If there was ever a year that needed some good laughs, it’s 2020. Times are tough, we’ve all had an unusual amount of alone time this year, and there’s nothing like a good guffaw to burn off a little stress and make you feel primally connected to something. Fortunately, while many of the year’s biggest blockbusters and highly-anticipated horror titles were delayed, a lot of high-profile comedy movies made their way to streaming and DVD, giving us something to laugh about at home.
Like everything else in 2020, it’s been an interesting and unusual year in comedy. There’s a whole lot of genre-bending; comedies that skew towards drama, action-comedies, horror-comedies, and animated funny movies for kids. And then there’s thatWill Ferrellmovie thatmade us cry like babies.A strange year indeed.
We sorted through 2020’s comedy releases, from the streaming hits to the straight-to-VOD surprises, and the few that had the chance to screen in theaters, and picked our favorites. Check out the Collider Staff’s best comedy movies of the year below, and if you’re looking for something you’re able to watch right now, head over to theBest Comedies on Netflixand theBest Comedies on Amazon Prime.
12 Hour Shift
If you like your comedy it bit twisted and very bloody, settle in for a super-fun thriller withBrea Grant’s12 Hour Shift. Set in a hospital during one very gnarly, unrelenting shift, the film starsAngela Bettisas a nurse whose black market organ-selling scheme goes way off track when her not-to-bright butextremelydetermined cousin (Chloe Farnworth) loses a harvested kidney. Grant has snappy dialogue and a sharp eye (especially in one dance-fuelled scene transition that truly delighted me,) but as an experienced actor herself, she’s especially keen at getting killer performances out of her cast. Bettis is reliably excellent in the lead, andDavid Arquettecharms his way through his minimal scenes, but Farnworth is a dang force of nature as an unstoppable dimwit who will do whatever it takes to save her own dolled-up skin, no matter how dastardly. It’s the kind of genre-bender that will have you cringing through the comedy and smiling through the squirmiest bits. -Haleigh Foutch
An American Pickle
As a longtime fan ofSeth Rogen,An American Pickledidn’t have to sell me too hard on watching it earlier this year when it dropped onto HBO Max. Penned bySimon Rich(who also wrote the short story on which his script is based),An American Picklefollows Herschel Greenbaum (Rogen), an immigrant working in a pickle factory who accidentally gets sealed up into a vat of pickle brine in the early 20th century and is released from his salty tomb 100 years later into modern-day Brooklyn. Herschel’s only surviving relative is Ben (also Rogen), an app developer who welcomes Herschel into his home. As the two reconnect, their very different approaches to life get them into some very odd situations, including Herschel’s spectacularly failed attempts to start his own pickle business. Cue Herschel learning what an intern is, what a health inspector is, and what wokeness is with a 20th-century attitude.
Things get very silly very fast as Ben reacts poorly to Herschel’s new life, leading them both to confront their own issues around loss and loneliness. Much ofAmerican Pickle’s comedy is infused with earnestness and sweetness rooted in the idea that families are stronger together, so when it falls apart, it can lead to places that are as amusingly absurd as they are enlightening. -Allie Gemmill
The most endearing element of theBad Boysmovies isn’t the over-the-top action and wild-as-all-hell setpieces, but rather the charisma and comedic banter of its two lead actors. Even after a 17-year hiatus,Will SmithandMartin Lawrenceeasily reconnect with that magic inBad Boys for Life, delivering a movie that’s equal parts hilarious and high-octane.
