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Top 10 Comedy Movies of All Time in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Direct answer

This Is Spinal Tap (1984) is the top comedy movie of all time on critic scores, with a 98% Tomatometer from 181 reviews. Dr. Strangelove (97%) and Airplane! (97%) follow, then Some Like It Hot (95%), which AFI lists at #2 on its 100 Laughs list.

At a glance

#PickTomatometerBest for
1This Is Spinal Tap (1984)98% (181 reviews)Anyone who wants the funniest film about a band that never gets it right
2Dr. Strangelove (1964)97% (143 reviews)Viewers who like their comedy pitch-black and political
3Airplane! (1980)97% (71 reviews)Groups that want the most jokes per minute
4Some Like It Hot (1959)95% (74 reviews)Classic-Hollywood fans who want a farce with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon
5Young Frankenstein (1974)94% (71 reviews)Fans of horror spoofs and Mel Brooks
6Groundhog Day (1993)93% (145 reviews)A comedy with heart that you can rewatch
7Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)92% (131 reviews)Fans of absurd, sketch-style British humor
8The Big Lebowski (1998)79% (190 reviews)A shaggy-dog comedy to rewatch with friends
9Caddyshack (1980)72% (57 reviews)Golf fans and fans of improvised, anarchic comedy
10Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)66% (199 reviews)Anyone who wants quotable, silly 2000s comedy

Pick by what you want

Best overall
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Best classic
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Best dark satire
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Best rewatch
Groundhog Day (1993)
Best British
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

The ranking

1

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Answrs VerdictThe top Tomatometer on this list, 98%.
Tomatometer: 98% (181 reviews)Director, year: Rob Reiner, 1984Runtime: 82 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: #29 of 100

Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary follows a heavy-metal band on tour. It holds a 98% Tomatometer from 181 reviews, the highest of the 10, and AFI places it at #29. It runs 82 minutes.

Go ifAnyone who wants the funniest film about a band that never gets it right
Skip ifYou dislike deadpan, improvised humor
Why #1 over #2: Its 98% Tomatometer beats the 97% of Dr. Strangelove.
2

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Answrs VerdictA 97% Tomatometer and #4 on the AFI list.
Tomatometer: 97% (143 reviews)Director, year: Stanley Kubrick, 1964Runtime: 94 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: #4 of 100

Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 Cold War satire holds a 97% Tomatometer from 143 reviews and sits at #4 on AFI’s list. It runs 94 minutes.

Go ifViewers who like their comedy pitch-black and political
Skip ifYou want light, easy laughs
Why #2 over #3: It ties Airplane! at 97% but ranks higher on the AFI list, #4 against #10.
3

Airplane! (1980)

Airplane! (1980)
Answrs VerdictA 97% Tomatometer in just 87 minutes.
Tomatometer: 97% (71 reviews)Director, year: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, 1980Runtime: 87 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: #10 of 100

Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker’s 1980 disaster-movie spoof holds a 97% Tomatometer from 71 reviews and AFI ranks it #10. It runs 87 minutes.

Go ifGroups that want the most jokes per minute
Skip ifYou dislike spoofs and puns
Why #3 over #4: Its 97% Tomatometer beats the 95% of Some Like It Hot.
4

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Some Like It Hot (1959)
Answrs VerdictThe #2 comedy on the AFI list.
Tomatometer: 95% (74 reviews)Director, year: Billy Wilder, 1959Runtime: 121 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: #2 of 100

Billy Wilder’s 1959 farce stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. It holds a 95% Tomatometer from 74 reviews, and AFI lists it at #2. It runs 121 minutes.

Go ifClassic-Hollywood fans who want a farce with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon
Skip ifBlack-and-white films are a dealbreaker
Why #4 over #5: Its 95% Tomatometer beats the 94% of Young Frankenstein.
5

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Young Frankenstein (1974)
Answrs VerdictA 94% Tomatometer and #13 on the AFI list.
Tomatometer: 94% (71 reviews)Director, year: Mel Brooks, 1974Runtime: 105 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: #13 of 100

Mel Brooks’s 1974 horror parody holds a 94% Tomatometer from 71 reviews, and AFI ranks it #13. It runs 105 minutes.

