It’s always a good time to laugh. OK, no. If there’s one thingJokertaught us, it’s that is definitely not true. But in general, most of us could use more humor in our lives, which is what makes comedy movies such a special treat. They give us a chance to take a break, take a breath, and let out all that pent up energy, tension, and whatever else is on your mind in a communal guffaw.
And it’s been a, let’s call itinteresting, year in comedy with the dreaded discourse ever-cycling back to debates of the boundaries of comedy, who gets to tell what jokes, and the idea of cancel culture. And yet, despite the catastrophizing cries about the death of humor, comedy movies thrived on the big screen (and streaming) in 2019, across genres and mediums, including some breakout box office surprises (looking at youKnives OutandOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood), a few oddball delights, andseveral awards contenders.
In short, there was a lot of good stuff and with that in mind, we polled the Collider.com for their favorites of the year. Here are the best and funniest comedy movies of 2019, from the critical darlings and indie gems to genre-bending surprises and box office hits.
One of the biggest surprises of 2019 for me was the superhero comedyShazam!Anchored by a soulful performance byAsher Angelas Billy Bastion, a foster child with the magical ability to transform into a muscle-bound adult superhero, the film manages to explore virtually every comedic aspect of its premise for maximum jokes. It’s likeBigwith a slightly shittier kid, as Billy uses his newfound power to buy beer, ditch school, and grift fans for Instagram likes, among other decidedly unheroic things.Zachary Levidefies you not to be charmed by his goofball performance as Billy’s alter-ego Shazam, andJack Dylan Grazerbounces off him excellently as Billy’s enthusiastic foster brother Freddy.
Freddy and Billy testing out Shazam’s different abilities are some of the movie’s best scenes, in particular, a standout moment in which they discover Shazam is bulletproof. There are some tonal shifts that don’t quite work, and I never believe that the spastic Levi and the pensive Angel are the same character, but Shazam is consistently funny and a refreshing departure from the standard superhero film formula. –Tom Reimann
Olivia Wildecame out of the gate swinging into her directorial career with a bold and ambitious teen comedy that delivers unforgettable characters by treating them with bottomless empathy and constantly dropping them into wild shenanigans to keep the laughs up.Kaitlyn DeverandBeanie Feldsteinstar as ride-or-die BFFs; a pair of consummate overachievers who realize they need to cram in some partying before graduation. Their dynamic is a constant delight, peppered with a steady flow of banter that keeps the film moving at a clip, and punctuated by moments of classic teen comedy insanity. And nobody brings the crazy better thanBillie Lourdas the neighborhood rich party girl, who’s constantly defying expectations with her soulful candor. Wilde went bold with her debut, delivering a provocative comedy that’s vigorously shot and consistently surprising. Without question,Booksmartis one of the year’s most heartfelt, very best comedies and a knockout debut for Wilde. –Haleigh Foutch
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
“Oh no, are we in a musical?” asks Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) moments before Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi (Tiffany Haddish) bursts into a joyful tune about how she’s definitely not evil. Lucy asks the question with some disdain, a winkingly self-aware dig at how older audiences may react when taking their kids toThe Lego Movie 2: The Second Partand realizing everyone’s about to sing. But here’s the thing: At this moment, I asked the same question – with nothing but joy and wonder in my eyes and heart. And friends, I am pleased to report to you that, beyond being an exquisitely crafted joke machine, surprisingly emotional meta-commentary on the purpose of play, and visual feast of animation invention,The Lego Movie 2: The Second Partis indeed a full-blown musical, with delightfully catchy, inventive tunes penned byThe League’sJon Lajoie– one song is literally about how catchy it is!
Like its predecessor,The Lego Movie 2jabs you with jokes by the second, germinating equally from character behaviors and straight up “written jokes.” It also takes the twist from its predecessor (these Legos are being played with by human children) and takes it as a given, resulting in an even more rich meta-narrative that choked me up. Plus –Chris Pratt’s dual performance as Emmet and Rex Dangervest is likely his finest work to date, particularly as Dangervest – a role which starts as a fun parody of self-serious action movie stardom and turns into a genuinely unsettling critique of toxic masculinity. But, y’know, funny! –Gregory Lawrence
Jim Jarmusch’sThe Dead Don’t Dieis a polarizing pic, mostly (if not especially) because it’s a self-aware, meta zombie movie brimming with deadpan humor from the dude least likely to make that kind of movie. But let it be known that surprise turn from the auteurworks.Jarmusch had previously dipped into the supernatural well with the thoroughly sublimeOnly Lovers Left Alive, which followed a vampire couple grappling with their tortured romance and the philosophical and existential woes of eternal life. Here, inThe Dead Don’t Die, Jarmusch leans even harder into the freakish, supernatural delights of the zombie genre while also winking at us repeatedly that this ain’t your mama’s undead horror.
I’ve never really thought of Jarmusch as a guy who loves a good bit, but man, he really goes for it inThe Dead Don’t Die. Among the best of the bits are repeated scenes of two cops (played by frequent Jarmusch collaboratorsAdam DriverandBill Murray) driving along and listening to the song “The Dead Don’t Die” bySturgill Simpson. You quickly know what this movie is going for when, during one rotation of the track, Driver’s character tells Murray’s matter-of-factly, “This is the theme song,” as they drive. Another incredible bit comes after the first zombie attack hits the local diner, with each member of the police force driving up, asking the same questions as the last, and it culminating inChloe Sevigny’s cop character puking in front of her tiny electric car. Jarmusch is having fun in the zombie sandbox without ever becoming a slave to it, weaving it and out of logic and straight narrative storytelling and giving to his viewers a light, fun, corny slice of undead mania. –Allie Gemmill
Long Shotis a weird movie, but then againJonathan Levinemakes weird movies. He used the zombie genre to tell a love story inWarm Bodies, crafted a heartbreaking “cancer comedy” in50/50, and turned in a drug-fueled Christmas movie in the supremely underratedThe Night Before. ButLong Shotis basicallyThe American Presidentmeets aSeth Rogencomedy, and somehow it totally, completely works.
