The 70 Best Indie Comedy Movies

The 70 Best Indie Comedy Movies

April 23, 2025

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These days, “indie,” “comedy,” and even “drama” seem interchangeable. But while there are overlaps, nothing beats an honest-to-goodness independent comedy. You know, the one starring people who are nobodies, or were nobodies but quickly grew to stardom thanks to their charisma and wit. In this list, we’re rounding up the most highly-rated but little-known comedies available to stream.

11. Paddleton (2019)

best

8.2

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Alex Lehmann, Alexandre Lehmann

Actors

Alana Carithers, Alexandra Billings, Bjorn Johnson, Carlos A. Salazar

Moods

Character-driven, Depressing, Dramatic

There are three big reasons to watch Paddleton. The first two are Ray Romano and Mark Duplass, who play the two neighbors at the center of the story. And the third is Alexandre Lehmann, the director, who also is responsible for Blue Jay (on Netflix as well).

These two misfit neighbors find themselves together when one of them is diagnosed with cancer. They embark on a trip to the nearest pharmacy (a six-hour drive) which turns into an adventure.

This premise gives Paddleton a lot to play on: it’s a comedy, but it’s also a drama about a fatal disease. It’s a bromance, but it’s about a fragile friendship. All these contradictions make Paddleton a great slice-of-life movie. And again, both actors are amazing. Watching it just for them is worth it.

12. The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)

best

8.2

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Music

Director

Female director, Radha Blank

Actors

Andre Ward, Andrew Glaszek, Antonio Ortiz, Ashlee Brian

Moods

Feel-Good, Funny, Uplifting

This fun comedy-drama is about a New York playwright called Radha who never hit big. When she turns 40, she decides to reinvent herself as RadhaMUSPrime, a rapper.

And it’s all a personal affair: Radha Blank plays the main character (named after herself) and is also the writer, director, and producer.

The story is about rap and theater, but being so connected to reality, it feels like it’s about Blank making the movie itself. Its very existence feels like a triumph against the pressure of age, the misunderstanding of others, and the weight of unreached goals.

13. Stuck in Love (2012)

best

8.1

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

Josh Boone

Actors

Alex ter Avest, Barbara Weetman, David Carzell, Glen Powell

Moods

Grown-up Comedy, Lovely, Romantic

A beautifully intertwined love story showing the ups and downs of a father, his ex-wife, and their children experiencing love. The film weaves the three love stories of the different generations seamlessly and leaves you caring deeply about the characters. It has an amazing soundtrack added to fantastic acting that will make you feel as though you are living the same experiences as the quirky, screwed up family. It’s a movie for anyone in the mood for a romantic comedy with a little more substance than your average rom com.

14. Private Life (2018)

best

8.1

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Female director, Tamara Jenkins

Actors

Alyssa Cheatham, Amaya Press, Caroline Martin, Danny Deferrari

Moods

Grown-up Comedy, Romantic, Slice-of-Life

Paul Giamatti, man. Ever watched Win/Win? What a performance. I didn’t think he could do any better than that. But here he did.

This movie is now on Netflix. It’s about a couple that is trying to have a kid but can’t. Their frustration grows, but so does their willingness to do whatever it takes to become parents. They try to adopt, go to fertility clinics and ultimately ask their niece to donate her eggs. To really work, such a plot requires well-written, multifaceted characters one can relate to. I did, and it really worked.

15. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)

best

8.1

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

Female director, Sophie Hyde

Actors

Daryl McCormack, Emma Thompson, Isabella Laughland, Lennie Beare

Moods

A-list actors, Discussion-sparking, Dramatic

There are only two main characters in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande: Nancy, a retired teacher who was recently widowed, and Leo, an adept sex worker with a mysterious past. They’re almost always in one place and work on a single goal: pleasure. But despite the seeming monotony, the movie is crackling with wit and sensuality every step of the way. It doesn’t waste any time getting to the heart of the matter. Nancy and Leo go back and forth about their past, with Nancy divulging much about the stigma of aging and Leo about the stigma of sex work. They also dive into the shame attached to pleasure, ultimately revealing more than just their naked bodies to each other and to the audience.

