Best comedies to watch on Netflix right now

Fans across the pond may be disappointed that the popular sitcom is no longer on US Netflix – but here in the UK Friends is not going anywhere just yet. We’re sure you know the premise by now – after spoiled Rachel flees her wedding day and moves in with old friend Monica, she soon bonds with eccentric masseuse Phoebe, dim-witted actor Joey, sarcastic IT manager Chandler and insecure paleontologist Ross. We then follow the highs and lows of their Manhattan lives through the group’s 20s and 30s, through comedic career changes and chaotic romantic adventures – but most importantly, we see their friendship throughout.

One of the most popular shows of all time, the show’s many catchphrases (“We were on a break!”) and characters have become staples of pop culture, and the cast – particularly Jennifer Aniston – have all become household names. It’s a testament to the quality of the show that over 15 years on from the record-breaking finale, the series continues to do well on streaming and fans are still hungry for more – so much so that a Friends reunion show was filmed for HBO Max in 2021, and despite being unscripted, drew hype and headlines around the world. – Daniel Furn

While the hugely influential UK edition of The Office may have left the streaming service for now, Netflix still boasts The Office US, a rare beast in that it is an American adaptation that is arguably just as good as the original.

Other than moving the awkward antics from Slough to Scranton, the premise remains pretty much the same – a documentary film crew follow the monotonous lives of employees at a paper company in Slough, and the tedium, ego clashes and shenanigans that ensue. What really elevates the show, however, is Steve Carrell’s award-winning turn as Michael Scott, whose inappropriate behaviour, cringe-worthy jokes and self-delusions provide much of the comedy for the series.

After a mixed first season attempting to mimic the UK series, the show eventually found its own identity by making Michael into a much more sympathetic and well-meaning character than his David Brent counterpart, finding a winning formula that lasted for a whopping nine seasons and 201 episodes. It didn’t hurt that the sitcom made excellent use of its supporting cast also, with Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson and Ellie Kemper going on to become huge stars.

Nielsen named The Office as the most streamed show in Netflix in the US – no mean feat indeed. – Daniel Furn

Much like Clueless, Easy A is yet another high-school comedy inspired by a classic historical novel – this time the scandalous The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Much like the novel, Easy A’s protagonist Olive also uses her lies and rumours to advance her social standing, initially fibbing about losing her virginity to cover up her boring weekend. This being high school however, it’s not long before the rumour mill spins these stories out of control, and while Olive initially profits from her tall tales it’s not long before the truth catches up from her.

The first leading role of future Oscar winner Emma Stone, Easy A was the actress’s breakthrough role and earned her nominations for Best Actress at the Golden Globes as well as the BAFTA Rising Star award. Easy A is one of the better high school films of the last decade or so, lightly exploring themes of hypocrisy, conformity, deception and cyber-bullying all within a breezy teen comedy. It’s Clueless for the 21st century – a smart and funny adaptation of classic literature, modernised so that it’s fully relevant to the target audiences, complete with webcam vlogs, Tom Cruise jokes and still-pertinent digs at social media also.

Penn Badgley plays a far more charming love interest than his character in You, with Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes as devout Christian classmate Rhiannon. Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci and Malcolm McDowell are the adults overseeing proceedings. – Daniel Furn

After 11 seasons and 12 years on air, Archer is approaching Simpsons-esque levels of episode numbers and outrageous scenarios – and shows no signs of stopping. The self-referential adult animation follows narcissistic spy Sterling Archer and his colleagues at a dysfunctional intelligence agency, including his snarky mother and boss Malory and professional field agent and love interest Lana Kane.

However, the show has proved itself a master of reinvention, with the later seasons moving away from a spy parody to self-contained anthologies, seeing different versions of the characters in new locations and time periods including a noir-esque 1940s LA, a 1938 tropical island and even space. However, the show’s winning formula has remained the same – heavy amounts of pop culture references, whip-smart dialogue and meta jokes. For those who like zany comedy interspersed with bouts of action, then Archer is for you.

Adult animation veteran H Jon Benjamin (Bob’s Burgers) voices the titular Archer, with the late Jessica Walter as the overbearing Malory and Criminal Minds’ Aisha Tyler as voice of reason Lana. Ant-Man’s Judy Greer features as Malory’s delusional assistant Cheryl Tunt, with Rick and Morty’s Chris Parnell also lending his voice to mild-mannered accountant Cyril Figgis. – Daniel Furn

Eddie Murphy’s award-winning return to the silver screen, Dolemite Is My Name is a stylish throwback to the 1970s in this biopic of blaxploitation icon Rudy Ray Moore. Comedian and rap pioneer Rudy Ray Moore goes against all the odds to make a success out of his alter ego Dolemite – a hilarious and often obscene kung-fu fighter who becomes an underground sensation. The film chronicles the build-up to iconic 1975 film Dolemite, a watershed moment for Moore and the blaxploitation genre as a whole.

