it will be joined by the French legal thriller Anatomy of a Fall. As you can also see by looking over the new titles on Hulu, March is a very strong month for movie lovers. But for this list, we're throwing the spotlight on Christopher Nolan's Inception and Ang Lee's Life of Pi.

That's just the beginning of the best movies on Hulu right now. Keep reading for more of our picks, which feature a great lineup of Hulu originals mixed in with acclaimed films from all over the world.

Read more
The best mysteries on Netflix right now
Kirsten Dunst and Ryan Gosling in All Good Things.

What's the difference between a thriller and a mystery? Besides the fact that Netflix seems to have twice as many of the former compared to the latter, mysteries tend to focus on detectives or even ordinary people who are attempting to unravel a crime or discover something that is hidden from them. Readers and viewers are often invited to follow the clues with the main characters and attempt to solve the mysteries before they do. Thrillers are stories with suspense, twists, anxiety, and action, which means they often go hand-in-hand with mysteries. But thrillers is the broader genre, which may be why it's more popular than mysteries on Netflix.

Regardless, Netflix does have a very good lineup of mystery movies. This month's additions include Barbie's Ryan Gosling in a true crime story, a modern film noir with Denzel Washington, and a more recent flick starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan. You can find all three and more below in our roundup of the best mysteries on Netflix.

Read more
The best kids movies on Netflix right now
A girl shuts up another one in Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken.

You can't always keep the kids occupied yourself, so when you're out of options, you need to know the best kids' movies on Netflix right now. The collection is pretty extensive, with beloved classics, fun originals, and some choose-your-own-adventure stories that are unique to Netflix.

You want to make sure that your kids are watching something age-appropriate, which is why we curate this list every month. This March, two new animated movies join the library.

Read more