20 best comedies streaming on Netflix, July 2023

Nothing feels as good as a deep, genuine laugh. It’s an expression of joy! It’s a workout. It’s a sign that you’re having a good time.

Netflix has a dazzling selection of comedy movies that put that good-time feeling on demand. Whether you’re craving action-spiked shenanigans, quirky coming-of-age adventures, awkward humor, stranger-than-fiction silliness, madcap musical numbers, or crime with a dash of comedy, there’s a perfect pick for you. And we’ve made singling it out all the easier by highlighting the most hilarious below.

Here, in no particular order, are the 20 funniest movies now streaming on Netflix.

20.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Writer/director Rian Johnson follows up his critically heralded whodunnit with a sequel that’s even more explosive than

Knives Out

. Southern gentleman/detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back, drawling deductions and whipping out witticisms, much to the chagrin of a group of wealthy and conniving friends.

It was supposed to be a murder mystery weekend where homicide was just a game. But when tech scion Miles Bron (Edward Norton) brings together his closest friends and worst enemy, real blood will be spilled, and the game is afoot! Joining in on the comically chaotic fun are Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jessica Henwick.

— Kristy Puchko, Film Editor

How to watch:


Glass Onion

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

19.

A League of Their Own

Batter up! Inspired by the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL),

A League of Their Own

brings viewers back to World War II America, where the men were shipped overseas to war and the women on the home front stepped into roles previously prohibited. This included playing professional baseball, where misfits, tomboys, bad girls, and housewives found new passion and purpose.

Geena Davis and Lori Petty star as a pair of sisters who struggle to play on the same team. Director Penny Marshall brought together an astounding ensemble that also includes Tom Hanks, Madonna, Jon Lovitz, Rosie O’Donnell, and David Strathairn. Together, they create one of the best sports movies of all time, and also one wonderfully funny film, full of outrageous characters, witty retorts, and a rousing climax that’s a real winner.

— K.P.

How to watch:


A League of Their Own

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

18.

Easy A

Want a raunchy teen comedy that’s surprisingly smart? Then revisit 2010’s winsome rom-com

Easy A.

Emma Stone stars as Olive, a modern-day Hester Prynne, which in this context means a high school girl who’s trading fictional sexcapades for gift cards. The boys get high fives for their sexual prowess, while — double standards being what they are — Olive get slut shamed as a pariah. But don’t worry, she’s got a plan.

Will Gluck directs a star-studded cast that includes

You

‘s Penn Badgley as a lovable crush, Amanda Bynes as a judgmental mean girl, Thomas Haden Church as a confounded mentor, and Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci as Olive’s parents, who are funny, and outrageous, and the definition of couple goals. They’ve got a pocketful (pocketful pocketful) of sunshine, and all you have to do to enjoy is hit play.

— K.P.

How to watch:


Easy A

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

17.

Bullet Train

If you like your comedy with in-your-face action, you should race to check out this 2022 romp from

Deadpool 2



director David Leitch. It’s a high-octane film that asks the classic question: “What happens if you pile a bunch of assassins onto one bullet train through Japan?” The answer is delightfully daffy carnage.

Brad Pitt leads a star-studded cast as a merc who’s lost his bloodlust. What’s supposed to be a simple snatch-and-go job turns dangerously complicated as he crosses paths with a cavalcade of curious characters, all of whom are rocking code names like Tangerine, Lemon, Wolf, The Prince, The Hornet, and White Death. Rapid-fire wit is wielded by the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Joey King, Zazie Beetz, and Sandra Bullock. Also wielded? Every form of weapon you can imagine, from guns and knives to poison, wild animals, and even a well-traveled water bottle. Sound cool? Catch it while you can.

— K.P.

How to watch:


Bullet Train

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

16.

Between Two Ferns: The Movie

Zach Galifianakis’s awkward celebrity interview web series

Between Two Ferns

might not seem like fodder for a full-length movie, but

Between Two Ferns: The Movie

goes double meta by presenting his success on Funny or Die as an insult to the actor’s intention to host a “serious” interview show. Galifianakis the character sets off to correct the assumption that his original show is a joke by interviewing even

more

celebrities, like John Cho, Keanu Reeves, Gal Gadot, Tiffany Haddish, and more.

— Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch:


Between Two Ferns: The Movie


(opens in a new tab)

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

15.

