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The 30 Best Comedies on Hulu

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BRIAN TALLERICO JULY 07, 2020

is post is updated frequently as movies leave and enter Hulu, which you can
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e world is an increasingly strange place and appears to only get more

stressful by the day. Why not release the tension with a laugh? While TV
series are still the bread and butter of streaming service Hulu, they also have
a large library of movies that a lot of people don’t even know about — and a
lot of them are funny! Here are  of the best from that increasingly
necessary department.
*e American President
Rob Reiner directed and Aaron Sorkin wrote this romantic dramedy about a
happier, mythical time in the White House that’s very different from the
reality of . Michael Douglas is charming as a widower President who
falls for an environmental lobbyist played by the charismatic Annette
Bening. e great ensemble also includes Martin Sheen, Samantha Mathis,
David Paymer, and Michael J. Fox.

e Beach Bum
Harmony Korine released his long-anticipated follow-up to Spring Breakers
early in , and most people barely noticed. Matthew McConaughey
leans into his bongo-playing stoner persona as the wonderful Moondog, a
Floridian who is kind of just chilling his way through life. ere’s almost no
plot, but this is an unforgettable slice of debauchery complete with
memorable supporting turns by Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, Martin Lawrence,
and, of course, Snoop Dogg.

*Best in Show
Movies don’t get much funnier than Christopher Guest’s mockumentary
exploration of the world of competitive dog shows. Using most of the same
ensemble he would throughout his career, Guest found that sweet spot here
where he can gently mock a section of society while also displaying genuine
affection for it at the same time.

Big Time Adolescence

Pete Davidson’s moment in the sun in Judd Apatow’s new movie, e King
of Staten Island, has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, but his first
real major film role actually came in this Sundance  flick that was
delayed for almost a year before getting an early drop on Hulu. e real star
is Griffin Gluck, one of the talented kids from American Vandal who plays a
kid with an older friend who some might call a bad influence, played
memorably by Davidson. It’s imperfect but sweet, and Davidson is
legitimately good.

Blazing Saddles

Generally included on any legitimate list of the funniest movies ever made,
Mel Brooks’ send-up of the Western genre remains a comedy classic nearly a
half-century after its release. Cleavon Little leads an amazing ensemble that
includes Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens, Brooks himself, and a
performance from Madeline Kahn so perfect that she got an Oscar
nomination.

Booksmart
Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is one of the smartest and straight-up
funniest comedies in years. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever star as
lifelong friends who learn on the last day of school that their priorities may
have been a bit out of whack. Determined to make up for lost time, they
have a wild and crazy night. Often described as “Superbad with girls,” this is
destined to be a cult classic.

*Dave
Ivan Reitman directed this Gary Ross script about a man named Dave
(Kevin Kline) who happens to look exactly like the President of the United
States. Kline is charming and sweet as a normal dude asked to suddenly lead
the free world after his doppelganger has a stroke.
Drinking Buddies
Indie filmmaker Joe Swanberg’s best film and biggest hit remains this 
comedy starring Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, and Ron
Livingston. Wilde and Johnson play friends who work at a brewery in
Chicago. While they seem to have a ton in common and flirt regularly,
they’re both with other partners. It’s no spoiler to say things get complicated.

Fighting With My Family

Florence Pugh had one of the best years for a young actress in movie history
in , anchored mostly by her Oscar-nominated work in Little Women
and critical acclaim for Midsommar. However, this was actually the
prologue, a fun little comedy based on the true story of an amateur wrestler’s
rise to fame. Pugh is charming and believable, and watching this now just
reveals her already remarkable range.

e Graduate
Mike Nichols’  comedy was a game-changer, a movie that took the
world by storm, turning Dustin Hoffman into a star and becoming a true
phenomenon. e movie played to all demographics, making over 
million when adjusted for inflation on its way to an Oscar for Nichols.
Widely considered one of the best films ever made, not enough is written
about how well it still plays today, over a half-century after its release.

