Paste's The 100 Best Comedies of All Time
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For some, slapstick and farce hit the spot while more cerebral fare falls flat. For others, deft character studies that find the humor in our all-too-human foibles are the only comedies worth watching. In considering the top comedies ever made, there are as many flavors of culturally specific comedy as there are cultural sensibilities (and, of course, there are plenty of folks capable of enjoying more than one type). Faced with this challenge, we’ve decided to approach this particular list in a manner that seeks to guarantee laughter and amusement for the people most likely to look to it when seeking something that will bring some joy to the daily grind. These films have been chosen (and ranked) based on how many laughs we think they are likely to generate for the modern audience.
Ultimately, when creating a list of the best comedies ever it’s all about the laughs. Every film on this list should be a dependable source of grins, chuckles and guffaws. After all, life is hard, people can suck, misfortune may indeed lurk around every corner, and we all know how it ends. Let the films on this list of best comedies ever made—and the laughter they elicit—help balance the scales.
Note: Because so much of the impact of comedies often relies on language, we’ve only included English language films on this list.
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37 new
Singin' in the Rain
1952, in 37 top lists Check -
16 new
Some Like It Hot
1959, in 35 top lists Check -
2 new
Annie Hall
1977, in 34 top lists Check -
61 new
City Lights
1931, in 34 top lists Check -
14 new
The General
1926, in 33 top lists Check -
54 new
The Gold Rush
1925, in 30 top lists Check -
12 new
Modern Times
1936, in 30 top lists Check -
9 new
It Happened One Night
1934, in 29 top lists Check -
66 new
The Apartment
1960, in 28 top lists Check -
28 new
The Big Lebowski
1998, in 26 top lists Check -
22 new
The Great Dictator
1940, in 25 top lists Check -
3 new
Duck Soup
1933, in 24 top lists Check -
71 new
Sherlock Jr.
1924, in 24 top lists Check -
32 new
Sullivan's Travels
1941, in 24 top lists Check -
19 new
Bringing Up Baby
1938, in 23 top lists Check -
17 new
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1975, in 23 top lists Check -
18 new
Groundhog Day
1993, in 22 top lists Check -
60 new
Harold and Maude
1971, in 22 top lists Check -
4 new
The Philadelphia Story
1940, in 22 top lists Check -
15 new
This Is Spinal Tap
1984, in 22 top lists Check -
13 new
His Girl Friday
1940, in 21 top lists Check -
89 new
Kind Hearts and Coronets
1949, in 21 top lists Check -
24 new
M*A*S*H
1970, in 21 top lists Check -
25 new
The Lady Eve
1941, in 20 top lists Check -
6 new
The Princess Bride
1987, in 19 top lists Check -
7 new
Life of Brian
1979 — a.k.a. Monty Python's Life of Brian, in 18 top lists Check -
33 new
The Kid
1921, in 17 top lists Check -
52 new
Tootsie
1982, in 17 top lists Check -
40 new
Safety Last!
1923, in 16 top lists Check -
21 new
When Harry Met Sally...
1989, in 16 top lists Check -
45 new
Being There
1979, in 15 top lists Check -
8 new
Airplane!
1980, in 14 top lists Check -
86 new
Being John Malkovich
1999, in 14 top lists Check -
11 new
Blazing Saddles
1974, in 14 top lists Check -
57 new
The Producers
1967, in 14 top lists Check -
5 new
Young Frankenstein
1974, in 14 top lists Check -
74 new
Four Weddings and a Funeral
1994, in 13 top lists Check -
49 new
Ghostbusters
1984, in 13 top lists Check -
20 new
Shaun of the Dead
2004, in 13 top lists Check -
67 new
Punch-Drunk Love
2002, in 12 top lists Check -
41 new
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1986, in 11 top lists Check -
38 new
Rushmore
1998, in 11 top lists Check -
44 new
There's Something About Mary
1998, in 11 top lists Check -
55 new
Broadcast News
1987, in 10 top lists Check -
46 new
Arsenic and Old Lace
1944, in 9 top lists Check -
100 new
Clerks
1994, in 9 top lists Check -
81 new
Fantastic Mr. Fox
2009, in 9 top lists Check -
83 new
National Lampoon's Animal House
1978, in 9 top lists Check -
1 new
Raising Arizona
1987, in 9 top lists Check -
93 new
What's Up, Doc?
1972, in 9 top lists Check
Last updated on Jun 27, 2023; source