Comedy films (article)

Published by Mason Oldridge, 25 June 2026

Looking for some laughs this summer? Here’s 10 of the funniest comedy films from the past 30 years!

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Mike Myers stars as the sex-obsessed protagonist in this madcap spy comedy that parodies James Bond. Austin is paired with Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley) and works to defeat his nemesis Dr Evil (also Myers) after having been cryogenically frozen since the 60s. Dr Evil endures a tricky relationship with his teenage son Scott (Seth Green), who is jealous of his father’s dwarf clone Mini-Me (Verne Troyer). The trilogy has spawned many hilarious moments, such as the epic three-point turn, the shit coffee, the mole, Dr Evil telling Scott to zip it and his emphasis on “laser”, Austin’s fight with Mini-Me, the character of Mustafa (Will Ferrell) and not forgetting the iconic line “you show that turd who’s boss!”

There’s Something About Mary (1998)

Ted (Ben Stiller) is encouraged by his friend Dom (Chris Elliott) to pursue his former teenage crush Mary (Cameron Diaz) and hires a private investigator (Matt Dillon) to find her. The film is likely best known for the scene in which an unfortunate incident results in Mary’s hair sticking up on end, though the hitchhiker element introduces some dark humour. However, the twist in which Lee Evan’s character Norm is revealed to be infatuated with her, sees the story take an unexpected turn as the number of men interested in her continues to grow.

Road Trip (2000)

When college student Josh makes a sex tape of him cheating on his long-distance girlfriend Tiffany and it is accidentally mailed to her, he and the womanising EL, stoner Rubin and nerd Kyle embark on a cross-country journey to retrieve it before she can see it. Tom Green stars as Barry, a tour guide at the University of Ithaca, who narrates and recalls the story. He also features in the tale, notably for his stunt in which he pretends to eat a mouse and is consequently bitten by Mitch the snake.

Scary Movie (2000)

Wazzup! Written by and starring the Wayan brothers with Anna Faris in the lead role, Scary Movie parodies horror films, specifically Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Away from the spoof aspect, a recurring gag throughout is the closeted yet obvious homosexuality of Ray. It spawned a franchise of sequels, with the second film containing the famous scene in which butler Hanson (Chris Elliott) makes mashed potatoes with his malformed hand.

Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000)

The only way to describe Dude, Where’s My Car is that it is so bad that it is good. Two stoner friends (Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott) wake up hungover, unable to remember where they parked their car the night before, launching a search retracing their steps to get back to their twin girlfriends Wilma and Wanda for sex, uncovering a UFO cult conspiracy in the process. The bizarre film incorporates elements of sci-fi and has gone on to become a cult classic. Funny moments include discovering they got tattoos (“what does mine say?”) and ordering Chinese food (“and then…”) as well as their encounters with a transgender stripper and a Super Hot Giant Alien.

The Girl Next Door (2004)

High school student Matthew has a crush on his attractive new adult neighbour next door Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert) and learns that she is a former porn actress. The film deserves praise for moving beyond the stereotypical tropes of a sex comedy as Matthew convinces Danielle that she is worth more than reluctantly returning to the adult industry. However, the true defining glory is how the film abruptly shifts direction with the introduction of Kelly, of whom Timothy Olyphant delivers a compelling performance. The way he sways between respecting and betraying Matthew sees the film adopt an unpredictable narrative and therefore further challenge the expectations of its genre.

Blades of Glory (2007)

Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star as polar opposite ice-skaters Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy who, following disqualification from singles skating, form a duo. With Craig T Nelson as their coach and Will Arnett and Amy Poehler as their rivals rounding off the cast, this sports comedy is flawless from start to finish. The film features comedy gold throughout, with funny moments including Chazz’s insistence to dancing to My Humps by The Black Eyed Peas, cheating on his diet and showing Jimmy his lone wolf tattoo, Jimmy getting friction burns while showing off in training, the fire and ice routine in which Chazz struggles with the more intimate moves, Chazz coaching Jimmy on how to talk seductively, the fatal previous attempt at the Iron Lotus move and the sex addict meeting, all before the epic finale.

Superbad (2007)

Jonah Hill and Michael Cera star as unpopular high school students who attempt to have a night of partying and lose their virginity before graduating, but things don’t go to plan. In an iconic scene, the nerdy Fogell insists that he can buy them alcohol with his fake ID, in which he uses the fake mononym McLovin. This is essentially where chaos ensues when he is caught up in a robbery and ends up on a wild night with irresponsible cops (Seth Rogen and Bill Hader) as the situation spirals further and further out of control.

I Give It a Year (2013)

Josh (Rafe Spall) and Nat (Rose Byrne) get married, but realise they might not be meant for each other as they both fall for someone else. Throughout the film, Josh grows closer to his friend Chloe (Anna Faris) and Nat is interested in businessman Guy (Simon Baker). Spall is one of the most versatile actors but Stephen Merchant is the true star of this romcom-with-a-difference thanks to his hilarious comedy performance as Josh’s best man. Laugh-out-loud moments include the coughing vicar, the best man speech, the wedding dance and the photo frame.

We’re the Millers (2013)

Jason Sudeikis stars as low-level drug dealer David, who enlists stripper Rose (Jennifer Aniston), geeky teen neighbour Kenny (Will Poulter) and feisty teen runaway-thief Casey (Emma Roberts) to pose as his family on a road trip in order to smuggle drugs across the border. Chaotic hilarity ensues, mainly through their interaction with The Fitzgeralds as they nervously attempt to hide the truth from the DEA agent father, before the teenage daughter that Kenny has a crush on walks in on Casey and Rose giving Kenny kissing lessons. Perhaps the funniest and most memorable moment is when Kenny is bitten on the testicles by a tarantula, with gross-out swelling. The film also delivers on a clever ending in which The Millers live together as the fake family when they are placed under witness protection.

LOL!