The 22 Greatest Comedy Movie Masterpieces of All Time, Ranked

Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot is the perfect comedy, full stop. With an impeccable script, a high-energy pace, and pitch-perfect performances, he created something incredible and memorable, leaving a legacy to all other comedies that wished to challenge its lead cast. Tony Curtis's Cary Grant-esque performance and Jack Lemmon's unhinged comic brilliance are matched by Marilyn Monroe in one of her most iconic roles. The American Film Institute named Some Like It Hot the funniest film of all time, and its famous final line, "Well, nobody's perfect," remains the ultimate punchline to an exquisitely constructed joke.

Some Like It Hot follows Joe and Jerry, two jazz musicians working at a bar of local Mafia boss Spats Colombo. When they witness a massacre on St. Valentine's Day, they go on the run; desperate to survive, they disguise themselves as women and join an all-female jazz band that is en route to Miami. They become "Josephine" and "Daphne," meet the band's alluring singer, Sugar Kane (Monroe), on the train to Florida, and both find her mesmerizing. Meeting her and running from near-certain death leads them into a tangled web of all sorts of complications. Some Like It Hot is, without question, the greatest comedy masterpiece ever made and earns that accolade year after year.

Charlie Chaplin's first true talkie, The Great Dictator, was an act of extraordinary courage. Its final speech, in which Chaplin drops all pretense of comedy to plead for peace and humanity, remains one of the most powerful moments in film history. We spoke already about comedy being a sign of great intelligence and being susceptible to genre-blending for the right reasons. In the case of The Great Dictator, comedy becomes a vehicle for humanity and understanding, showing viewers that there is room to laugh and still take matters seriously.

The Great Dictator was released in 1940, before the United States entered World War II; it's a pretty bold and direct satire of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, with Chaplin playing both a Jewish barber and the tyrannical dictator Adenoid Hynkel, sporting the same kind of mustache and uniform. Since the world still wasn't aware of the full scope of Nazi crimes when the film was made, Chaplin looked back on it in 1964 and said that he probably wouldn't have made the movie had he known it. The Great Dictator contains an iconic scene—Hynkel's dance with a balloon globe, which is one of cinema's great set pieces.

The Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker team (ZAZ) created The Naked Gun, but prior to making a parody of police procedurals, they took 1957's Zero Hour!, a straightforward, forgettable disaster film, and used its structure and plot as an inspiration to create Airplane! What came of it is an endless array of slapstick comedy, deadpan wordplay, and visual puns, and they didn't even need to change much of the original plot to tell it. Although Leslie Nielsen is most known for The Naked Gun today, he was a dramatic actor at the time; the ZAZ team turned him into a comedy icon, starting with Airplane!

Airplane! follows a flight crew and passengers on a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago. When the entire airplane falls victim to food poisoning, an ex-fighter pilot with a "drinking problem," Ted (Robert Hays), must safely land the plane, all while grappling with his fear of flying. Airplane! is a joke machine of the highest order, with gags firing at a relentless pace in every scene, line, and background visual. As one of the best films of 1980 and a starting point in ZAZ's legacy, Airplane! still finds fandom and relevance, nearly half a century later.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail may be the first-ever parody of the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table; while Stateside, Mel Brooks was mocking Hollywood for its Old West concepts, across the "pond," the comedy troupe called Monty Python started getting into feature-length content, filming their first movie as a parody of Old English concepts and myths. Holy Grail was notably made on a small budget, but its limitations led to brilliant creative solutions. Speaking of budget, the primary funding sources for this film were artists like Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Elton John.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail follows King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as they embark on a quest for the Holy Grail. Along the way, they encounter many absurd obstacles, including killer rabbits, taunting French soldiers, and the Knights Of "Ni!" Holy Grail might be a feature film, but it feels like a string of their well-known sketches molded into a complete, feature-length masterpiece. Its influence on comedy is so profound that its quotes and gags have become part of the cultural lexicon, defining absurdist humor for generations.

Speaking of parodies, another one that works very well and is considered a comedy masterpiece is The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! The film can only be described as a joke delivery system of incredible efficiency, with so many gags per minute that would break a regular movie. However, The Naked Gun is more than just silliness; it is elevated further by the absolute commitment of its cast, most notably Leslie Nielsen, who delivers the absurdity with the solemnity of a Shakespearean tragedy.

