Top 10 Most Underrated Comedy Movies Ever

Reuniting the director and some of the cast from "Wet Hot American Summer," "They Came Together" suffered a similar fate of mostly being overlooked. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler star in a love story for the ages, although this movie is more interested in poking fun at romantic comedies than being one. Despite being a bit all over the place, "They Came Together" is witty and features an absolutely stacked cast. While the leads are tremendous, some of the movie's biggest laughs come courtesy of supporting characters like Christopher Meloni's Roland and Ed Helms' Eggbert.

Sandwiched between "Dumb and Dumber" and "There’s Something About Mary," "Kingpin" is very much a must-watch Farrelly Brothers flick, even if it’s not always treated as such. Desperate for a big payday, a former bowler takes a naive Amish guy under his wing, but their journey to Reno proves to be anything but simple. While a touch on the long side, "Kingpin" is still one hell of a ride and features an especially memorable performance by Bill Murray. Irreverent, mean-spirited, oddly touching, and stupidly funny, "Kingpin" throws out a surprising amount of curveballs and hits way more strikes than gutterballs.

Now, this is a doozy of a film. Turning all of the slasher conventions on their heads, "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil” follows two hillbillies as their plans to renovate their vacation home is interrupted by a group of college students who keep rudely dying all over their property. "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil'' is a comedy horror that prioritizes laughs over frights, although the film does manage to sneak in a few genuine scares among its many laugh-out-loud moments. Whether it’s Halloween or just a random day in spring, "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil" always hits the spot.

From the same minds responsible for "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun" series, "Top Secret!" is by no means a lesser film in the Zucker Brothers or Jim Abrahams' filmographies. Starring a charismatic Val Kilmer as an Elvis Presley-type rock star who ends up fighting in the resistance in East Germany, "Top Secret!" throws out one silly joke after another, with a ridiculous number of them landing. Be it an impromptu Tic-tac-toe match or a singing horse, "Top Secret!" spoofs everything under the sun and shows there is no such thing as a punchline that is too wacky.

There is a reason so many comedies boil down to awful people being horrible to each other - that formula just works. 2007's "Death at a Funeral" sees brothers, mothers, and secret lovers coming together to mourn the death of a family's patriarch, a supposedly sorrowful affair that ends up involving a lot of hallucinogens. A pitch-black comedy, this film throws anything resembling common decency out of the window and is all the better for it. When there is a naked man on the roof and a Peter Dinklage in attendance, any event - even a funeral - can be turned into a farce.

Making a movie is pretty difficult — especially when the lead has no idea he’s in it. A satire of the movie business that brings together the immeasurable talents of Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, "Bowfinger" tends to be forgotten in discussions of either comedian's best works. Martin is delightful as the sleazy but likable Bowfinger, a producer who will use every trick in the book to direct a movie. Murphy also delivers one of his best-ever performances, doing double duty as a paranoid Hollywood A-lister and his naive body double.

Stories set in Los Angeles are a dime a dozen, but there is nothing else quite like "L.A. Story." Written by and starring Steve Martin, "L.A. Story" chronicles the start of a peculiar but sweet romance between a journalist and a weatherman who happens to have a traffic sign as a wingman. Showing the realities of Los Angeles while also not ignoring the city's magical allure, the film finds honesty in its absurdity. "L.A. Story" presents surreal gags and outlandish scenarios as matter-of-factly as its quieter moments, allowing them to co-exist in perfect harmony.

What’s more interesting than reality? "Real Life's" Albert Brooks wants to film something truly authentic and begins a project to document the daily lives of a typical American family for an entire year. Naturally, it does not take too long for this experiment to go off the rails. A parody of documentaries, and as co-written and directed by Brooks, "Real Life" takes plenty of subtle and not-so-subtle jabs at the film industry in general. While quite loose on plot, "Real Life" makes up for it with plenty of memorable sequences and an unflinching commitment to seeing its premise through to the bitter end.

Generally, Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy's collaborations are a safe bet when it comes to high-quality ensemble comedies. The first of many great showcases of the duo's talent for mockumentaries, "Waiting for Guffman" focuses on a small town staging a theater show that might attract attention from a New York bigwig. Be it the slightly delusional Albertsons, the ambitious director Corky, or the scientific UFO expert, "Waiting for Guffman" fills Blaine with colorful characters that never lose their humanity despite their quirks. Witty, charming, and intelligent, "Waiting for Guffman" is improvisational comedy at its best.


Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Black Dynamite” (2009)
Because the Blaxploitation Genre Was Seldom This Funny

“Dirty Work” (1998)
Because If You Like Norm Macdonald’s Brand of Comedy, This Film Is a Must-Watch

“UHF” (1989)
Because Weird Al Is a Treasure & When the Film Hits, It Hits Hard

“The Man Who Knew Too Little” (1997)
Because Bill Murray as an Accidental Spy Is a Solid Enough Concept for a Few Laughs

“What About Bob?” (1991)
Because Frank Oz, Bill Murray & Richard Dreyfuss Are a Recipe for Hilarity

A flop at the box office that went on to become a cult hit, "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" is an endlessly quotable parody of music biopics that also has a fantastic soundtrack. When the wrong kid dies, Dewey sets out to live life twice as hard, becoming a famous musician in the process. Covering multiple decades and containing practically a gag a second, "Walk Hard" is an ambitious tribute to the music business that masterfully blends sincerity with goofiness. How many comedies can claim to feature cameos by both Elvis and The Beatles?