Comedies are something one is always in a mood for because obviously, who doesn’t want a good laugh. They have recently gained massive popularity among the audience. Thus, Amazon Prime Video brings you a wide range of comedies to always give you a burst of good laughter whenever you need it.
1. The Big Sick (2017)
- Director: Michael Showalter
- Writer: Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon
- Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
About
The movie is about a Pakistani comedian in America, Kumail, who meets a graduate student named Emily at a stand-up show. They start dating, but Kumail hides his relationship from his traditional and orthodox parents, who want him to marry a Pakistani woman. When Emily finds this out, she is upset and wants to ends her relationship with Kumail. However, in a turn of events, Emily falls sick and is put in a coma. Kumail is there by her side during this time, all the while bonding with her parents.
The Big Sick is a rom-com you have not seen before. The content of the screenplay is really well written and definitely deserves the academy award it got for the Best Original Screenplay. The initial theatrical release on June 23, 2017, by Lionsgate and Amazon Studios, was limited. Later it went wide on July 14, 2017. The movie has been praised by critics as heartbreaking, yet hilarious and at the same time, the performance of the entire cast has been applauded. The movie is one of the top 5 best comedies on Amazon Prime, and the content will leave you with a good laugh.
2. Baywatch (2017)
- Director: Seth Gordon
- Writer: Damian Shannon and Mark Swift
- Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra, Kelly Rohrbach, Jon Bass, Hannibal Buress, and IlfeneshHadera
- IMDb rating: 5.5/10
About
The movie follows a team of lifeguards led by Mitch Buchannon (Dwayne Johnson) who come across a drug ring run by a businesswoman named Victoria Leeds (Priyanka Chopra) and take it upon themselves expose their wrongdoings. Baywatch grossed a worldwide total of $177.8 million, against a $69 million production budget. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone praised Dwayne and Zac’s rapport while saying the movie required a much more workable script. Critics have said in spite of its shortcomings; the movie is somehow crazily entertaining.
3. A Simple Favour (2018)
- Director: Paul Feig
- Writer: Jessica Sharzer
- Cast: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, and Andrew Rannells
- IMDb rating: 6.8/10
About
A Simple Favor is a 2018 black comedy crime movie based on a novel of the same name by Darcey Bell. The movie revolves around Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), a single mother, working in Connecticut. She makes friends with Emily (Blake Lively), who seems to have it all, but while babysitting her son when Emily does not return her phone calls, Stephanie gets suspicious. After a while, Emily is found dead, and thus begins Stephanie’s quest to discover the secrets.
The film grossed $97 million on a $20 million production budget. Ben Travis of Empire reviewed the movie as a rug-pulling thriller, though the darkness doesn’t stick. It’s the comedy instincts of the film that stands, from the liberally peppered laughs to the squeaky-clean visuals and a final cut that deals with black humor rather than anxiety and tension.
4. His Girl Friday (1940)
- Director: Howard Hawks
- Writer: Charles Lederer
- Cast: Carry Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, John Qualen, and Gene Lockhart
- IMDb rating: 7.9/10
About
His Girl Friday is an American romantic comedy with a tinge of mystery and thrill. The movie sees New York newspaper editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) luring away his ex-wife Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), an investigative reporter from domestic life, after hearing about her engagement. He tries to do so with a case about the closing execution of convicted murderer Earl Williams (John Qualen) but is unsuccessful. However, even Hildy realizes that Williams is actually innocent, her investigative instincts kick in, and she dives in to solve the case.
Frank S. Nugent of The New York Times wrote in a review of the film as probably the maddest newspaper comedy of the time, even though the story was not a new concept. His Girl Friday has become one of the best cult classic comedy movies on Amazon Prime.
5. Eighth Grade (2018)
- Direction and Screenplay: Bo Burnham
- Cast: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, Jake Ryan, and Fred Hechinger
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
About
Eighth Grade is a coming of age comedy-drama about a young girl named Kayla (Elsie Fisher) who is in the final year of middle school. She posts YouTube videos about self-confidence, even though she is introverted in real life. Writer-director Bo Burnham takes us on a journey with Kayla as she realizes that she is pretending to be someone she is not and embraces herself as she enters high school.
