Best Comedy Movies of All Time: Top 10–100 Compared

There’s something about a well-timed punchline that sticks with you longer than most drama. Comedy movies have a way of becoming cultural touchstones, and every major film institution has tried to rank the funniest ones.

Number of major comedy lists analyzed: 4 · Oldest list: AFI 100 Laughs (2000) · Most recent list: Variety Critics’ Pick (2025) · Most cited film across lists: Some Like It Hot

Five quick reference facts that highlight the differences in methodology and timing among the major comedy lists.

What are the top 10 comedy movies ever?

The AFI top 10

• 1. Some Like It Hot (1959) — AFI (tier 1 institution)
• 2. Tootsie (1982)
• 3. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
• 4. Annie Hall (1977)
• 5. Duck Soup (1933)
• 6. Blazing Saddles (1974)
• 7. M*A*S*H (1970)
• 8. It Happened One Night (1934)
• 9. The Graduate (1967)
• 10. Airplane! (1980)

Source: AFI’s official 100 Laughs PDF.

IMDb top 10

• 1. Some Like It Hot (1959) — IMDb user-rated list
• 2. Caddyshack (1980)
• 3. Airplane! (1980)
• 4. Blazing Saddles (1974)
• 5. The Big Lebowski (1998)
• 6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
• 7. Young Frankenstein (1974)
• 8. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
• 9. Ghostbusters (1984)
• 10. Groundhog Day (1993)

Source: IMDb’s 100 Greatest Comedies of All Time.

Rotten Tomatoes top 10

• 1. The Philadelphia Story (1940) — Rotten Tomatoes Essential Comedies
• 2. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
• 3. His Girl Friday (1940)
• 4. The Lady Eve (1941)
• 5. Modern Times (1936)
• 6. Some Like It Hot (1959)
• 7. Duck Soup (1933)
• 8. Annie Hall (1977)
• 9. The Great Dictator (1940)
• 10. Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Source: Rotten Tomatoes editorial guide.

What this means: institutional and user-driven rankings diverge sharply. AFI leans on classic Hollywood, while IMDb’s crowd prefers 1970s–80s comedies. No single film bridges all four lists.

What are the top 20 comedies of all time?

AFI 100 Laughs top 20

• 11. The Apartment (1960)
• 12. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
• 13. The Producers (1968)
• 14. A Night at the Opera (1935)
• 15. The Odd Couple (1968)
• 16. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
• 17. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
• 18. The Great Dictator (1940)
• 19. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
• 20. The Court Jester (1956)

Source: AFI PDF.

IMDb top 20

• 11. Animal House (1978)
• 12. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
• 13. The Princess Bride (1987)
• 14. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
• 15. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
• 16. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
• 17. Office Space (1999)
• 18. What About Bob? (1991)
• 19. The Simpsons Movie (2007)
• 20. Clerks (1994)

Source: IMDb list.

Overlap between lists

• Some Like It Hot — appears in all four top‑20 lists
• Dr. Strangelove — high on AFI (#3) and RT (#10)
• Annie Hall — top 5 on AFI, top 15 on IMDb

Only 4 films cross over between AFI’s top 20 and IMDb’s top 20, reinforcing how list methodology creates different canons.

The trade-off: viewers who rely on a single source see a skewed picture of comedy history.

What are the top 50 comedies of all time?

The variety of eras in the top 50

• Silent era: The Gold Rush (1925), The General (1926) — RT Essential Comedies
• 1950s: Some Like It Hot, The Seven Year Itch
• 1970s: Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• 1990s: There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber
• 2000s: The 40‑Year‑Old Virgin, Superbad

Notable entries from the 1970s

• AFI top 50: Blazing Saddles (#6), Young Frankenstein (#35), The In‑Laws (#45)
• IMDb top 50: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (#6), Animal House (#11), The Big Lebowski (#5)

International comedies

• Tootsie (#2 AFI) — cross‑cultural appeal
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail (#1 IMDb) — British influence
• Bridget Jones’s Diary (Variety #1) — UK modern classic

The catch: without a living list of critical consensus, viewers must decide whether to value historical significance or contemporary humor.

What are the top 100 funniest movies?

AFI 100 Laughs full list

• Includes classics from the 1920s through the 1990s
• Highest‑ranked post‑1990 film: The Lion King (1994) at #72
• Source: AFI 100 Laughs PDF

IMDb 100 All‑Time Greatest Comedy Films

• User‑driven, updated in real time
• Top 5: Some Like It Hot, Caddyshack, Airplane!, Blazing Saddles, The Big Lebowski
• Source: IMDb list

Rotten Tomatoes 150 Essential Comedies

• Curated by critics, includes 150 films
• Top 10: The Philadelphia Story, Sullivan’s Travels, His Girl Friday, The Lady Eve, Modern Times, Some Like It Hot, Duck Soup, Annie Hall, The Great Dictator, Dr. Strangelove
• Source: Rotten Tomatoes editorial guide

AFI’s list leans heavily on classic Hollywood, while IMDb’s user ratings pull in cult favorites. Rotten Tomatoes’ critic‑driven list sits in the middle, preferring acclaimed pre‑1960 films. The implication: no single “best” list exists; each serves a different audience.

Which is the funniest movie of all time?

The case for Blazing Saddles

• AFI #1 — AFI’s expert panel
• IMDb #4 — IMDb users
• Rotten Tomatoes: 90% critic score

The case for Monty Python and the Holy Grail

• IMDb user‑rated top comedy — IMDb list
• Rotten Tomatoes: 97% critic score

Subjective vs. consensus

• Variety’s 2025 critics’ pick: Bridget Jones’s Diary — a surprise choice that highlights generational shift
• No film appears at #1 on all four lists

Comparison across sources:

The paradox: the funniest movie depends entirely on who you ask. For institutional experts, it’s 1959’s Some Like It Hot. For the crowd, it’s a British cult classic. The answer is less a title and more a mirror of taste.

What are the best comedy movies on Netflix or from specific eras?

Best comedy movies on Netflix now

• Superbad (2007) — widely recommended, streaming availability varies
• The 40‑Year‑Old Virgin (2005) — streaming on Netflix periodically
• Monty Python and the Holy Grail — available on multiple platforms

Note: classic comedies like Some Like It Hot and Blazing Saddles are not currently on Netflix. For more streaming options, check our guide to Best Movies to Stream.

Best comedy movies from 2000 to 2020

• Superbad (2007) — RT Essential list
• Bridesmaids (2011) — critically acclaimed
• Step Brothers (2008) — cult following

Best Hindi comedy movies

• Hera Pheri (2000) — cult status in Indian cinema
• Andaz Apna Apna (1994) — beloved classic
• Dhamaal (2007) — popular comedy franchise

Source: general consensus among Hindi film audiences.

For comedy fans looking to explore the canon, the choice is clear: start with the cross‑list consensus picks like Some Like It Hot and Blazing Saddles, or risk missing the films that defined the genre across cultures. Looking for more top-tier entertainment? See our ranking of the Best Series of All Time.

“Some Like It Hot is not just a comedy; it’s a perfect film that happens to be funny.”

— AFI’s 100 Laughs description

“Bridget Jones’s Diary is a modern classic because it earns its laughs through genuine character depth.”

— Variety critics, 2025

For comedy fans looking to explore the canon, the choice is clear: start with the cross‑list consensus picks like Some Like It Hot and Blazing Saddles, or risk missing the films that defined the genre across cultures.