After several years away from major movie roles – and 20 years on from the last R-rated comedy role he’s known best for – Murphy is back at his foul-mouthed and bawdy best. However it’s not just a comedic return to form, as the film is as much a homage to Rudy Ray Moore as it is a comedy, and Murphy has received unanimous critical praise his performance as the larger-than-life filmmaker.

Murphy is joined by a stellar African-American cast, including Keegan Michael-Key (Key & Peele), Mike Epps (The Hangover), Craig Robinson (The Office), Tituss Burgess (The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (High Fidelity). The film also features Wesley Snipes in a prominent comeback role, and also sees appearances from Chris Rock and rappers T.I. and Snoop Dogg. – Daniel Furn

The US Office’s successor as the feel-good comedy of the 2010s, Brooklyn Nine-Nine takes the popular police procedural format and adds a workplace comedy spin to it. The show follows the diverse and dysfunctional employees at the fictional precinct as they wrestle with their personal lives and get up to workplace shenanigans, and even occasionally solve a few crimes.

Despite the show’s focus on crime, the series is infectiously cheery, largely thanks to the quippy comedic stylings of The Lonely Island’s Andy Samberg, who plays the wisecracking but immature lead character Jake Peralta. However, the show has since found its voice through a smart ensemble cast, featuring the deadpan Captain Holt (Andre Braugher), avid organiser Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero), goofy Boyle (Jo Lo Truglio), hardnut Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz), doting father Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) and the sardonic Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti).

The show’s quick-fire dialogue and deadpan putdowns soon launched a torrent of catchphrases and internet memes, with a particularly iconic Backstreet Boys gag reaching 22 million views on YouTube. However, the show hasn’t been afraid to tackle serious issues either while still retaining a sense of humour – an episode in which Terry Crews’ character is racially profiled has received particular praise, and the series has won a GLAAD award for its portrayal of LGBTQ+ people. – Daniel Furn

It might’ve been controversial at the time of its initial release, with some accusing it of blasphemy and some countries, including Ireland and Norway, banning it altogether for decades, but Monty Python’s Life of Brian – which tells the story of Brian Cohen (Graham Chapman), a Jewish-Romanian man who is born on the same day and in the stable next door to Jesus – is now widely regarded as one of the best comedy films ever made.

The film follows the ill-fated Brian as he becomes infatuated with a woman called Judith (Sue Jones-Davies), with his desire for her, as well as his dislike of the Romans, inspiring him to join independence movement People’s Front of Judea (PFJ) who spend more time fighting each other than the Romans.

More than 40 years on it’s a classic that absolutely lives up to the hype. Rude, crude and brilliant, this is the Pythons at their most unrestrained and firing on all cylinders. The jokes, many of them wonderfully tasteless, come thick and fast, and the one-liners (“He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy!” “I’m Brian and so’s my wife.”) have gone down in cinematic history. – Morgan Jeffery

Pushing animation as far as it will go, this very adult comedy follows teenage friends Andrew and Nick as they navigate puberty in suburban New York. ‘Hormone Monsters’ – dirty-minded shoulder angels who act as a personification of puberty – act as humorous sex education teachers for most of the main characters, explaining their changing bodies and sexual issues including all the gory details.

While Big Mouth includes all the gross-out humour you might expect from a show like this, underneath the smut are some surprising life lessons. Much like Netflix’s other hit Sex Education, Big Mouth touches on issues rarely explored on TV, including body positivity, sexism in sex education and other more explicit topics.

It’s backed up by an impressive cast too – co-creator Nick Kroll voices half the characters, including insecure teen Nick and Hormone Monster Maurice. Into the Spider-Verse’s John Mulaney plays Nick’s best friend Andrew, while comedian Jessi Klein voices sarcastic schoolgirl Jessi. Jason Mantzoukas, Maya Rudolph and Jordan Peele also lend their voices.

Big Mouth has clearly been a big success for Netflix, with five seasons now available – along with a spin-off titled Human Resources focused on the world of the hormone monsters. – Daniel Furn

Hailing from The Office US writer and star Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever explores the day-to-day life of a modern first-generation Indian-American teenager. LA 15-year-old Devi Vishwakuma is hoping to improve her social status at her second year of high school – but a tragic loss sees her instead struggling with grief, school problems, her Indian identity and an increasingly fraught relationship with her mother.