Rogen plays a progressive journalist who gets pulled into writing some speeches for the Secretary of State (Charlize Theron), who also used to be Rogen’s babysitter. A sweet, profane, and surprising romantic comedy ensues, and Rogen and Theron are genuinely pretty terrific together while Levine also tactfully tackles the political atmosphere of 2019 in a way that, impossibly, doesn’t feel preachy. Again, weird! –Adam Chitwood
The Beach Bum
Under all of his absurdities, directorHarmony Korinehas a heart. In the case ofThe Beach Bum, that heart buried under a fair bit of surf and sand but believe you me, it’s there. Korine’s March 2019 release starsMatthew McConaugheyas layabout poet Moondog, a Margaritaville wannabe who probably smells like a mix of Banana Boat and Hennessey at all times. Moondog is adrift, an addict who treats everyone as a BFF in the making and feels absolutely zero pressure to take responsibility for his life. His world rapidly derails when his ex-wife, Minnie (Isla Fisher) is killed in a freak accident during the couple’s wild night out on the town.
Even thoughThe Beach Bumhas its downbeat moments, there are tons here to lift it up into the realm of the absurdly hilarious. Trips to the surreal growhouse of Moondog’s friend (and Minnie’s current boo), Lingerie (Snoop Dogg), an extended sequence where Moondog helps out old friend Captain Wack (Martin Lawrence) swindle a nice family of four out of their money while on a marine life sightseeing trip, Moondog’s performance of some rather graphic poetry performance at his comparatively straight-laced daughter’s nuptials, and even his breaking out of rehab withZac Efron’s Flicker (looking likethe biggest South Florida scumbumto ever exist) are just a few ofThe Beach Bum’s most memorable and comedic moments. If you missed this one, seek it out on Hulu because it’s not only one of the funniest movies of the year but it’s perhaps the best introduction to Korine if you have somehow managed to skip his work all these years. –Allie Gemmill
Yes, sure,Ari Aster’sMidsommaris a dark and disturbing horror movie about confronting grief, trauma, and codependence. It also happens to be hilarious. That’s part of what makes it so special, and such a caddy-corner sophomore effort from theHereditaryfilmmaker after his relentlessly bleak and crushing feature debut (though that film too had moments of humor, just not quite as obvious). Aster was hired onto the project to write a horror movie about tourists facing terror at a Swedish Midsummer festival, and he approached the task with self-aware irony, leaning into the comedic beats amidst the carnage and writing a literal love letter to the tropes of the pagan cult subgenre on the intricately adorned walls of his constructed village. Aster himself has said he considers the film a dark comedy, including the punchline of an ending, which finds a laughing place in the madness of despair. It’s a perverse, disquieting comedy that, like the film’s sun-drenched setting, acts as a perfect highlight to its horrors. –Haleigh Foutch
Brittany Runs a Marathon
Brittany Runs a Marathonis not the movie you think it is, in the very best way. The film starsJillian Bellas an overweight woman who sets out to train for and run the New York marathon as a way to get in shape, which she also believes will change her life for the better. Changes do come, but they’re a mix of positive and negative as Bell’s character learns the hard way that her issues are related to who she is as a person rather than how she looks on the outside. It’s a surprising, sweet, and frequently hilarious comedy with a dash of romance for good measure. But it’s also genuinely moving, and Bell gives a star-making performance that deftly navigates both comedic and dramatic territory.Brittany Runs a Marathon isn’t just one of the best comedies of 2019, it’s also one of the best films of the year full-stop. –Adam Chitwood
Dolemite Is My Name
The story ofRudy Ray Moore, portrayed here byEddie Murphyin his best performance in a very long time, is a deftly made blend of hysterical comedy and occasional pathos. Rudy, a failed emcee and record store manager, is inspired by a local bum in 1970s Los Angeles to reinvent himself. Stealing and polishing this poor sap’s material, Rudy becomes Dolemite, a pimp who spits crass rhymes and owns the stage, finding local fame overnight. Producing comedy records, he parlays his popularity into a movie career, making (self-aware?) Blaxploitation flicks that have endured as cherished pieces of ‘70s cinema. But the film focuses on the making of the first one:Dolemite—a misadventure of a production if ever there was one.
Craig Brewer’s entire cast is superb (Wesley SnipesandDa’Vine Joy Randolphare standouts), but the movie is Murphy’s through and through. It’s a reminder of the actor’s otherworldly comic chops that have been in short supply over the past two decades thanks to some curious choices he’s made. He’s so perfectly cast here, however, as a larger than life individual as funny as he is sympathetic. –Brendan Michael
One Cut of the Dead
All I can say aboutOne Cut of the Deadis to know as little about it as possible before going in. Since it’s an indie Japanese movie that hasn’t suffered from non-stop marketing, you can do that! The brief tease is that the movie follows a film crew that’s filming a zombie movie when they have to fend off zombies, but that’s really just the tip of the iceberg for this incredibly clever, brilliantly shot spin on the zombie genre. The film is quirky, cute, and surprising in all the best ways. Go in cold and you’ll likely end up having a blast. -Matt Goldberg
