The Most 15 Underrated Comedy Movies Of All Time

ThoughWet Hot American Summeris more popular than ever thanks to two Netflix revival series – the prequelFirst Day of Campand the sequelTen Years Later– it’s easy to forget that the original movie was a gigantic critical and commercial flop. Released in 2001,Wet Hot American Summerfeels like a spiritual successor to the Zucker brothers’ school of comedy, such asAirplane!andThe Naked Gun, in that it’s packed with all sorts of visual and audio gags (who can forget the repeated window-smashing sound effect?).

The film’s cast is also ridiculously stacked, featuring then largely unknown actors such as Bradley Cooper and Elizabeth Banks in supporting roles. While the absurdist humor on display is certainly juvenile, there’s a charming, timeless quality toWet Hot American Summerthat helps explain why it was able to become such a beloved cult classic in spite of its initial failure.

Source: Screenshot via USA Films

If you haven’t seen Brian Dannelly’s 2004 teen dramedySaved!, there’s a good chance you’ve written it off as a religious movie catering exclusive to the Christian crowd. While it’s true thatSaved!does explore a lot of religious themes, it’s critical, often humorous exploration of topics such as homophobia, teen pregnancy, and ostracism are universal and totally relatable even if you’ve never spent a day in church. It helps that the cast is overflowing with talent, with Mandy Moore, in particular, playing against type as an evangelical queen bee bully. Strip away the “Christian movie” veneer andSaved!is a great high school comedy right up there withFast Times at Ridgemont HighandMean Girls.

Source: Screenshot via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The sex comedy subgenre really hasn’t been the same since theAmerican Pieseries went stale, but every so often a film comes along to remind us that awkward, lust-fueled setups can still make for a hilariously good time.The Overnightfrom writer-director Patrick Brice is a perfect example. Starring Taylor Schilling and Adam Scott as a married couple who are invited over by their new friends for a playdate between their sons, but things quickly get weird and raunchy once the children are put to bed.The Overnightaccomplishes a lot with its small cast and short runtime thanks to a witty script and unpredictable gags, and is a fun watch for anyone who adores good cringe-comedy.

Source: Screenshot via The Orchard

Bringing together two of the best comedic actors of all time in the same movie should have been a recipe for success, but the combination of John Candy and Richard Pryor wasn’t enough to liftBrewster’s Millionsabove being a now largely forgotten mid-80s sports comedy. Understandably, there was a lot of expectation placed onBrewster’s Millionsto be a gut-busting comedy classic due to the presence of Pryor and Candy, but when the film failed to deliver big laughs, critics were mixed on it. However, if you go intoBrewster’s Millionsalready knowing it’s not going to blow you away in the laughs department, there’s a lot to like about it.

这部电影最大的力量是它的情节,看到的s a former minor league baseball player (Pryor) inherit $300 million from his deceased uncle, with the stipulation that he needs to spend $30 million in 30 days in order to get the rest of the fortune. This leads to some great scenes of Brewster trying to spend money in a careless fashion, even launching a bid to become mayor of New York City at one point. While it’s true that the script could have made better use of its talented cast (Rick Moranis also turns up in a small role), it’s entertaining enough just to watch Pryor and Candy work, makingBrewster’s Millionsan underrated work in both late actors’ filmography.

Source: Screenshot via Universal Pictures

The film that would lead to filmmaker John Landis landing (no pun intended) the directing gig onNational Lampoon’s Animal Housethe following year,Kentucky Fried Movieis an anthology comedy featuring a number of different sketches. Delivering a nonstop flurry of deadpan jokes, KentuckyFried Moviewas also the launching pad for the Zucker brothers and co-writer Jim Abrahams, who would go onto write and direct the 1980 satirical classic,Airplane!, as well as theNaked Gunseries. While some of the film’s sketches haven’t aged as well as others,Kentucky Fried Moviestill provides enough big laughs to make it worth seeking it out today, especially for theAirplane!fans out there.