The Naked Gun follows Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Nielsen in the performance of a lifetime), who is assigned to a protection detail for Queen Elizabeth II, who is visiting Los Angeles; Drebin soon realizes there's a plot to assassinate the Queen and is hell-bent on finding the perpetrator, stumbling through the case with blissful incompetence. The Naked Gun spawned a few sequels and countless copycats, but the original remains the gold standard, creating the definitive spoof of the detective and action genres.

Another Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder film, Young Frankenstein, is less of a biting satire and more of a loving tribute to the classic Universal monster movies. It's arguably the most perfectly crafted comedy parody ever made, as it was shot in black and white to evoke the old movies, uses the authentic Frankenstein sets and props from the 1931 film, and even has an entirely periodic musical score; these things truly say Young Frankenstein honors the source material in a beautiful and charming way.

Young Frankenstein follows the American brain surgeon Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder), who inherits his infamous grandfather Victor's castle in Transylvania; he finds himself reluctantly following in his ancestor's footsteps by reanimating the dead. Young Frankenstein is filled with iconic moments, from the musical number "Puttin' on the Ritz"—which was Wilder's idea—to Marty Feldman's genius performance as the hunchbacked Igor (Eye-gore). It's a film made with immense skill and love, resulting in a comedy that is as timeless and rewatchable as the classics it parodies.

Just before Rob Reiner sadly passed away, we got a sequel to one of the funniest and most iconic comedies of all time—This Is Spinal Tap. While the sequel was mostly valuable for its emotional impact, the first movie remains a cornerstone of comedy, often being credited with pioneering the mockumentary genre and giving the world iconic moments like the amplifier that "goes to eleven" and a miniature Stonehenge stage prop. Reiner's film created a new comedic language at the time, capturing the absurdity of rock stardom with such deadpan authenticity that many viewers thought the band was real.

This Is Spinal Tap follows documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Reiner), who follows the hapless, fictional British heavy metal band Spinal Tap, documenting their origins as The Originals and their renewed image as Spinal Tap in the background of following their disastrous American tour. The band consists of David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). This Is Spinal Tap's influence is immeasurable, and it permanently changed the comedy landscape.

And if any comedian marked the 60s and 70s with their audacious satire, it's undoubtedly Mel Brooks. He has always had a sort of no-holds-barred approach to comedy and his worldview, and Blazing Saddles is his critical vision of racism and Hollywood Westerns. The film is an endless stream of jokes, from slapstick and wordplay to hilarious fourth-wall breaks; it's also filled with interesting and intelligent anachronisms. In spite of, or perhaps because of, its use of deliberately provocative language, Blazing Saddles remains a powerful and hilarious critique of prejudice.

Blazing Saddles is set in the Old West in 1874, and follows a corrupt attorney general, Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), who tries to run a railroad through the town of Rock Ridge. He appoints a black railroad worker, Bart (Cleavon Little), as the new sheriff, hoping to cause a riot. Instead, Bart, with the help of the washed-up gunslinger Jim the Waco Kid (Gene Wilder), rises to the challenge. Blazing Saddles is an evergreen kind of film, the comedy our parents grew up on and proudly wished to show to us because it was capable of tackling the most sensitive subjects with intelligence and fearlessness.

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If Judd Apatow, Will Ferrell, and Seth Rogen marked comedy in the 2000s, Harold Ramis and Bill Murray undoubtedly marked it in the 80s and 90s; Groundhog Day remains a movie crafted so brilliantly that it serves as both a high-concept comedy and a profound philosophical exploration of morality, mindfulness, and what it means to live a good life. In what's possibly Murray's best performance, he shows a transformation from a resentful egotist to a hopeless nihilist and finally a joyful altruist. The movie has had a huge impact, inspiring many copycats, which can be good, but they rarely succeed in matching Groundhog Day's flawless, sincere mix of humor and wisdom.

Groundhog Day follows the cynical TV weatherman, Phil Connors (Murray), who is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. After the day ends, Phil unwittingly finds himself trapped in a time loop, forced to relive the same day, Groundhog Day, over and over again. What begins as a nightmare that Phil uses to do things without consequences slowly becomes an opportunity for him to achieve spiritual growth and self-improvement. In a way, the film embodies the saying, "Insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results." Who says you can't learn something from or feel enlightened by a comedy?