Do Revenge

Looking for a revenge flick that pays tribute to teen classics like

Mean Girls

,

Heathers

,

Cruel Intentions

, and more? Then check out

Do Revenge

, a dark comedy sure to join the canon of iconic high school movies. Students Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke) couldn’t be more different… apart from the fact that both have major bones to pick with people who ruined their reputations. They decide to team up and execute one another’s revenge plans, which leads down a winding road of morally dubious choices, snappy one-liners, and excellent outfits.

Mendes and Hawke have great chemistry, but it’s Sophie Turner who damn near steals the show in a bit part that simply must be seen to be believed.* —

Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch:


Do Revenge

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

14.

A Knight’s Tale

Hot off the success of the contemporary Shakespearean adaptation

10 Things I Hate About You

, Heath Ledger returned to the spotlight in another anachronistic mash-up of love and romance. And it had plenty of action to boot!

Born a humble thatcher’s son, Will (Ledger) seems destined to live a life of poverty and no consequence. Well, that is until he masquerades as a knight with a little help from his friends (Alan Tudyk, Mark Addy, and Paul Bettany). Together, they build a legend of a champion, pitching Will into jousting competitions for money and love. Because of course amid scenes of horse-striding battle, there’s also time for romance with a devastatingly chic princess (Shannyn Sossamon).

Written and directed by Brian Helgeland,

A Knight’s Tale

blends a medieval fable with modern sensibilities, a rockin’ soundtrack, and the vibes of a teen comedy with a rousing sports epic. It’s an intoxicating blend that’s sure to make your heart race and your belly rock with laughter. —

K.P.

Where to watch:


A Knight’s Tale

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

13.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

This 2016 adventure about bad egg Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his curmudgeonly foster father Hec (Sam Neill) is the kind of eccentric delight that writer/director Taika Waititi specializes in (this time co-writing with Barry Crump, who wrote the original book).

After losing his foster mother, Ricky flees into the forests of New Zealand; Hec pursues him, only to realize he doesn’t feel the need to return to civilization either. Together, they become the wilderpeople, living off the land and evading capture from authorities, including

Thor: Ragnarok

‘s Rachel House.

Wilderpeople

is equal parts stirring, hilarious, and absurd — a silly yet sentimental story of found family and adventure that can be loved by all. —

Proma Khosla, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch:


Hunt for the Wilderpeople


(opens in a new tab)

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

12.

Always Be My Maybe

What if the one who got away got a second chance? Back in the day, Sasha and Marcus were tight as a slap bracelet. But one fumbled night in a sweaty backseat seemed to shatter their future together.

Fifteen years later, she’s a world-renowned chef and he’s — well — he’s working for his dad’s HVAC business and playing with his band on the side. Still, fate arranges for them to reconnect, which could mean Marcus (Randall Park) has a shot to show Sasha (Ali Wong) how he feels. Comedy ensues as the stakes get high when Keanu Reeves crashes the party, being all weird and hot and having the audacity to be Keanu Reeves! This Nahnatchka Khan-helmed laffer also boasts appearances by James Saito, Charlyne Yi, Karan Soni, Daniel Dae Kim, and Michelle Buteau.* —

K.P.

How to watch:



Always Be My Maybe



is now streaming on Netflix.


(opens in a new tab)

11.

Mean Girls

The iconic 2004 comedy couldn’t match “fetch” happen, but it’s had us howling nonetheless.

Written by Tina Fey and Rosalind Wiseman,

Mean Girls

centers on new-kid-in-town Cady Heron (Lindsey Lohan), who gets a crash course in cliques and cool thanks to a snarling goth outcast (Lizzy Caplan) and the pretty-in-pink popular girls, known as The Plastics (Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lacey Chabert). Teen comedy tropes get taken to outrageous extremes. Sure, some of these punchlines feel dated in the way they punch down. But full of memorable quotes and sensationally silly performances,

Mean Girls

still makes the grade in laughs. —

K.P.

How to watch:



Mean Girls



is now streaming on Netflix.


(opens in a new tab)

10.

Dolemite Is My Name

Chronicling the true story of late comedian Rudy Ray Moore — also known as Dolemite — this Eddie Murphy vehicle is worth every minute of viewing.