Justin Chang of The Los Angeles Times praised Eighth Grade as “sharp, sensitive and enormously affecting.” Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post highlighted Fisher for “a raw, radiantly generous performance.” The National Board of Review of America and the American Film Institute both chose Eighth Grade in their list of the top-ten films of 2018. Also, the National Board Review chose Burnham’s film as Best Directorial Debut of the year.
6. Heathers (1988)
- Director: Michael Lehmann
- Writer: Daniel Waters
- Cast: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lissane Falk, and Kim Walker
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
About
The movie revolves around Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder), who is a very popular girl in her high school and part of a girl’s group where the three members have the same name, Heather. Even though Veronica is a part of that group, she disapproves of their cruel behavior toward other students. Veronica and her new boyfriend J. D. (Christian Slater) come face to face with the girl’s group leader Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) and, in the process, poison her, making it look like a suicide. However, Veronica soon realizes that J. D. was intentionally killing students he did not like. She races to stop J.D. at the same time clashing with the group’s new leader, Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty).
Even though Heathers initially flopped at the box office, it got positive reviews and later became a cult comedy film. Adam Smith of Empire writes: “The key to Heathers’ success is Daniel Waters’ sassily self-aware screenplay.” It is definitely one of the top cult movies.
7. Roman Holiday (1953)
- Director: William Wyler
- Writer: Dalton Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter, and John Dighton
- Cast: Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn
- IMDb rating: 8/10
About
In the movie, Ann (Audrey Hepburn), crown princess of an unnamed European nation tired of her confined busy schedule, takes a detour while in Rome. There she meets American News Service reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck), who offers to show her the city.
Roman Holiday is one of the most popular rom coms with a huge cult following from around the world. The movie got Audrey Hepburn an Academy Award in the category of Best Actress. David Parkinson of Empire writes the movie to be warm, beautiful, and comical. Franz Planer and Henri Alekan’s cinematography makes it an unabashed romantic delight, while Hepburn is topping on the cake with her Oscar winning performance. It is one of the best comedies you will find on amazon prime, and it is definitely the one you do not want to miss.
8. Election (1999)
- Director: Alexander Payne
- Writer: Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne
- Cast: Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick
- IMDb rating: 7.2/10
About
The movie is about Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), an overachiever high school girl who is supposed to run unopposed in the high school election. However, their civics teacher, Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), hates her and plots against her by encouraging a popular football player to run against her. As the movie unravels, comical chaos follows in high school.
The movie is a quirky dark comedy and a high school satire. It is more appealing to discerning adults rather than teenagers. Even though the movie was not a hit, it has grown a cult following over the years, especially due to Reese Witherspoon’s unabashed performance and popularity. Janet Maslin from The New York Times considers the movie to be a “smart, acerbic satire.”
9. Lady Bird (2017)
- Direction and Screenplay: Greta Gerwig
- Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, TimotheeChalamet, Tracy Letts, Lucan Hedges, Lois Smith, Beanie Feldstein, and Stephen McKinley Henderson
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
About
Writer-director Greta Gerwig brings us a fun comedy-drama through the coming of age story of a Catholic school girl Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), who names herself ‘Lady Bird.’ The plot takes up through ups and downs, love, relationships, and disappointments in her life as she survives through senior year. It also tells the story of a family with a mother-daughter relation being central to the plot.
At its international premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, Lady Bird received a standing ovation and was highly praised for Saoirse Ronon and Laurie Metcalf’s brilliant performance. The film is a movie-hall perfection with fun wordplay and attention-grabbing arguments. It is fresh, original, and unique, where style, spirit, and sensibility triumphs. Hollywood Reporter reviewed the movie to be modest yet ambitious.