Source: Screenshot via United Film Distribution Company

The feature film debut of the late Mel Smith,The Tall Guyis emblematic of Smith’s career in that both never took off with American audiences. Starring Jeff Goldblum as the titular “tall guy” and Emma Thompson as the nurse he falls in love with,The Tall Guyis a rom-com that also surprises, as the final third is basically a parody of modern musicals. That the film has a charming, whimsical air about it should really come as no surprise given that it was written by Richard Curtis, who has written and directed such beloved rom-coms asLove ActuallyandAbout Time. And if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re either a Goldblum orLove Actuallyfan (or both!). Not enough to convince you? Well, Rowan Atkinson, a.k.a. Mr. Bean is also in it, so addThe Tall Guyto your queue immediately.

Source: Screenshot via Miramax Films

At first glance,Dicklooks like any other teen comedy released in the genre’s late 90s heyday, with a young Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams getting star-billing as two ditzy teenagers. However, Andrew Fleming’s film is actually a surprisingly effective political satire focused on the Watergate scandal that has become something of a comedic companion piece toAll the President’s Men. Dunst and Williams play two best friends who inadvertently become the legendary “Deep Throat” informant who tipped off Bob Woodward and Carl Burnstein. Also co-starring Will Ferrell,Dick是一个快乐而古怪的模仿和its lessons still resonate to this day, which really shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given the current state of the Oval office.

Source: Screenshot via Columbia Pictures

Noah Baumbach’s biggest claim to fame lately is actually making Adam Sandler watchable again in his excellent 2017 filmThe Meyerowitz Stories, but his 2012 black-and-white dramedyFrances Haremains one of his best and most underappreciated works. StarringLadybirddirector Greta Gerwig (who also co-wrote the film) as a 27-year-old New York City dancer just trying to make ends meet and figure her life out,Frances Hais incredibly relatable.

It’s also an occasionally maddening film that very well could have come off as pretentious navel-gazing, but it all works thanks to Gerwig’s performance, as her character navigates various life situations with humor and just a little bit of terror. Sure, there are a ton of movies that also depict characters navigating young adulthood, but you could do much worse than the underratedFrances Ha.

Source: Screenshot via IFC Films

Martin Scorsese is a filmmaker whose filmography definitely steer more towards the dramatic, but he has crafted a few noteworthy comedic works over the years.The King of Comedy(1982) andThe Wolf of Wall Street(2013) prove that Scorsese is a master of black comedy but while those films have received a ton of attention and accolades over the years, film history has mostly forgotten aboutAfter Hours.

Scorsese’s 1985, which stars Griffin Dunne as a New York working stiff who experiences a series of misadventures on his way home from work one night, was not well-received by critics but has since attracted a cult following. The film’s tight script keeps things moving at a fun, frantic pace and even ifAfter Hoursisn’t Scorsese at his best, it’s still an entertaining and funny character drama that doubles as a love letter of sorts to the director’s favorite city.

Source: Screenshot via Warner Bros.

Kevin Smith’s post-Clerks 2filmographies have largely been one big misfire, but the writer-director has notched at least one legitimate gem inZack and Miri Make a Porno. Right from moment one, the film proved controversial (the title certainly didn’t do the film any favors), with Smith having to fight with the MPAA to give Zack and Miri an R-rating and not NC-17, which would have been a financial death sentence.

Unfortunately, the film still didn’t perform to expectations and was a box office disappointment, which is a shame because despite featuring some raunchy scenes,Zack and Miriis surprisingly heartfelt, anchored by the endearing chemistry shared by Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen. With Smith increasingly losing his way with low-hanging fruit likeYoga Hosers,Zack and Miristand as a blueprint for how the filmmaker might recapture his former directing magic.

Source: Screenshot via The Weinstein Company

Most people probably know Christopher Guest from his acting roles in 80s films such asThis is Spinal Tapand公主新娘, but he’s also built a successful career as a mockumentary filmmaker.Best in Showis one of Guest’s best, following a group of outrageous owners and handlers as they compete at a prestigious dog show.

