When we need big laughs, these perfect comedies are the ones to turn to. While comedies might not always get the same respect as more “prestige” movies, there is nothing quite like a film that can make you laugh out loud. It is not an easy task, but the best comedy movies of all time deliver.

Of course, some of those comedies are more than just jokes. The best rom-com movies can captivate audiences with a love story, while action-comedies deliver thrills along with the laughs. There are even great horror comedies that blend genres even further. However, there are those rare movies that are just there to be hilarious, and they do their jobs exceptionally.

From R-rated raunchy adventures to outrageous parodies to absurd mayhem, these movies will always put a smile on our faces. They are the comedies that brighten our day a little more and leave us endlessly quoting their funniest lines for years to come.

10

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Directed By Mel Brooks

There have been some funny Western movies over the years, but none have mixed the Old West with big laughs quite like Blazing Saddles. Mel Brooks is one of the most legendary names in comedy, so it says a lot that Blazing Saddles is often considered his funniest movie.

The outrageous comedy follows a Black man who is made sheriff of a lawless town. While there is a lot of talk about how a movie like Blazing Saddles could never be made today, that takes away from how brilliant the film is at satirizing racist behavior and using comedy to show how pointless hatred is.

However, the movie can really just be enjoyed for its endless stream of hysterical jokes. With Blazing Saddle breaking the record for farts on screen, it shows how seriously the movie takes itself. It is that madcap boldness that makes it a classic, with the fourth-wall-breaking antics building to a wonderfully ridiculous climax.

9

Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)

Directed By Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones

Monty Python is another iconic name in the comedy world with a devoted following that remains strong to this day. The project that has most solidified their legendary status is the absurd and hugely entertaining Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Taking a look at Arthurian legends, the movie is a series of scenes depicting medieval mayhem.

Some of the most iconic comedy scenes of all time, including the confrontation with the Black Knight and the insulting French guard.

The movie’s extremely loose plot seems like little more than an excuse to have the team embrace their quirky sense of humor without being bound by story. It is a very wise approach that allows for some of the most iconic comedy scenes of all time, including the confrontation with the Black Knight and the insulting French guard.

Like Blazing Saddles, Monty Python and the Holy Grail builds to a ridiculous ending, perfectly fitting the movie’s style. By that point, the film has delivered such big laughs that the ending is well-deserved.

8

Mean Girls (2004)

Directed By Mark Waters

There have been a lot of great high school comedies over the years, but few have been so funny while also being so biting in depicting the teenage dynamic. Lindsay Lohan gives the best performance of her career as an innocent young girl moving to a new school who is taken in by the self-centered and mean-spirited popular girls.

Teen culture obviously changes quite quickly, which makes it all the more impressive how timeless Mean Girls can feel. It zeroes in on the anxiety and unnecessary cruelty of high school, but also recognizes the ridiculousness of it all to make it humorous rather than upsetting.

Mean Girls is based on the book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman

Mean Girls remains incredibly quotable, with the one-liners and hilarious put-downs building on its legacy. It also features one of the best comedic villains of all time, with Rachel McAdams’ Regina George.

7

Airplane! (1980)

Directed By Jim Abrahams, David Zucker & Jerry Zucker

Airplane! is a fairly direct parody of several airplane disaster movies that came out in the 1970s. Despite these references meaning little to nothing in the modern pop culture world, the jokes in Airplane! still land 45 years later. The basic premise of a plane losing its pilots in midair sets the stage for an endless barrage of jokes.

The rapid-fire delivery of gags makes it so that even if only half of them were funny, there would still be big laughs. However, the quality in the jokes never wavers, with Airplane!‘s best quotes being recognized as some of the funniest in movie history, such as “I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.”

As silly as the movie is, what makes Airplane! so funny is how effectively the actors are at playing it completely straight. The likes of Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges deliver their lines like they are in an intense drama, making it even funnier. But it is Leslie Nielsen who delivers one of the best comedic performances of all time.

6

Best In Show (2000)

Directed By Christopher Guest

Mockumentary movies can be tricky to pull off, but Christopher Guest has made a career out of some of the funniest films in the genre. While there is a lot of love for This is Spinal Tap, Best in Show is the funniest mockumentary ever made, and makes perfect use of the approach.

The cast is filled with funny people, including Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and Jennifer Coolidge, all of whom excel at the movie’s improvisational approach.

Set in the world of professional dog shows, the documentary crew follows various colorful characters who are bringing their prized pooches to compete in a national championship. However, that is just an excuse to spend time with these eccentric people and their hilarious quirks.

