From a movie about a doll having an existential crisis (Barbie) to a comedic slasher that also involves time travel (Totally Killer) to a movie about a bear who is high on cocaine (Cocaine Bear), the 2023 movie schedule was full of wildly creative and hilarious comedies. So while reflecting on this magnificent year of film, we couldn’t help but reminisce about all the funny flicks and come to a conclusion about which rose to the top as the best. With all that being said, here are the 20 best comedies of 2023, ranked.
20. We Have A Ghost
We Have A Ghost will warm your spirit and charm the whole family with its silly story about a boy who befriends a silent ghost living in his attic. Leading Netflix’s We Have A Ghost cast is David Harbour as Ernest the ghost, as well as his human friend Kevin, played by Jahi Di'Allo Winston. This film is such a goofy good time as the duo figures out how to deal with the ghost’s newfound viral fame, and it shines brightest when the Stranger Things star gets to show off his physical comedy chops.
19. 80 For Brady
While our review of 80 For Brady wasn’t exactly glowing, fans loved this football comedy starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field and Rita Moreno, and so did I! The film follows four older ladies as they make their way to the Super Bowl to see Tom Brady play. It’s a silly goofy good time, and these four women seemed to be having the times of their lives being funny together.
18. Murder Mystery 2
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are back as your favorite inexperienced detectives! While watching Netflix’s Murder Mystery 2, I was thinking a lot about how fantastic these two are together, and just how great they are at playing two folks who are really bad at solving high-profile crimes. Overall, this globetrotting mystery was a grand 'ol time that allowed these two legends to shine.
17. The Blackening
Like Scream, The Blackening uses comedy to poke fun at horror movies while also being an excellent horror film. As our review of The Blackening noted, this movie is a fantastic satire that provides a thought-provoking commentary on racial inequality (specifically in movies). It’ll have you both reflecting on the history of the genre while also laughing and screaming over this great slasher comedy.
16. Dicks: The Musical
Bonkers, unhinged, chaotic and hilarious are all words that have been used to describe Dicks: The Musical. Our own Corey Chichizola called it “the most unhinged movie” he’s ever seen, and critics of Dicks adored how wholly original it was. Overall, this A24 musical deeply inspired by The Parent Trap pokes fun at musical theater and fully embraces the wild and wacky.
15. Cocaine Bear
Listen, when you make a movie called Cocaine Bear, you have to lean into the ridiculousness. The film, which is based on a real story, follows a bear who has just done cocaine – as the title implies – and various people who are wandering around the same park. It’s a violent and hilarious horror comedy, and as our review of Cocaine Bear states, it’s “severely and ridiculously fun – just as nature intended.”
14. Shotgun Wedding
What could go wrong in a Jennifer Lopez-led wedding rom-com? Well, in Amazon Prime Video’s Shotgun Wedding, the answer is everything, and it's hilarious. As we wrote in our review of Shotgun Wedding, the film is an over-the-top action-comedy led by JLo and Josh Duhamel, who play a couple that's about to get married when their wedding is hijacked. Its action and the two stars’ physical comedy skills during it are what got this film onto this list.
13. Renfield
Nicolas Cage plays Dracula and Nicholas Hoult plays his familiar Renfield, who wants to break up with his vampire boss. Need I say more? As our review of Renfield explains, Cage is clearly living his best afterlife, and Hoult makes for a great screen partner as he tries to quit his job, making for a silly, goofy, bloody and all-around good time.
12. They Cloned Tyrone
While Netflix’s They Cloned Tyrone is a sci-fi thriller before it’s a comedy, there’s no denying how funny it is. In our review of They Cloned Tyrone, Nick Venable wrote that Jamie Foxx turns in a career-best performance as he plays Slick Charles, who shows off all the charm and humor the actor thrives on.
11. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
While our review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 notes that you need to bring the tissues to this Marvel movie because of Rocket’s tragic story, like all GOTG movies, it’s also hysterical. After three solo movies and a few team-ups together, the GOTG Vol. 3 cast was firing on all cylinders, and they really brought the funny as they traversed the galaxy to save Rocket.
