The best comedies are the omelets of cinema: they may seem easy to make, which is why they rarely get recognition when they succeed – and certainly no awards – but people will definitely notice if they turn into a sticky, shell-filled mess. But we’re cracking this misconception wide open, because nothing could be further from the truth. A good comedy – and definitely a great one – is an act of alchemy, relying on perfect comedic timing, performances, storytelling, and of course a LOL-filled script, all of which must come together to create gold. And a comedy that works across linguistic and cultural boundaries? That’s what we call a miracle.
Maybe that’s why, for this year to be remembered as a vintage for big-screen comedies, it will need to be packed with funny bones. But things are looking up: Hit Man, The Fall Guy, and the more PG-rated IF all bring laughs midyear, with more to come in Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron’s romcom A Family Affair and Deadpool & Wolverine. Here’s where to find uplifting, goofy, and zany movies among the worthy Oscar contenders and heavy dramas.
The Best Comedies of 2024
Let’s take a look at the best comedies of this year that American audiences – and perhaps the whole world – have been eagerly awaiting.
1. Hit Man
Richard Linklater’s funniest movie since School of Rock, this police caper will land on Netflix after a brief theatrical run and instantly become the funniest new film there too. Hit Man is fueled by Glen Powell’s charisma and a sharp script that fully exploits it, as the Top Gun: Maverick star takes on a slew of personas while posing as a hitman working for the cops. It’s one of those comedies that even the trailers can’t do justice to, with the bizarre yet barely believable scenarios building to a crescendo that feels like a gulp of nitrous gasoline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXwa8DKIK7g
2. Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos’s steampunk Frankenstein tale sparked wide acclaim and plenty of debate about whether its story of a young woman brought back to life and set off on a libidinous journey of self-discovery confuses sexual exploitation with female liberation – a fair concern. But that hand-wringing overshadows how uproariously funny the film is. Emma Stone earned her second (and somewhat controversial) Oscar for her role as the reanimated suicide victim with the brain of a baby, but her performance remains underrated as a masterwork of physical comedy, especially in the early scenes as she evolves from a staggering toddler into a hormonally charged teen obsessed with “angry jumping.” Mark Ruffalo also shines as her would-be husband turned blubbering wreck.
3. Deadpool & Wolverine
Deadpool & Wolverine is like an asteroid field, packed with winking gags, meta references, and absurd brawls (everyone’s indestructible, after all). But even the most hardened haters will struggle not to laugh, as Ryan Reynolds’s wisecracking superhero keeps firing off jokes – with an impressive hit rate. “Is your dialect coach the Minions?” he sneers at Gambit’s impenetrable accent. “He’ll be doing this till he’s 90,” he groans about the reluctant franchise resurrection, Logan. A messy superhero flick, but a very solid comedy.
4. The Fall Guy
Silly, entertaining, and full of crazy stunts, The Fall Guy deserved to make a billion dollars at the box office. Instead, it has to settle for being the first comedy to hit on the genius idea of pairing Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. They play an estranged couple still hurting from their breakup… while making a billion-dollar sci-fi movie and dealing with the sudden disappearance of its star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). The plot is scattershot, but the leads (and everyone else) deliver the jokes so straight that you barely notice.
5. Hundreds of Beavers
A true American indie (not a $50 million “indie”), this low-budget delight pits man (the endlessly likable Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) against beaver (six actors in mascot suits, then digitally multiplied) in a final showdown. The snowy slapstick and cartoon violence hit perfectly in silent-movie style, inventive and original, as an unlucky fur trapper must catch 100 beavers to win his true love. After 108 minutes of pure comic genius, honestly darling, just give it a nickel.
6. American Fiction
Perennial supporting actor Jeffrey Wright finally gets his deserved lead role in debut writer-director Cord Jefferson’s sharply funny adaptation of Percival Everett’s 2001 novel Erasure. He plays a struggling Black novelist who gives in and serves up what (white) audiences want – a made-up ghetto memoir titled simply F*ck – and unwittingly becomes a literary star. The whiplash between social farce and family drama feels more awkward onscreen than in the book, but Wright keeps it grounded, deftly balancing biting satire with heartfelt pathos. A worthy heir to Robert Townsend’s long-underrated Hollywood Shuffle.