Hearts Beat Loud

is is one of the most crowd-pleasing films that you could watch on any
streaming service, and the best film vehicle yet for Nick Offerman. e
Parks and Recreation star plays Frank Fisher, a single father whose daughter is
about to leave the nest. Before she does, they record a song together that just
happens to get some buzz. e wonderful cast also includes Toni Collette,
Blythe Danner, Kiersey Clemons, Sasha Lane, and Ted Danson.

Heathers

Ignore the think pieces about how Heathers plays today and watch this 
dark comedy, a satire that caught Christian Slater and Winona Ryder at just
the right time in their careers. She plays the outcast in high school and he
plays the mysterious new kid who teaches her the art of vengeance. Is some
of it dated? Sure, but it’s still sharp in the way it weaponizes the clique
culture that has arguably become even more prominent in the three decades
since.

*Hot Rod
Andy Samberg’s first time headlining a comedy didn’t make much money or
get much attention when it was released, but as Lonely Island grew in fame
so did this film’s rep. Samberg stars as a stuntman who tries to raise money
to save the life of his irascible father, played by Ian McShane, and maybe
even win his love too. It’s a goofy, funny film that has held up remarkably
well.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Before he made Hemsworth your favorite Chris in or: Ragnarok, Taika
Waititi wrote and directed this adaptation of Barry Crump’s Wild Pork and
Watercress. Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) has a new foster family, including
a sweet foster mother. Sadly, he’s stuck with the surly husband when his new
mom passes away, leading Ricky and Hec (Sam Neill) on an unforgettable
adventure. Funny and truly heartwarming, this is a comedy that’s almost
impossible to dislike.

I, Tonya
Not many people would have bet that a black comedy telling of the story of
Tonya Harding would end up being an Oscar winner, but the ’s have
been nothing if not surprising at the Academy Awards. Allison Janney took
home the gold for her role as Harding’s cruel mother in this version of one
of the most famous sports scandals of all time.

e Interview
Remember when this movie almost started a war? Simpler times. e movie
that led to the Sony leak by North Korea almost became a footnote to the
actual event that garnered so many headlines and led to lost jobs. It’s
actually pretty funny. James Franco is excellent as a vain reporter who lands
the interview of a lifetime with the North Korean leader. What’s funny is
how relatively tame and silly the whole thing is — it’s hard to believe it
started an international crisis.

Jackass 
e -D version of this film literally made people sick in theaters when it
was released in . It’s still got the power to make you nauseous at home
on Hulu, too. It’s crazy to think that’s been a decade since Johnny Knoxville
and the boys made one of these joyously hysterical movies, but they’re
coming back in  for Jackass . Catch up where we left off the last time
these grown men nearly killed themselves.
*Liar Liar
One of Jim Carrey’s best movies is this  smash-hit comedy about an
attorney whose son makes a wish that dad won’t be able to lie for an entire
day. As with a lot of Carrey’s ‘s comedies, it’s not the premise as much as
the performer, who throws himself into every awkward situation and every
bit of physical comedy with his entire being.

M*A*S*H
One of Robert Altman’s most popular and influential films launched not
just a massive hit TV series but the careers of everyone involved and all the
directors who would try to mimic Altman’s inimitable style. Donald
Sutherland, Tom Skerritt, and Elliott Gould star as medical personnel at the
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. It’s funny, quirky,
and helped usher in an entire era of dry comedy in the ’s.

*A Mighty Wind
Christopher Guest reunited with his mega-talented troupe of comedy
legends after Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, to deliver this loving
spoof of the world of folk music. Once again, Guest’s improvised style
allows performers like Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Michael McKean,
Fred Willard, John Michael Higgins, and Parker Posey to shine.