Featuring a number of actors who pop up in many of Guest’s films, including the Canadian dream team of Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara,Best in Showsimultaneously makes fun of its subject matter while also offering a nuanced, in-depth examination of its many foibles, which is a tough balance to make in a satire. While the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, not many outside of Guest’s dedicated fanbase seem to be aware of it. Consider this entry a blanket recommendation to check out Christopher Guest’s other great comedies, includingA Mighty Wind,Waiting for Guffman,For Your Consideration, andMascots.

Source: Screenshot via Warner Bros.

This 1991 comedy directed by Frank Oz features one of Bill Murray’s greatest performances, which is reason enough to give it a wholehearted recommendation. However,What About Bob?seems to get ignored when discussions about Murray’s best comedic roles arise and this is something that really needs to be remedied. Following a psychiatric patient (Murray) who follows his doctor (Richard Dreyfuss) on his family vacation,What About Bob?benefits from great comedic chemistry between its two leads, with Dreyfuss matching Murray’s manic title character with his performance as the put-upon doctor who is driven to the brink of madness by his patient’s overstepping.What About Bob?definitely falls into the camp of black comedy, which certainly isn’t to everyone’s tastes, but it’s still worth checking out just to see two actors of Murray and Dreyfuss’ stature at the top of their games.

Source: Screenshot via Buena Vista Pictures

Popstarwas arguably 2016’s best comedy but got absolutely destroyed byTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadowsand was officially a box office bomb. The writing team of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone (of The Lonely Island fame) deserved a better fate, as their pop music star mockumentary is gut-bustlingly clever and features an entire soundtrack of catchy, satirical tracks. Following buffoonish popstar Connor4Real (Samberg) and his rap group The Style Boyz,Popstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingis arguably the modern successor toThis is Spinal Tapbut the film’s poor box office performance and lack of attention have turned it into a forgotten flop rather than a comedy classic. Seriously, this movie’s worth it just for the bee scene alone.

Source: Screenshot via Universal Pictures

It’s easy to forget now, but Michael Keaton’s casting in Tim Burton’sBatmanwas quite controversial at the time because he was primarily known as a comedic actor up to that point. While Keaton’s best-known pre-Batman work arguably came in the 1983 gender roles comedyMr. Mom, one of his best and most unsung performances came the year prior in Ron Howard’s sophomore directorial effort,Night Shift.

Co-starring Henry Winkler and Shelley Long of Cheers fame,Night Shiftfollows a pair of morgue attendants who hatch a scheme to turn their place of work into a brothel (think Risky Business but with dead people as the backdrop). While that setup sounds like it would be in poor taste,Night Shiftis a surprisingly heartfelt comedy that gets a lot of mileage out of the chemistry between its two leads. Keaton’s manic, braggadocios Bill and Winkler’s mild-mannered Chuck are an excellent pair and their friendship helps ground the film’s otherwise outrageous premise.Night Shift, with its smart script and excellent cast, definitely deserves to be talked up more as one of the best comedies of the early 80s.

Source: Screenshot via Warner Bros.

A spoof of prestige music biopics like Ray and Walk the Line that rose to prominence in the mid-2000s, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story represents a rare box office misfire for Judd Apatow-produced comedies. Much of this can be attributed to it being an R-rated comedy starring John C. Reilly, a talented character actor better known for playing second fiddle to Will Ferrell, but it also probably has something to do with Walk Hard’s marketing doing little to differentiate it from the many other Apatow productions that were being released at the time. It’s unfortunate because more than a decade later, Walk Hard has achieved true cult classic status and is every bit as funny as other standout mid-2000s comedies like Anchorman and Step Brothers.

赖利提交完全不行了摇滚明星character and gets to show off his musical talents in a series of hilarious original songs (“Lets Duet” is an innuendo-laden masterpiece). The supporting cast is also universally excellent, with Tim Meadows’ drug-pushing drummer being a fan-favorite, as well as a number of famous actors and musicians turning up as various historical figures closely associated with the era (if you need any more convincing of this movie’s brilliance: Paul Rudd and Jack Black turn up as John Lennon and Paul McCartney, respectively, and trade insults before getting in a fistfight). Simply put, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is one of the funniest films of the 21st century and one that nobody would have ever predicted would turn out to be so awesome.

Source: Screenshot via Columbia Pictures