Comedy movies are one of the most popular ones. This genre continues to captivate the audience. Filmmakers, screenwriters as well as film studios know that comedies are often highly profitable. Since they help people relax and forget their worries, comedies excel at drawing the attention of the audience.
What makes them interesting is that comedies as just as relevant during difficult times as they are during happy times. Possibly even more so. The year 2020 saw the rise of the covid-19 pandemic that made thousands of people miserable. But comedies were made and helped the viewers laugh. Some of last year's comedy movies then win over the competition.
Updated December 28, 2021 by Mark Sammut: 2020 feels like it happened a lifetime ago. Its successor is basically at an end, and before long, 2020 will seem no different than 2008, 1997, or 1985. While some people might prefer to just erase the year and everything that happened within it from their consciousness, 2020 did produce its share of film successes, even if most didn’t make it to theaters. The year was oddly strong when it came to feature-length laugh fests, producing many comedy films that deserve to be watched and appreciated. Therefore, a few more of the best comedy movies of 2020 have been added to this article.
14 My Spy
Those viewers who only know Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer but love the character should give a chance to this movie. Bautista plays a super-effective CIA agent named JJ who's great at his job but not so much at talking to people.
He finds the most unexpected friend in a 9-year-old girl Sophie when he works undercover and watches her family. The film manages to make fun of typical cliché moments of action movies, and the arguments between JJ and Sophie (who's sometimes smarter than him) are fun to watch.
13 Sonic The Hedgehog
After the controversy where the studio significantly changed Sonic's look after a backlash from the character's fans, many people were curious how the film would turn out. And the answer is - it turned out well.
Sonic the Hedgehog might not be the most original film of all time but it has a lot of things to offer - from the sympathetic titular hero to James Marsden's performance as Sonic's human sidekick, to Jim Carrey's performance as the film's main villain, a completely crazy Dr. Robotnik. And, of course, it's full of humor that works for both children and their parents.
12 Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga isn't only the film with the longest title on this list but also one that the audience will either love or hate. It's about unique people who have their dreams they want to achieve and they don't care that nobody believes in them - sometimes not even themselves.
Fans of music, beautiful European countryside as well as bizarre humor (in the best possible meaning) might enjoy the film. Plus, Will Farrell and Rachel McAdams are brilliant in the leading roles.
11 The Trip To Greece
Michael Winterbottom's The Trip movies were a constant delight throughout the 2010s, and The Trip to Greece took the comedy series into the 2020s with ease. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's chemistry is impeccable, natural, and overflowing with charm; these two could spend the next two decades traveling around the world and their endearing escapades are likely to always produce a couple of memorable laughs.
The Trip to Greece isn't the best entry in the British comedy series, however, it offers a feeling of familiarity that is comforting. Considering the world's situation in 2020, The Trip to Greece provided a way for people to live vicariously through Coogan and Brydon.
10 Emma
Film and TV show adaption of Jane Austen often draw attention to themselves thanks to their clever stories and great acting performances. Emma focuses on an intelligent female heroine, as was Austen's habit, and contains a lot of intelligent British humor.
Anya Taylor-Joy shines as the titular heroine Emma who means well when she plays a matchmaker to her friends and people she knows but she often does more harm than good.
9 Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
15 years after bursting onto the scene, Borat made a very nice comeback in 2020. While lacking the shock and novelty factor of 2006’s mockumentary, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm makes up for it by adding a beating heart in the form of a (dysfunctional) father and daughter dynamic. As all heartwarming family comedies, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm finds the titular journalist trying to marry off his teenage daughter to Vice President Mike Pence.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm delivers irreverent humor and sharp social commentary as Sacha Baron Cohen's character nudges people as they dig their own graves in the name of comedy.
8 Love And Monsters
Some films only need their title to let the audience know that this particular story will make them laugh and relax. Love and Monsters prove it.
Even though it's set in a world where a monster apocalypse had happened, it's still funny and the film's main hero, Dylan O'Brien's Joel, is highly sympathetic since he's no action hero. He's just a guy who's trying to survive and find the girl he has a crush on. The film gives subtle Zombieland vibes but it works as a feel-good film all on its own.
7 Dating Amber
A lot of Irish films never find their audience in the USA. However, this film deserves more attention from all viewers. Eddie and Amber are good friends who study at a religious school. Eddie likes boys and Amber likes girls, and to get a rest, they decide to pretend they're dating.
The film successfully combines drama and humor, and the main characters are inherently sympathetic. Even more so for people who might have been in a similar position but went with a different solution.
6 Spontaneous
Spontaneous’ premise is simple but brilliant: what if teenagers at a school just started to randomly explode? It is an unthinkable situation ripe with comedic potential; however, if handled poorly or over-relied upon, this idea could have gotten old quickly. Thankfully, Spontaneous has way more up its sleeve than just explosions.
Spontaneous is a black comedy with romance, drama, and horror elements. The movie doesn’t skimp out on the grotesque visual imagery, delivering many sights that could leave someone laughing hysterically while they fight the urge to look away in disgust. The characters are on-point, as is the acting.
5 Onward
Tom Holland and Chris Pratt have met in the MCU as Peter Parker and Peter Quill, respectively. But the animated film Onward has them play two elves and brothers who decide to use magic to bring their dad back for one day.
The film creates a magical world full of unique characters. It's emotionally charged but also funny since the brothers are different from each other and they also meet a lot of strange beings on their journey.
4 Palm Springs
To some people, Palm Springs might seem like heaven on Earth. A pleasant place to relax and good company, it's all there, especially during events such as weddings. Nyles and Sarah both attend a wedding but when they get caught in a time loop and start reliving the wedding day over and over again, they decide to just go with the flow and have fun.
The theme of the time loop is popular in movies since it gives a lot of ways how to build a story, and Palm Springs offers a new spin of the well-known theme.
3 The Forty-Year-Old Version
Written and directed by Radha Blank, the filmmaker also takes on the lead role in this 2020 comedy, and The Forty-Year-Old Version is an incredible, career-making vehicle. The story follows Radha, a playwright who seeks to reinvent herself as a rapper in response to her 40th birthday.
A clever film about aging, The Forty-Year-Old Version has heart, style, and humor. The movie takes a compelling and unique look at a theme that has been done to death in cinema.
2 Riders Of Justice
Those who judge by the film's description might not believe it's also a comedy. The Danish film focuses on Marcus whose wife dies in a train accident. That's what Marcus believes it was - just an accident. At least until a group of strangers visit him and try to persuade him there's something more behind the train's destruction.
The film is surprisingly humorous thanks to the characters of its heroes who are in many ways unique. Their interactions are fun to watch, even more so thanks to the solid performances of all the actors. Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) portrays the main role and he's brilliant in it.
1 Soul
There aren't that many people who are interested in Pixar's Soul but haven't watched it just yet. Considering how much hype the film got, it's no surprise it drew a lot of viewers. However, the film deserves attention.
The story of the musician Joe who almost dies but manages to find his way back to life is both touching and funny. The most humorous moments include Joe's arguments with the cynical soul 22 as well as Joe's adventure in the body of a cat.