Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Photo: Elizabeth Viggiano/Netflix

This post is updated frequently as movies leave and enter Netflix. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.

As the world continues to fall apart, dont you just want to something to make you laugh? Netflix is becoming the countrys biggest source for a laughter after a long week at work, but it can be hard to find exactly what youre in the mood for when you log on to the service. So were here to help. (And for more public service announcements, check out our regularly updated lists of the 100 Best Movies on Netflix and the 50 Best TV Series on Netflix.)

The romantic comedy genre has been in a dire state for many years now, but Hollywood occasionally produces a clever twist on the stale formula. Take this Richard Curtis (Yesterday) movie that features Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams at their most charming. Gleeson plays a man who can travel back in time, and uses that ability to alter his romantic future, learning that its better to accept life one day at a time with all of its imperfections.

The movie that made Jim Carrey a superstar is over 25 years old already, but its stars fearless physical comedy style doesnt really age. Carrey plays the title character, who gets caught up in a case involving the kidnapping of the Miami Dolphins mascot. Its just an excuse for Carrey to act as goofy as possible. He would do anything to get a laugh.

Movies just dont get much funnier than this 1980 classic from David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams. Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, and Leslie Nielsen star in a parody of the disaster flicks of the 70s, but Airplane! has far transcended its roots to become one of the most quotable and beloved comedies of all time.

Believe it or not, this is the last movie to win both the Oscar for Best Actor (Jack Nicholson) and Best Actress (Helen Hunt). James L. Brooks romantic comedy is a perfect example of a movie that caught its cast at just the right moment, getting one of the last Nicholson performances that could be called charming and supporting it with great work from Hunt and Greg Kinnear. Some of it is a bit dated, but it catches just enough lightning in a bottle in terms of casting to justify another look.

Mike Myers never could have imagined that his goofy superspy parody would launch a franchise, but all three films about the inimitable Austin Powers are on Netflix, just waiting for a rainy-day marathon. The reason these movies work is Myers complete fearlessness hell do anything to make you laugh.

Another family movie! This adaptation of the famous kids book by Judi and Ron Barrett completely expands on the world of its source material to tell the story of an inventor (voiced wonderfully by Bill Hader) who unleashes a storm of food. The character design here is clever and the script is very smart, written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who went from this to make a little flick called The LEGO Movie and produce Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. They know a thing or two about great cartoons.

Its hard to believe that its been a quarter-century since Amy Heckerlings brilliant reimagining of Jane Austens Emma hit the pop culture landscape, but its even more remarkable how well this films humor has held up. The fashion and music may be dated, but the progressive sense of humor and perfect comic timing mean it will work even for the generations born after it was released.

InThe Death of Stalin, Armando Iannuccis acid dramatization of the days in October 1953 when the Soviet Union lost its paranoid-psychotic totalitarian leader of three decades, the characters accents are Cockney, Brit-twit, and Yank no Russian is spoken while tortures and mass murders are ordered in tones of crisp English understatement. It takes some time to adjust to the mix of silly, peevish bureaucrats and the serious atrocities they inflict. But thats the beauty of the thing. Iannucci gets that grotesque horrors often emanate from egotists, clowns, and stumblebums, from small-minded people with vast and unchecked powers.

Eddie Murphy is back! Its been a long time since we saw this version of Eddie, who reminds us how funny and charismatic he can be with the right part. That part is the flashy personality that was Rudy Ray Moore, a washed-up musician who transformed himself into the character of Dolemite. Like The Disaster Artist and Ed Wood, this is an ode to DIY filmmaking with not just a great performance from Murphy, but Wesley Snipes and Keegan Michael Key too.

One of the most delightful surprises of the dumpster fire that is Summer 2020 has been Eurovision Song Contest, an unexpectedly sweet and clever flick and Will Ferrells best comedy in a decade. The Anchorman star plays half of an Icelandic duo who stumble their way through the Eurovision singing contest, but the movie really belongs to Rachel McAdams, who gives a performance that joyfully reminds everyone that she has absolutely perfect comic timing.

Greta Gerwig got a lot of deserved attention for Lady Bird but it wasnt her first semi-biographical screenplay, and maybe wasnt even her best. She co-wrote this quarter-life crisis comedy with director Noah Baumbach, in which she stars 27-year-old New Yorker Frances Halladay. Its one of those films that doesnt have much of a plot but works because of the genuine, empathetic way it approaches its leading lady, a character who feels both incredibly specific and yet universally relatable at the same time.