It's no surprise that Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy came out in the 2000s; we can safely say that the decade has brought us some of the most iconic and influential comedies of all time, but it gave us something even greater: the true meaning of ensemble power. From Steve Carell's wonderfully dim Brick and Paul Rudd's overconfident Brian to David Koechner's aggressively enthusiastic Champ and Will Ferrell's arrogant leader Ron Burgundy, Anchorman is just one example of ensemble comedy that elevates its already hilarious script with extensive improv encouraged by the friendship between the actors.

Anchorman is set in the male-dominated newsrooms of 1970s San Diego and follows Ron Burgundy, the king of local television—a mustachioed, jazz-flute-playing anchorman whose ego is matched only by his obliviousness. His world is shattered when Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) arrives as the station's first female anchor, sparking an absurd and satirical battle of the sexes. Directed by Adam McKay in his debut, Anchorman paved the way for a generation of films that balanced crude humor with heart; it's a movie Ferrell himself often calls his favorite role.

Bridesmaids is another Paul Feig film, and it was written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo; at the time, the film was praised for its unexpected blend of great comedy, gross-out gags, and genuine character development with heart and courage. Melissa McCarthy's breakout, scene-stealing performance earned her an Academy Award nomination, and the film became a cultural touchstone, demonstrating that women could be just as funny, messy, and relatable as their male counterparts in the genre.

Bridesmaids follows Annie (Wiig), a former baker who is asked to be her best friend Lillian's (Maya Rudolph) maid of honor at her wedding with Doug. Annie, of course, agrees, but her life spirals into a series of competitive and catastrophic mishaps when she meets the other bridesmaids, in particular competing for Lillian's attention with the wealthy Helen (Rose Byrne), the wife of Doug's boss. Bridesmaids is still the most successful Apatow Productions movie; a box-office phenomenon and an endearing comedy about friendship, it's incredibly impactful in the comedy landscape.

Superbad is often deemed the greatest comedy of the 21st century, and it genuinely captures everything that made comedy so beloved at the time. It became the quintessential teen comedy of its generation and the pinnacle of the "Judd Apatow era," seamlessly combining emotions and gags. Superbad was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg when they were teenagers, loosely basing it on their own high school experiences; this is why the movie captures the authentic nature of teen friendships, adding a personal stamp of crude, ridiculous humor.

Superbad follows two longtime best friends, Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera), who are on the verge of graduating from high school. Their final goal is to party and lose their virginity before heading out for college, calling the house party of Seth's crush Jules (Emma Stone) their last chance to achieve that. When they promise Jules they'll secure the alcohol, their quest leads them on an epic, outrageous, and surprisingly tender adventure. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in a raunchy comedy, with breakout performances from Cera, Hill, and Stone, who became massive stars thanks to Superbad.

Caddyshack is often a synonym for comedy nowadays, with many evoking its name when they try to make a movie about, well, nothing in particular. Directed by Harold Ramis in his directorial debut, Caddyshack is a free-spirited celebration of the clash between rebellion and establishment. With legendary improvisational performances from comedy icons like Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Rodney Dangerfield, Caddyshack became a massive cult hit that is still revered for its jolly, fun-loving nature.

Caddyshack is a classic sports comedy, and it has no real plot; instead, it offers a series of loosely connected vignettes at the posh Bushwood Country Club. The central conflict is between the laid-back, pot-smoking groundskeeper Carl Spackler (Murray) and a mischievous, dancing gopher, while young caddy Danny Noonan (Michael O'Keefe) tries to win a caddy scholarship. Caddyshack's influence is immense, defining the 1980s style of sketch-like, gag-heavy comedy. While it does prove that a movie could be held together by sheer star power and laughs, it's a delicate balance that could never be truly replicated in the same way (many have tried).

The Jerk was directed byCarl Reiner, and it's a star vehicle for Steve Martin's absurdist, physical comedy, packed with quotable lines and slapstick genius. In 1979, Martin was becoming more prominent with his stand-up but found movies to be more lucrative anddecided to make one that would showcase his comedic flair.The Jerk perfectly captures the energy of Martin's stand-up act, but it also establishes him as a major movie star. Though crass and crude throughout most of its runtime,The Jerk is a comedy that is equal parts wild, silly, and heartfelt.