16. The Lobster (2015)

best

8.0

Genres

Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director

Giorgos Lanthimos, Yorgos Lanthimos

Actors

Aggeliki Papoulia, Angeliki Papoulia, Anthony Dougall, Ariane Labed

Moods

Mind-blowing, Smart, Thought-provoking

A unique movie about a near-future society obsessed with couples; viewing couples as the norm, as opposed to single people who are viewed as unproductive and undesirable. In that way, the film shows David (Colin Farrell), a newly single person who is transferred to the Hotel, a place where single people have just 45 days to find a suitable mate, and if they fail, they would be transformed into animals of their choice. While the film’s original premise may not be everyone’s cup of tea, The Lobster will prove a goldmine for people who are into a Kafkaesque, absurdist mentality, or anyone looking for an idea-driven experience.

17. Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)

best

8.0

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Female director, Maya Forbes

Actors

Alicia Love, Ashley Aufderheide, Beth Dixon, Brianne Siddall

Moods

Dramatic, Emotional, Feel-Good

A calm and cute story about a manic-depressive father in late 70’s Boston taking care of his two daughters. Starring familiar-face Mark Ruffalo in the lead. The film is inspired by its director’s own experience as one of the two daughters, which added to the amazing performances, makes for a movie made and filled with love. But as it manages to keep a smile on your face most of the time, it also doesn’t shy away from hard and moving sequences. A Sundance movie filled with heart.

18. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)

best

8.0

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Noah Baumbach

Actors

Adam David Thompson, Adam Driver, Adam Sandler, Annabelle Dexter-Jones

Moods

Funny, Grown-up Comedy

Don’t worry.

Adam Sandler doesn’t suck here.

This is a beautiful family comedy directed by Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha, The Squid and the Whale).

Sandler plays a recently divorced man (as he tends to do) called Danny (as he’s usually called). Danny moves in with his father, played by Dustin Hoffman, who himself is dealing with feelings of failure.

Both of them are joined by other members of the family, including Danny’s half-brother, played by Ben Stiller. Their family dynamics are portrayed in a beautiful and sometimes moving way. Director Baumbach proves he’s so good, he can make even Adam Sandler sound and look genuine.

19. Burn Burn Burn (2015)

best

8.0

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

Chanya Button, Female director

Actors

Alice Lowe, Alison Steadman, Chloe Pirrie, Eleanor Matsuura

Moods

Funny, Grown-up Comedy, Touching

A razor-sharp script and beautiful scenery make this one of the best road movies in recent memory.

When their cynical best friend dies, Seph and Alex embark on a journey to scatter his ashes over four spots he wants to go back to. Tupperware of ashes in the glove-box, they start their big adventure.

Burn Burn Burn, an expression their friend quotes from Kerouac, is a chance for the two friends to escape their hectic city life and to discover themselves. It’s a beautiful movie.

20. Handsome Devil (2016)

best

8.0

Genres

Comedy, Drama

Director

John Butler

Actors

Amy Huberman, Andrew Scott, Ardal O'Hanlon, Ardal O'Hanlon

Moods

Easy, Feel-Good, Slice-of-Life

I can’t get a song out of my head from this movie: the 1985 UK hit Desire As from Prefab Sprout.

It plays when the two main characters, a sensitive kid who’s bullied by his school for not liking rugby, and the school’s rugby star; talk over the “Berlin Wall” that separates their dorm room.

The song echoes “It’s perfect as it stands, so why then crush it in your perfect hands?”. These two seemingly incompatible personalities form a friendship that comes under threat from their school’s traditional authority, especially as one of them is revealed to be gay. 

It might seem like a tough premise, but Handsome Devil is actually a comedy. It’s a sweet and easy coming-of-age comedy.

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