25 best comedies of the 21st century

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The famous trilogy "Blood and Ice Cream", the works of Wes Anderson and Taika Waititi and other very funny pictures.

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel

• Germany, USA, 2014.
• Comedy, drama.
• Duration: 100 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The most famous film by Wes Anderson is set in the fictional country of Zubrovka. The main characters - the senior concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel, Monsieur Gustav and his assistant Zero Mustafa - get involved in a crazy adventure to prove their right to the priceless painting "Boy with an Apple".

2. A zombie named Sean

• UK, France, 2004.
• Comedy, horror.
• Duration: 99 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 9.

Sean works as a consultant in a store and cannot get his life back on track. But one day he has to forget about everyday problems: everyone around turns into zombies, and now Sean, together with his friends, needs to somehow escape.

This film was the beginning of the famous trilogy "Blood and Ice Cream" directed by Edgar Wright. In each part, he parodied some popular genres. And "Zombie Called Sean" is one of the best parodies of traditional films about the walking dead.

3. Type cool cops

• UK, France, 2007.
• Comedy, thriller.
• Duration: 121 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

A tough policeman from London, Nicholas Angel, is transferred to the quiet rural town of Sandford and given to him as a partner for a stupid Danny Butterman. Nicholas tries to get used to the calm routine and the almost complete absence of accidents. But then the place is shaken by a series of crimes.

The same team worked on this film that created "Zombie Called Sean". Only now the authors have undertaken to parody police action films, and the actors have played completely new roles.

4. Real ghouls

• New Zealand, USA, 2014.
• Comedy, horror film.
• Duration: 86 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

The mock documentary follows four vampires who have been living in the same house in Wellington for many years. The ghouls never adapted to the realities of the 21st century. But their calm routine is disturbed by the newly converted bloodsucker Nick.

The inexpensive independent film by Taiki Waititi and Jemaine Clement has become so popular that two TV series are already being released on it. The first focuses on Wellington police officers investigating supernatural cases. The second tells about the same story as the original, only the action is already developing in the United States.

5. Bachelor Party in Vegas

• USA, 2009.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 96 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Doug is about to get married. To celebrate the occasion, he travels with his friends to Las Vegas. Waking up the next morning after a party, the company tries to remember what happened at night. After all, one of them is missing a tooth, there is a rout in the room, a tiger is sitting in the bathroom, and a baby is locked in the closet. And Doug himself disappeared altogether.

The film was a success at the box office, and therefore the authors filmed two more sequels. And Russian localizers began to add the prefix "… in Vegas" to many other films, even if this was not in the original.

6. Welcome to Zombieland

• USA, 2009.
• Horror, fantasy, comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 84 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

An outbreak of the virus has occurred in the United States. The main character named Columbus is one of the few who managed to survive the zombie apocalypse. Throughout the country, the guy goes home to find out if his parents are still alive. On the way, Columbus meets strange fellow travelers, and the trip becomes really dangerous.

It was thanks to this film that many learned about such wonderful actors as Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg. And in the fall of 2019, exactly 10 years after the premiere of the original, the entire cast will return in the continuation of the film.

7. Kick-Ass

• Action, adventure, black comedy.
• USA, UK, 2010.
• Duration: 117 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Schoolboy Dave Lizevski does not have superpowers or even a special physical form, but he really wants to become a superhero. He designs a suit, pumps up his abs, and takes to the streets to fight evil. At the same time, the story of the former police officer Papasha and his young daughter Killashka develops, who are really trained and wield weapons. They want to deal with the main villain of the city - Frank D'Amico.

Matthew Vaughn's tape based on the comic strip by Mark Millar combines superhero cinema and youth comedy. And it is precisely the combination of such clichés that gives a very funny result.

8. The Tenenbaum family

• USA, 2001.
• Comedy, drama.
• Duration: 110 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

In the Tenenbaum family, all children were gifted. Chas was successful in finance, Richie was an amazing tennis player, and Margot was an established playwright. They all grew up. And now they gathered again in the parental home to support their father. He claims that he is terminally ill, but in fact he is trying to give the children the attention that they lacked so much before.

