Considering how widely accessible and versatile the genre can be, one can come to expect a countless amount of comedy movies being released each year that makes up the modern age of cinema. From high-budget blockbusters utilizing a cast of A-list stars to underground indie comedies that spread through word of mouth, there are a multitude of new comedy films being released constantly nowadays. It is simply an inevitability that each year is going to have its own standouts and premier examples of comedy greatness.
2025 has proven to be a wildly effective year for the comedy genre as a whole, with many 2025 comedy films competing for prestigious awards and achieving massive box office success. Comedy has also been wildly experimental this year, with many films blurring the lines between what can truly be considered a comedy movie experience. While comedy as a whole is always subjective to the point where each individual has their own standout favorites, these films continue to stand out as the most celebrated and memorable comedy experiences of the year.
10
‘Blue Moon’
One of the latest of what has become an expansive career of impactful comedies from director Richard Linklater, Blue Moon love letter to classic musical theater and a dynamic exploration of an oft-forgotten legend of the era, making for one of the most quaint and effective comedy indie films of the year. The film follows a singular night from the perspective of legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart (Ethan Hawke), confronting the inklings of the end of his career at a bar as his former collaborator celebrates the opening night of his new hit, Oklahoma!
Blue Moon is about as classic as a single-location movie can get, largely amplified by an arguable career-best performance from Hawke, who finds a striking balance between charm, off-putting, and underlying sadness. Even as some of the nuances and dynamics of its story are lost to those who aren’t as familiar with the history of musical theater, the film’s distinct setup and compelling standalone narrative have made it one of Linklater’s best movies.
9
‘Eternity’
Utilizing an ingenious premise of fantasy and connection to create what has easily become the standout romantic comedy of the year, Eternity combines its sprawling original concept with feel-good rom-com conventions to create an infectiously effective time. The film sees recently deceased couple Joan (Elizabeth Olson) and Larry (Miles Teller) entering the afterlife, only having a week to decide where their souls will spend the rest of eternity. However, when it is revealed that Joan’s first husband (Callum Turner) has spent 64 years waiting for her to arrive, she is given an impossible choice as to who to spend eternity with.
Between the inventiveness of its premise and the inherent fun and excitement that comes from a love triangle setting, Eternity gets a lot of mileage and finds great success compared to the wide array of other rom-coms released in 2025. Each member of this core trio has a lot to offer in terms of emotional strength as well as comedic timing, making the film an impactful time that can just as easily have audiences laughing as it can have them crying.
8
‘Eephus’
A quaint, unorthodox baseball comedy that easily stands as one of 2025’s most underrated comedies, Eephus feels like the ultimate example of accomplishing a lot with what seems to be so little. The film follows a duo of small-town baseball teams who are participating in what will be their last game, squaring off against one another, as their local baseball field is set to be torn down. Their final match together proves to be one for the ages, completing the long-standing tensions and rivalries as well as ceremonial laughs for what is truly the end of an era.
Eephus finds a lot of comedic strength out of its core understanding of the beauty and power of mundanity, allowing its relatable characters to simply live out their silly, awkward passion and letting the comedy of their dialogue and actions speak for itself. It’s never wildly over the top with its approach to comedy, feeling more grounded and muted to better emphasize the reality of their experiences and the weight that their silly baseball game has over them. It isn’t for everyone, but those who can appreciate a slower-paced comedy can’t miss out on what will easily be a new comedy cult classic.
7
‘Friendship’
Considering just how much of a modern comedy icon Tim Robinson has become thanks to his work on I Think You Should Leave, it was only a matter of time before a feature film was able to utilize his distinct comedic talents to great effect. Friendship proves to be exactly everything that one would want out of a feature-length Tim Robinson comedy, at times feeling like a collection of strung-together I Think You Should Leave sketches, but not letting up in terms of painfully brilliant awkward comedy.
The film sees Robinson as Craig Waterman, a sad, awkward suburban dad who so desperately wants to be friends with his new neighbor, Austin (Paul Rudd). While their friendship initially starts great, Craig’s increasingly desperate ploys for friendship and connection soon drive Austin away, causing Craig to devolve into a collection of chaotic outbursts with the community. It’s one of those films that is so precisely effective with the cringe-comedy that the only human reaction is to laugh at the pain and absurdity of it all.
6
‘Sorry, Baby’
Considering the dark and depressing material that Sorry, Baby delves into with its plot and characters, the fact that the film still manages to stay effective and charmingly funny with its execution speaks volumes to its narrative strength and the singular vision of filmmaker Eva Victor. The modern coming-of-age film sees Victor as Agnes, a young adult living a stuck, reclusive life after a shockingly traumatic event upends her life while at University. Even now, while she has seemingly found success and now works as a professor, things still feel off as life hasn’t gotten back on track.
