Actors Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean in the 1984 comedy 'This Is Spinal Tap.'

Best comedy movies of all time

Written by:
June 28, 2022
Updated on June 29, 2022
Aaron Rapoport // Corbis via Getty Images

Best comedy movies of all time

In 1895, early filmmaking legend Louis Lumière produced and directed a movie called "L'Arroseur Arrosé," also known as "The Waterer Watered" or "The Sprinkler Sprinkled," in which a mischievous young boy plays pranks on a gardener. The short film clocked in at a mere 45 seconds, but that was long enough to give birth to cinema's comedy genre.

During the silent era, comedy was largely a slapstick affair, with performers like Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, and Harold Lloyd serving up many of the genre's finest examples. Then, with the introduction of sound into movies, the genre broadened significantly in scope, delivering slapstick to satire to everything in between.

Nowadays, comedy endures in all its permutations and can guarantee a great time at the movies—when executed properly, of course. Since making a successful comedy is easier said than done, there are numerous clunkers for every bona fide hit. However, when a solid comedy does indeed land its punches, it powerfully permeates the pop culture sphere, often for decades at a time.

But which comedy movies rank highest among viewers? Stacker looked at all feature films listed as comedies on IMDb and ranked the top 50 according to a Stacker score, which is equally weighted between popular (IMDb) and critical (Metacritic) ratings. To qualify, the film had to have an IMDb user rating with at least 10,000 votes and a Metascore with at least seven reviews. Ties were broken by Metascore and further ties by IMDb user votes.

#50. Toni Erdmann (2016)

- Director: Maren Ade
- Stacker score: 90.2
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Runtime: 162 minutes

A lover of practical jokes (Peter Simonischek) tries to reconnect with his business-minded daughter (Sandra Hüller) in this German-Austrian dramedy. By adopting the alter ego of a high-profile life coach, he migrates through her professional world. A planned American remake stalled in development.

#49. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- Stacker score: 90.8
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 86 minutes

This early Miyazaki masterpiece conjures healing power through the forces of nature, a recurring theme in the director's work. It takes place in post-World War II Japan and follows two sisters out to the countryside, where they encounter friendly spirits. One is named Totoro, and he went on to become Studio Ghibli's official mascot.

#48. The Ladykillers (1955)

- Director: Alexander Mackendrick
- Stacker score: 90.8
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Runtime: 91 minutes

The only thing getting between five thieves and their perfect heist is an elderly landlord (Katie Johnson) in this comedy of errors. It features a breakthrough performance from Peter Sellers, who plays one of the imbecilic criminals. Tom Hanks starred in a 2004 remake from the Coen brothers.

#47. The Band Wagon (1953)

- Director: Vincente Minnelli
- Stacker score: 90.8
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Runtime: 112 minutes

A Broadway production is derailed by its megalomaniacal director (Jack Buchanan) in this musical comedy. Released at the height of the genre's golden age, it stars Fred Astaire as a thinly veiled version of himself. The Chicago Reader critic Dave Kehr described the film as "a frenetic meditation on pop art versus high art."

#46. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

- Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- Stacker score: 90.8
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Runtime: 104 minutes

This fictional biopic spends a week in the life of its title character (Oscar Isaac), an aspiring artist in New York's budding folk scene. The brothers Ethan Coen and Joel Coen employ a subdued approach to dramedy when compared to their zanier or darker efforts. On the BBC Culture's list of The 21st Century's 100 Greatest Films, it landed at #11.

#45. Lady Bird (2017)

- Director: Greta Gerwig
- Stacker score: 90.8
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Runtime: 94 minutes

Greta Gerwig's first solo directorial effort takes place in 2002 and follows a young artist (Saoirse Ronan) as she comes of age in a Catholic high school. It famously held a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes until critic Cole Smithey took it down a notch.

#44. To Be or Not to Be (1942)

- Director: Ernst Lubitsch
- Stacker score: 91.3
- Metascore: 86
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 99 minutes

Tragedy plus time equals comedy, but this 1942 film couldn't wait to put World War II in its comedic crosshairs. The story takes place in German-occupied Poland, and follows an acting troupe as it matches wits against the Nazis in order to protect a spy. While the black comedy is celebrated as a classic, many critics were initially hostile toward it, arguing that the war was definitely no laughing matter.