Missing Link
We don’t give Laika enough credit. ey don’t make nearly as much money
with films like Paranorman and Kubo and the Two Strings as companies like
DreamWorks and Pixar. eir latest is already on Hulu, dropping less than a
year after its theatrical release. It may not be their best, but it’s gorgeous to
look at, revealing that Laika is arguably the most visually fascinating
animated studio around.

*Moonstruck
One of the best romantic comedies of the ‘s, this Norman Jewison film
was such a smash hit that it won star Cher an Oscar. e genre doesn’t often
win major awards, but Moonstruck connected across demographics with its
story of a widowed woman who falls in love with her fiancé’s brother, played
charismatically by a young Nicolas Cage.

*My Cousin Vinny

Joe Pesci may be the titular character in this hit  comedy, but it’s Marisa
Tomei who walked away with it to such a degree that she won an Oscar.
After two New Yorkers are tried for a murder that they didn’t commit deep
in the heartland, Pesci’s Vinny has to go to the country to get them off. e
city vs. country dynamic gets fresh life thanks to the film’s big heart and the
perfect comedic timing of its entire cast.

Risky Business

Before Top Gun and long before Mission: Impossible, America fell in love
with Tom Cruise when he slid across the floor in his underwear. e lip-
syncing scene in this film is so iconic that people may have forgotten the
coming-of-age comedy around it, the story of a young man who gets into
some serious trouble when his parents go out of town.

Say Anything
e great Cameron Crowe wrote and directed this romantic dramedy that
became iconic largely because of that one scene with the boom box and
Peter Gabriel. But there’s more to it than just that one moment. It’s a great
movie about people from different backgrounds finding each other, and
those moments in which you learn the world, including your parents, aren’t
exactly as simple as you think they are when you’re a kid. And it’s still one of
John Cusack’s best performances.

e Skeleton Twins
Craig Johnson directed this dramedy about fraternal twins played
wonderfully by Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig that won the Screenwriting
Award at Sundance in . Hader plays Milo, a suicidal young man — yes,
it’s mostly a comedy — who goes to live with his sister after an attempt.
Wiig and Hader have wonderful chemistry as siblings, making their
dynamic completely believable. It’s also got one of the best lip-sync scenes
ever.

*Slums of Beverly Hills

Tamara Jenkins wrote and directed this period piece about a girl growing up
in the ‘s played by the great Natasha Lyonne of Russian Doll fame.
Lyonne’s father, who drag her around to different houses in a vaguely
nomadic suburban existence, is played by Alan Arkin, and the rest of the
cast of this cult classic includes Marisa Tomei, Carl Reiner, Rita Moreno,
and Jessica Walter.

Sorry to Bother You

Boots Riley writes and directs one of the most daring debuts of  in this
satire of modern race relations and corporate dynamics. Lakeith Stanfield
stars as a man who climbs the ladder of a telemarketing company only to
find true horrors on the top floors. It’s smart, strange, and unforgettable.
Support the Girls
Andrew Bujalski’s charming comedy about a Hooters-esque restaurant stars
the delightful Regina Hall on a particularly bad day on the job. is
ensemble piece doesn’t seek to make any great statement or offer deep
insights, but somehow ends up doing both just by presenting truthful,
genuine characters. It’s a funny movie with a poignant streak about how
hard people have to swim just to keep their heads above water.

Wayne’s World 

Seen as something of a bomb when it was released because it made a fraction

of the original, this  sequel has grown a loyal cult following over the
years. It’s a wonderfully silly movie, as Mike Myers and Dana Carvey lean
into the more ridiculous aspects of their characters even more than the first
movie. It’s just really hard not to love Wayne and Garth.

*You Don’t Mess With the Zohan

Kind of poorly received when it came out, this goofy comedy has become
something of a cult classic, a movie that often comes up when people talk
about the work of Adam Sandler. e Uncut Gems star plays Zohan Dvir, an
Israeli commando turned hairstylist in New York City. He tries to live a
normal life but he’s discovered by a Palestinian cab driver (played
problematically by Rob Schneider, of course).

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