The Jerk follows Navin R. Johnson (Martin), who was adopted by a Black family of sharecroppers and, as an adult, discovers he's actually white.Navin leaves his family to try and find his "special purpose,"a quest that leads him through a series of odd jobs and unusual adventures, from working at a gas station to inventing a silly but necessary gadget for eyeglasses called "Opti-Grab."The Jerk is a story of finding oneself, success, and even greed; it's about looking for a purpose but always going back to one's roots.

"Can men and women ever just be friends?" This question drives Nora Ephron's perfect script for When Harry Met Sally, which traces the relationship between Harry Burns and Sally Albright over twelve years of chance encounters. Rob Reiner's direction and Ephron's dialogue created the template for the modern romantic comedy, filled with observations so realistic they feel straight out of a café conversation you can overhear anywhere. The idea for the script came from Reiner's divorce, and while Harry was based on him, Sally was based on Ephron and some of her other female friends.

When Harry Met Sally follows the titular characters, Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan), who meet at their university's graduation ceremony, part ways after a shared ride from Chicago to NYC. They meet again, five and then ten years later, getting to know each other and recounting their past romantic experiences. Crystal and Ryan are in their best form here, while the now-famous Katz's Deli scene stays relevant in cinema and pop culture. When Harry Met Sally is about friendship, love, and the passage of time that remains as warm, funny, and true as the day it was released.

The Philadelphia Story stars Cary Grant, James Stewart, and Katharine Hepburn, and it was directed by George Cukor. This dream team steps into one of the seminal romantic comedies of all time, which still feels, sounds, and looks relevant and relatable today. Hepburn, who had been experiencing massive box office failures throughout the 1930s, produced The Philadelphia Story herself to revitalize her career, leading to a decision that worked spectacularly for her. The film's sharp, witty script and flawless ensemble cast make this a timeless story about love, class, and self-discovery that remains the gold standard for the genre.

The Philadelphia Story follows the wealthy socialite, Tracy Lord (Hepburn), who is planning her second wedding to the wealthy George Kittredge (John Howard). But her wedding plans are complicated by the arrival of her charming ex-husband, C.K. Dexter Haven (Grant) and a pair of tabloid journalists, including Mike Connor (Stewart). Adapted from the hit Broadway play of the same name, where Hepburn also starred, this film is the pinnacle of the sophisticated romantic comedy; it's also the movie for which Stewart won his only Oscar for Best Actor.

Edgar Wright's second installment in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, Hot Fuzz, is a loving tribute to numerous action movie masterpieces, wrapped in a perfect small-town mystery. While it's hard to choose between this movie and its predecessor, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz has more memorable and quotable scenes, from the "The greater good!" sequence to Nick Frost shooting his gun in the air a la Keanu Reeves in Point Break. The best part of Hot Fuzz is its switch of genres somewhere midway, when it goes from lighthearted small-town banter to a larger conspiracy that involves even those that seem innocent.

Hot Fuzz follows London's top cop, Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), who is reassigned to the seemingly idyllic village of Sandford after being told he's actually too good at his job. In Sandford, Nicholas is partnered with naive and action-movie-loving Danny (Frost), and they soon discover that Sandford's residents are hiding a dark secret. Pegg and Frost have never been better, but the real genius is Wright's direction, which packs every frame with visual gags, foreshadowing, and editing so precise it makes your brain tingle. It's a film that rewards repeat viewing endlessly, revealing new jokes each time, and it stands as one of the most technically brilliant comedies ever made.

Robert Altman's revolutionary comedy M*A*S*H won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and launched one of the most successful TV series of all time. It's also a movie that was banned from airing at military bases because it was considered to depict army service in a negative light. The film's overlapping dialogue, documentary-style cinematography, and complete disregard for traditional narrative structure changed American cinema forever, giving satire a shape and blueprint that many similar movies have followed since. Even films that aren't meant to be outright comedies still take M*A*S*H's boldness and satire to send a message.

M*A*S*H follows the surgeons and support staff of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) during the Korean War, using their life-and-death circumstances as a backdrop for irreverent, anti-authoritarian chaos. It's an ensemble effort, introducing characters like Hawkeye (Donald Sutherland), Trapper John (Elliott Gould), and Hot Lips Houlihan (Sally Kellerman), who became icons of counterculture rebellion. M*A*S*H proves that comedies can be politically charged, structurally daring, and commercially massive all at once, saying that comedy and politics can go hand in hand if done correctly.