#43. It Happened One Night (1934)

- Director: Frank Capra
- Stacker score: 91.3
- Metascore: 87
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 105 minutes

This 1934 romantic comedy follows spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) who flees from her possessive father and embarks on a road trip to get back to her husband King Westley (Jameson Thomas). Along the way, she crosses paths with out-of-work reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable). Realizing he's in possession of a hot scoop, Warne gives Andrews an ultimatum: Either she lets him help her or he'll report her whereabouts to her father. It might all sound like a somewhat hostile way to kick off a romance, but director Frank Capra makes it work.

#42. The Artist (2011)

- Director: Michel Hazanavicius
- Stacker score: 91.3
- Metascore: 89
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 100 minutes

This French dramedy takes the form of a silent film and pays direct homage to a lost era in the process. Against the backdrop of massive industry change, actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) falls for a young protégé (Bérénice Bejo). It won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

#41. To Have and Have Not (1944)

- Director: Howard Hawks
- Stacker score: 91.3
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 100 minutes

Not long after "Casablanca," Humphrey Bogart starred in this noirish dramedy with a similar premise. It finds him playing reluctant hero Harry Morgan, who agrees to help smuggle French Resistance fighters into Martinique. The story draws loose inspiration from an Ernest Hemingway novel of the same name.

#40. Being John Malkovich (1999)

- Director: Spike Jonze
- Stacker score: 91.3
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 113 minutes

This surreal comedy announced director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman as two major cinematic talents. It tells the story of a struggling puppeteer turned office worker (John Cusack), who discovers a secret portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich (who plays himself). Things only get weirder from that point.

#39. The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

- Director: Sylvain Chomet
- Stacker score: 91.3
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 80 minutes

Featuring signature animation and nary a word of dialogue, this French comedy debuted to instant critical acclaim. With help from her loyal dog and a female jazz trio, the elderly and adorable Madame Souza attempts to rescue her kidnapped grandson. Newsweek critic David Ansen described it as "80 minutes of idiosyncratic inspiration."

#38. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

- Director: Martin McDonagh
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 115 minutes

Director Martin McDonagh drew loose inspiration from actual events when crafting this pitch-black comedy. It centers on a determined woman (Frances McDormand), who publicly calls out the local police over their failure to solve her daughter's murder. McDormand and co-star Sam Rockwell won Academy Awards for their respective performances.

#37. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

- Director: Wes Anderson
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 99 minutes

Wes Anderson makes an appearance on the list with this idiosyncratic 2014 comedy that depicts the adventures of Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), concierge at the renowned Grand Budapest Hotel in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka. Many of the film's events were loosely inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig, who's respectively channeled by the author character (Tom Wilkinson), the author's fictionalized counterpart (Jude Law), and Gustave H. himself.

#36. The Worst Person in the World (2021)

- Director: Joachim Trier
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 128 minutes

A young woman (Renate Reinsve) navigates modern love and life alike in this acclaimed dramedy out of Norway. Far from the worst person in the world, she's on a tireless search for personal and professional fulfillment. It concludes director Joachim Trier's unplanned "Oslo Trilogy," in which numerous self-doubting characters grapple with their futures.

#35. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

- Director: Woody Allen
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 107 minutes

Winner of three Academy Awards, this masterful dramedy chronicles the romantic exploits of three sisters. Hannah (Mia Farrow) is viewed as the most stable among them, but even her love life is more troubled than it seems. The story plays out over the course of two years and occasionally presents the interior monologues of certain characters.

#34. Almost Famous (2000)

- Director: Cameron Crowe
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 122 minutes

Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical dramedy revisits his time as a teenage journalist for Rolling Stone magazine. It stars Patrick Fugit as 15-year-old William Miller, who hits the road with rock outfit Stillwater and their "band aids,"—what their devoted female fans call themselves. According to legend, many of the film's events were inspired by Crowe's experiences with The Allman Brothers Band.

#33. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

- Director: Howard Hawks
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 102 minutes

An heiress (Katharine Hepburn), who owns a pet leopard, falls for a paleontologist (Cary Grant) in this screwball comedy. It showed off a new side to Hepburn and nearly derailed her career after underperforming at the box office. Nowadays, it's considered a definitive milestone of its respective sub-genre.