An outrageous showbiz comedy,


Dolemite Is My Name


is at once a poignant look at the life of an underdog and an unbelievably good time. With supporting performances by Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Wesley Snipes, Craig Robinson, and more, this biopic offers more beat-for-beat joy than many of its fictional counterparts. Sensational, aspirational, and electric: You’ll love it. —

Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch:


Dolemite Is My Name


(opens in a new tab)

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

9.

Steel Magnolias

If there’s any movie that’s emblematic of the


necessity of laughing through pain, it’s

Steel Magnolias

. The loss of a loved one is beyond devastating, especially when that loss is as slow and foreseen as it is with Julia Roberts’s Shelby, a young Southern woman whose type 1 diabetes puts her life at risk when she decides to have a baby. But the beauty of Herbert Ross’s tragic dramedy is how it finds comfort and relief in processing grief with comedy.

The film bookends each painful blow with warm, infectious humor courtesy of the electric chemistry shared by Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Roberts. Take


Field’s iconic breakdown scene


(opens in a new tab)


, a reminder that the way to get through the unimaginable tragedies of life is to have people around you who can break up the anguish with a little laughter and sweetness.* —

Oliver Whitney, Contributing Writer

How to watch:


Steel Magnolias

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

8.

The Polka King

Sometimes true crime can lead to some pitch-perfect dark comedy. This is the case for this outrageous offering, which stars Jack Black as infamous scammer/local celebrity Jan Lewan. Black brings all the rock star panache you need to understand how Lewan could be so beguiling to the Pennsylvanian retirees who surrendered their savings to the self-proclaimed

Polka King

.

Screenwriters Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky gave this story of fraud and showmanship shape. But they wisely trusted in the local flair of the terrific 2009 documentary

The Man Who Would Be Polka King

to provide some of the wildest lines of dialogue. Plucking


directly from interviews


(opens in a new tab)


with the friends, family, and victims of Jan Lewan, this comedy feels stranger than fiction but is jaw-droppingly real. Salty supporting turns from Jenny Slate, Jacki Weaver, and Jason Schwartzman bring added fun.*

— K.P.

How to watch:



The Polka King



is now streaming on Netflix.


(opens in a new tab)

7.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Sony Pictures Animation has given audiences such daring and dynamic animated movies as

Surf’s Up, Hotel Transylvania,

and

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse


.

This zany 2021 release centers on a family who’s battling back the robo-apocalypse with togetherness, internet savviness, and a wall-eyed pug named Monchi (voiced by social media icon Doug the Pug).

The Mitchells’ adventure into chaos begins when daughter Katie (Abbi Jacobson) is poised to go off to college. Desperate for one last family-unifying road trip, her dad (Danny McBride) piles the whole family into his beater of a vehicle, unknowingly charting a fateful route into heroics. Director Mike Rianda infuses Katie’s excitable perspective throughout the film by working in internet memes, social media-style reactions, and blitz of bonkers visuals. It’s a bold move that might alienate some viewers but has largely won the acclaim of critics and kiddos.* —

K.P.

How to watch:


The Mitchells vs. The Machines


(opens in a new tab)

is now streaming on Netflix

(opens in a new tab)

.

(opens in a new tab)

6.

The Nice Guys

If you’re a sucker for black comedy, witty dialogue, ’70s style, and/or odd-couple comedic duos, it doesn’t get much nicer than

The Nice Guys

. Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) and Holland March (Ryan Gosling) play a pair of washed-up private investigators who reluctantly join forces to search for a missing woman (Margaret Qualley) in 1977 Los Angeles — with occasional assistance from March’s clever teenage daughter, played by Angourie Rice.

Though the mystery takes the gang to the farthest reaches of the city, burrowing deep into rabbit holes and brushing up against all manner of eccentrics, it’s the unexpected chemistry between Crowe and Gosling that really keeps this engine running, and it’ll leave you wishing for more where that came from.*

— Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor

How to watch:


The Nice Guys

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

5.

The Forty-Year-Old Version

The Forty-Year-Old Version

isn’t just any film about a struggling New York artist, but one about a Black female playwright who’s continually held back from creating something authentic to her perspective. Radha Blank’s autobiographical directorial debut, which she also wrote, produced, and stars in, is a searing, funny, and unabashedly honest look at the compromises Black creatives are pushed to make in a world dominated by whiteness.

