2025 has not been a year for simple comedy. At a time when people are becoming more aware everyday about the insidious forces at work in the world, it makes sense that art would reflect a more complex understanding of genre. Most films with comedic elements or moments can be described by other genres more readily, often intersecting with horror, drama, sci-fi, and anything else that benefits from a few laughs to balance out the conceptual subversion of today’s stories. Some of the best comedy movies of 2024 were also offbeat, but this year has felt particularly devoid of lighthearted palette cleansers.
The upside of combining comedy and complexity is that the humor feels richer and more earned. Audiences aren’t just laughing at physical comedy and bathroom jokes, they’re understanding the satirical notes in offhanded comments and archetypal characters. Snarky asides that might have gone mostly unnoticed in 2015 or moments of pitch black humor that may have alienated audiences in 2005 are now par for the course. Many comedies of 2025 feature subversive notes with an eclectic interpretation of genre and its function in storytelling. Lighter comedies are still being made, but unless they really nail their particular brand of humor, audiences are a little more hesitant to embrace these. Instead, these are the best comedies that have made it to theaters and streamers in 2025.
Good Fortune
There are artists who speak out about current events and activist issues, and there are artists who make a concerted effort to let their work speak for itself. Keanu Reeves, everyone’s favorite coworker and Hollywood’s resident good guy, is a great example of the latter. In “Good Fortune,” Reeves plays the angel Gabriel who is eager for visionary work despite his current assignment saving people from texting-related car accidents. When he comes across Arj (Aziz Ansari), who meets the requirements to be considered a “lost soul,” he attempts to show Arj the value of his life by pulling a magical “Trading Places” with Arj’s rich, pampered boss, Jeff (Seth Rogan).
“Good Fortune” is a parable, easy to follow and unafraid to take an ethical position in its own plot. It is a clear, calm explanation of capitalism and the way it has been wielded as a philosophy and frame-of-mind for the rich to willfully ignore the suffering of everyday people. That said, it also features a fantastic cast of comedic performers and remains genuinely funny throughout its entire runtime. It’s always a treasure to see Reeves take up a more comedic role, and he captures the naiveté and despair of a fallen angel without leaning into tragedy.
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Aziz Ansari, Seth Rogan, Keke Palmer
Director: Aziz Ansari
Runtime: 1h 37m
Rating: R
One of Them Days
The origins of Hood comedy films can be traced as far back as 1976’s “Car Wash,” but it’s a sub-genre that didn’t pick up real momentum until the 1990s when films like “Friday” started coming to theaters. “One of Them Days” is the first hood comedy to feature a duo of women since “B.A.P.S.,” and it finds a deft balance between homage to the past and growth for the genre itself. The film follows Los Angeles residents Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) over the course of a day in which they must either recover their stolen rent money or make it up another way. Dreux and Alyssa are both beautiful and talented, but still struggling to reach a point of financial security that lets them breathe easy. The day gets outrageous, but the ending is satisfying and the jokes throughout are accessible without sacrificing cultural context.
Hood comedies have always utilized dark humor, and “One of Them Days” doesn’t shy away from the realities of gentrification, gang activity, and predatory lenders who take advantage of struggling working class folks. SZA doesn’t have the acting chops of Palmer — this is her film debut — but she does show much more natural promise than other musicians who have transitioned to film. It is Palmer’s movie, though, and she makes for a relatable, dynamic lead.
Cast: Keke Palmer, SZA, Katt Williams
Director: Lawrence Lamon
Runtime: 1h 37m
Rating: R
Friendship
Ever since Tim Robinson came out with his own sketch show — “I Think You Should Leave” — on Netflix, he’s established a reputation for surreal, boundary-blurring comedy that questions the banal social rituals that many people accept as second nature. Robinson didn’t write or direct “Friendship,” but he does bring his signature comedic sensibility to the role of Craig Waterman, a bland, self-conscious marketing executive who seems to consistently find himself on a different page from his wife and son (Kate Mara & Jack Dylan Grazer, respectively). By chance, Craig encounters a neighbor and local weatherman Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd) and mistakes his charisma and impulsivity as overtures of friendship.
