100 Best Underrated Comedy Movies of All Time

100 Best Underrated Comedy Movies of All Time

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Comedy is so much more than the loudmouthed slapstick humor that still dominates screens to this day. This isn’t to slander the average farce, some of which are actually hilarious, but there are also dark comedies, romantic comedies, meta comedies, and satire comedies to enjoy. In other words, there are many shades of funny, but we miss out on a lot of them when we only tune into what’s popular. 

Below we round up our 100 favorite comedy films of all time. These movies are highly rated but little seen, meaning there’s a high chance of them being underrated. If you’ve already gone through the usual films that appear in lists like this, go give the ones below a try and have your faith in funny be restored. 

81. Adventureland (2009)

best

8.1

Country

United States of America

Director

Greg Mottola

Actors

Adam Kroloff, Amy Landis, Ashtin Petrella, Barret Hackney

Moods

Easy, Romantic, Sweet

Adventureland is a retro-tinged movie about teens in Pittsburgh working at a run down amusement park during the summer of 1987. It is marketed as similar to Superbad, when in fact the only thing they have in common is the Director. Adventureland is funny, but it is more sweet, tender, and intimate. Touching on themes of unrequited love, returning home, and small-town love, the film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, and the always-delightful-duo of Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig. In addition, the film’s soundtrack is a joyous blast from the past, running the gamut of all your favorite 1980’s synth-happy love songs. It is a movie that anyone can really relate to, no matter when they were born, and an amazing watch.

82. Thank You for Smoking (2005)

best

8.1

Country

United Kingdom, United States of America

Director

Jason Reitman

Actors

Aaron Eckhart, Aaron Lustig, Adam Brody, Aloma Wright

Moods

Funny, Grown-up Comedy, Smart

As black a comedy as they come. Nick Naylor (superbly portrayed by Aaron Eckhart) is the chief spokesperson for tobacco and shows the world why smoking is as key to protect as any other liberal value. This movie is funny, smart, thoughtful and raises some good questions about the ego, the morale and what we leave behind, from unexpected sides.

83. Ruby Sparks (2012)

best

8.1

Country

United States of America

Director

Female director, Jonathan Dayton

Actors

Aasif Mandvi, Alia Shawkat, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas

Moods

Romantic, Smart, Well-acted

Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano), a young and promising novelist imagines and writes about his idea of a perfect female companion. Somehow, his words manifest into reality – the beautiful and corky Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan). Soon, however, his magical love turns shallow as his creation begins to think for herself and wrestle against her creation. This romantic comedy has the right amount of wit and emotion with a deep message of loving people just the way they are.

84. The Way Way Back (2013)

best

8.1

Country

United States of America

Director

Jim Rash, Nat Faxon

Actors

Allison Janney, Amanda Peet, Andria Blackman, AnnaSophia Robb

Moods

Lovely, Romantic

A story filled with love, laughs, and feelings, “The Way Way Back” takes us back to innocent, coming of age years. With great writing and characters you will love and miss when the movie ends, “The Way Way Back” is 2013’s “The Perks of Being A Wallflower.” Following their Oscar win for best adapted screenplay for “The Descendants” Jim Rash and Nat Faxon follow with “The Way Way Back”. Duncan, played by Liam James , is a 14 year old shy kid who can’t stand his mom’s new boyfriend, Trent. Duncan is forced to vacation at Trent’s beach house and after a few days, he decides to explore the town and eventually comes across a water park where he befriends Owen.

85. Adaptation (2002)

best

8.1

Country

United States of America

Director

Spike Jonze

Actors

Bob Stephenson, Bob Yerkes, Brian Cox, Cara Seymour

Moods

A-list actors, Funny, Original

A film written by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, about screenwriter Charlie Kaufman as he struggles to adapt a book about poaching a rare plant into a successful movie. Through Kaufman’s clever writing and Spike Jones’ unique style of directing, the film unfolds using “mise en abîme” as the viewer sees the lessons the writer in film comes across to improve his script more or less subtly influence the events he encounters as the narrative advances. Nicolas Cage’s performance is also particularly good as a highly intelligent and self-obsessed screen writer with low self-esteem.

86. Chef (2014)

best

8.1

Country

United States of America

Director

Jon Favreau

Actors

Amy Sedaris, Bobby Cannavale, Charles Lao, Chris Nunez

Moods

Feel-Good, Lighthearted, No-brainer

A popular chef loses his job and respect after a bad review. He ends up with a food truck and tries to show the world he still has his creative side, while at the same time trying to fix his broken family. Chef is a heartwarming feel-good movie, after you finish it you will want to cook, love your family, travel, and spread the love. One of my favorite movies, I see myself happily watching it again numerous times.

87. Stuck in Love (2012)

best

8.1

Country

United States of America

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.

88. Youth (2015)

best

8.1

Country

France, Italy, Switzerland

Director

Paolo Sorrentino

Actors

Aldo Ralli, Alex Beckett, Alex MacQueen, Alexander Seibt

Moods

Original, Slice-of-Life, Thought-provoking

Youth is a film about Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) a famous composer vacationing at a resort in the Swiss Alps with his friend Mick (Harvey Keitel), an accomplished filmmaker, and his daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz). While Fred shuns his work (including an opportunity to play for the Queen of England) and muddles himself in disillusionment, Mick works fervently on his final film, intended to be his life’s crowning achievement. Their remaining time is spent intermingling amongst the guests and reminiscing upon their lives, their achievements, their failures and their undying yearnings. From writer/director Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty), Youth is another charming work offering an array of eccentric characters and quirky scenarios, while also serving as a touching examination of age, wisdom and ultimately personal reckoning.

89. Pride (2014)

best

8.1

Country

France, UK, United Kingdom

Director

Matthew Warchus

Actors

Abram Rooney, Adam Ewan, Alexander Perkins, Andrew Scott

Moods

A-list actors, Discussion-sparking, Feel-Good

It’s 1984 and miners in England are on strike against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s plans to close pits. Their cause has unlikely appeal for Mark Ashton, a human rights activists who decides to take a group of people who had joined an early Gay Pride parade in London to rural England to show support for the (often socially-conservative) miners.

You can see how things might go wrong, but in this case they didn’t. This heartwarming tale is based on a true story. An easy, funny, and relevant movie about the bond that oppression brings to the oppressed. Super earnest, too.

90. Private Life (2018)

best

8.1

Country

United States of America

Director

Female director, Tamara Jenkins

Actors

Alyssa Cheatham, Caroline Martin, Danny Deferrari, Denis O'Hare

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.

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

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