There’s a sense of dark humor and painful realism to Sorry, Baby that works in tandem to amplify both the dramatic and comedic elements of its storytelling. It understands the gravitas and weight of its subjects, yet through an array of memorable performances and impactful dialogue, can find humor in even the darkest and most uncomfortable of situations. It’s about as effective and well-crafted as a feature film debut can get, and it shows great potential in whatever Victor decides to do next.
5
‘The Naked Gun’
It’s incredibly rare for a modern reboot of a classic comedy series to even come close to the levels of comedic brilliance and ingenuity that made the original films such timeless comedy classics. However, Akiva Schaffer‘s take on The Naked Gun not only lives up to the lofty legacy of the original trilogy but at times even surpasses the originals in terms of its wild, over-the-top comedy and combination of classic and modern comedy.
It does a great job of not only paying tribute to the classic style of goofy comedy that made the original trilogy work, but also forging its own path and creating its own identity with the modern tendencies of parody comedy. Liam Neeson was never going to match the iconic comedy performance of Leslie Nielsen, yet he plays into his legacy and reputation as a hardened action hero to create a distinctly hilarious comedic performance that elevates the film. It’s easy to envision the film growing to be as appreciated and beloved as the original trilogy with time.
4
‘If I Had Legs I’d Kick You’
While If I Had Legs I’d Kick You certainly fits into the category of comedy, it certainly stands as one of the most stressful and anxiety-inducing comedies to have been released in recent memory. The film sees Rose Byrne as Linda, an exhausted mother attempting to navigate seemingly every aspect of her life crashing down around her. From a hole in her apartment to her daughter’s mysterious illness to an absent husband and difficulties at work, it feels like each passing second adds more chaos and madness to her life.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You certainly works wonders as a masterclass of tension in modern cinema, yet it also understands the brilliance of taking a step back and being able to laugh at the unrelenting chaos of its own situation. Moments like the hamster sequence find the perfect balance of keeping the audience on edge to a point of laughter, only to cap it off with the ultimate punchline of shocking bleak humor. It certainly isn’t for everyone, yet those who align with this style of comedy should absolutely seek this one out.
3
‘Marty Supreme’
While the film has presented itself as the high-flying, entertaining sports dramedy of the 2025 awards season that will surely earn Timothée Chalamet his long-awaited Oscar win, the truth of Marty Supreme is a wild, unrestrained journey of madness that is both hilarious and stress-inducing. The film acts like a more directly comedic version of Josh Safdie‘s previous films, seeing its less-than-reliable main character embark on a quest of increasingly drastic stakes and desperation to achieve his lofty, ego-driven goals.
Much like Uncut Gems before it, the lead performance is the centralizing force that makes this comedic thriller experience work so well, with Chalamet knocking it out of the park with the perfect balance of comedy, dramatic weight, and electrifying screen presence. Each scene proves to add to the madness that is Marty’s journey to success, although it’s consistently able to make audiences laugh along with his wild ride for what is easily one of 2025’s best films.
2
‘No Other Choice’
Legendary South Korean director Park Chan-wook isn’t inherently known for his work with comedy filmmaking, yet No Other Choice perfectly fine-tunes the director’s strengths and qualities to create an enthralling social satire perfectly concocted for the modern era. The film sees Lee Byung-hun as Yoo Man-soo, who, after being laid off from his job as a paper mill manager, finds shocking difficulty in finding a new job to support his lavish family. To reclaim his dignity, he embarks on a desperate ploy to kill off his luxurious competition to secure himself a job.
Even putting aside the striking relevance and effectiveness of its social satire tackling the difficulties of the modern job market, No Other Choice is easily one of the most crowd-pleasing and entertaining comedy thrillers of recent memory. Through its exceptional visual filmmaking, strikingly poignant writing, and beautifully crafted setpieces, the film soars to comedic heights and stands as a new icon of South Korean cinema.
1
‘One Battle After Another’
It’s hard to tie down and define One Battle After Another to a singular genre, as it feels as much like a comedy as it does a thriller, an action movie, and a crime drama. It makes its very inclusion upon this list inherently divisive, let alone giving it the top spot as the best comedy of 2025. However, when everything is settled and looking back on 2025 in film history, it’s hard to deny One Battle After Another as being anything but one of the funniest, well-crafted comedic experiences that the year had to offer.
A lot of this confusion comes from the fact that the film features a fair amount of serious, grounded moments as it does top-notch satire and wild comedic moments, yet its strong dramatic core works in tandem with its comedic side, not in spite of it. There’s a charming comedic delight to moments like Leonardo DiCaprio‘s increasingly angry argument over the phone call that simply cannot be topped as far as 2025’s comedy is concerned. It’s absolutely filled with fun moments, topical and effective satire, and overall, some of the best filmmaking that not just 2025, but the entire 2020s has seen so far.