Remember when Russell Brand was a star? Riding the fame from his supporting role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, he headlined this spin-off as Aldous Snow, an obnoxious rock star who takes a talent scout played by Jonah Hill along for the ride of his personal meltdown. Brand and Hill are funny, and you may have forgotten that Rose Byrne and Elisabeth Moss pop up in funny supporting roles too.

Michael Dowses 2011 hockey comedy is a great sports movie about finding your ideal role in life. It made hardly anything in theaters but found an audience at home (so much so that theyve already made an inferior sequel). Seann William Scott stars as Doug Glatt, a sweet but kinda dumb guy who becomes the tough guy on a hockey team. You know, the one who starts and finishes most of the fights. Its funny and surprisingly sweet with Scotts career-best work.

Relive one of the best comedies of all time over and over again on Netflix. Believe it or not, this 1993 Bill Murray vehicle wasnt that rapturously received critically or commercially when it came out, but its become a beloved genre classic. Murray stars as a weatherman forced to relive the same day over and over again until he gets it right. Its not just the clever premise but how much co-writer/director Harold Ramis and Murray inject humanism and truth into it. And its held up so much better than most early 90s comedies.

The Coen brothers wrote and directed this divisive 2016 comedy about the film industry in the 1950s. Forget Ryan Murphys Hollywood and stick with this razor sharp gem with a great Coen ensemble that includes Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, and many more.

Long before Popstar and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Andy Samberg starred in his first Lonely Island project and first major film after Saturday Night Live. Relatively ignored and critically derided at the time, Hot Rod has developed a loyal cult following over the years. Its easy to see the Lonely Island comedy voice developing in this story of a goofy stuntman trying to perform the biggest stunt of his career to save the life of his irascible father.

There are not a lot of great Netflix Original comedies (sorry, Adam Sandler fans) as the company has focused more on sci-fi and drama in its first few years of nonstop production. One of the exceptions is this Sundance hit, a great vehicle for Jessica Williams. The former Daily Show correspondent stars as the title character, someone trying to find happiness and love. Shes charming and delightful in a movie that not enough people have seen.

One of Cameron Crowes best films became something of a punchline with its heavily quoted lines (Show me the money, You had me at hello, everything that cute kid says) but its actually a wonderful romantic comedy that has held up incredibly well in the quarter-century since its release. Tom Cruise plays the title character, a sports agent who is pushed into starting his own agency while he falls in love with a single mother, played by Renee Zellweger. Its sweet, smart, and funny.

Long before he was Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds was a fat kid named Chris Brander. Ignoring the arguably offensive fat jokes, this is an underrated laugher about a guy who is stuck in the friend zone with his best friend (played by Amy Smart) but gets a chance to make his dreams come true a decade later. Its far from perfect but features very likable performances from Reynolds, Smart, and Anna Faris.

You have likely never seen a movie quite like this 2004 martial arts comedy, Stephen Chows masterpiece. Set in 1940s China, this worldwide hit features some of the best stunt work you can find on Netflix, all in service of a movie that often plays like a live-action cartoon. Its ridiculous and unforgettable.

Greta Gerwigs Oscar nominee is one of the most personal and striking coming-of-age films of the 2010s. Saoirse Ronan stars as a young Californian who longs for someplace cooler than her own hometown. Its a heartfelt and very smart film, buoyed by great performances throughout, including Ronan, Tracy Letts, Timothee Chalamet, Lucas Hedges, Beanie Feldstein, and Laurie Metcalf, who was robbed of that Oscar.

Nicole Holofcener is one of the most underappreciated writer-directors alive, even if she did just earn an Oscar nod for co-writing Can You Ever Forgive Me? You simply have to see Enough Said, Lovely and Amazing, and Please Give. Her latest stars Ben Mendelsohn as a man deep in a mid-life crisis that comes from the realization that hes not as important as he thought that he was his whole life. Its not as good as some of her best work, but minor Holofcener is still worth a look.

Theres a movie on Netflix that features Aubrey Plaza as a profanity-spewing nun and you havent watched it yet? Jeff Baenas Sundance hit also stars Alison Brie, Dave Franco, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, and Fred Armisen in a ridiculous, raunchy retelling of The Decameron. Its reminiscent of classic Mel Brooks in the way it skewers classical storytelling structures with modern comic sensibilities.

Comedy doesnt get much darker than this 2015 offering from the 2019 Oscar-nominated Yorgos Lanthimos. The Greek director co-wrote and directs the story of a place where single people go to hook up with others looking for love. The catch? If they dont find a partner within 45 days, they are turned into animals. As dry and deadpan as comedy gets, there are still some very funny beats in Lanthimoss exaggerated look at the folly of human connection.