Coming to America is the film that made Eddie Murphy the star to watch out for, solidifying his status as a comedic genius. John Landis directed this fairy tale for adults, and Murphy delivers a tour-de-force performance, playing multiple roles; this soon became his signature, and he did the same in other movies, most notably those he had almost complete creative freedom in. Murphy is joined by Arsenio Hall, who matches him beat for beat, and the film's blend of fish-out-of-water comedy, romance, and sharp wit and satire about class and identity has made it an enduring classic.

Coming to America follows Prince Akeem (Murphy) of the wealthy African nation Zamunda, who travels to America with his loyal sidekick Semmi (Hall) in search of a woman who will love him for who he is, not for his royal status. Settling in a rundown apartment in Queens and working at a fast-food restaurant called McDowell's, Akeem's journey takes on a form of self-discovery and understanding. In 2021, the movie even got a sequel, Coming 2 America, though the first film will always remain a quintessential Murphy performance and one of the greatest comedies of our time.

Parody movies can be on lists of "best ever" films, but they'd have to be examples of excellence; Scary Movie is, no matter what you think, an addition that has to be made. It ushered in the 2000s comedy style, the Scary Movie franchise, and the domination of the Wayans brothers, mocking some of the biggest horror hits of the 1990s and 2000s, and introducing social commentary through gags, spoofs, and even homages. Scary Movie was a box office hit, eventually grossing nearly $280 million worldwide on a $19 million budget; it also gave Anna Faris a chance to deliver a star-making performance as Cindy Campbell, the accidental final girl.

Scary Movie follows a group of dim-witted high schoolers who accidentally hit a man with their car and dump the body in a lake; they soon find themselves being stalked by a masked killer who seems to know their every move. What follows is a relentless parody of the horror genre, targeting Scream most directly but taking hilarious shots at I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Blair Witch Project along the way. The ensemble also includes Regina Hall and Marlon and Shawn Wayans (among others), hitting joke after joke with immense precision. Scary Movie shows that horror and comedy together can be intelligent, cheeky, and shown from a distinct cultural perspective.

2015's Spy by Paul Feig is a movie that has, admittedly, caught everyone by surprise. We were used to a certain decline in comedic quality in the 2010s, with many comedies stepping over boundaries that just weren't deemed that funny. However, from Feig reuniting with Melissa McCarthy for Spy emerged a comedy that's rewatchable, endearing, and very often just downright hilarious. McCarthy delivers what many consider to be her finest performance, while the supporting cast is extraordinary: Jason Statham absolutely steals the film as a foul-mouthed, has-been agent who constantly brags about impossible past missions, while Rose Byrne delivers comedic gold as an impeccably dressed, arrogant villainess.

Spy follows Susan Cooper (McCarthy), a mild-mannered CIA analyst who has spent her entire career behind a desk, providing earpiece support to dashing field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) from the safety of headquarters. When Fine is killed and the identities of every active field agent are compromised, Susan volunteers to go undercover to track down a stolen nuclear weapon. She goes on a hilarious, profane, and surprisingly heartfelt mission as this unassuming woman, navigating the glamorous and dangerous world of international espionage. At its core, Spy is an homage to the genre, but it embodies classic comedy tropes and themes of confidence and self-respect.

It's difficult to talk about the greatest comedies of all time without mentioning at least one international feature. Taxi may not have defined anyone's youth in America, but in Europe, it was one of the most popular films of the time; it was the action comedy you'd rewatch and discuss with friends. Taxi was Luc Besson's idea, but he didn't have time to direct it, so he decided to produce it, marking his first foray into blockbuster production. Taxi became a cultural phenomenon in France, spawning a franchise that included four sequels and a (terrible) Hollywood remake. It perfectly captures the essence of French comedy, from self-deprecation and physical humor to the triumph of an underdog and jargon miscommunication.

Taxi follows Daniel (Samy Naceri), a Marseille taxi driver with exceptional driving abilities, treating the city streets like a personal racetrack in his modified 1997 Peugeot 406. When he accidentally outruns the cops, he attracts the attention of Émilien (Frédéric Diefenthal), a bumbling, always-failing patrol officer who needs Daniel's assistance to solve a case involving a gang of German bank robbers. The car chases are truly spectacular, shot with practical effects and starring former Formula One drivers as stunt performers; Marion Cotillard also appears in a very early role, and she was one of the unknown cast members whose selection was justified to potential financiers as "a bet on the future."