The 26 best comedy movies on Netflix (October 2026)

21 Jump Street (2012)

The ‘80s called, and they want to see their high-premise action comedies on the big screen. Revived from the hit ‘80s TV show starring Johnny Depp, the film version of 21 Jump Street has been reconfigured for the new millennium. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as Morton Schmidt and Greg Jenko, police partners with opposite personalities and a common goal: to infiltrate a local high school and stop the spread of HFS — a synthetic drug better known on the streets as “Holy F—ing S—.” 

Featuring Dave Franco as a student drug dealer and Brie Larson as the girl Morton can’t stop thinking about, 21 Jump Street is particularly notable for giving Tatum the opportunity to put his impressive comedic abilities on display, instead of just his abs. —Ilana Gordon

Where to watch 21 Jump Street: Netflix

EW grade: A

Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle

Antz (1998)

Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks battled for audience attention in 1998 with competing animated bug movies. DreamWorks’ Antz was released a month before Disney’s A Bug’s Life — ruffling a few industry feathers in the process — but the two films are quite different, with Antz being the forgotten gem of the pair.

Antz tells the story of Z (Woody Allen), a neurotic worker ant uncomfortable with his lack of identity. A chance flirtation with Princess Bala (Sharon Stone) leads Z to swap his worker gear for a soldier’s spear. But can he save his ant colony from the nefarious General Mandible (Gene Hackman) before it’s too late? A sharp social satire that kids will love and adults will understand, Antz is a great option for family movie night. —I.G.

Where to watch Antz: Netflix

Directors: Eric Darnell, Tim Johnson

Cast: Woody Allen, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Jane Curtin, Danny Glover

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

The Coen brothers got tired of limiting themselves to one narrative in their projects, so for their Netflix film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, they decided to mix it up and tell multiple stories. Set up as a six-part Western anthology, the film focuses thematically on the American frontier and tells the stories of a cheerful cowboy, an unlucky would-be bank robber, a traveling promoter whose business is going downhill, a grizzled prospector, a woman headed West in search of a husband, and a group of passengers in a stagecoach.

While the Coens mess around with genre in each chapter and the cast differs from story to story, the six narratives are given a sense of consistency courtesy of the unique Coen voice, which the pair previously deployed on projects like No Country for Old Men (2007) and True Grit (2010). And while there are certainly frontrunner stories in terms of quality and effectiveness, the entire film is worth a watch. —I.G.

Where to watch The Ballad of Buster Scruggs: Netflix

EW grade: B

Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Cast: Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines

BlackBerry (2023)

The BlackBerry phone is dead; all hail the BlackBerry movie. A Canadian comedy about the rise of the personal device, BlackBerry is a cautionary tale about how the company’s hubris caused the “CrackBerry” to lose its vice grip on the smartphone market. Canada’s own Jay Baruchel stars as Research In Motion’s (the company behind BlackBerry) founder, Mike Lazaridis, and Glenn Howerton plays former co-CEO Jim Balsillie.

You can’t load a streaming service these days without stumbling over a tech origin story, but BlackBerry is particularly good thanks to its smart, funny script and an excellent performance from Howerton. A great film for fans of The Social Network (2010) or The Big Short (2015), BlackBerry is the story of tech’s Roman Empire: once mighty, now fallen. —I.G.

Where to watch BlackBerry: Netflix

Director: Matt Johnson

Cast: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, Matt Johnson, Rich Sommer, Michael Ironside

The Blues Brothers (1980)

An ode to stunt driving, blues music, and the city of Chicago, The Blues Brothers remains one of Saturday Night Live’s most successful cinematic exports. Jake and Elwood Blues — characters developed on the show by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd — are brothers who decide to reunite their old band in the hopes of raising enough money to save a local orphanage.

The only musical comedy to feature Nazis and Aretha Franklin in prominent roles, The Blues Brothers was one of the most expensive comedies ever made at the time of its release, but the production value paid off in spades, with critics raving about the film’s musical numbers and city-wide car chases. The Blues Brothers marked the pinnacle of Belushi’s movie career, and remains a cult favorite among comedy and musical lovers. —I.G.