A teacher approaching her 40th birthday, Radha (Blank) gets the chance to produce one of her plays — only after she refuses to write a slave musical. But forced to change her vision to appease white audiences, Radha considers a totally different medium to express herself: becoming a rapper.

The Forty-Year-Old Version

may be one of the most slept-on Netflix originals, and it’s a shame we’ve yet to see another film from Blank since, itself an indictment of an industry that fails to continually platform raw and honest Black storytelling.*

— O.W.

How to watch:



The Forty-Year-Old Version



is now streaming on Netflix.


(opens in a new tab)

4.

Vampires vs. the Bronx

Want a movie that’s got excitement, comedy, a scorching message about the evils of gentrification,

and

is a kid-friendly romp? Then take a bite out of

Vampires vs. the Bronx

.

Oz Perkins’s PG-13 horror-comedy centers on Afro-Latino teens who recognize that a flurry of missing person posters and an influx of rich white folks with tote bags means bad news for the neighborhood. Together, they team up

Monster Squad-

style to take down the bloodsuckers and save their community. With a sharp wit, a warm heart, a rich sense of atmosphere, and an equal appreciation for the

Blade

movies and ’80s Amblin,

Vampires vs. the Bronx

is an easy watch full of rewards.* —

K.P.

How to watch:


Vampires vs. the Bronx


(opens in a new tab)

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

3.

The Breaker Upperers

This hidden gem comes from New Zealand, the fertile comedy ground that gave us Taika Waititi,

Flight of the Conchords

, and

What We Do in the Shadows


.

Waititi collaborators Jackie van Beek, James Rolleston, and Jemaine Clement team up for a deeply quirky buddy comedy about two long-time besties with a bonkers — but brilliant — business model.

Need someone to dump your partner so you can avoid a messy confrontation? Call on Jen and Mel (co-writers/co-directors/co-leads van Beek and Madeleine Sami). For a reasonable fee, these fearless Breaker Upperers will impersonate police officers, play pregnant, or even fake your death to help you ghost an ex. Whatever the shenanigans, van Beek and Sami sparkle. Booming with wild humor and big heart, this comedy is guaranteed to leave you cackling.

*


— K.P.

Where to watch:


The Breaker Upperers

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

2.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

With its reputation for wacky musical numbers, the Eurovision Song Contest is ripe for parody. Luckily for Eurovision lovers, the contest gets the send-up it deserves in this gloriously goofy flick starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. They play the Icelandic musical duo Fire Saga, who find themselves in the Eurovision spotlight. There, they discover that the famed competition is a world of cutthroat competitors, glitzy costumes, and many,

many

bops.

Eurovision Song Contest

is full of larger-than-life characters and ridiculous humor, but it’s also teeming with Eurovision references that will have fans laughing and cheering. For every “Jaja Ding Dong,” there’s a joyful Song-A-Long — and both are great! Pair all that with pitch-perfect comedic performances from Ferrell and McAdams, and you have a comedy that will both have you in stitches and win your heart. (Best of all, if you weren’t a Eurovision fanatic before seeing this movie, you’ll definitely be one by the time it ends.)* —

B.E.

How to watch:


Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

1.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Made up of Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin, and Terry Gilliam, the comedy troupe Monty Python are the uncontested kings of comedy. So it’s only fitting that we raise a glass to their most popular film,

Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Sure,

Life of Brian


(opens in a new tab)

has iconoclastic fun with Bible stories — and a toe-tapping sound number to boot! But many of the crew’s most memorable characters tumble forth in this parody of Arthurian lore.

From the knights Who Say “Ni!” to the dreaded Rabbit of Caerbannog to a taunting Frenchman to the Black Knight who’ll never say die,

Holy Grail

is overflowing with madcap comedy. It’s endlessly quotable, stupidly funny, and captures everything that made this comedy team spectacular. Not to mention, it forever changed how we see coconuts, swallows, hamsters, and elderberries.

— K.P. & A.F.

How to watch:


Monty Python and the Holy Grail


(opens in a new tab)

is now streaming on Netflix.

(opens in a new tab)

* denotes that this blurb appeared in a previous Mashable list.

UPDATE: Jun. 30, 2023, 3:40 p.m. EDT

This story has been updated to reflect the current selection on Netflix.