The cast is filled with funny people, including Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and Jennifer Coolidge, all of whom excel at the movie’s improvisational approach. Fred Willard steals the show as the commentator of the dog show, who clearly knows nothing about this world.

5

Bridesmaids (2011)

Directed By Paul Feig

In an era in which R-rated comedies were becoming commonplace, Bridesmaids proved this formula could work just as well for female-led comedies. Kristen Wiig stars in the movie as Annie, a woman serving as maid of honor to her best friend, as her own life is in shambles. From there, the wedding chaos ensues.

Weddings have always been prime settings for comedies, but it is hard to imagine another wedding comedy being as funny as Bridesmaids. It manages to avoid all the cliché laughs of the genre and finds new moments of hilarity. It is also a sweet story of friendship, but it never forgets to make the audience laugh.

Bridesmaids was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars.

The infamous wedding dress shop scene or the airplane mayhem are perfect comedy set pieces. These laughs are elevated by the cast, including Wiig’s star-making turn, Rose Byrne’s hilarious antagonist, and Melissa McCarthy’s Oscar-nominated performance.

4

H๏τ Fuzz (2007)

Directed By Edgar Wright

Picking the best movie from Edgar Wright’s brilliant Cornetto trilogy is no easy task, but when it comes to the funniest of them all, H๏τ Fuzz does slightly surpᴀss the others. The clever take on buddy action movies sees Simon Pegg’s top cop moving to a seemingly peaceful village and getting ᴀssigned a new, immature partner (Nick Frost).

The riotous climax in which the film devolves into an over-the-top, mindless action movie is wholly earned. However, there are so many terrific gags and hysterical lines throughout the movie that it is impossible to catch them all with just one viewing.

Wright brilliantly sets up jokes for satisfying payoffs, and his dialogue is packed with clever lines. Pegg and Frost obviously have perfect chemistry, while Timothy Dalton is a scene-stealer as the most obvious villain in cinematic history.

3

Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Directed By Adam McKay

Will Ferrell became the comedy movie icon of the 2000s, and it is Anchorman that stands out as the crowning achievement of this period. Perfectly suited for Ferrell’s style of comedy, Anchorman is a 1970s-set saga about a newscaster who is faced with the changing times as his network gets a new female anchor.

Ferrell is the reason the movie works, as he is so locked into his legendary character of Ron Burgundy that every line he delivers gets a laugh.

Anchorman wisely avoids sticking too closely to a plot, veering off on wild tangents, including the extended and iconic news anchor battle sequences, with cameos from Luke Wilson and Ben Stiller. There’s also the inexplicable scene where Ron and his team take the time to sing “Afternoon Delight” in unison for no reason.

The movie has a terrific cast, including a breakout role for Steve Carell. However, Ferrell is the reason the movie works, as he is so locked into his legendary character of Ron Burgundy that every line he delivers gets a laugh.

2

Superbad (2007)

Directed By Greg Mottola

Superbad was recently one of the surprise inclusions on the list of the best movies of the 21st century, and it is nice to see it get such recognition. While vulgar teen movies like American Pie found success with their target audience, Superbad has become a hugely acclaimed film that is seen as the funniest movie of all time for a certain generation.

Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote the movie as teenagers and perfectly captured the kind of disgusting, immature, yet somewhat endearing way friends talk at this age. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera make for a great comedic duo as two unpopular teens looking to score alcohol and impress girls.

Seth Rogen and Jason Segel were originally going to play the two leads.

The movie takes the audience on a wild night with endless one-liners mixed with hilarious set pieces. The cast elevates it further with Emma Stone in her charming debut, Rogen and Bill Hader as a pair of hapless cops, and Christopher Mintz-Plᴀsse as the legendary McLovin.

1

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Directed By Joel & Ethan Coen

The Coen Brothers movies often alternate between intense thrillers and madcap comedies, but there is no denying that their funniest film is The Big Lebowski. The movie takes the typical setup of a noir mystery and puts a middle-aged stoner with no ambition as the “hero” who has to solve the case.

Given that Jeff Bridges is mostly known as a dramatic actor, it is stunning how brilliant a comedic performance he gives as The Dude. It is a completely realized character that Bridges inhabits, elevating those comedic beats. The cast is also perfect, with so many colorful characters to fill this world.

From John Turturro’s pervert bowler to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s sycophant ᴀssistant to John Goodman’s fiery Vietnam vet, these are some of the best characters in the Coen Brothers’ long career. Indeed, the plot is sort of meaningless as the real laughs come from these oddballs and their interactions that will always be funny no matter how many times you watch.