Our Top 10 Favorite Comedy Films of Late

Our Top 10 Favorite Comedy Films of Late

No Hard Feelings, starring Jennifer Lawrence, and Joy Ride, directed by Adele Lim, are two of the very few (and excellent) adult-only studio comedies that have just opened in Australian theaters. In honor of this brief comeback, we're thinking back on some of the greatest comedies that came out between 2018 and 2023 and believe will become genre classics.

Shiva Baby (2020)

Shiva Baby tells the story of an especially awkward shiva for a young, aimless bisexual Jewish woman named Danielle (Rachel Sennott). She must navigate the collision between her romantic and professional prospects while her parents, Fred Melamed and Polly Draper, her ex-girlfriend Maya (Molly Gordon), and her sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari) watch closely.

The film's masterful use of tension and humor makes it even more remarkable that it's a debut movie. Danielle has uneasiness and claustrophobia as a result of the story's primarily one-location, real-time format. She is under constant pressure to maintain her image and makes a valiant effort to repress her awkwardness. If you're curious about the writer-director's upcoming projects Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott are collaborating on a teen sex comedy called Bottoms, which also features Ayo Edebiri from The Bear.

Tomatometer reading: 96%

Purchase or rent a movie at Fetch Video Store.

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

One of the most distinctive and unexpected films on social discomfort you will ever see is Ruben Östlund's Triangle of Sadness. Models and influencers Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (the late Charlbi Dean Kriek) are invited to a luxurious cruise ship with a bunch of opulent but out-of-touch wealthy people. Then, during an unfortunate captain's dinner, the passengers' excess takes an unanticipated and nauseating turn.

The scenario is set for complete pandemonium to break out in this satirical black comedy about the absurdly wealthy and entitled living in the microcosm of a superyacht. Although the film is divided into three great acts, one of the funniest long passages I have ever seen comes in the middle act. A whirlwind of striking visuals, amazing events, as well as a demonstration of the skillful direction and dedication to performance.

Tomatometer: 72 percent

Booksmart (2019)

Olivia Wilde's (Don't Worry Darling) directing debut, Booksmart, was a critical success in 2019 and is considered one of the funniest and most relatable teen coming-of-age films ever produced. Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein), best friends, discover before graduation that they have been rejected because they are snobbish and bookworms. They then make the decision to celebrate and make up for missed time by going to several of their friends' graduation parties in one evening.
Despite the premise's familiarity, Wilde uses several memorable moments to make the pair's frequently uncomfortable journey to show they're as hip as their classmates feel new. In addition to Feldstein and Dever being a great comedy duo, the supporting cast is also full of rising stars, including classmates Amy and Molly's like Skyler Gisondo, Billie Lourd, Diana Silvers, and Molly Gordon.

Tomatometer reading: 96%

Purchase or rent a movie at Fetch Video Store.

Game Night (2018)

A group of friends who get together for game nights on a regular basis, including Max (Jason Bateman, Arrested Development) and Annie (Rachel McAdams, The Notebook), become entangled in a real-life mystery when Max's brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) appears to have been abducted during a Murder Mystery game gone wrong.
Aside from some of Rachel McAdams' best work and a now-iconic performance from Jesse Plemons, Game Night includes a cast that is having a blast bringing this clever and frequently surprising plot to life. For a comedy, Barry Peterson's cinematography is incredibly amazing—he most recently contributed to Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. My only complaint with this otherwise timeless masterpiece is that, given how avid gamers Max and Annie are, why aren't they Is The Game of Life and Scrabble even close to their table?

Tomatometer reading: 85%

Purchase or rent a movie at Fetch Video Store.

Palm Springs (2020)

Nyles and Sarah, two wedding guests in Palm Springs, start dating while they are compelled to repeat the same day over and over again due to a time loop.
This temporally-twisted romantic comedy revolves around the unique abilities of Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Hot Rod and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and Cristin Milioti (Made for Love and The Resort). This is an exuberant, fast-paced, humorous, and occasionally shocking trip that never lacks confidence because of the amazing connection between the two characters.
Tomatometer reading: 94%
Watch via Prime Video.