#32. Top Hat (1935)

- Director: Mark Sandrich
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 101 minutes

The third film collaboration between Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire tells a whimsical story of romance and mistaken identity in the city of London. After a chance hotel encounter, a talented dancer pursues the woman of his dreams. Legendary composer Irving Berlin provided songs for the film, including the timeless classic "Cheek to Cheek."

#31. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

- Director: Vincente Minnelli
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Runtime: 113 minutes

Set at the turn of the 20th century, this musical comedy revolves around four sisters in a well-to-do family. It features top-notch performances from stars Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien and bursts to life in signature Technicolor. The featured song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" remains a holiday staple.

#30. Sideways (2004)

- Director: Alexander Payne
- Stacker score: 91.8
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Runtime: 127 minutes

A struggling writer (Paul Giamatti) and his incorrigible companion (Thomas Haden Church) head to California wine country in this understated dramedy from Alexander Payne. Its discernible impact upon the wine industry at large was also known as "The Sideways Effect." Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

#29. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

- Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 87
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Runtime: 117 minutes

Web-slinging superhero Spider-Man (voiced by Shameik Moore) discovers that anyone can wear the mask in this multidimensional computer-animated adventure. Visually dazzling, it features no shortage of comic relief. A sequel is scheduled to arrive in the summer of 2023.

#28. Up (2009)

- Directors: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 88
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 96 minutes

Pixar kept the hits coming with 2009's "Up," which follows an old man (voiced by the late Edward Asner) and young boy as they take to the skies inside a floating house. Their journey leads them to an exotic location known as Paradise Falls, where danger awaits. While the movie does indeed feature plenty of laughs, it also includes a downright devastating opening montage.

#27. The Circus (1928)

- Director: Charles Chaplin
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 72 minutes

No list of "best comedy movies" is complete without Charlie Chaplin, and he makes his first appearance with 1928's "The Circus." In the silent film, Chaplin reprises his role as the Tramp, who finds work, romance, and rivalry after joining the circus. Featuring some of Chaplin's best work, the movie won him an Honorary Oscar for "versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing." Nevertheless, it's a film he reportedly preferred to forget, perhaps because he was going through a major divorce while making it.

#26. Secrets & Lies (1996)

- Director: Mike Leigh
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 136 minutes

An adopted Black woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) tracks down her white biological mother (Brenda Blethyn) in this British dramedy from Mike Leigh. The story uses their relationship to explore pointed racial and socioeconomic themes. It won three awards at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, including the Palme d'Or.

#25. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

- Director: Rob Reiner
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 82 minutes

One of the most influential mockumentaries of all time follows England's loudest rock band on a disastrous American tour. Co-screenwriter and star Christopher Guest went on to create a number of similar comedies, including "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show." A sequel is currently in development.

#24. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

- Director: Luis Buñuel
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 102 minutes

Luis Buñuel's French satire centers around a group of bourgeois friends, whose failed dinner plans interweave with a series of dream sequences. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay. On the BBC Culture's list of the 100 Greatest Comedies of All Time, it ranks at #49.

#23. Duck Soup (1933)

- Director: Leo McCarey
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 93
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Runtime: 69 minutes

This Marx Brothers comedy takes place in the fictional nation of Freedonia, where the appointment of a new leader (Groucho Marx) stirs up a revolution. It was banned in Italy by dictator Benito Mussolini, who took the premise as a personal attack. According to the Marx Brothers, it was all just for laughs.

#22. The Producers (1967)

- Director: Mel Brooks
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Runtime: 88 minutes

Comedy legend Mel Brooks targets show business itself in this hilarious sendup of industry economics. Behold the story of Broadway producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and accountant Leopold Bloom (Gene Wilder), who realize that a flop is actually more profitable than a hit. From this discovery comes the most tasteless play ever made, better known as "Springtime for Hitler."

#21. American Graffiti (1973)

- Director: George Lucas
- Stacker score: 92.9
- Metascore: 97
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Runtime: 110 minutes

This nostalgic comedy takes viewers back to early 1960s California, a time of milkshakes and drag races. Against a backdrop of signature rock tunes, teens and adolescents cruise around town on the last day of their summer vacation. A benchmark in more ways than one, the film's blockbuster success allowed director George Lucas to make "Star Wars."