Its hard to say that youll laugh out loud at this look at marital dysfunction, but Azazel Jacobs indie critical darling has enough black humor to qualify. The wonderful Tracy Letts and Debra Winger star as an estranged, middle-age couple who are both having relatively open affairs. As their lovers insist that they end the marriage, the couple is surprised to fall back in love with each other.

Tom Hanks and Shelley Long star in this 1986 hit about a couple who end up with a disastrous home and try to renovate it with hysterical results. A whole generation of 80s kids love this movie, which has a nice blend of physical comedy for the little ones and the kind of nightmarish situation to which their parents can relate.

Theres a bunch of Monty Python specials and movies on Netflix, but this remains arguably the career peak of one of the most beloved comedy troupes of all time. A parody of tales like those of the Knights of the Round Table, Holy Grail is one of the most heavily quoted movies of all time, a comedy that feels like its playing in some theater somewhere in the world, probably at midnight, every single day. Its popularity simply never recedes.

Holy Grail may be laugh-out-loud funnier, but its arguable that Life of Brian is actually smarter. Monty Pythons most controversial movie stars Graham Chapman as Brian Cohen, the neighbor of Jesus Christ. Its an incredibly smart film that caused quite an uproar when it was released due to accusations of blasphemy. Modern comedy could use a little more blasphemy every now and then.

Pair this up with Uncut Gems for a little bit of Sandler whiplash. Years before his most acclaimed role, Sandler was the biggest comedy box office star in the world, as evidenced by his remake of Frank Capras Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, the story of an average guy who becomes an unexpected billionaire. Its all an excuse for Sandlers trademark man-child humor, but its got a big heart in some of the right places and certainly outshines some of the recent Happy Madison Netflix Originals.

Not every movie on a list like this should be a smash hit, so were digging a little deeper for this South by Southwest hit starring the delightful Nol Wells of Master of None and Saturday Night Live. She also wrote and directed this story of a young lady returning to her hometown and dealing with some unresolved issues regarding her ex-boyfriend, now with a new partner. Wells is charming and funny.

Jared Hess and Jack Blacks goofy senses of humor meshed well in this 2006 comedy hit. Black plays a cook at a Oaxacan monastery who unexpectedly becomes a famous luchador, but thats just the skeleton of a plot on which to hang physical humor and silly behavior. Its the kind of comedy thats easy to put on in the background while youre doing other things. Sometimes thats all you want from Netflix.

No one ever could have guessed that the unsuccessful TV series Police Squad! would turn into the wildly successful film series The Naked Gun, which was such a hit on its 1988 release that it turned Leslie Nielsen into a massive star and produced two sequels. The first film is still a best, a gloriously ridiculous spoof of cop shows/films in which Nielsens Frank Drebin stumbles upon a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth II that involves Reggie Jackson. Its too bad they dont make movies this gloriously stupid (in a good way) as often as they did in the 80s and 90s. The second film is also on Netflix (but not the third.)

The timing may not seem right for a movie about violent cops, but Jody Hills pitch-black comedy gets at something about corrupt power and the kind of personality drawn to the force, and people seem more drawn to it than ever during Summer 2020 for that reason. Its vicious and hysterical.

Jenny Slate should be a household name. Shes always charming, has great comic timing, and seems to find new dramatic registers with each outing. This remains her best overall film and performance, the story of a stand-up comedian who has to deal with a few of lifes unexpected curveballs. Shorthanded as the abortion comedy, theres more to Obvious Child than just that brief description allows. Its smart and genuinely likable things that arent often said about what could be called a rom-com.

For some reason, the Steven Soderbergh remake of the classic heist film, Oceans Eleven, is not on Netflix, but its two very different sequels are. The meta approach of Oceans Twelve earned the film something of a loyal following on Film Twitter, whereas the looser, more mainstream final film in the trilogy was underrated then and now. Both are worth a look when you feel like hanging out with some cool, beautiful people.

Is this Will Ferrells last great comedy? Capping off a decade that included Anchorman, Old School, Step Brothers, and Talladega Nights, the SNL alum co-stars with Mark Wahlberg as two cops forced to step into the spotlight after the hysterical death of the two most popular officers on the force. Ferrell and Wahlberg are great in one of Adam McKays funnier comedies. He should reunite with his best leading man and make another one.