 

Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)

This strange encounter, a tragic victim of the pandemic a few years ago, is among the list's most overlooked (and, to be honest, unwatched) movies. This vibrant dose of ridiculously entertaining escape is anything from traditional.

When longtime friends Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristen Wiig) decide to take a vacation in Vista Del Mar, Florida, instead of their hometown in a little Midwestern town, it's the experience of a lifetime. The creative duo of Bridesmaids, Mumolo and Wiig, are as amusing as ever, but Jamie Dornan, who is surprisingly entertaining, will steal the show for a lot of people.

Tomatometer reading: 80%

Purchase or rent a movie at Fetch Video Store.

Bad Trip (2021)

The hilarious misadventures of two friends, Chris (Eric André, The Eric André Show) and Bud (Lil Rel Howery, Get Out), who go on a cross-country road trip to NYC so that Chris can propose to his high school crush, are chronicled in Bad Trip, a hybrid of a scripted buddy comedy road movie and a genuine hidden camera prank show. As Bud's criminal sister Trina, whose car they have stolen for the journey, Tiffany Haddish co-stars.
Although it may not be to everyone's taste, there is much to appreciate about this truly excellent addition to the hidden-camera-pranks genre, including total situational pandemonium and one of writer-star Eric André's bravest public humiliation performances you will ever watch. This is a story-driven combination of  is a narratively driven combination of Nathan Fielder's parody-reality work (Nathan For You) with the regular insane Jackass guys' antics.

Tomatometer reading: 79%

Watch on Netflix.

Long Shot (2019)

In the film Long Shot, Josh Rogen plays a nerdy New York journalist named Fred Flarsky, who meets up with his boyhood sweetheart, Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), who happens to be the US Secretary of State and one of the most powerful women in the world. Unexpected sparks erupt when Charlotte employs Fred as her wordsmith in anticipation of her presidential run.
Who doesn't adore Seth Rogen? This is the perfect example of a Seth Rogen role. Yet as the ultimate odd couple, he and Theron—a great and underappreciated comedy actor in her own right—have a strange but contagious chemistry. When you combine clever political maneuvering with an especially entertaining ecstasy trip, this is a gamble that pays off.
Tomatometer reading: 81%
Purchase or rent a movie at Fetch Video Store.

 

Werewolves Within (2021)

The spirit of the beloved TV personality, Mr. Rogers, is tested in this ode to cozy whodunit mysteries with a gory werewolf twist. Finn Wheeler, a kind and idealistic park ranger, plays Mr. Rogers, and he is here represented by Sam Richardson. The residents of a small New England town, divided over the proposed construction of a pipeline, begin to eat themselves alive.

A lighthearted, enjoyable, and surprisingly endearing horror-comedy, Werewolves Within has a fun idea. It seamlessly transitions from a whodunit mystery, to goofy character interactions, to a creature-feature bite, making it a rewatchable classic. If you're ever in the mood for "One Night Ultimate Werewolf: The Movie," this is definitely for you. I wrote more about this delightful surprise here.
Tomatometer reading: 86%
Purchase or or borrow from the Fetch Video Store.

Dolemite is my Name (2019)

Eddie Murphy plays the real-life icon Rudy Ray Moore, a pioneer of rap and comedy in the 1970s who disproved doubters with the success of his outrageous and comic alter ego, Dolemite. The movie depicts Moore's ascent to prominence, which was mostly driven by his independent, amateurish production of his ground-breaking movie Dolemite.
When this movie first came out, it was a welcome comeback for the now-lightly-worked comic great Murphy, who at the time had become a trailblazer of the Blaxploitation movement. The greatest really inspirational movie within a movie since Murphy's own Bowfinger is Dolemite is My Name. This opulent account of a guy who took a chance on himself and inspired others is so captivating that it highlights a time of black artists' creative resurgence.
Tomatometer reading: 97%