10. Logan Lucky (2017)
- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Writer: Rebecca Blunt
- Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Daniel, Craig, Seth MacFarlane, Katie Holmes, Katherine Waterson, Dwight Yoakam, Sebastian Stan, Brian Gleeson, Jack Quaid, and Hilary Swank
- IMDb rating: 7/10
About
The movie is about two brothers, Jimmy (Channing Tatum) and Clyde (Adam Driver) Logan, who hatches an elaborate plan to rob North Carolina’s racing circuit, all the while evading the authorities. The movie is a classic heist comedy-drama with a very popular group of movie stars who comprise of the odd-ball comical characters. The movie is high-spirited but lacks conviction.
11. Hot Rod (2007)
- Director: Akiva Schaffer
- Writer: Pam Brady
- Cast: Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Bill Hader, JormaTaccone, Sissy Spacek, Danny McBride, and Ian McShane
- IMDb rating: 6.7/10
About
The plot sees an aspiring stuntman Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg), try to follow the footsteps of his deceased father, who he thought was a successful stuntman. However, he discovers the truth, and in a turn of events, his dreams come crashing down. But later, he is again encouraged to set a school bus jumping record to gather funds for his stepfather’s operation.
A Paramount Pictures production, the movie bombed at the theatre. However, it later gained much following other streaming services over the two decades. Hollywood reporter commented on Andy Samberg’s screen presence as “sweet comedic.” The movie is sincerely comical, especially lit up by Samberg’s performance. Also, Sissy Spacek’s performance creates leaves such a sincere feeling of a typical mother’s character as if she was not in a comedy.
12. Fighting With My Family (2019)
- Directionand Screenplay: Stephen Merchant
- Cast: Florence Pugh, Dwayne Johnson, Lena Headey, Jack Lowden, Nick Frost, and Vince Vaughn
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
About
In the movie, we see Saraya (Florence Pugh) and Zak (Jack Lowden), who are children of wrestlers wanting to enter the same world as their parents. However, only Saraya, who takes up the stage name Paige is selected by coach Morgan (Vince Vaughn) for WWE. Paige struggles to keep up with promotions and press as she is from a wrestling background, whereas the other trainees are models and cheerleaders. Initially, she gives up but later goes back after her brother wants her to live both of their dreams.
The film is a biographical comedy-drama. It is witty and big hearted; though the pace may get a little sluggish, the crazy family dynamics is a great bonus. Fighting With My family is audience-pleasing and works amazingly well as a comedy biopic.
13. The Opposite Sex (1998)
- Direction and Screenplay: Don Roos
- Cast: Christina Ricci, Lisa Kudrow, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Galecki, and Ivan Sergei
- IMDb rating: 6.3/10
About
The movie kick starts when 16 year old Dedee moves in with her gay half brother Bill after her stepfather’s demise. Dedee seduces and tricks Bill’s partner, Matt, into believing he got her pregnant. Both of them steal money from Bill and flee. However, when Bill’s ex-student and Matt’s ex-lover accuses Bill of molestation, Matt’s sister Lucia and Bill journey to track down, Dedee and Matt to save Bill’s reputation.
The movie is refreshing and an acerbic comedy. The movie is noted for its sexual fluidity and happy ending.
14. Late Night (2019)
- Director: Nisha Ganatra
- Writer: Mindy Kaling
- Cast: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, Hugh Dancy, Max Casella, Reid Scott, Denis O’Hare, John Lithgow, and Amy Ryan
- IMDb rating: 6.5/10
About
In the movie, we see a popular late night talk show host Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson), hire an Indian-American woman writer, Molly Patel (Mindy Kaling), when there is a steady decline in her show’s viewership over the last decade. But things seem to go haywire when a private email of a crew member is leaked.
The humor in this comedy drama is sharp but cruelty free. Critics have praised Emma Thompson’s performance in the movie to be abrasive, and ‘cold witch’ that reminds one of Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. All in all, Late Night is one of the best workplace comedy movies you can catch on Amazon Prime Video.
15. Knives Out (2019)
- Direction and Screenplay: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Katherine Langford, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Jaeden Martell, Lakeith Stanfield, and Christopher Plummer
- IMDb rating: 7.9/10
About
When wealthy mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey dies the next morning after his 85th birthday in the Massachusetts countryside mansion, police think it to be a suicide. But Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is hired anonymously to investigate the case. He searches through all the lies and misgivings of the dysfunctional Thrombey family, not leaving anyone out of the suspect list to uncover the mystery behind the murder.