This film was shot by the same Wes Anderson - the author of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Kingdom of the Full Moon." This means that the viewer can confidently expect a combination of witty comedy, vivid pictures and live characters.

9. Super Peppers

• USA, 2007.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 114 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

Seth and Evan have been friends since childhood. But they have already grown up and plan to go to different colleges. They have one last party, where friends should have fun and seduce beautiful girls. Their friend Vogel is going to buy alcohol using forged documents. But things, of course, are not going according to plan.

10. Slaughter holidays

• Canada, 2010.
• Comedy, horror.
• Duration: 89 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Simple country boys Dale and Tucker are planning to relax in a secluded hut in the woods. But in the neighborhood there is a group of students who mistook them for maniacs. A couple of times try to prove that they are not villains. But it always gets worse.

This film perfectly sarcifies traditional slashers - a subgenre of horror films where masked maniacs hunt teenagers. Here, students themselves bring on trouble, and the main characters only become hostages of circumstances.

11. Show winners

• USA, 2000.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 5.

Five married couples are preparing their dogs for a prestigious show. They dream that their pet will win the competition. Therefore, for tailed beasts, not only veterinarians are hired, but also psychoanalysts. However, in the end, the preparation reveals the characters of the owners themselves much more vividly, and not of the dogs.

This film is not very famous in Russia, but it was his Rolling Stone magazine that named the 50 Greatest Comedies of the 21st Century the best comedy of the 21st century.

12. Nice Guys

• USA, 2016.
• Action, comedy, crime.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

A rude hired security guard Jackson Healy broke the arm of the intelligent private detective Holland March. But soon they have to work in pairs: together they are investigating the case of the missing girl. And as a result, the partners unexpectedly come out on a large-scale conspiracy.

Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in this film revealed one hundred percent. And director Shane Black is great at coming up with stories about partners: he was once glorified by the script for Lethal Weapon. Therefore, there was enough room for cool showdowns and for a witty comedy.

13. Death at a funeral

• UK, 2007.
• Black comedy.
• Duration: 90 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

The whole family gathers in the house of Daniel and his wife Jane. The reason is very sad - Daniel's father died. However, meeting relatives turns into a real comedy. After all, one of the guests took drugs by mistake, the other is terrified of illness. And to top it all off, a dwarf comes to the event with compromising evidence against the deceased.

Filmmakers from different countries liked this black British comedy so much that two years later a remake of Daddy Cool was released in India, and a year later the Americans shot their own version. But the original remains the funniest.

fourteen. Borat: Exploring American Culture for the Benefit of the Glorious People of Kazakhstan

• USA, UK, 2006.
• Comedy, mock-documentary.
• Duration: 84 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

The pseudo-documentary film is dedicated to the adventures of another alter ego of comedian Sasha Baron Cohen, Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiev. The hero goes to the USA to shoot a documentary.

15. Macho and nerd

• USA, 2012.
• Action, comedy, crime.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

Botanist Morton Schmidt and macho Greg Jenko hated each other in their youth. Then they met at the police academy and became best friends. However, they will again have to return to school disguised as students to find drug dealers. And along with the situation, teenage complexes are returning.

Jonah Hill, who plays Morton, wrote the remake of the classic 21 Jump Street himself. And in the role of his partner, he wanted to see exactly Channing Tatum. He turned down the offer twice, but Hill personally persuaded him. As a result, their duo has grown into one of the best comedy couples of the year.

16. School of rock

• USA, 2003.
• Musical comedy.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Dewey Finn is an unlucky, albeit talented, guitarist. After being kicked out of his own group, Dewey is left completely without money. And then he goes to work as a replacement teacher in a prestigious private school. But since Dewey knows nothing about teaching, he does what he does best - assembles a rock band from his students.