#20. It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

- Director: Don Hertzfeldt
- Stacker score: 93.5
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 62 minutes

Written, directed, animated, produced, and narrated by Don Hertzfeldt, this experimental feature from 2012 centers on a stick figure named Bill, who suffers from delusions and hallucinations as his psyche slowly crumbles from within. Interspersed between Bill's dreary and twisted visions are genuine moments of offbeat humor. However, the work is considered to be more of a dark and absurdist exploration of philosophical themes than it is a comedy. Consisting of three separate parts, the acclaimed work took five years to create.

#19. Finding Nemo (2003)

- Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
- Stacker score: 93.5
- Metascore: 90
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 100 minutes

On the heels of "Monsters, Inc." came this wildly successful adventure from Pixar about a forlorn clown fish named Marlin who travels the ocean in search of his missing son. Striving for authenticity—relatively speaking, of course—Pixar sent its art team through aquatic training before production began. Providing the voice for Marlin is comedic talent Albert Brooks, while comedian Ellen DeGeneres lends her voice to Dory, the hapless fish who helps Marlin in his quest.

#18. Annie Hall (1977)

- Director: Woody Allen
- Stacker score: 93.5
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 8.0
- Runtime: 93 minutes

Woody Allen turned a new chapter in his career and simultaneously redefined the romantic comedy genre with this groundbreaking masterpiece. Employing a variety of stylistic devices, it chronicles the relationship between a divorced comedian (Allen) and aspiring entertainer (Diane Keaton). The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

#17. A Hard Day's Night (1964)

- Director: Richard Lester
- Stacker score: 93.5
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Runtime: 87 minutes

This musical comedy captures The Fab Four at the height of Beatlemania, when their popularity was almost literally contagious. Blurring the line between fiction and reality, it spends two days in the life of the British rock group. An irreverent and whimsical tone persists.

#16. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

- Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
- Stacker score: 94
- Metascore: 91
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 91 minutes

Monty Python thought up this historical comedy between the third and fourth series, i.e. seasons, of their iconic sketch show. Reinterpreting medieval legend through an absurdist lens, it follows King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his knights on their quest for the Holy Grail. A number of the film's signature jokes remain culturally relevant more than four decades later.

#15. The Lady Eve (1941)

- Director: Preston Sturges
- Stacker score: 94
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 94 minutes

A career highlight for filmmaker Preston Sturges, this classic comedy stars ​​Barbara Stanwyck as a con artist and Henry Fonda as her latest mark. What starts as a routine con becomes far more complicated when genuine emotions enter the fold. Variety called it "laugh entertainment of top proportions with its combo of slick situations, spontaneous dialog and a few slapstick falls tossed in for good measure."

#14. Nashville (1975)

- Director: Robert Altman
- Stacker score: 94
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Runtime: 160 minutes

Robert Altman's sprawling dramedy injects an element of satire as it touches down on various escapades throughout Music City. It takes place over the course of a few days and peels back the curtain on celebrity culture and American politics alike. A talented ensemble cast and hit soundtrack bring each story to life.

#13. Toy Story 3 (2010)

- Director: Lee Unkrich
- Stacker score: 95.1
- Metascore: 92
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 103 minutes

In the third installment of Pixar's "Toy Story," Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and the gang have their worst fears realized when it appears that their owner, Andy, is too old to play with them. To make matters worse, the toys are accidentally donated to the local day care center, where the children are merciless and an evil teddy bear runs the show at night.

#12. The Philadelphia Story (1940)

- Director: George Cukor
- Stacker score: 95.1
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Runtime: 112 minutes

Katharine Hepburn staged a massive career comeback with this romantic comedy, adapted from a play in which she also starred. She dominates the screen as Tracy Lord, a wealthy socialite who has a crisis of love and identity on the brink of her wedding. It won two Academy Awards—Best Actor for Jimmy Stewart and Best Screenplay.

#11. Inside Out (2015)

- Directors: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen
- Stacker score: 95.7
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 95 minutes

Boldly going where no animated feature had gone before, "Inside Out" takes place inside a young girl's head and personifies her respective emotions of Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness. As the young girl grapples with moving to a new city, her emotions scramble to retain control of their domain. Like most Pixar films, this one is as humorous as it is sincere, prompting tears of sadness and joy alike.

#10. The Apartment (1960)

- Director: Billy Wilder
- Stacker score: 96.2
- Metascore: 94
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 125 minutes

Company employee C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) lends his apartment to high-powered executives for extramarital trysts in this Billy Wilder comedy. In return, he hopes to score a promotion and ascend the corporate ladder. Things get complicated when the personnel director romances the elevator girl (Shirley MacLaine), whom Baxter happens to like.