The plot of Knives Out is ingenious; it is obviously one of the best mystery comedy movies of all time. It is a murder mystery that will completely defy the audience’s expectations and leave one dumbstruck. The movie has an all-star ensemble cast, with each one at their perfection without any inch of space for complaint. Everything put together Knives Out is a great watch.
16. Jeff, Who Lives At Home (2011)
- Direction and Screenplay: Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass
- Cast: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, and Susan Sarandon
- IMDb rating: 6.5/10
About
The movie is about a 30 year old man named Jeff, who is unemployed and a stoner. He is living in his mother’s basement and is in search of his destiny calling. When he answers a wrong number on the telephone, he thinks it is a sign and from their Jeff’s world seems to get turned upside down. The movie sees Jeff try and figure out life and leaves the audience with a good laugh.
Chicago Sun Times reviewed the movie to be a “whimsical comedy.” More than the content, it’s the actors you would want to watch the film for. However, the Duplass brothers did a great job at making attention grabbing movie.
17. The Disaster Artist (2017)
- Director: James Franco
- Screenplay: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
- Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson and Jackie Weaver
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
About
The film is a comical biopic that tells the story when Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) was an aspiring filmmaker and moved to Hollywood, Los Angeles with Greg Sestero (Dave Franco). When with his own money, he makes a movie called ‘The Room,’ and both directs and acts in it, the movie receives harsh criticisms. However, it gains a major cult following and goes to become a cult classic.
The Disaster Artist is a standing ovation receiving film. Franco, as both director and actor, has outdone himself in the movie; he has definitely hit a new career peak with this production. He has produced a hilarious masterpiece with unexpected delicacy. Franco’s fictionalized look of Wiseau in the worst movie ever made, ‘The Room,’ is something that will stick in the audience’s minds for a long time.
18. Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)
- Direction and Screenplay: Paul Downs Colaizzo
- Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, and Micah Stock
- IMDb rating: 6.8/10
About
The movie revolves around Brittany Forgler (Jillian Bell), 28 year old New Yorker who is an Adderall abuser and parties hard. When she visits a new doctor with the intention to score a prescription, she discovers how unhealthy she is and must lose weight for a better life. She sets a goal to run and complete the New York City Marathon in spite of all the fear and struggle.
The movie is an Amazon Original. It is very engaging and definitely an audience pleaser. It takes one through Brittany’s physical and emotional journey to overcome all obstacles to reach her ultimate goal. You can catch this classic on Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video.
19. Red Oaks
- Direction and Screenplay: Joe Gangemi, Gregory Jacobs
- cast: Craig Roberts, Ennis Esmer, Oliver Cooper
- IMDb rating: 7.9
About
The arrangement is seen before: a period drama (the 1980s this time) about a common child finding an occupation at a luxurious nation club. Be that as it may, once in a while has it been as fruitful. Red Oaks mixes balanced characters with astonishing unexpected developments. Craig Roberts stars as David, the goal-oriented youthful tennis teacher. Paul Reiser does a portion of his best work as the club part who encourages David.
20. Happy Endings
- Direction and Screenplay: Don Roos
- Cast: Lisa Kudrow, Steve Coogan, Maggie Gyllenhaal
- IMDb rating: 6.3/10
About
This 2005 parody is a group piece about a current relationship. Indeed, there are around 1,000 of those, yet this one stands apart through the sharpness of its composition and an incredible cast that incorporates Lisa Kudrow, Bobby Cannavale, Steve Coogan, Laura Dern, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. It’s a piece that follows different characters in Los Angeles through different defective connections. At long last, it’s imminent for perhaps Tom Arnold’s best film work. Truly, you read that right.
You can get everything starting with classics to rom coms, horror-comedy, spy spoofs, forgotten gems, and all the latest hits, all here in one place at Amazon Prime Video. So here is a collection of the best comedies on Amazon Prime. Now you want to binge-watch or savor slowly, that is on you. All you have to do is become a prime member.
