Everyone remembers how funny movies were in the 1980s. And𝔉 the 1990s. And the 2000s. But what about the 2010s? Contrary to what some might say, the second decade of the 21st century has its own share of classic comedies. But which are actually the greatest of all time?
While comedies ﷽in the 2000s saw a resurgence in raunchiness, it also saw a shift in tone and cadence for humor. Movies like Wedding Crashers, Napoleon Dynamite, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Superbad changed the vibe of R-rated comedies. The 2010s picked up the baton and kept certain trends and talent going, but a few mega-hit releases also shook up the status quo. Not only did more women star and take creative lead, but earnestness and sincerity snuck into some of the funniest movies of the decade. Here are 32 of the greatest comedies of the 2010s.
32. The Big Sick (2017)
The Big Sick, a 2017 rom-com, is loosely inspired by Kumail Nanjiani's real-life love story with his spouse, Emily V. Gordon (who co-wrote the film with Nanjiani). Nanjiani plays a version of himself, that of a stand-up comic in Chicago who falls in love with Emily (Zoe Kazan) only for her to end up in a medically induced coma for several months. Kumail then strikes up an uneasy but close friendship with her parents (played in the movie by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) as they come together to share a💜nxieties over Emily's health. The Big Sick is a sweet romantic comedy (with one of the all-time greatest 9/11 jokes you'll ever hear) in a time when Hollywood was starved of them.
31. The Disaster Artist (2017)
Oh, hi Mark! Based on real events (and actor Greg Sestero's 2013 memoir), The Disaster Artist chronicles the bizarre creation of The Room, the notorious indie drama widely considered to be the worst movie of all time. The Disaster Artist chronicles The Room's wri🎐ter, director, and star Tommy Wiseau (played in the movie by James Franco, who also directs) whose arrival in Los Angeles kicks off a fateful journey that, unbeknownst to everyone in Tinseltown, changes everything forever. A straightforward biopic would have sufficed, but The Disaster Artist intelligently muses on the emotional brutality of chasing dreams and the irony of what it takes to actually find artistic success. It's also deeply funny, with Franco's interpretation of Wiseau nothing short of a spectacle in and of itself.
30. Bridesmaids (2011)
If you went to a wedding circa early 2010s, chances are you've seen the bridal party recreate the iconic poster. That's because Bridesmaids was one of the biggest hits of 2011, earniꦓng rave reviews and serving up female-oriented counterprogramming to Marvel's Thor. From director Paul Feig, Bridesmaids follows the escalating misfortunes of a troubled young woman (played by Kristen Wiig, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Annie Mumolo) after she's named maid of honor for her best friend's wedding. Perfectly timed to the first wave of millennials getting engaged, Bridesmaids' success has made it a generational touchstone and the start of more comedies with and about wo🧔men that also weren't exclusively romantic.
29. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
In 1993, Richard Linklater helmed the ultimate teen summer mov🅺ie with Dazed and Confused. Decades later in 2016, Linklater tapped into that same wellspring for Everybody Wants Some!!, channeling that same spirit into the first few days of college. In Everybody Wants Some!!, Blake Jenner plays a former high school baseball star who strikes up an immediate friendship with his fellow collegiate teammates. Described as one of the greatest hangout movies in the modern era, Everybody Wants Some!! transforms bawdy bro antics into tender celebrations of fleeting joy. In other words: It's about hilarious dudes who have big hearts, and Everybody Wants Some!! invites 𝓰us all to get a piece of the action.
28. Booksmart (2019)
Sitting behind the director's chair for the first time, Olivia Wilde knocked it out of the park with Booksmart, a new entry to the canon of greatest teen comedies. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever co-star as two Ivy League-bound girls on the verge of high school graduation who decide to finally party it up and make up for lost time. This kicks off one crazy night where their lives change forever.🌌 A critically lauded movie celebrated for its own spin on raunchy teen comedies, Booksmart makes the honor roll as one of the best of the 2010s.
23. Ted (2012)
The best friend a boy could have is his teddy bear. The best friend a man could have is… his teddy bear, who has a foul mouth and a thing for girls with "Lynn" in their names. From writer/dire♊ctor Seth McFarlane, 2012's Ted follows the distressing friendship between 30-something slacker John (Mark Wahlberg) and his miraculous talking teddy bear, Ted (McFarlane). After brief celebrity status in the 1980s, John and Ted now languish as unambitious buds and roommates, and their relationship gets tested when John's girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) wants things to be more serious. One would assume an R-rated movie from the creator of Family Guy would wear out its hilarious premise, but Ted is actually super stuffed with heart and humor.
18. Long Shot (2019)
The United States does not negotiate with terrorists. But it does negotiate with homies. In 2019, Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron co-starred in the lively and lovely romantic comedy Long Shot. Directed bꦡy Jonathan Levine, the mo⛎vie follows two childhood friends, Fred and Charlotte, who reunite as adults when grown-up Fred (Rogen), an unemployed journalist, winds up the speechwriter for grown-up Charlotte (Theron), who is now Secretary of State on the fast-track to the Oval Office. Rogen is predictably funny, but Theron is in especially top form as a surprisingly vulnerable person whose steely politician persona is just an exterior. It's a sweet and ridiculous movie, capped off with maybe one of the greatest comic book-related jokes of all time.
