Dying is easy; comedy is hard, or at least that’s how the old adage goes. The genre requires remarkable wit and self-awareness to both write and perform, which is why so many comedy movies fail to entertain, let alone humor. Those that do are often full of clever and memorable jabs, largely because they understand exactly what they’re doing and, just as importantly, who they’re doing it for.
So far, 2024 has produced several comedies, although only a few have truly stood out. It has been a notoriously tough year for original movies, which comedies often tend to be, but we can always count on a reliable few to keep us laughing. From absurdist black comedies from the likes of Yorgos Lanthimos to action rom-coms from auteurs like Richard Linklater, these are the best comedy movies of 2024 so far.
5. The Ministry of Ungenltemanly Warfare
Guy Ritchie returns to his well-known, well-oiled, over-the-top brand of action comedy with the historical spy comedy The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Henry Cavill leads an ensemble that also includes Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, and Henry Golding in this romp based on a true story if you can believe it. The plot centers on a group of rogues who form a secret operation to neutralize German U-boats during World War II.
Ungentlemanly Warfare offers the type of exaggerated, stylized, fast-paced comedy fans have come to expect from Ritchie. In that regard, it is on the safer side, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. Few directors blend eye-raising machismo, stylized violence, and overly British zingers like Ritchie, and he assembles the perfect cast for the mission.
The film is exactly what Henry Cavill needed to save his movie star career, and he does admirably in a role we haven’t seen him in before. Still, the film belongs to Ritchson, whose mountain-of-a-man assassin has some of the funniest moments, and González, who supports the narrative’s emotional weight.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is available for rent or purchase on Amazon and other digital vendors.
4. Babes
Anyone who’s seen Broad City knows exactly what Ilana Glazer is capable of. A comedic force of nature and the creator of several of the internet’s best GIFs and most viral moments, Glazer should honestly have a bigger career. Still, she got to star in Babes, another comedic gem this year, opposite the equally underrated Michelle Buteau. The plot centers on Eden, a young woman who becomes pregnant after a one-night stand, turning to her best friend and mother-of-two for support.
Babes benefits tremendously from Glazer’s screenplay — which she co-wrote with Josh Rabinowitz — and star performance. In her feature directorial debut, Pamela Adlon guides the film, enhancing the already strong themes of sisterhood and motherhood.
Babes is sweet and impressively original in its portrayal of these two themes, which are common in mainstream media but so often misunderstood. Often laugh-out-loud hilarious and always empathetic, Babes is this year’s underappreciated gem.
Babes is currently not available to stream in the U.S. and Canada.
3. The Fall Guy
David Leitch has quickly made a name for himself as one of the best action-comedy directors in the business. His most recent effort, The Fall Guy, pairs Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt as a stuntman and his former girlfriend, a camerawoman turned director. When he finds himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the leading actor, the stuntman must go on a dangerous adventure to save her directorial debut.
The Fall Guy rises on the strength of Gosling and Blunt’s romantic and comedic chemistry. Equal parts romantic comedy and action extravaganza, the film is a throwback to the action-adventure rom-coms of yore, echoing everything from Romancing the Stone to Knight and Day.
Although it was paid dust at the box office, The Fall Guy is a delightful, fun, and sincere love letter to the stunt community, and the closest thing to a non-animated four-quadrant movie Hollywood has produced in recent memory.
The Fall Guy is available to rent or purchase on Amazon and other digital vendors.
2. Kinds of Kindness
Few directors are so consistent with their unique brand of oddity as Yorgos Lanthimos. The five-time Oscar nominee gathers an impressive ensemble, led by his usual collaborator, Emma Stone, in this absurdist black comedy anthology, described as a “triptych fable.” The story centers on three distinctive stories loosely connected by a mysterious character. Stone stars opposite Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, and Joe Alwyn.
Make no mistake — Kinds of Kindness is not for everyone. It’s the most Yorgos Lanthimos movie Lanthimos has done since The Killing of a Sacred Deer, much more akin to his outright bizarre, nihilistic, and confrontational early efforts than the more approachable tone he adopted in The Favourite and the recent Poor Things.
The result is a daring, relentless, and scathingly funny black comedy that is as overtly adversarial and discomforting as it is witty and unforgettable. Approach with caution, but be ready to experience what might be 2024’s boldest comedy.
Kinds of Kindness is available to watch in theaters.
1. Hit Man
Hit Man is Glen Powell’s ascension as a genuine movie star. Powell co-wrote the film with Richard Linklater, who steps behind the camera to confidently guide this romantic black comedy about a college professor turned fake hit man who must protect a woman trying to flee her abusive husband. Adria Arjona stars opposite Powell, with the film basically acting as a two-hander.
Powell is at the peak of his charm in Hit Man, a film that relies entirely on his ability to dominate the screen. He receives considerable help from an enthralling Arjona but remains firmly at the center of the screwball action. Hit Man understands Powell’s appeal to a T, and exploits it with glee with a story that is sexy, captivating, and just ludicrous enough to be memorable.
Even if it often feels restrained by its inability to fully give into the lunacy demanded by such a premise, Hit Man remains an electrifying showcase for Powell and an outright irresistible movie that will have almost everyone fall for its unexpectedly dark delights.
Hit Man is available to stream on Netflix.
