Here are our favorite comedy movies of the 2010s. In the current landscape of worldwide political division, rising international tensions and the impending global warming apocalypse, a good comedy movie is more important than ever. Laughter is universal, supposedly, and the best comedy films allow an audience to switch off from everyday life without the intensity of an action thriller or the cheesy sentimentality of a romance.
But as much as a great comedy film can bring people together and appeal to all sections of the market, the genre is also one of the most inherently subjective. It's far easier to qualify exactly what makes a horror film scary or a superhero movie exciting than it is to define why a particular comedy is or isn't funny. This is the very reason Adam Sandler is being paid lots of money by Netflix - some people can't stand him, others can't get enough. The other issue with comedy, recently highlighted by Todd Phillips, is the perception that society's increasing focus of equality and tolerance is creating a culture where comedians are too limited in what they can get away with. Others might suggest that most fans can separate near-the-knuckle humor from the genuinely mean-spirited and only the latter is affected by the shifting times.
And yet, a select few comedy films still hit all the right notes and emerge as timeless classics with broad appeal. The 2010s perhaps hasn't been the best decade for comedy on the big screen, and lacks a real era-defining release in the mold of Blazing Saddles, Airplane! or the Monty Python series. But the decade still delivered a solid selection of films stacked with cutting-edge humor, skillful parody and gross visual gags. These are our 15 top comedy films of the past decade.
15. Paul (2011)
Paul is geeky, heartwarming and silly in all the right places. With Seth Rogen delivering a typically hilarious voice and motion-capture performance as the titular rogue extra-terrestrial, Paul finds a pleasing combination of British and U.S. humor and a more unique slant on a genre that all too often reverts to stereotype.
14. Neighbors (2014)
Speaking of Neighbors saw Rogen and Rose Byrne play a young couple making their first foray into parenthood come up against a rowdy bunch of college student neighbors led by Zac Efron. With the "grown adult in college party environment" premise hardly uncharted territory, Neighbors looked to be another entry in a long line of generic, forgettable teen comedies. The finished film proved that assumption entirely misplaced. Relatable to both teenage hell-raisers and the sleep-deprived mid-twenties crowd, Neighbors' smart story and choice casting elevated the movie beyond expectations.
13. The World's End (2013)
For the second time on this list, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost meet aliens, although this bunch are considerably less friendly than Paul. Reunited with Hot Fuzz, The World's End still has all the hallmarks of a Wright, Pegg & Frost classic.
12. The Heat (2013)
Crime and spy-based action comedies hit theaters at a relentless rate throughout the 2010s and many of these fell by the wayside. A select few, however, found the right balance between action, comedy and story, and The Heat is a prime example. Moving (partially) away from her usual comedic character template, McCarthy plays a police detective who teams up with Bullock's super-professional FBI agent. The chemistry between the leading pair is the driving force behind The Heat's success, but Paul Feig's loving take on action tropes also helps to separate this 2013 effort from the deluge of similar releases.
11. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
Popstar is a vastly underrated mockumentary that carries the spirit of This Is Spinal Tap, albeit with a modern, hip-hop twist. Incorporating their famed musical comedy with a hilarious original script, Popstar was one of 2016's hidden gems and proved popular with critics, if not the box office.
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
Edgar Wright directing a live-action adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World failed to turn a profit upon its theatrical release, but has since developed a strong cult following and is now fondly ed for early appearances by a host of actors now deemed part of the Hollywood A-list.
9. Game Night (2018)
Finding an original concept for a comedy movie without blending several genres together is a tough ask in today's saturated market, but Game Night continues to twist and turn, keeping the audience guessing and laughing in equal measure.
8. Kick-Ass (2010)
Equal parts comedy and superhero movie, Kick-Ass is based on the comic books by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. and was lauded for its pull-no-punches attitude and hybrid genre mashup. Simultaneously aping and celebrating the world of superheroes, Nicholas Cage into the mix, and Kick-Ass provides more laughs than many of the more traditional comedies out there.
7. 21 Jump Street (2012)
In of rebooting a forgotten property, Men In Black was mooted for 2019.
6. Ted (2012)
Seth MacFarlane took his considerable talents from Ted allowed Wahlberg to show off his comedic chops and helped solidify Mila Kunis as a bona fide star. By far the biggest benefactor, however, was Ted himself, who rapidly became a cultural icon in 2012 thanks to his lovable face and inventive use of profanity.