17. 40-year-old virgin

• USA, 2005.
• Comedy, melodrama.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Andy, 40, works as a storekeeper. He has a rich collection of toys at home. In general, he leads a perfectly correct life: he does not drink, does not smoke, does not go to strip bars. And all of this has a main reason: Andy is still a virgin. But one day he meets the mother of three children Trish, and feelings arise between them.

In parallel with the start of the American version of the series "Office", which made Steve Carell a real star, he starred in this sweet and romantic film. Perhaps his role in the series came out brighter and funnier. But the modest Andy still looks livelier and more charming.

18. Harold and Kumar break away

• USA, Canada, Germany, 2004.
• Adventure, comedy.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Friends Harold and Kumar are very different. One day, after smoking weed, they decide to go to the White Castle diner. But, arriving at the place, they discover that it was closed, and together with a pleasant place, they built a low-standard Burger Shack. And this becomes the beginning of an amazing and fun journey.

19. Bad Santa

• USA, 2003.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 91 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

Inveterate criminal Willie works as Santa Claus in shopping malls every Christmas. But only in order to rob the establishment later. But one day he meets a fat, stupid and very lonely boy Thurman, who still believes in Santa. And it turns out that these two can help each other.

Bad Santa has become a true legend of black humor. Largely thanks to the acting of Billy Bob Thornton, who manages to remain charming even in the form of an inveterate bastard.

20. Pineapple Express: Sitting, smoking

• USA, 2008.
• Black comedy.
• Duration: 111 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

Courier Dale Denton, 25, delivers subpoenas to people. And to relax, he regularly smokes weed. One day, Dale witnesses how the mafia leaders remove competitors. The hero tries to hide, but accidentally drops a joint with the new drug Pineapple Express, which leads directly to his dealer.

One of the most successful results of the collaboration and friendship between James Franco and the actor and director Seth Rogen. Together, this couple has repeatedly shot great funky films.

21. Soldiers of Failure

• USA, 2008.
• Adventure, comedy, action.
• Duration: 107 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

A crew of popular actors are sent into the jungle to shoot an experimental action movie. They have to act as if everything is happening for real, and they are being monitored by hidden cameras. Soon the action really became real, and filming stopped. Only no one told the actors about it. And now they are already fighting the partisans, thinking that they are still working.

To understand how crazy this film is, one fact is enough: Robert Downey Jr. plays here an Australian actor who became black after plastic surgery.

22. Armageddian

• UK, USA, Japan, 2013.
• Comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

Harry King gathers a group of school friends in his hometown. He wants to fulfill his youthful dream and walk the Golden Mile, that is, visit 12 pubs in one night. But the party people are facing a strange alien threat.

This film completed the Edgar Wright parody trilogy. This time, the director took as a basis films about the invasion of aliens.

23. Mean Girls

• USA, Canada, 2004.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 97 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 0.

Cady Heron spent her childhood in Africa with her parents, zoologists. But when she got into a regular school, she learned that the laws there are much more cruel than in the jungle. Cady was in not the best company, and then she also fell in love with the ex-boyfriend of the meanest girl in the establishment.

Of course, against the backdrop of the success of the film, there was a sequel. True, the entire main cast and crew have changed in it. And so the sequel failed miserably.

24. Step Brothers

• USA, 2008.
• Comedy.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

Already elderly Robert Dobak and Nancy Huff decided to get married. Moreover, each of them has a forty-year-old lazy son. And now Brennan Hough and Dale Dobak, who live with their parents, have become brothers. Only they hate each other and show it like typical teenagers.

25. Idiocracy

• USA, 2006.
• Dystopia, fantasy, comedy.
• Duration: 84 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

Military librarian Joe was selected to participate in a secret experiment to freeze people. But by chance, the main character spends in suspended animation for 500 years. And when he wakes up, he realizes that the world has changed a lot, not for the better. And now Joe turns out to be the smartest person on the planet who must solve all the problems.

The film was directed by Mike Judge, creator of Beavis and Butt-head, King of the Hill and Silicon Valley. Therefore, there is no doubt about the level of humor. At the same time, the author managed to show a very true dystopia about modern society.