Where to watch The Blues Brothers: Netflix

Director: John Landis

Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles

Bring It On (2000)

Before Netflix’s Cheer docuseries broke down the athleticism and grit required to cheer in college, Bring It On provided a sneak peek into the world of competitive cheerleading. This turn-of-the-century teen comedy stars Kirsten Dunst as Torrance Shipman, the newest captain of a national title-winning cheerleading squad at a San Diego high school. But Torrance’s quest for another title comes into question when she discovers the former captain stole all their routines from their rivals, the East Compton Clovers. Dunst and Gabrielle Union carry this film as opposing leaders who learn to respect each other, and Eliza Dushku brings the sarcasm and backbone as a gymnast and newest member of the squad. —I.G.

Where to watch Bring It On: Netflix

Director: Peyton Reed

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union

Bros (2022)

Bros didn’t perform great at the box office, and while critics and pundits will argue the reason, it’s clear the blame doesn’t fall with the quality of the film. A romantic comedy led by Billy Eichner — the first out gay man to co-write and star in his own major studio film — Bros follows the proudly single Bobby Lieber (Eichner) as he accidentally falls for the hetero-presenting Aaron (Luke Macfarlane). 

A Judd Apatow production, Bros has the requisite one-liners, witty banter, and celebrity cameos necessary to boost the comedic sections of the movie, but it’s the romantic portions that truly distinguish the film. As EW’s critic notes, “Bros wears its queerness proudly, without stooping to cater overmuch to whatever elusive demographics might qualify it as a ‘crossover’ success.” —I.G.

Where to watch Bros: Netflix

EW grade: B+

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Cast: Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Guy Branum

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Meryl Streep may not have won an Oscar for her role as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada (though she was nominated!), but the film does bear the distinction of being one of her most quotable works. An adaptation of the 2003 novel by the same name, the movie tells the story of Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), an aspiring writer who accepts a job working for the demanding editor in chief (Streep) at one of the most distinguished fashion magazines in New York City. What follows is a headlong descent into the fashion world, complete with wild assignments, eccentric characters, and glorious outfits. —I.G.

Where to watch The Devil Wears Prada: Netflix

Director: David Frankel 

Cast: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

In this biopic written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, Man on the Moon), Eddie Murphy plays Rudy Ray Moore, who works at a record store but knows he has something more to offer. Through sheer force of will — and a sharp ear for the raunchy, rough-edged poetry found on the streets and fringes — he transforms himself into a cult sensation, from his so-called “party records,” to live performances, to some of the most ridiculous and memorable Blaxploitation films of the ’70s. 

Murphy’s sheer charisma and star power make this movie land, but Wesley Snipes’ surprising comic chops are the secret sauce. —Will Harris

Where to watch Dolemite Is My Name: Netflix

EW grade: B+

Director: Craig Brewer

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps

Eighth Grade (2018)

The fact that one of the best movies about growing up as a teenage girl in the era of social media was written and directed by a twentysomething man is proof positive that irony exists. Comedian Bo Burnham makes a triumphant directorial debut with Eighth Grade, a coming-of-age comedy about Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher), a 13-year-old wrapping up her last week of middle school. 

A quiet teenager on the precipice of coming into her own, Kayla intellectually understands the importance of being yourself — she just hasn’t quite worked out how to do it yet. Fisher is dynamic, and her bumbling attempts at connection with her peers and dismissive attitude toward her loving father (Josh Hamilton) make the film feel more like a documentary than a comedy. —I.G.

Where to watch Eighth Grade: Netflix

EW grade: A

Director: Bo Burnham 

Cast: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan, Fred Hechinger

Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

The Eurovision Song Contest has been beloved globally for decades…except in the U.S., where it’s virtually unknown. As such, many Americans missed the boat on this absurd yet sincere comedy. Lars (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) are longtime not-quite-sweethearts from Iceland who, as Fire Saga, are on a quest to win the competition. 

In addition to being funny, Eurovision is also filled with quippy and catchy performances and songs, so expect some of the tunes to get stuck in your head. —W.H.

