The 7 funniest movies you can stream from home right now
The 7 funniest movies you can stream from home right now
Guy Ritchie crime, fake-dating romance, dance competitions, and complete ‘Jackass’ chaos all make the cut.
Comedy movies are so back, and the pace of releases is keeping me very busy. Between watching movies and writing about them, I don’t find much time to get outside. And I’m fine with it because after what felt like years of COVID and strike-related production delays, movies are so back. The box office proves it, the streamers are proving it, and this list proves it too. So, here are my picks for the best comedy movies to stream at home right now.
Top 7 comedy movies streaming right now
No. 7: ‘The Gentlemen’ | Netflix
Not to be confused with the TV show of the same name, “The Gentlemen” is where it all started. Matthew McConaughey plays Mickey Pearson, an American expat who has built a massive marijuana empire in England. But when he tries to sell the business and get out, every criminal, rival gangster, and blackmailer comes out of the woodwork to steal it instead.
This is Guy Ritchie in his element. You’ll get all the fast dialogue, a charismatic cast, and all the plot double-backs that’ll keep your head spinning. If you long for the days of “Snatch,” you’re going to love it.
The Gentlemen
American expat Mickey Pearson has built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.
No. 6: ‘Superbad’ | Apple TV
Apple TV has started carrying licensed movies, which is awesome because you’ll need a microscope to see their original movie library. The quality is there, but it suffers from a severe lack of quantity. And that’s where a movie like “Superbad” comes in. It’s one of the best coming-of-age “guy” comedies of the last 20+ years; it’s still really funny, and it helps round out a library that needs a bit of a back catalogue to be worth really taking seriously.
The movie follows best friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) during their last few days of high school. They’re about to head to different colleges, but first they’re determined to get alcohol for a huge party, impress the girls they like, and hopefully lose their virginity. Of course, things go hilariously wrong. But the reason this movie is still worth talking about (and watching) all these years later is that it’s really about these two friends. Two guys who know their relationship is going to change and have to come to terms with that… together. It’s sweet, funny, packed with quotable performances, and still a great movie.
Superbad
Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.
No. 5: ‘Jackass: Best and Last’ | Paramount+
If people hurting themselves in stupid ways makes you laugh, you probably need no introduction to the “Jackass” franchise. But “Jackass: Best and Last” brings something the previous movies don’t: heart. It’s as much a walk down memory lane with a cast you’ve come to know as it is another chapter (probably the final one) in pain-inducing idiocy.
Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Dave England, Danger Ehren, Preston Lacy, and the rest of the crew are back together for this one. And yes, you get new stunts, pranks, and enough physical punishment to make you cringe yourself. But it’s the unseen footage from previous movies and the camaraderie that’ll move you. These guys love each other, and you can see that, which adds a really sweet layer on top of all the insanity.
Jackass: Best and Last
The fifth and final installment to Jackass franchise where the crew go on one last insane crusade.
No. 4: ‘Stop! That! Train!’ | Netflix
I always have time for a pure spoof. I loved the “Naked Gun” reboot, and Tara and I just watched the new “Scary Movie” on Paramount+. And now, “Stop! That! Train!” throws its hat into the ring.
Ginger Minj and Jujubee play best friends Tess and DeeDee. The train company they work for goes under, so now jobless, they sneak aboard the luxurious Glamazonian Express as fake stewardesses. Things devolve pretty quickly into a disaster spoof à la “Airplane!,” and they have to save everyone on board. There is enough wordplay, sight gags, and innuendo to keep you laughing (and groaning at times), and a huge collection of “Drag Race” personalities to keep things interesting. It may not become a classic, but it sure is fun.
Stop! That! Train!
Best friends and train stewardesses Tess and DeeDee trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. However, when a catastrophic Stormaganza threatens to crash the high-speed train into Celebration, Florida, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first-class attendants, a hot but dimwitted co-conductor, and fabulous US President Judy Gagwell to save the day.
No. 3: ‘Toy Story 5’ | Disney+
In “Toy Story 5,” Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Forky (Tony Hale), and the rest of the gang come up against their most fearsome nemesis yet: screens. Bonnie gets a tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, and suddenly the physical toys we know and love are being swiped aside for screen time.
This is probably the “Toy Story” movie you didn’t know you needed. We were all probably satisfied with where this franchise left off, but kudos to the creative team for coming up with a reason that not only makes sense, but still grapples with the main anxiety of the franchise: kids growing up and leaving their toys behind. Now, they’re dealing with a generation that doesn’t even have to grow up to start moving away from them in favor of a screen. Everything you’d expect from a “Toy Story” movie still works here, from the humor to the emotional beats, so don’t be afraid to try it even if you thought the franchise had ended on the perfect note.
Toy Story 5
When Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet as a gift and becomes obsessed, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs become exponentially harder when they have to go head to head with the all-new threat to playtime.
No. 2: ‘Best of the Best’ | Netflix
I’m not a big dance movie guy, but I loved “Best of the Best” so that should tell you something. This Bollywood-inspired coming-of-age comedy follows childhood best friends Maya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Anjali (Priyanka Kedia) as they land at UCLA together and join the school’s crazy competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team.
And yes, you get all the college friendship drama in this one, especially as the two girls realize they’re growing apart. And that main story hits all the emotional beats you’d expect it to. But what I didn’t expect was this movie to be as funny and fresh as it is. The dance numbers are legitimately awesome (even if you’re not into dance like me) and the South Asian flair is a fresh take on a formula that has seen classics like “Bring It On” and “Step Up.” If you like comedies, watch it. If you like dance movies, watch it. And if you like good movies… watch it.
Best of the Best
Two childhood besties join UCLA’s competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team, only to find the road to the US championships is fiercer than they imagined.
No. 1: ‘The Love Hypothesis’ | Prime Video
I’m a rom-com guy, so it didn’t take too much arm-twisting on Tara’s part to get us to sit down and watch “The Love Hypothesis.” I was expecting a by-the-book love story. What I got was a great, adult movie about smart, funny, competent people falling in love. The movie stars Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith, a Stanford Ph.D. candidate whose best friend Anh (Rachel Marsh) has feelings for Olive’s crush Jeremy (Nicholas Duvernay). To prove she’s totally over Jeremy, Olive impulsively kisses the first guy she sees… that happens to be Adam Carlsen (Tom Bateman), a curmudgeonly professor everyone in her department is terrified of. From there, they make a deal: they’ll pretend to date so 1) Anh will feel okay dating Jeremy, and 2) Carlsen’s boss will see he has a girlfriend and is committed to sticking around Stanford.
Yes, as you’d expect, the fake dating turns into real feelings. And while there’s nothing original about that, the wrapper and performances are what I loved. There’s not a bad performance in sight, with Reinhart playing a smart, competent, driven woman that I rooted for the whole movie. And then there’s Bateman, who is perfectly cast and constantly deadpan funny. And even while there’s the main love story, Anh and Olive’s friendship never gets lost. And the story of these two women supporting each other and making it in the male-dominated world of science academia feels fresh and not tropey. I liked this movie a lot more than I thought I would, and for that reason, it’s No. 1 on my list.
The Love Hypothesis
Olive Smith, a biology PhD candidate, and Dr. Adam Carlsen, a hotshot professor and well-known tyrant, enter into a fake relationship, seeing each of their carefully calculated theories on love get thrown into chaos.