35 Best Comedies of All Time, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

This list of 35 laugh-out-loud comedies is like a who's who of 'ha-ha' moments, ranked by the critics who, let's face it, sometimes love to be the party poopers at the comedy club.

35. The General (1926)

Rotten Tomatoes score: N/A

Johnnie Gray, a train engineer during the American Civil War, has his beloved locomotive, The General, and his fiancée Annabelle Lee stolen by Union spies, leading to a daring and comedic chase through enemy lines to rescue both.

34. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%

Set in the 1970s, Ron Burgundy, a chauvinistic and famous anchorman in San Diego, struggles to cope with the arrival of an ambitious female reporter, Veronica Corningstone, leading to a comedic rivalry and eventual romance set against the backdrop of a changing newsroom culture.

33. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%

Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, two good-natured but incredibly dimwitted friends, embark on a cross-country trip from Rhode Island to Colorado to return a briefcase full of money to its owner, leading to a series of comedic misadventures and misunderstandings.

32. Coming to America (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%

Prince Akeem of Zamunda travels to New York City with his friend Semmi to escape an arranged marriage and find a wife who loves him for who he is; he disguises himself as a poor immigrant and embarks on a comedic journey of self-discovery and romance.

31. The Big Lebowski (1998)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a laid-back Los Angeles slacker, is mistaken for a millionaire with the same name, and after his rug is ruined in a mix-up, he is drawn into a convoluted kidnapping plot involving eccentric characters, leading to a series of comical misadventures.

30. Office Space (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

Peter Gibbons, disillusioned with his monotonous and frustrating job at a software company, undergoes hypnotherapy, becomes carefree and neglects his work, leading him and his two friends to hatch a scheme to embezzle money from the company, resulting in unexpected consequences.

29. Clueless (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%

Cher Horowitz, a wealthy and superficial high school student in Beverly Hills, plays matchmaker for her teachers and new friends, navigating the complexities of teen relationships and social dynamics, eventually finding love and gaining a deeper understanding of herself.

28. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

Ferris Bueller, a charismatic high school student, fakes illness to skip school and embarks on a day-long adventure through Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron, outwitting his principal and his suspicious sister along the way.

27. The Jerk (1979)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%

Navin Johnson, a naïve and dim-witted man who was raised by a poor black family in Mississippi, discovers he's adopted, sets out to explore the world, invents a popular eyeglass accessory, becomes a millionaire overnight, and then loses everything, learning the value of life beyond wealth.

26. In Bruges (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

Two Irish hitmen, Ray and Ken, are sent to Bruges, Belgium, to lay low after a botched job in London; while exploring the medieval city, Ray grapples with guilt and existential dread, and Ken receives orders from their boss to kill Ray, leading to a series of darkly comedic and violent confrontations.

25. The Graduate (1967)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate with no clear aim in life, is seduced by Mrs. Robinson, an older woman, and then falls in love with her daughter Elaine, leading to a complicated and tumultuous romantic triangle and an iconic final church scene.

24. Blazing Saddles (1974)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

In a satirical take on the Western genre, a corrupt political boss appoints Bart, a black railroad worker, as the sheriff of a frontier town, leading to a series of comedic challenges and confrontations as Bart teams up with the drunken gunfighter, Jim, to save the town.

23. Bridesmaids (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

Annie, a woman in her thirties with a failing bakery and a messy personal life, experiences a series of comical and humiliating misadventures as she competes with her best friend's wealthy and perfect bridesmaid, Helen, in the lead-up to the wedding.

22. Raising Arizona (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

H.I. McDunnough, an ex-convict, and his wife Edwina, a former police officer, unable to have children of their own, kidnap one of the famous "Arizona Quints," leading to a chaotic series of events involving bounty hunters, escaped convicts, and their own moral dilemmas.

21. The Producers (1967)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

A failing Broadway producer, Max Bialystock, and a timid accountant, Leo Bloom, devise a scheme to produce the worst musical ever, "Springtime for Hitler," planning to fraudulently keep the investors' money when it flops, but their plan backfires when the show becomes a hit.

20. Hot Fuzz (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Nicholas Angel, an overachieving London policeman, is transferred to a quiet village, Sandford, where he uncovers a series of suspicious accidents and, with the help of a bumbling local officer, Danny Butterman, unravels a conspiracy involving the town's residents committing murders to maintain their 'Village of the Year' status.

19. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Borat Sagdiyev, a fictitious Kazakh journalist, travels to the United States to make a documentary, resulting in a series of outrageous and culturally awkward encounters as he explores American society, customs, and prejudices.