Where to watch Eurovision: The Story of Fire Saga: Netflix

Director: David Dobkin

Cast: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Melissanthi Nahut, Mikael Persbrandt

Go (1999)

All gas, no brakes is the modus operandi of Go (1999), a crime comedy directed by Doug Liman (1996’s Swingers). Go moves fast and breaks things as it tells its story of a drug deal gone wrong. Set around Christmas — but definitely not a Christmas movie — Go bounces around Los Angeles and Las Vegas, shifting perspectives between different groups within the film’s young ensemble cast.

Go was released the same year as Fight Club, Magnolia, and The Matrix, which overshadowed some of the attention that might have gone to this indie-style Xennial classic. EW’s critic calls the film “a rave-generation joyride, a kind of junior Pulp Fiction that courses along on waves of freedom and excitement.” —I.G.

Where to watch Go: Netflix through Oct. 19

EW grade: A

Director: Doug Liman

Cast: William Fichtner, Katie Holmes, Jay Mohr, Sarah Polley, Scott Wolf

Hit Man (2023)

Richard Linklater and Glen Powell team up for Hit Man (2023), a dark comedy and loose adaptation of the true story of Gary Johnson, a former investigator for the Houston District Attorney’s Office, whose talent for posing as a hit man and helping the police bust up would-be murder-for-hire plots made him a local legend. Powell stars as Johnson, a Southern eccentric whose loner lifestyle revolves around this high-stakes game of pretend — until he accidentally falls for one of his would-be clients (Adria Arjona).

Linklater sets his version of events in New Orleans and uses Johnson’s story as an entry point rather than a road map. Weird and weirdly human, Hit Man is Linklater’s best film since Boyhood (2014). —I.G. 

Where to watch Hit Man: Netflix

Director: Richard Linklater

Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao

Ingrid Goes West (2017)

Ingrid Goes West was one of the first films to tap into the seductive power of the parasocial relationship. Aubrey Plaza stars as Ingrid, a lonely woman from the East Coast who makes the decision to move west after leaving rehab and becoming obsessed with Taylor, a California influencer (Elizabeth Olsen). Once established in Venice, Ingrid recreates herself in Taylor’s image and attempts to ingratiate herself into Taylor’s circle.

Funny and unsettling, Ingrid Goes West immortalizes the 2016 Instagram era, a highlight reel of aspirational content intended to filter out all the darkness. EW’s critic writes, “Shiny pop satire with a humming undercurrent of existential dread, Ingrid Goes West is a clever, corrosive little trick of a movie, a neon candy heart dipped in asbestos.” —I.G. 

Where to watch Ingrid Goes West: Netflix

EW grade: B

Director: Matt Spicer

Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy Magnussen

Knocked Up (2007)

Based solely on the sheer number of films he wrote, directed, and produced during this period, it’s reasonable to assume that Judd Apatow was responsible for at least 10 percent of the laughs enjoyed during the mid-to-late aughts. Written and directed by Apatow and released two years after the success of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up stars a who’s who of comedy legends, past, present, and future.

The film follows Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl), an up-and-coming E! News reporter, and Ben Stone (Seth Rogen), a Canadian deadbeat she meets at a Los Angeles nightclub. When a drunken hookup between the two results in an unexpected pregnancy, everyone from Ben’s slacker friends to Alison’s sister’s family get involved as the couple decides to keep the baby and attempt to stay together. Never one to over-edit, Apatow’s film runs long, but the jokes are worth it. —I.G.

Where to watch Knocked Up: Netflix

EW grade: A

Director: Judd Apatow

Cast: Katherine Heigl, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Jay Baruchel

Liar Liar (1997)

Liar Liar isn’t the best Jim Carrey movie, but it is a movie that showcases everything Jim Carrey is best at. Carrey plays Fletcher Reede, an ambitious lawyer and deadbeat dad whose penchant for lying allows him to win over judges and juries, but costs him his marriage and relationship with his young son, Max (Justin Cooper). But when Max’s birthday wish for his father not to lie anymore comes true, Fletcher finds his professional and personal bag of tricks suddenly empty.

Carrey throws every atom of his being into his performance, his body and face convulsing as he struggles to redirect his honesty. EW’s critic writes, “Carrey is undeniably a virtuoso. At his best in Liar Liar, he’s like the missing Marx Brother — Sleazo.” —I.G.