The movie leans into the fact that these two guys are well into middle age (although looking at Smith, you’d never be able to tell), resulting in some truly delightful gags that are closer to the near-farcical comedy of the first film. One particularly memorable scene involves Mike (Smith) trying to stealthily drop off Marcus’ (Lawrence) baby grandchild before pushing Marcus into a high-speed chase in the Burnett family minivan. There’s also several easter eggs for fans of the series that produce some solid laughs, in particular the film’s masterful opening sequence. Bad Boys for Life manages to be one of the year’s best comedies without slimming down the action one iota, which is another way of saying you should watch it immediately. The only bummer is that it’s a cop movie, with one scene in particular that has aged horribly since its release back in January. So maybe just pretend that they’re superheroes? –Thomas Reimann
Hugh Jackmanturned in one of the strongest performances of 2020 inBad Education, a dramedy based on one ofthe biggest embezzlement cases in U.S. history. Jackman plays Frank Tassone, a Long Island superintendent who is the model leader with an unblemished record. Frank’s carefully-constructed veneer of perfection begins to crack when it is revealed his close friend, assistant superintendent Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney), is revealed to have been using school district funds for her own personal gain. Pam’s downfall begins to expose just how long and deep her deception has gone and Frank’s participation in this crime.
Bad Educationis not a comedy in that it explicitly aims for laughs. However, you will find yourself laughing at the characters ofBad Educationbecause those on both the right and wrong side of history are depicted throughMike Makowsky’s script andCory Finley’s direction.Bad Educationis a comedy steeped in dark, dry humor that helps increase the tension as the plot moves forward while exposing its blandly callous antagonists. -Allie Gemmill
Bill and Ted Face the Music
One of the brightest spots of 2020 wasBill and Ted Face the Music. In an otherwise very bleak year, the third movie in theBill and Tedfranchise gave us a shot of joy.Keanu ReevesandAlex Winterreturn for the threequel after nearly 30 years away, once again playing our favorite San Dimas time-travelers nearly 30 years after 1991’sBill and Ted’s Bogus Journey.
Bill and Ted Face the Musicmakes very smart and interesting choices with its story. The movie brings us into the present day, where Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are still living in San Dimas and still trying to make the song that will apparently unite the world. While they’re still musicians and best friends, they’re also dads and husbands, so the pressures of life weigh even heavier on them. (They’re also still very co-dependent on one another — a running joke that often results in some of the funniest moments of the movie.)Bill and Ted Face the Musicsees the guys trying to save the world once more. This time, they try to steal their world-saving song from themselves. As they bop around on their own timelines, they meet multiple Bills and Teds, some who are in jail, some who are failed rock stars, and some who are hanging out in a nursing home together. This set-up allows Reeves and Winter to really play around and indulge in the goofiness, making for a very fun and heartwarming romp. -Allie Gemmill
Birds of Prey: and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
In the year 2020, it’s not hard to make “the best DCEU film thus far.” ButBirds of Preyaccomplishes this task with unparalleled, unprecedented flair. It backflips over the DCEU finish line with glitter bombs and double middle fingers up. It redefines how much auteurs can and should flex in mainstream superhero cinema (Cathy Yanis doing everything, and I love every second of it). It givesMargot Robbie’s Harley Quinn her necessary emancipation and then some – watching Robbie inhabit this role without any icky need to pacify the male gaze is a goddamn joy. Its action sequences (with assists fromJohn Wick’sChad Stahelski) are pounding, fluid, brutal, clear pieces of poetry. Its comedy bits are committed to, hard; nothing has made me laugh harder than Quinn’s love and desire for a breakfast sandwich. It reminds us thatMary Elizabeth Winsteadis a powerhouse comedian,Ewan McGregorandChris Messinaare powerhouse villains, andRosie Perezis a powerhouse, period. It is, sincerely, one of the wildest “mainstream action-comedy films” I’ve ever seen in a movie theater released by a major studio, and I look forward to revisiting it as the fearlessly alive pop art object it is for years to come. –Gregory Lawrence
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
If you haven’t seenBorat Subsequent Moviefilmyet, you’ve definitely heard about it.Sacha Baron Cohen’s surprise revival of his 2006 character/pop culture phenomenon made headlines for all kinds of reasons (from the right-wing rally prank spotted earlier this year to the shameful display fromRudy Guillianithat became a bonafide political talking point), but the sequel isn’t just another satirical skewering of America’s political hypocrisy, it’s a surprisingly tender reminder of the humanity behind the partisan hate. WhereBoratsought to expose the vile beliefs that belied illusions of decency, the sequel looks to highlight the shared bit of vulnerability behind the now explicit hatred that dominates our discourse, and of course, make us laugh.