Go ifFans of horror spoofs and Mel Brooks
Skip ifYou have never seen a classic monster movie
Why #5 over #6: Its 94% Tomatometer beats the 93% of Groundhog Day.
6

Groundhog Day (1993)

Groundhog Day (1993)
Answrs VerdictA 93% Tomatometer from 145 critics.
Tomatometer: 93% (145 reviews)Director, year: Harold Ramis, 1993Runtime: 101 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: #34 of 100

Harold Ramis’s 1993 time-loop comedy holds a 93% Tomatometer from 145 reviews, and AFI ranks it #34. It runs 101 minutes.

Go ifA comedy with heart that you can rewatch
Skip ifYou want non-stop gags over story
Why #6 over #7: Its 93% Tomatometer beats the 92% of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
7

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Answrs VerdictA 92% Tomatometer from 131 critics.
Tomatometer: 92% (131 reviews)Director, year: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, 1975Runtime: 92 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: Not on the list

Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones directed this 1975 Arthurian spoof. It holds a 92% Tomatometer from 131 reviews and runs 92 minutes. It is not on the AFI list.

Go ifFans of absurd, sketch-style British humor
Skip ifYou need a tidy plot
Why #7 over #8: Its 92% Tomatometer beats the 79% of The Big Lebowski.
8

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Big Lebowski (1998)
Answrs VerdictReviewed by 190 critics, who give it 79%.
Tomatometer: 79% (190 reviews)Director, year: Joel Coen (credited; co-directed with Ethan Coen), 1998Runtime: 117 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: Not on the list

Joel Coen is the credited director of this 1998 comedy, made with Ethan Coen. It holds a 79% Tomatometer from 190 reviews, runs 117 minutes, and is not on the AFI list.

Go ifA shaggy-dog comedy to rewatch with friends
Skip ifYou want a tight, fast-paced plot
Why #8 over #9: Its 79% Tomatometer beats the 72% of Caddyshack.
9

Caddyshack (1980)

Caddyshack (1980)
Answrs VerdictStill on the AFI list at #71.
Tomatometer: 72% (57 reviews)Director, year: Harold Ramis, 1980Runtime: 98 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: #71 of 100

Harold Ramis directed this 1980 golf-club comedy. It holds a 72% Tomatometer from 57 reviews and runs 98 minutes. AFI ranks it #71.

Go ifGolf fans and fans of improvised, anarchic comedy
Skip ifYou want a well-structured plot
Why #9 over #10: Its 72% Tomatometer beats the 66% of Anchorman.
10

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Answrs VerdictThe most-reviewed film here, at 66%.
Tomatometer: 66% (199 reviews)Director, year: Adam McKay, 2004Runtime: 94 minutesAFI 100 Laughs rank: Not on the list

Adam McKay directed this 2004 newsroom comedy. It holds a 66% Tomatometer from 199 reviews, the most reviews of the 10, and runs 94 minutes. It is not on the AFI list.

Go ifAnyone who wants quotable, silly 2000s comedy
Skip ifYou want the critics’ favorites

How we ranked these

We ranked the 10 films by their Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (the critics’ score), as shown on each film’s Rotten Tomatoes page, and broke the tie between Dr. Strangelove and Airplane! with their rank on AFI’s 100 Years...100 Laughs list, as shown on Wikipedia. Runtime and director come from each film’s Wikipedia article. We did not use our own opinion scores. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

What is the best comedy movie of all time?

On critic scores, This Is Spinal Tap (1984), which holds a 98% Tomatometer from 181 reviews. Dr. Strangelove and Airplane! follow at 97%.

What does AFI say is the funniest movie ever made?

AFI’s 100 Years...100 Laughs now lists Blazing Saddles (1974) at #1. Some Like It Hot (1959), the original #1, is now #2. Blazing Saddles is not one of our 10.

Which comedy has the most Rotten Tomatoes reviews on this list?

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy has 199 reviews and a 66% Tomatometer; The Big Lebowski has 190 reviews at 79%.

Which of these comedies is the shortest?

This Is Spinal Tap runs 82 minutes, the shortest of the 10. Some Like It Hot is the longest at 121 minutes.

Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics) at a glance

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)66 %
Caddyshack (1980)72 %
The Big Lebowski (1998)79 %
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)92 %
Groundhog Day (1993)93 %
Young Frankenstein (1974)94 %
Some Like It Hot (1959)95 %
Dr. Strangelove (1964)97 %
Airplane! (1980)97 %
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)98 %
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (critics), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

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