Where to watch Liar Liar: Netflix

EW grade: B

Director: Tom Shadyac

Cast: Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Justin Cooper, Cary Elwes, Anne Haney

The Lovebirds (2020)

After four years of dating, Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Leilani (Issa Rae) are prepared to call it quits — until the couple finds themselves involved in a murder that requires them to put their breakup aside and go on the run. Too concerned about racial profiling to involve the police, Jibran and Leilani must hunt down the identity of the man who was murdered so they can find out who killed him and clear their own names.

Directed by Michael Showalter (Wet Hot American Summer), The Lovebirds is a romantic evening gone wrong in the style of films like 2010’s Date Night and 2018’s Game Night. Boasting a high ratio of jokes per minute and a pair of lead actors who know how to wield their witticisms like machetes, Nanjiani and Rae’s onscreen bickering and loving needling will have you rooting for their relationship, even as it’s falling apart. —I.G.

Where to watch The Lovebirds: Netflix

EW grade: B

Director: Michael Showalter

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae, Anna Camp, Paul Sparks

Neighbors (2014)

In this 2014 bromantic comedy, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne star as Mac and Kelly, thirtysomething parents whose suburban existence is upended when a fraternity moves in next door. The guys of Delta Psi Beta — led by Teddy (Zac Efron in his first grown-up breakout role) — have dreams of hosting a party that will live on in fraternity legend for years to come, but when Mac and Kelly start pushing back on their late-night antics, a prank war breaks out between the two homes.

Rogen and Efron keep the laughs coming as their shenanigans escalate, but Byrne is the movie’s secret weapon: Deadpan, dirty-mouthed, and down to retaliate, the film lets her character have just as much fun as Rogen’s. —I.G.

Where to watch Neighbors: Netflix

Director: Nicholas Stoller

Cast: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco

The Other Guys (2010)

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg team up for a buddy cop action comedy that will be relatable to anyone who doesn’t thrive under pressure. Ferrell and Wahlberg play Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz, two NYPD detectives who have been relegated to desk duty. But when the most alpha cops on the force pass away in the line of duty, it’s up to The Other Guys to investigate the biggest crime the city has seen in years. 

Ferrell and Wahlberg are perfectly cast as an odd-couple duo, and director Adam McKay is a pro at satirizing a genre that has turned law enforcement officers into superheroes. EW’s critic writes that the film “is aimed at all of us out there who long for excitement yet cling to safety because we’re more desk jockey than supercop ourselves.” —I.G.

Where to watch The Other Guys: Netflix

EW grade: A–

Director: Adam McKay

Cast: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan

Party Girl (1995)

Parker Posey (White Lotus) was the queen of the ‘90s indie comedy movement, and Party Girl is one of her best films. Posey stars as Mary, an exuberant young woman living in New York City and enjoying all the underground queer club scene has to offer. When a run-in with the law leaves her in need of an income, Mary finds herself at the New York Public Library in search of a job. 

Along the way, Mary gets involved with her local street vendor, attempts to conquer the Dewey Decimal System, and wears an incredible array of vintage couture pieces. Shot in less than three weeks on a budget of $150,000, Party Girl is the perfect film to watch if you’re looking to dip a toe into ‘90s indie cinema. —I.G.

Where to watch Party Girl: Netflix

EW grade: B+

Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer

Cast: Parker Posey, Sasha von Scherler, Guillermo Diaz, Anthony DeSando, Omar Townsend

She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

Spike Lee’s first feature film as a writer and director, She’s Gotta Have It presents intertwining romances as lead character Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) decides which of the three men she’s dating (Lee, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell) she wants to have a monogamous relationship with. Luxuriating in Lee’s creative sensibility and shot in crisp black and white, Nola’s journey towards picking a partner is funny, thought-provoking, and unique in every respect.

In a review of Netflix’s 2017 She’s Gotta Have It adaptation (also directed by Lee), EW’s critic describes the original movie, writing, “She’s Gotta Have It was Spike Lee’s first feature film, and few movies feel so joyfully first.” A dramedy that questions sexual, relationship, and gender norms of the time, She’s Gotta Have It is notable for its subject matter, aesthetic, and for launching Lee’s storied Hollywood career. —I.G.