18. When Harry Met Sally ( 1989)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Harry and Sally meet after graduating from college and, over the years, have a series of chance encounters in New York City, debating whether men and women can ever be just friends, eventually developing a deep friendship that turns into love.

17. Duck Soup (1933)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Rufus T. Firefly is appointed the leader of the small, bankrupt country of Freedonia and leads it into a comical war with the neighboring country of Sylvania, filled with Marx Brothers' signature slapstick humor and political satire.

16. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Neal Page, an uptight advertising executive, is forced to travel with Del Griffith, an annoying but good-hearted shower curtain ring salesman, leading to a series of misadventures and transportation mishaps as they try to get Neal home to Chicago for Thanksgiving.

15. Heathers (1988)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Veronica Sawyer, a high school student in Ohio, becomes disillusioned with her popular girl clique, the Heathers, and teams up with a rebellious new student, J.D., to play a deadly prank on the clique's leader, inadvertently sparking a series of murders disguised as suicides.

14. The Apartment (1960)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

C.C. "Bud" Baxter, an ambitious insurance clerk, lends his apartment to company executives for their extramarital affairs, but things get complicated when he falls for Fran Kubelik, an elevator operator who is having an affair with his boss.

13. Young Frankenstein ( 1974)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Frederick Frankenstein, a respected medical lecturer and the grandson of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein, inherits the family estate in Transylvania and recreates his grandfather's experiments, resulting in the creation of a new, misunderstood monster, leading to comedic chaos.

12. Groundhog Day (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Phil Connors, a cynical TV weatherman covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, finds himself trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day repeatedly, leading him to reevaluate his life and priorities as he tries different ways to break the cycle.

11. Some Like It Hot (1959)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

Two male musicians, Joe and Jerry, witness the Saint Valentine's Day massacre and flee in drag as members of an all-female band, leading to a series of comedic situations, including Joe falling for the band's vocalist, Sugar, and Jerry being pursued by a smitten millionaire.

10. City Lights (1931)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

The Tramp falls in love with a blind flower girl and befriends a drunken millionaire, leading to a series of comedic and poignant adventures as he tries to raise money for the girl's rent and an operation to restore her sight.

9. Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

Brian Cohen, a young Jewish man, is born on the same day and next door to Jesus Christ and is subsequently mistaken for the Messiah, leading him on a series of absurd misadventures, culminating in a crucifixion scene while a chorus sings "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a low-budget, absurdly humorous quest for the Holy Grail, encountering a series of increasingly bizarre obstacles including taunting French guards, a killer rabbit, and the legendary Black Knight.

7. This is Spinal Tap (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

A mockumentary following the fictional British heavy metal band Spinal Tap, capturing their American comeback tour, which is marred by absurd mishaps, dwindling audiences, and bizarre incidents, highlighting the absurdities and eccentricities of rock musicians.

6. A Night at the Opera (1935)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

The Marx Brothers create chaos in the world of opera when Otis B. Driftwood, a shrewd business manager, and his friends, Fiorello and Tomasso, scheme to help two young opera singers, Rosa and Ricardo, find success and love, leading to hilarious mishaps and a chaotic ocean liner journey to New York.

5. Airplane! (1980)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

A parody of disaster films, where a traumatized former fighter pilot, Ted Striker, must overcome his fear of flying and land a passenger plane after the crew falls ill due to food poisoning, with the help of his ex-girlfriend, Elaine, a flight attendant.

4. Annie Hall (1977)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

Neurotic comedian Alvy Singer reflects on his tumultuous relationship with the quirky and endearing Annie Hall, exploring themes of love, sexuality, and neurosis, set against the backdrop of 1970s New York.

3. It Happened One Night (1934)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%

A spoiled heiress, Ellie Andrews, runs away from her family and meets a cynical newspaper reporter, Peter Warne, who offers to help her in exchange for an exclusive story, leading to a series of adventures and a budding romance.

2. Modern Times (1936)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%

Charlie Chaplin's iconic character, the Tramp, struggles to survive in the modern industrial world, facing various hardships at a factory job, meeting a gamin with whom he tries to build a life, and enduring comedic struggles against technology and the dehumanizing effects of the Great Depression.

1. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%

A dark comedy about the Cold War and nuclear paranoia, where an unhinged U.S. Air Force general orders a first-strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, leading to a series of absurd and catastrophic events in the Pentagon's War Room and on a B-52 bomber.