10. Polite Society
Polite Society is a blast of a martial arts comedy that follows Ria (Priya Kansara), a young girl who dreams of being a stunt double as she tries to save her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) from an arranged marriage. Filled with incredible action and hysterical moments, at its heart, this movie is a story about sisters and the bond they share. The added bonus is their comedic chemistry.
9. Totally Killer
Take the slasher plot from Scream and the time travel of Back to the Future, then mix the two films’ senses of humor, and you get Amazon Prime’s Totally Killer. The film follows Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) as she goes back in time to find a serial killer and stop them from killing her mom. It’s honestly such a fun and fresh take on the slasher film, and it mixes in Gen Z humor and ‘80s nostalgia in a really fun way.
8. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah
Not only is You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah one of the best coming-of-age movies in recent years, it’s also a fabulous comedy from Netflix. The Sandler family comedy got 3.5 out of 5 stars from us, and it was deserving of every one. Led by Adam Sandler’s young daughter Sunny Sandler, the film follows her and her bestie in the lead-up to their Bat Mitzvahs, and all the drama and hilarity that comes with being a teen.
7. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Not only did reviews of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves praise it for how it honors the tabletop game, but another major high point of the film is just how hilarious it is. The D&D cast, which is led brilliantly by Chris Pine’s bard character Edgin Darvis, and their chaotic energy makes you feel like you're watching a campaign. Then mix in silly characters and jokes, like Jarnathan the bird, and you have a nuanced, unique and incredibly fun action-comedy from Paramount Pictures.
6. Rye Lane
Rye Lane is easily one of the best rom-coms of the year, David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah star as two young folks who have both gone through breakups as they spend one memorable day together. Drenched in dry humor, this Hulu film is a new and unique take on both romance and comedy, making for an excellent addition to this list.
5. No Hard Feelings
Jennifer Lawrence let her comedic skills loose in No Hard Feelings, and it was the best. This comedy leaned hard into its raunchiness and showed it all (and no, JLaw didn’t use a body double for that beach scene). The hard R-ness of the film makes it funny, but ultimately the reason this story about an older woman fake-dating a young guy works is because of the heartfelt and funny relationship formed between Lawrence’s Maddie and Andrew Barth Feldman’s Percy.
4. Bottoms
Through Bottoms, we got to know a cast of new comedic voices who are poised to make a real impact on the genre. The film follows two high schoolers played by Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri as they start a fight club to get with the girls at their school. The film has an energy similar to some of the best movies of the 2000s, namely Superbad, with an ensemble that has a unique and hilarious take on the raunchy high school movie.
3. Joy Ride
A no-holds-barred road trip comedy led by Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu? Sign me up! As I wrote in my review of Joy Ride, this film is successful because it fully commits to the raunchiness, and it leans into its outrageous premise that leads to hilarious moments (the K-pop dance number). However, what ultimately makes this one of the best is how it balances being a road trip comedy with having a refreshing take on female friendship.
2. Theater Camp
With standout performances from Noah Galvin, Ben Platt, Molly Gordon and Ayo Edebiri, Theater Camp is easily one of the best comedies because of its outstanding ensemble. Along with veteran actors, the kids who attend the camp are just as funny and immensely talented. From hilarious moments of physical comedy, like Gordon and Platt’s introduction of the summer’s musicals, to incredible musical numbers, like the finale of the camp’s musical “Joan, Still,” this film is unique and oh so much fun.
1. Barbie
I feel confident saying that the more you watch Barbie and notice the details, the funnier it gets. Many of the reviews for Barbie specifically cite Ryan Gosling’s Ken as the comedic highlight of the film, which is true, as the Ken-ergy is irresistible. However, everyone in this movie has their hilarious time to shine, and the comedy mixed with its inspiring message is what makes it one of the best films of 2023.
Overall, 2023 was a fantastic year of comedy, and it’s refreshing to see so many different kinds of funny movies being made. So make sure you go back and watch some of these incredible comedies and take in all the silly goofy fun this year had to offer.