“Friendship” is definitely a comedy, but it’s the kind of comedy that will leave a wry grimace on your face by the end. The comedy of the film comes from the absurdly warped priorities of Craig and Austin, which is also the biggest thing they have in common. For Craig, embarrassment is akin to great tragedy, and with his lack of social instincts it’s a tragedy he experiences more than once over the course of the movie. Paul Rudd is charming as ever, this time leaning into a smarmier energy, which works very well. Craig is both pitiful and despicable, and most of the laughs that audiences will find in the film will come from a kind of disbelief that a man like him has made it as far in life as he has with so little sense.
Cast: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara
Director: Andrew DeYoung
Runtime: 1h 41m
Rating: R
Heads of State
Probably one of the most traditional comedies of the year, “Heads of State” is a fun, action-filled feature starring John Cena and Idris Elba as, respectively, the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Britain. Buddy movies like “Heads of State” tend to follow a clear pattern: Two people who don’t get along are forced to set aside their differences and work together, and in the process they become permanently linked by camaraderie. In this film, President Will Derringer (Cena) and Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Elba) — who are not initially big fans of each other — find themselves together without their vast resources, running from some very skilled killers. With the help of operatives like Sam’s ex-flame Noel (Priyanka Chopra), they make their way across Europe in an attempt to prevent the dissolve of NATO.
It actually sounds like a very serious premise, but this is first and foremost a fun movie. The film’s many action scenes are well-composed, and Priyanka Chopra’s fight choreography is very impressive. Its strongest element is the shared gravitas of its two leads, though, as both John Cena and Idris Elba are naturally charismatic screen presences and surprisingly equipped comedic performers. The film offers a look at government officials who want to fight for transparency and a general populace hopeful for peace, and that backdrop leaves room for the film’s silly laughs.
Cast: Idris Elba, John Cena, Priyanka Chopra
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Runtime: 1h 53m
Rating: PG-13
Death of a Unicorn
While “Death of a Unicorn” cannot be categorized as a box office hit nor a critical darling, it is still too interesting to discount. The film reads similarly to “Good Fortune” in that it feels like a message-based parable, but it’s not nearly as deft in its execution. It follows a father and daughter, Elliot (Paul Rudd) and Ridley (Jenna Ortega), as they discover real-life unicorns and share their discovery with Elliot’s ultra-wealthy employer Odell (Richard E. Grant). The unicorns live in Odell’s vast, forested property, and it doesn’t take the group long to discover that their flesh and organic matter have miraculous healing powers.
Ortega and Rudd are both gifted co-stars — particularly good at selling the emotional dynamics of a long relationship with a short amount of screentime — but the film seems to constantly be referencing a past that feels more relevant than it ever actually becomes. The funniest part of the movie is definitely Will Poulter’s Shepard — Odell’s son and an incapable, self-obsessed coward — whose relationship to the unicorns is visceral, to say the least. “Death of a Unicorn” is technically comedic horror, so be prepared for violent set pieces that look like if Quentin Tarantino directed a live-action “My Little Pony.”
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter
Director: Alex Scharfman
Runtime: 1h 47m
Rating: R
The Naked Gun
“The Naked Gun” is a 2025 reboot of a beloved Leslie Nielsen franchise that offers a silly cop film parody with absurd comedic beats and many winking references to the original. Liam Neeson, officially one of the most eclectic leading men in Hollywood, stars as Frank Drebin, who is meant to be the son of Leslie Nielsen’s original Frank Drebin (don’t think about it too hard). For a comedy series with a very loose relationship to logic, “The Naked Gun” franchise and its 2025 reboot actually have quite a rich text. Neeson’s Drebin spends most of the film attempting to solve a series of nonsensical crimes with various nonsensical methods, and the point really isn’t the plot so much as it is the chance to see Liam Neeson confidently make a fool of himself.
It’s a treat to see Pamela Anderson in the film as well — she costars as Beth Davenport, sister to the victim of one of Frank’s murder investigations — after her comeback with “The Last Showgirl.” Both Anderson and Neeson have a blast with the film’s classic slapstick, and even though it’s not a particularly coherent movie, “The Naked Gun” feels like exactly the kind of chaotic reboot and comedic callback 2025 needed to see. Any movie that chooses to take advantage of the criminally underrated Paul Walter Hauser is worth checking out.
Cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Danny Huston
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Runtime: 1h 25m
Rating: PG-13
The Wedding Banquet
Definitely the most feel-good film on the list, “The Wedding Banquet” is sort of like a platonic and romantic comedy, modern society’s answer to the singular romantic focus of sentimental comedy over the past 50 years. The film follows two queer couples: Lee (Lily Gladstone) and Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and their close friends Chris (Bowen Yang) and Min (Han Gi-chan). At the start of the movie, Min’s grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) tells him he must return to Korea to work in his family’s wealthy business, unaware that he is gay and has fallen in love with his American boyfriend. Chris does not want Min to be disowned by his family, so Angela and Min come up with a scheme to keep his secret and appease his family by faking a romance and getting married.
Obviously chaos ensues — is anything more worthy of hijinks than a sham wedding? And a collection of comedic moments combine to tell a story about found family and the stubborn perpetuity of love. It’s lovely to see Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran enjoying themselves on screen in a heartwarming, low-profile film (Gladstone’s role in “Killers of the Flower Moon” is heavy and tragic and Kelly Marie Tran was bullied off of the internet for daring to co-star in a “Star Wars” sequel film), and Bowen Yang is probably one of the funniest people working in Hollywood today. This charming queer romcom is well worth the watch.
Cast: Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran
Director: Andrew Ahn
Runtime: 1h 43m
Rating: R
The Roses
Despite the fact that they have run in the same small, British acting circle for years and thus cultivated a close friendship, Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t share the screen until they co-starred as Ivy and Theo Rose in “The Roses.” Theo and Ivy are a married couple who met and bonded over their shared talent, passion, and ambition, but Ivy’s chef career takes a backseat once they have kids and Theo becomes a successful architect. Theo knows that his wife has a special talent, though, and buys her a restaurant that one day blows up thanks to random magazine reviewer’s unscheduled pit stop. At the same time that Ivy’s career explodes, Theo’s deflates thanks to a critical design flaw in his most prestigious project yet.
The film is just funny enough to be called a comedy, and only just romantic enough to earn the rom-com designation. A lot of the movie sees Ivy and Theo in conflict over the kind of resentments that can build between two ambitious people trying to support each other. “The Roses” is a film about the middle years of marriage, and one that offers a story that feels genuinely new. Plus, Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch are both especially capable of conveying equal parts humor and depth as actors, which makes them the perfect pair to bring the Roses to life.
Cast: Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Samberg
Director: Jay Roach
Runtime: 1h 45m
Rating: R
Novocaine
With 2023’s “Hitman,” Glen Powell revived the action hero model that made naturally charismatic stars like Will Smith and Ryan Reynolds household names. That model depends on an attractive face, certainly, and the standard fit physique required for any leading man in Hollywood, but what sets it apart is a lead’s winking humor. Jack Quaid most likely hoped to cultivate that model with “Novocaine.” Quaid plays Nathan, an everyday guy with a real-life superpower: Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis. Essentially, he can’t feel pain — which isn’t as great as it sounds.
“Novocaine” was a box office bomb, but received mostly positive reviews from audiences and critics. Likely, Quaid is simply not yet a big enough name on his own to sell such an ego-driven film, but he still handles the role with confidence and craft, as well as his signature geeky, “what the hell is going on here” comedic tone. The premise is pretty interesting, but the plot is a bit rote — you’ll be watching for the action scenes, flinching with Nathan’s every unnoticed broken bone and laughing at the creative applications of his condition.
Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson
Director: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
Runtime: 1h 50m
Rating: R
The Phoenician Scheme
As a matter of form, all Wes Anderson movies are at least marginally categorizable as comedies. Anderson’s characters are less like humans and more like a hoard of manic pixie archetypes. They combine with Anderson’s saturated, vintage aesthetic and tendency toward artful scene transitions to create the closest thing that exists to a live-action cartoon. Even if you don’t like Wes Anderson, it’s difficult not to laugh simply out of incredulity at his audacious direction. The Phoenician Scheme is much the same as the rest of Anderson’s work, so a relatively solid comedy.
The film follows an amoral arms dealer named Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda (Benicio del Toro) and finds him narrowly escaping an assassination attempt only to end up confronted by an afterlife audit while unconscious. Korda spends the film attempting to outrun his mortality while reconnecting with his daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) and attempting to pull off an infrastructure scheme in Phoenicia, only to realize that his amorality is the reason for his jeopardy. It’s always fun to watch del Toro make magic on screen, and his performance is the stand-out element of this particular Anderson flick.
Cast: Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Michael Cera
Director: Wes Anderson
Runtime: 1h 41m
Rating: PG-13