Stephen Chbosky adapted his own book into this tender and moving coming-of-age comedy starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller. Its a remarkably smart film when it comes to teen issues that are rarely reflected accurately like depression and anxiety. And Chbosky directs his ensemble to beautiful, nuanced performances.

Andrew Bujalskis Support the Girls got a lot of buzz last year, even winning some awards for its great central performance from Regina Hall. If you liked it, check out Bujalskis last film, another movie about a very unique working environment. Cobie Smulders, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Corrigan star in this quirky rom-com set in the high-pressure world of personal trainers.

Michael Cera stars in Edgar Wrights vibrant adaptation of Bryan Lee OMalleys graphic novel, a movie that feels like it could come out exactly the same way today, almost a decade after its release. Wrights style is perfect for this material, capturing the tone and structure of the source material with his razor-sharp editing and wit.

When Set It Up hit Netflix in the Summer of 2018, it felt like a splash of cold water for one reason: the rom-com is in a dire state. They barely get released in theaters at all any more, and theyre typically awful when they do. So to see an old-fashioned, charming romantic comedy felt like something new again. It also helps that Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell have future stars written all over them. Theyre charming and delightful two things we wish we could say about more rom-coms in the past decade.

If you love Russian Doll (and really who doesnt) then you should dig into the history of its creator, Leslye Headland. She wrote and directed this clever 2015 comedy starring Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Jason Mantzoukas, and, of course, Natasha Lyonne.

We could all use a little romance every now and then, and it doesnt get much sweeter than this 1993 blockbuster that made Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan one of the most beloved movie couples of all time. Nora Ephron directs this story of a widower who moves to Seattle and tries to raise his 8-year-old son, and the Baltimore woman who hears his tragic tale and falls in love. They dont make many films like this one anymore.

Mel Brooks last great parody is this hysterical spoof of the world of Star Wars, filtered in a comedic style that is distinctively that of one of movie historys greatest writers. Spaceballs takes most of its direct aim at the Lucas trilogy (yes, there were only three back in 1987), but Brooks tackles other sci-fi properties too, and he does it all with his wicked sense of timing and hysterical wordplay.

There are a lot of movies on Netflix. There are not a lot of movies like this Sundance hit. Just when you think youve seen it all, along comes Daniel Radcliffe as a farting corpse. The former Boy Who Lived stars with Paul Dano in a film that cant really be captured in a tiny list entry. Just watch it and report back.

It may not be accepted in 2020, but Sydney Pollacks comedy about a man who dresses as a woman to finally make it in his career was a blockbuster hit when it was released almost four decades ago. Watch it now for the incredible comic timing of Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, and Bill Murray, among others. Its one of those 80s comedies that really shattered all expectations, making over $175 million (in 1982 movie) and even winning an Oscar for Lange. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards! That just doesnt happen for comedies anymore.

If a studio had released this delightful romantic dramedy in theaters, even just in major cities, people would have noticed. Its smart, funny, and contains a pair of wonderful young performances. Its the story of Danny (Callum Turner) and Ellie (Grace Van Patten), two struggling New Yorkers drawn together over a mysterious briefcase.

This horror/comedy made hardly an impact when it was released in 2010 but has become a true cult hit in the decade since on DVD and streaming services. The main reason is that Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk have perfect comic timing as a pair of lovable hillbillies who get caught up in a crazy horror movie situation that leads to a lot of laughs and buckets of blood. Now give us a sequel!

After John C. Reillys pitch perfect spoof of the rock biopic, one would think that the tropes skewered in this laugh-out-loud comedy would go away but watching this now after the success of films like Bohemian Rhapsody makes its genius seem even sharper.

Look, another Noah Baumbach movie! When Netflix launches movies by auteurs, they often include a lot of their older films in the catalogue, and so the inclusion of The Meyerowitz Stories means a lot of old Baumbach. This 2014 comedy may not be his deepest work, but its one of his funniest, with likable, perfectly tuned performances from Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, and Adam Driver.

Jason Reitman directs the always-great Charlize Theron in this 2011 dark comedy about a writer of young adult novels who returns to her hometown to wreak havoc. The movie is a bit inconsistent at times but Theron (and Patton Oswalt) is simply great, especially in the way she allows her character to be genuinely unlikable. Its a smart movie about someone who thinks shes superior to those around her and learns maybe shes not.

Sometimes its fun to watch what could be a mediocre movie get totally carried by the charms of its two stars. Thats the case here. Is this a great comedy? Not really, but Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks are so delightful and fun to watch that you just dont care.

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The 50 Best Comedies on Netflix Right Now - Vulture