#9. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

- Director: Ernst Lubitsch
- Stacker score: 96.2
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 99 minutes

Decades before Nora Ephron's "You've Got Mail," there was 1940's "The Shop Around the Corner" from Ernst Lubitsch, about a quarreling man (Jimmy Stewart) and woman (Margaret Sullavan) who don't realize they've been forming a romance as anonymous pen pals. This was one of three movies based on the same play by Miklós László. Meanwhile, it's no coincidence that the name of Meg Ryan's bookstore in "You've Got Mail" happens to be The Shop Around the Corner.

#8. Ratatouille (2007)

- Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
- Stacker score: 96.2
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Runtime: 111 minutes

From Pixar Studios came this 2007 animated comedy, which follows a talented rat named Remy as he helps a human kitchen employee climb the ranks in a French restaurant. The film was co-directed by animation wizard Brad Bird, the same man behind films like "The Iron Giant" and "The Incredibles." More than 270 pieces of food were computer animated for the film—after first being prepared and consumed in real life. Providing the voice for Remy is actor and comedian Patton Oswalt.

#7. Toy Story (1995)

- Director: John Lasseter
- Stacker score: 96.7
- Metascore: 95
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 81 minutes

More than any other feature, the original "Toy Story"—a film about toys that come to life when humans aren't looking—kicked off the modern era of animation. In addition to its iconic characters and hit songs, the original film delivers plenty of affectionate comedy that still holds up nearly three decades later. Many of the movie's outwardly funny moments come from Mr. Potato Head, voiced by comedy legend Don Rickles.

#6. Some Like It Hot (1959)

- Director: Billy Wilder
- Stacker score: 97.8
- Metascore: 98
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Runtime: 121 minutes

On the run from the mob, two musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) dress up like women and join an all-female band. So goes this classic 1959 comedy, which stars Marilyn Monroe as sultry singer Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk. According to legend, Monroe was difficult to work with during the shoot, as she routinely showed up late and frequently forgot her lines.

#5. Modern Times (1936)

- Director: Charles Chaplin
- Stacker score: 98.4
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Runtime: 87 minutes

Charlie Chaplin turned his satirical eye toward big industry in this 1936 silent film with sound effects. It follows The Tramp (Chaplin) as he struggles to make ends meet during the rise of factories and machines. Famously featured is a sequence where the Tramp gets swallowed by a machine—only to slither his way through a digestive tract of wheels, gears, and cogs.

#4. Parasite (2019)

- Director: Bong Joon Ho
- Stacker score: 98.4
- Metascore: 96
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Runtime: 132 minutes

The first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards offers a sharp and darkly comic examination of the class divide. Set in South Korea, it finds a poor family adopting various guises as they ingratiate themselves into an upper class household. A series of shocking twists ensues.

#3. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

- Director: Stanley Kubrick
- Stacker score: 98.4
- Metascore: 97
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Runtime: 95 minutes

Dark comedy rarely gets much darker than this 1964 film from Stanley Kubrick, in which a series of miscommunications triggers a nuclear holocaust. Peter Sellers stars in multiple roles, including the title character, a quirky, wheelchair-bound doctor with fascist reflexes. Making the whole premise slightly less funny is the fact that it could have actually happened in real life—or at least could have at the time of the film's release.

#2. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

- Directors: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
- Stacker score: 98.9
- Metascore: 99
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Runtime: 103 minutes

Chronicling the struggles of a silent era production house as it transitions to talkies, this 1952 musical is among the most celebrated films of all time. While audiences will mostly remember the movie for its iconic song-and-dance numbers, it also delivers a bevy of laugh-out-loud moments. Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds star in this comedy classic.

#1. City Lights (1931)

- Director: Charles Chaplin
- Stacker score: 100
- Metascore: 99
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Runtime: 87 minutes

Topping off the list of the best comedy movies is "City Lights" from Charlie Chaplin. The film sees Chaplin reprising his role as the Tramp, this time undergoing a series of adventures while trying to raise money for a blind flower girl. Subtitled "a comedy romance in pantomime," the silent movie, which consciously eschews audible dialogue, balances slapstick antics with copious amounts of pathos—all without saying a word.

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