Where to watch She’s Gotta Have It: Netflix

Director: Spike Lee 

Cast: Tracy Camilla Johns, Spike Lee, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell

Starship Troopers (1997)

When Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers was released almost three decades ago, expectations were high. The Dutch filmmaker previously scored with action blockbusters like RoboCop (1987) and Total Recall (1990), but his newest sci-fi satire didn’t land with audiences who failed to appreciate the comedic insights on fascism, military overreach, and the power of propaganda.

Unfortunately for humanity, time has proven Starship Troopers a much deeper and more prescient film than the one audiences thought they saw in 1997. EW’s critic describes the comedy, which positions humanity against violent and horrifying space bugs out for total domination, as “Verhoeven’s ultimate joke. With Starship Troopers, he’s trashing movies even as he makes a brazenly entertaining one.” —I.G.

Where to watch Starship Troopers: Netflix through Oct. 31

EW grade: B+

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Cast: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Before the Daniels directed Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), the duo made their feature debut with the dramedy Swiss Army Man (2016). More colloquially known as “that farting corpse movie,” the film follows Hank (Paul Dano) as he rescues himself from a deserted island using a reanimated corpse named Manny (Daniel Radcliffe). 

Like Everything Everywhere, Swiss Army Man uses its absurdism not as a distraction, but as a means of heightening the characters’ humanity. As Hank discovers all the ways Manny’s body is capable of helping him find his way home — some more graphic than others — he is able to release some of his shame and dread, and reconnect with his desire to live. —I.G.

Where to watch Swiss Army Man: Netflix

Directors: Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan

Cast: Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

They Cloned Tyrone (2022)

A single genre isn’t enough to contain They Cloned Tyrone. A sci-fi comedy that combines ‘70s Blaxploitation with mystery and social satire, the film has similar vibes to movies like Get Out (2017) or Sorry to Bother You (2018) while employing a far more absurd premise. Fontaine (John Boyega) is a drug dealer living in an impoverished area called the Glen. While trying to collect funds owed to him by a local pimp named Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx), Fontaine is shot and killed — but that doesn’t stop him from showing up on Slick’s doorstep the next day to collect his money.

Joined by sex worker Yo-Yo (Teyonah Parris), the trio attempts to get to the bottom of what appears to be a massive government conspiracy aimed at exploiting their disenfranchised community as medical subjects. A satirical romp that has as much to say about class and racial injustices as it does about mystery movie tropes, They Cloned Tyrone is smart, silly, and uniformly well-acted. —I.G.

Where to watch They Cloned Tyrone: Netflix

Director: Juel Taylor

Cast: John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, Jamie Foxx

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

In the third installment of the Knives Out franchise, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) travels to upstate New York to solve a murder disguised as a miracle. After the controversial leader of an ill-attended parish is killed during services, Detective Blanc is brought in to determine which of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks’ co-workers and loyal followers orchestrated his demise. 

Writer-director Rian Johnson works his misdirection magic, and Wake Up Dead Man is just as satisfying as Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022). Josh O’Connor joins the cast as a young priest who is transferred to the church after punching a former parishioner, and Glenn Close is a lovely addition in her role as Martha, a longtime congregant and Wicks’ chief confidant. —I.G.

Where to watch Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery: Netflix

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis

Zola (2020)

In 2015, a viral Twitter thread held the internet’s attention hostage for an entire afternoon. Five years later, Zola — a film based on one harrowing trip to Florida as experienced by Zola (Taylour Paige), a waitress and part-time stripper — took the leap from social media to the big screen in a dark comedy directed by Janicza Bravo. The film, like the story on which it’s based, is wild, terrifying, and impossible to tear yourself away from.

But where a lesser adaptation might have succumbed to the story’s most sensational elements, EW’s critic writes that Bravo’s version offers humor, humanity, and “a sort of electric buzz: the thrill of watching something stranger than fiction, and somehow better for being some kind of true.” —I.G.

Where to watch Zola: Netflix

EW grade: B+

Director: Janicza Bravo

Cast: Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Nicholas Braun, Ari’el Stachel, Colman Domingo