With the lockdown and work from home, the workplace has invaded our personal space, which can be a little intimidating. There’s no better way to blow off some steam than watching a good comedy movie at the end of a tiring day. Laughing is indeed a great exercise, and more so when you’re constantly stressed out. This is why we bring you this list of the best Hollywood comedy movies.
Also read: 35 All Time Best Bollywood Comedy Movies You Should Watch
1. Mrs. Doubtfire
Starring Robin Williams in the lead, Mrs. Doubtfire follows Daniel, a divorced man who longs to see his children more often. As a solution, he dresses as Mrs. Doubtfire, and works in his ex-wife’s home to be near his children. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Bollywood movie Chachi 420 was inspired by the Tamil remake of this movie. The movie received several accolades upon its release, including an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
2. Wayne’s World
Two young men named Wayne and Garth are fans of rock music and run a public-access TV show called Wayne’s World. When a TV producer offers to buy the rights to their show, they’re initially pumped. However, they soon realize the show just doesn’t feel fun anymore. The movie stars Mike Myers (who’s also the director) and Dana Carvey in lead roles. The movie also has a scene where the two men lip-sync to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody; because of the movie’s popularity, the song was on No.2 on the charts 15 years after its release.
3. Legally Blonde
The movie follows Elle, a beautiful blonde woman who’s heartbroken after her boyfriend leaves her when he gets into Harvard, and wants to date someone who “looks” smart. Elle, still wanting to get him back, gets into the same law school, surprising him. The movie is one of the best Hollywood comedy movies you’d ever watch. It won’t just make you laugh, but will also give you valuable lessons. On top of it, it’ll motivate you to study.
4. Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day follows Phil, a weatherman who visits Punxsutawney for an assignment. When he wakes up the next morning, he is shocked to realise that he is stuck in a time loop where he keeps reliving the same day. Upon its release, the movie was met with critical praise as well as commercial success and today it is considered one of the best Hollywood comedy movies of all time.
5. Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters follows the story of three scientists who after losing their jobs begin a ghost-catching business to fight the ghosts roaming about New York City. The film became a cultural phenomenon upon release and has long been regarded as a cult-classic. Bill Murray’s performance as one of the film’s leads is especially well-remembered.
6. Young Frankenstein
The movie follows Dr. Frederick Frankenstein who doesn’t particularly enjoy his associations with his grandfather Victor Frankenstein, and doesn’t want to be reminded of him. When he is informed that he has inherited his family’s estate in Transylvania, he travels to Europe to see his inheritance. Once at the family home, he discovers his grandfather’s journals and begins to work on his experiments. A parody of the film adaptations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein was incredibly well-received upon its release, and is considered today one of the best Hollywood comedy movies of all time.
7. Dumb and Dumber
The movie follows two good-intentioned but incredibly stupid friends who find a briefcase full of cash, but do not know that the cash was meant for abductors who have kidnapped a woman’s husband. The movie was a huge commercial success. Over the years, Dumb and Dumber has acquired a cult following.
8. Crazy Stupid Love
When a middle-aged man’s wife suddenly asks for a divorce, he becomes depressed. However, to get over her, he visits a bar to pick up women. When another man, Jacob, notices him struggling, he offers to help him out. With a great cast consisting of Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone, the movie is a must watch. At its heart, it’s about a kind man getting over a bad breakup and finding his worth in the process.
9. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Will Ferrel plays a chauvinistic host of a top news programme who feels intimidated when a young, ambitious female reporter joins him. What follows is a battle between the two, and a battle between the sexes. The movie received generally favourable reviews upon its release and is regarded as one of the best Hollywood comedy movies from the 2000s.
10. Bridesmaids
Annie’s life is pretty depressing when the movie starts. Due to the recession, she had to close her bakery, her boyfriend recently dumped her, and she has a sad sex life with a self-absorbed guy. Annie can’t help but be grateful for her best friend when she is invited to be her maid of honour. However, it is clear that she and another bridesmaid, Helen, are vying for the maid of honour title. The film Bridesmaids is ideal for a girls’ night out.
11. Zoolander
When his modelling career is at its end, the kind but simple-minded Derek is brainwashed into assassinating the Malaysian Prime Minister. The movie is a satire on the fashion industry, and received mixed reviews from critics, but over the years it has accumulated a sizable fan base.
12. Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead follows the story of a directionless salesman named Shaun who is suddenly the only man standing against a band of zombies. The movie was a commercial and critical success and has acquired a cult following over the time. The film is regarded as one of the best Hollywood comedy movies of all time.
13. When Harry Met Sally
The movie follows the story of Harry and Sally, who keep meeting again and again and discuss their differing ideas on love, family and friendship. The movie was a commercial and critical success, and earned director Nora Ephron a British Academy Award and an Oscar nomination.
14. Elf
Buddy is a human raised amongst Elves who work for Santa’s toy factory in the North Pole. When he discovers that he isn’t an elf like the rest of the lot, he decides to look for his biological father. Upon its release, the movie received generally favourable reviews and was also a commercial success. Will Ferell’s performance as Buddy earned great appreciation. Elf is considered to be one of the best Christmas movies of all time.
15. Coming to America
When Prince Akeem of Zamunda is told that he’ll be married off to a woman arranged by his parents, he runs off to New York to find a bride for himself, and falls in love with a girl named Lisa while pretending to be an extremely poor person. Things take a turn when Akeem’s parents, the king and queen of Zamunda, track him down and arrive in NYC. The movie upon release received generally favourable reviews and was a commercial success.
16. Deadpool
While most heroes are silent and brooding, Deadpool is quite the opposite. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even consider himself a hero. The movie follows Wade Wilson, a man whose face was ruined because of the experiments done on him that made him immortal. He spends much of the movie looking for the guy who put him through the experiments. Upon its release, Deadpool received great reviews from critics and audiences and was praised for staying faithful to the comics. It was the highest-grossing R-Rated film at the time.
17. Kissing Jessica Stein
A woman named Jessica begins to seriously look for a partner when people around her start to move ahead in life. Instead of finding a suitable man, she finds a woman named Helen, and they begin to date. However with time the two begin to realise that they want different things. The movie has been praised for its positive depiction of homosexual relationships and bisexuality.
18. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
The movie follows Borat, a journalist who travels to the USA to make a documentary on the nation. While doing so, he notices the many similarities the US has with his own country. The movie was a critical as well as commercial success, earning Sacha Baron Cohen a Golden Globe award.
19. The Dictator
The Dictator follows the story of Aladeen, the Admiral General of the fictional country of Wadiya who comes to New York to address the UN council. However, he is at its wit’s end when his uncle’s henchman kidnaps him. The movie received generally positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success.
20. Clueless
The movie follows Cher, a rich daddy’s girl in high-school and her journey through adolescence to become a more responsible young woman. It received generally favourable reviews upon release and has, over the time, acquired a cult following. The movie is especially remembered for its iconic dialogues.
Did you like our list of the best Hollywood comedy movies? Did we miss out on your favourite one? Comment below to let us know.