Cohen is unsurprisingly fearless and hilarious in his return to form, but arguably the breakout of the year isMaria Bakalova, who stars as Borat’s daughter and steals the show, going toe-to-toe with Cohen for every outrageous gag, and anchoring the film in her character’s journey to independence. So yes,Borat Subsequent Moviefilmis surprisingly touching, but also the hardest I’ve laughed out loud in quite a while, and all these years later, you still can’t help but marvel at just how far Cohen (and now, Bakalova along with him) is willing to go for the bit. –Haleigh Foutch
Downhilldoesn’t quite measure up to its Swedish predecessorForce Majeure, but it’s a solid film in its own right that deserves to be seen. Fox Searchlight’s remake fromThe Way Way BackdirectorsJim RashandNat Faxonboasts some serious star power betweenWill FerrellandJulia Louis-Dreyfus. The duo play a longtime couple whose marriage is put to the test by a harmless avalanche. As a wall of snow descends upon their family, Ferrell makes a split-second decision to grab his phone run, abandoning his wife and children in the process. He argues that his survival instincts simply kicked in, but she’s having none of it, and the rest of their vacation suffers from the resulting fallout.Miranda Ottoco-stars as a randy hotel concierge who is very open and honest about her busy sex life. Ferrell is somewhat miscast here, but Louis-Dreyfus does wonders with the role, and truly deserves a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. It’s a treat whenever she graces the big screen, and her comic timing here is as impeccable as always. -Jeff Sneider
The most recent take onJane Austen’sEmma.is perhaps the most sumptuous and salty entry into the canon ofmovie adaptations based on the beloved author’s work. ScreenwriterEleanor Cattontakes care to preserve the more biting tones of Austen’s wits in this version of theEmmatale, while directorAutumn de Wildeand her crew craft a vision of Regency-era England which borders on pure confectionary delight. These two elements serve as the perfect stage forEmma.’spitch-perfect cast, led byAnya Taylor-Joyas the titular wannabe matchmaker, to play out the dramas within a small town.
Unlike previousEmmaadaptations starringGwyneth PaltrowandRomola Garairespectively, or even the uber-popular modern takeClueless, de Wilde’sEmma.brings out the darker, more searing aspects of Austen’s story. Taylor-Joy’s Emma is a bit more overtly conniving in her schemes to push together two unsuspecting potential lovers, with those efforts making the pain more acutely felt when it all goes awry. But for every sour, there is plenty of sweet which comes in the form of dry, pointed comedy. You need look no further thanJosh O’Connoras the insufferable vicar Mr. Elton, always prone to a bit of self-important monologuing, or Emma’s down-the-nose stares which blatantly communicate her dislike of a particular person or comment, or moments of more physical comedy (like a chuckle-worthy piano forte duel), all of which bring out the funnier side ofEmma. –Allie Gemmill
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Sagaisn’t like any classicWill Ferrellfilm. Nor is it likeWedding Crashers, the last Ferrell-Rachel McAdamsjoint from the same director,David Dobkin. If it can be compared to any other Ferrell comedy, the closest I can come up with isStranger than Fictionwith a seasoning ofBlades of Glory. I’m not even sure if it’s interested in being a “comedy” the way any other comedy is. It plays more like an inspirational sports drama that happens to use wigs, elves, European accents, and theatrical songs to convey its earnest messaging. Its heart is fully, unabashedly, designedly on its sleeve. The big climactic set piece is a performance of a gorgeous ballad with barely any jokes. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.Eurovisionis a wholly unique experience, one that made me feel —and made me cry— throughout. The tagline says it all: “Nobody wins solo.” –Gregory Lawrence