7. The Holdovers
Paul Giamatti as a cranky history teacher at a New England boarding school around 1970, tasked with looking after a student (newcomer Dominic Sessa) left behind over the Christmas holidays? Inject this into our veins! Giamatti’s grumpy charisma is the highlight of Alexander Payne’s oddly heartwarming drama, but it’s the bittersweet bond he forms with Sessa and the wonderful Da’Vine Joy Randolph – especially in the second half, when the trio escape campus for Boston – that makes this a new holiday perennial.
8. The Nature of Love
Sexy and funny: a rare combo these days, so hats off to this smart French-Canadian romcom that pairs upscale professor Sophia with younger construction worker Sylvain. Both are gorgeous, both products of their different backgrounds: cue misunderstandings and awkward encounters. Worth watching for one hilariously offbeat party scene alone, involving a woman surprised in marigolds during a cringeworthy kitchen proposal, bored Gen Zers reflexively reaching for their phones, and the host demanding a pause while a kid throws up.
9. Kinds of Kindness
Yorgos Lanthimos loves pitch-black, bone-dry comedies. That’s definitely true of this ambitious triptych, telling three different stories with an excellent cast – Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe – each playing different roles in each segment. They contend with cannibalism, sex cults, and a maniacal boss ordering an employee to murder – with little explanation. But Lanthimos sprinkles in enough moments to make you laugh and gasp, not least Emma Stone’s wild, meme-worthy dance scene.
10. Mean Girls
The original teen classic about a high school outsider navigating cliques dates back to the 1980s, but this musical adaptation finds new ways to skewer social hierarchies in tune with today’s culture. Reneé Rapp as Regina the queen bee and Auliʻi Cravalho as Janis stand out; Rapp’s line that not dressing slutty on Halloween is “slut-shaming,” for example, is wickedly clever.
The Best Comedies – How They’re Awarded
The recognition of the best comedies has gone through major changes over the decades as the film industry and audience tastes have evolved. Comedy awards are particularly important because the genre is often undervalued compared to serious dramas and action films. In this article, we look at how the best comedies are judged and awarded, what criteria are considered, and which honors are most prestigious in the genre.
1. The History of Comedy Awards
Comedy recognition began in the 1920s, when one of cinema’s first major international award ceremonies, the Academy Awards, was launched. But comedies long went underappreciated at the Oscars, as critics and the Academy tended to favor drama. The first breakthrough came in 1934 when the romantic comedy It Happened One Night won the Oscar for Best Picture. But that was the exception, not the rule.
2. The Role of the Golden Globes
True recognition for comedies came with the creation of the Golden Globes, awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Since 1951, the Golden Globes have provided a separate category for Best Comedy or Musical, giving these genres a greater chance to win. The quirk is that comedies and musicals are lumped together, which often sparks debate, but it also gives lighter genres their moment in the spotlight.
3. The Role of Critics and Audiences
When awarding comedies, it’s not just the professional jury’s opinion that matters, but also critics’ and audiences’ reactions. Platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic showcase both critic and audience scores. These ratings often influence how a film fares during awards season. For comedies, audience response is particularly crucial, since these films are made primarily to entertain. A comedy can only be truly successful if it wins both critics and viewers alike.
4. Independent Film Festivals and Awards
Beyond the major Hollywood ceremonies, independent film festivals play a key role in recognizing comedies. The Sundance Film Festival, for example, often awards indie comedies. These festivals give smaller, low-budget but innovative and fresh films a chance to earn recognition from both industry and audience. Awards won at indie festivals can greatly influence a film’s career and help it reach a wider audience.
5. Online Platforms and New Awards
In recent years, online streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have opened new opportunities for comedies. These platforms play an important role not only in distribution but also in recognition. Awards like the Emmys and Critics’ Choice Awards increasingly acknowledge comedies released on streaming. This is vital for the genre’s future, as streaming gives smaller, more experimental films a chance to succeed.
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6. Final Thoughts
The recognition of the best comedies has changed significantly over the decades, and today these genres are much more widely appreciated. Whether a Hollywood blockbuster or an indie film, the best comedies now have the chance to get the recognition they deserve. As the industry continues to evolve, comedies are expected to play an even more important role at award ceremonies, reflecting the changing tastes and expectations of audiences and critics alike.