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Last year, we sent out a list of some of the best comedy films of all time. At the end of the article, we asked for your thoughts on our selection, and recommendations for any movies you felt should’ve made the list – and you certainly delivered.
In fact, we received so many suggestions that we’ve written a new article featuring some of your favourite funny flicks. So, without further ado, here are some of the best comedy films of all time, according to Rest Less members (in no particular order).
1. It Happened One Night (1934)
In Frank Capra’s classic, Clark Gable plays a rogue newspaper reporter helping a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert) reunite with her new husband in exchange for a story. This romantic screwball comedy snapped up all “Big Five” awards at the Oscars, including Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Picture.
Since hitting screens in 1934, It Happened One Night has had a massive influence on popular culture, from laying the foundations of the rom-com genre to inspiring Bugs Bunny’s carrot-eating habit.
2. Blazing Saddles (1974)
In Mel Brooks’ Western spoof, a corrupt politician (Harvey Korman) wants to build a railroad through a frontier town. Hoping to drive out the intolerant residents, he appoints railroad worker, Bart (Cleavon Little), as the town’s first black sheriff.
Instead, with the help of an alcoholic gunfighter (Gene Wilder), Bart wins over the townspeople, leading them in revolt against the greedy landgrabber. With Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks exposes the absurdity of bigotry while serving up plenty of laughs.
3. Hot Fuzz (2007)
We included zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead in our previous list of best comedies, but in the comments, Rest Less members championed its spiritual sequel, Hot Fuzz.
Also directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Hot Fuzz sees an uptight and overachieving London copper transferred to a sleepy West Country town. Here, along with his cheerfully incompetent partner, he investigates a string of grisly murders and uncovers a shady conspiracy.
4. The Full Monty (1997)
This unassuming British comedy became a surprise international hit in 1997 and was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar alongside Titanic and Good Will Hunting.
Set against the backdrop of Sheffield’s declining steel industry, The Full Monty follows six unemployed factory workers as they form a Chippendales-style male strip tease act to make ends meet. Itboasts a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96% and was followed by a TV show sequel over two decades later.
5. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1950)
In this delightfully dark classic, Alec Guinness plays every member of an aristocratic clan whom Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) must murder to inherit a sizeable family fortune.
Kind Hearts and Coronets, which film critic Peter Bradshaw called “history’s greatest serial-killer movie”, has inspired plenty more productions since its 1950 release. Among these are the stage show, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and the upcoming A24 film, How to Make a Killing, starring Glen Powell.
6. Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)
We only omitted Life of Brian from our previous list to make room for Monty Python’s earlier masterpiece: The Holy Grail. But we agree with you that it deserves a place among the funniest comedies ever made.
Centred around “a very naughty boy” who’s mistaken for the messiah, nearly 50 years later, this absurd religious satire is still as intelligent and quotable as the day it was released.
7. Cool Runnings (1993)
Cool Runnings is an uplifting and inspiring underdog story based loosely on the first Jamaican bobsled team, which debuted at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
It focuses on wannabe Olympian Derice (Leon), who, after crashing out in the sprinting trials, hears that runners make good bobsledders. Still determined to make the big leagues by any means, he forms a misfit crew of unlikely athletes and enlists the help of a disgraced bobsledder champion (John Candy) to compete for gold at the Winter Olympics.
8. The Plank (1967)
This almost dialogue-free film is considered a classic of British comedy by many. Starring Eric Sykes and Tommy Cooper as two bungling builders venturing across London with a wooden floorboard, The Plank is bursting with slapstick shenanigans.
9. The Pink Panther (1963)
In the first instalment of the iconic Pink Panther series, the bumbling Inspector Clouseau tries to catch ‘the Phantom’, a daring jewel thief planning to steal the world’s largest diamond. But little does Clouseau know that the Phantom isn’t the only person with designs on the jewel.
Featuring Henry Mancini’s classic score and a top-class performance from Peter Sellers, The Pink Panther is a little slower and more sophisticated than its successors, but it’s generally considered the best of the bunch.
10. Young Frankenstein (1974)
Hot on the heels of Blazing Saddles, this Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder production was labelled a “near-flawless horror spoof” by The Times. Wilder plays the reluctant grandson of Dr Frankenstein, who inherits his ancestors’ Transylvanian castle and begins recreating his experiments.
This ultra-silly monster movie parody is widely considered to be Brooks’s finest work. Alongside Wilder is a stellar supporting cast, including Peter Boyle as the Monster and Marty Feldman as Igor. Gene Hackman also appears in an amusing, unpaid cameo, which he took as a break from his usual, more serious roles.
11. The Court Jester (1956)
Before The Princess Bride and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, there was The Court Jester, a high-energy parody of Hollywood’s Golden Age swashbuckler films.
The multi-talented Danny Kaye plays a luckless carnival performer who pretends to be a court jester to help take down a tyrannical ruler. Expect slapstick action, a young Angela Lansbury, and plenty of Kaye’s trademark tongue twisters.
12. East is East (1999)
East is East follows the children of a Pakistani/British family as they rebel against their unyielding father (Om Puri), who insists they uphold his traditional Muslim values and practices.
Set in 1970s Salford, this serio-comic tale of cultural identity and generational differences features a fantastic cast, anchored by an impressive turn from Om Puri.
13. The Belles of St. Trinian’s (1954)
In the first film based on Ronald Searle’s beloved cartoons, the rowdy pupils of St. Trinian’s become embroiled in a horse racing scam, while their long-suffering headmistress tries to solve the school’s financial troubles.
The legendary Alastair Sim stars in dual roles as the headmistress, Miss Millicent Fritton, and her scheming brother, Clarence.
14. Uncle Buck (1989)
When Bob (Garrett M. Brown) and Cindy (Elaine Bromka) have to leave town to visit Cindy’s sick father, the only person available to look after their children is Bob’s good-natured but unreliable brother, Buck (John Candy).
Though Buck is quick to win the affections of the two youngest kids, played by Macaulay Culkin and Gaby Hoffmann, the rebellious teen, Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly), proves to be another matter entirely, forcing the carefree slacker to change his ways.
15. What's Up, Doc? (1972)
Ryan O’Neal stars as a music researcher, Howard, who’s visiting San Francisco with his fastidious fiancée, Eunice (Madeline Kahn), to land a research grant. However, his trip takes an unexpected turn when he meets zany and carefree Judy (Barbra Streisand), who causes chaos and disaster wherever she goes.
Peter Bogdanovich’s much-loved screwball comedy was inspired by 1938’s Bringing Up Baby, starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.
16. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
After splitting up with his wife and only getting weekly visitation rights to his kids, an eccentric and irresponsible but loving father disguises himself as a middle-aged Scottish nanny. Under this wacky alias, he not only gets to spend more time with his children but ultimately learns to be a better father.
This utterly bizarre premise sets the stage for one of the late Robin Williams’ most loved performances. Mrs. Doubtfire is packed with pitch-perfect impressions, side-splitting slapstick, and oodles of heart.
Final thoughts…
From age-old classics like It Happened One Night and Kind Hearts and Coronets to modern favourites like Hot Fuzz and Mrs. Doubtfire, these Rest Less member-approved comedies really run the gamut.
So, whether you enjoy spoofs or satires, rom coms or slapstick showcases, there are hopefully a few gems on this list to inspire your next movie night.
For more ideas for what to watch, head over to our film and TV section. Here, you’ll find everything from reviews of new releases to themed round-ups.
Did your favourite funny flick make the list? Or would you like to make some suggestions of your own? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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