The 23 best comedy movies you can stream on Netflix right now

Warner Bros.

“Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”

Whether it’s this insane election year or the everyday stress of work or waiting until Hollywood unloads its best dramatic work later in the year, now is as good a time as ever to get a good laugh from one of the best comedies ever made.

Thankfully, Netflix has some great comedies that you can watch right now to brighten up your day.

Whether it’s a classic like “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” or the new addition to the streaming giant, “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,” there’s something to stream for all comedy tastes.

Here are the 23 best comedies streaming on Netflix:

1. “Adventureland”

Nothing beats a good coming-of-age romantic comedy, and this is one of the better ones. Directed by Greg Mottola (“Superbad”), it follows James (Jesse Eisenberg) working his summer job at a broken-down amusement park who encounters a summer crush (Kristen Stewart).  

2. “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey”

The sequel to “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” featuring the pleasant doofuses Bill S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves), is worthy of the original hit, with robot versions of the duo out to destroy them. Oh, and Death makes an appearance.

3. “Burke and Hare”

One of John Landis’ most underappreciated movies, this morbidly comic look at the infamous West Port murders stars Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as the duo who grave-robbed to make some extra coin. But through Landis’ lens, they are bumbling fools who, in their quest to make a quick buck, fall into some very gory situations.

A highlight is seeing Serkis act in the flesh. (He’s known best for being the man behind the CGI creations of Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” and most recently Caesar in “The Planet of the Apes” movies.)

4. “Chef”

Jon Favreau writes, directs, and stars in this comedy about a top chef who loses his love of the craft so he starts from scratch by starting a food truck business. Don’t watch this movie on an empty stomach. 

5. “Coming to America”

Eddie Murphy is at his comedic peak in this movie (also directed by John Landis), playing an African prince who travels to Queens, New York, to find a worthy bride. The fish-out-of-water storyline is done masterfully thanks to crass language and the hilarious characters Murphy plays in the movie. 

6. “Frances Ha”

Greta Gerwig and director Noah Baumbach capture late-20-something life better than “Girls” or countless mumblecore movies ever have in this comedy that follows a young woman’s (Gerwig) nomadic existence in New York City.

7. “Galaxy Quest”

This sci-fi comedy has grown to have a huge cult following since its release in 1999, thanks in part to its clever homage to “Star Trek” fandom and its playing on traits in the genre.

8. “Heathers”

Before “Mean Girls,” this group ruled the school. The dismantling of the cool clique in high school has been done countless times by Hollywood, but this movie was the first to do it in such a dark, ingeniously satirical way. And who can beat the tandem of Winona Ryder and Christian Slater?

9. “Kingpin”

The Farrelly brothers’ most underappreciated movie (not close behind: “The Heartbreak Kid“) stars Woody Harrelson as a down-on-his-luck one-handed bowler who finds a prodigy (Randy Quaid) to take under his wing, and, in typical Farrelly fashion, gross humor and clever jokes ensue. Not to mention Bill Murray stealing the movie playing bowling pro “Big Ern.”  

10. “Major League”

Inside jokes and clubhouse humor are brought out perfectly in one of the smartest sports movies ever made, looking at the worst-to-first run by the Cleveland Indians. But even if you know nothing about baseball, that’s the gift of this movie: The jokes still work because the story and characters (played by the likes of Charlie Sheen and Wesley Snipes) ring universally true.

11. “Mean Girls”

Cady (Lindsay Lohan) is the new girl in school who can’t help but want to be one of The Plastics. Until she becomes one. 

12. “Meet the Patels”

You may know actor Ravi Patel from the series “Grandfathered” or his appearance on “Master of None,” but he has also spent years looking for love. In the funny documentary he made with his sister, Geeta, we see just how difficult (and amazingly complex) it is for an Indian-American to get married in the traditional manner of his culture.  

13. “Moonrise Kingdom”

In one of Wes Anderson’s best, a young couple flee a small town leaving the adults comically scurrying to find them.

14. “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure”

One great perk of “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday” being on Netflix is that you can also go and watch “Big Adventure.” Tim Burton’s classic doesn’t feel outdated at all (just ignore the Mr. T cereal) and the jokes, as childlike as they are, still work. 

15. “Scrooged”

Bill Murray is back. This time playing a selfish TV executive who is haunted by three spirits on Christmas Eve. Yeah, we’re nowhere near the holidays, but we can watch the banter between Murray and Carol Kane any time of the year.

16. “Sleepwalk with Me”

Comedian Mike Birbiglia is struggling with his stalled stand-up career and relationship, and has issues with sleepwalking. It all combines to make a truly funny and heartfelt look at middle age. 

17. “Staten Island Summer”

One of the best comedies you never saw last year, this comedy filled with “Saturday Night Live” regulars and alums is a mix of “Adventureland” and “Dazed and Confused” that shouldn’t be missed. Set at a public pool over the summer, it follows the daily lives of lifeguards who just want to have sex and party.

18. “Swingers”

Though the movie may not feel as hip as it did when it came out in 1996, it still has extremely funny moments, like the trip to Vegas and the last gag before the credits. Give it a whirl if you haven’t seen it in a while.

19. “Tangerine”

Working girl Sin-Dee has just learned that her pimp/boyfriend Chester has been cheating on her and she’s pissed. Thus begins her journey through LA to find the woman responsible and confront Chester. Using transgender actresses in the lead roles and shot on an iPhone, director Sean Baker’s indie is hilarious and moving while hitting so many real-life issues.

20. “Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie”

I’ve seen this movie a few times and I still honestly can’t put it into words. All I can say is if you love the absurdist humor of Tim and Eric, watch this movie.

21. “Tiny Furniture”

The debut feature by Lena Dunham, this look at a recent college grad (Dunham) returning home to figure out her life is basically the birth of “Girls” and the unstoppable comedic talents of its creator.

22. “The Trip”

If you’re interested in watching two of the funniest people on the planet eat amazing food and converse, then this is the movie for you. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon spend the entire movie enjoying amazing restaurants in the English countryside and (mostly) improvising their chats, including giving the “correct” Michael Caine impression. 

23. “Wet Hot American Summer”

David Wain’s cult favorite that launched the Netflix original, “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp,” has an incredible cast (Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks) full of actors who were mostly unknown at the time. This unique comedy is one you might not have connected with the first time you saw it, but trust us: You need to watch it again. 

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