Based upon Kaling’s own childhood, this Indian-American-focused high-school drama has been praised for its representation of South Asians in Hollywood and breaking stereotypes of Asian characters in teen television. The show is also happy to lean on emotional themes as Devi processes grief and learns to balance her two cultures, while also providing the mandatory laughs that come with a teen comedy.

Newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan was picked to play Devi by Mindy Kaling after an open casting call that received 15,000 responses, despite only being 17 and having no professional acting experience. Poorna Jagannathan (The Night Of) plays Devi’s dermatologist mother, while Darren Barnet (Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD) plays love interest Paxton Hall-Yoshida. Tennis player John McEnroe is a left-field choice as the show’s narrator, with a guest narration from Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg. – Daniel Furn

After debuting on Channel 4 in 2020, Mae Martin’s brilliant sitcom Feel Good made the shift to Netflix for its second and final season, released in June 2021. Despite the change of channel, the show remains just as charming as before – striking a perfect balance between genuine laugh-out-loud comedy and thoughtful, nuanced exploration of serious themes such as addiction, gender identity and sexual assault.

Martin was nominated for a BAFTA for their performance in the first run and they are superb again this time around, while the always reliable Charlotte Ritchie makes for a perfect foil – and there’s a winning supporting turn from Friends star Lisa Kudrow as Martin’s mother too. Martin made the decision to end the series after two seasons, and while that may be disappointing to fans it could be a wise decision – these 12 episodes make for a near-perfect sitcom. – Patrick Cremona

Before Fleabag sent her career into the stratosphere, Phoebe Waller-Bridge wrote and starred in this six-part Channel 4 comedy, which grapples with the housing crisis with a very light touch.

It follows a group of property guardians, including the laddish Sam, played by a frosted-tipped, pre-Bridgerton Jonathan Bailey and confused divorcee Colin, played by Gavin & Stacey’s Adrian Scarborough, who have made their home in a derelict hospital building. Their rent might be low, but the threat of being turfed out at short notice hangs over them.

When the self-consciously quirky Lulu (Waller-Bridge) turns up to live alongside her old pal Anthony (The Split’s Damien Molony), it’s clear that the feelings she’s harbouring for him are more than friendly, and his girlfriend Kate (Louise Ford) is less than impressed. With a love triangle brewing and the hospital falling apart in front of its inhabitants’ eyes, what could possibly go wrong? – Katie Rosseinsky

Kevin Hart plays against type in this new Netflix film, dialling down his over-the-top comedic tendencies in order to give us a rare glimpse of his dramatic chops. Based on the bestselling memoir Two Kisses for Maddy: a Memoir of Loss and Love, this fact-based comedy-drama follows Hart as single father Matt and his struggles to raise his daughter following the sudden death of his wife. As his daughter grows from a screaming toddler to a struggling schoolchild, Matt must balance work and dating with his own grief – and being the very best father he can be.

Surprisingly emotional, Hart shows a previously unseen side to him by giving this true story the dramatic performance and weight it deserves, resulting in more than a few moments that will pull at the heartstrings. Not that Hart entirely neglects his comedy roots however, adding in some literal toilet humour with several expected nappy jokes but also adding some levity to some of the tender father-daughter moments. Melody Hurd (Them), Alfre Woodward (12 Years a Slave), Lil Rey Howery (Get Out) and DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It) make up the supporting cast. – Daniel Furn

Loosely based on creator Dan Harmon’s own university experiences, Community follows former lawyer Jeff Winger’s attempt to coast through community college, only to inadvertently form a study group with six other mismatched students. And what students they were – not only did the show bring Donald Glover and Alison Brie to the world’s attention, but Joel McHale (Ted), Gillian Jacobs (Love), Danny Pudi (Mythic Quest), Yvette Nicole Brown (Big Shot) and Ken Jeong (The Hangover).

What started out as the usual run-of-the-mill university comedy, Community soon found its unique identity with its meta plotlines and parodies of other TV shows, films and entire genres – all while remaining faithful to its characters/university setting. The show is famous for its paintball episodes in particular – just see how many action film references you can spot in the 20 minute runtime.

Infamously plagued by behind-the-scenes issues and low ratings while it was on the air, Community has since become a cult hit that received a popularity boost in 2020 when it was added to Netflix worldwide, the cast reunited for a table read and McHale and Jeong started a Community-themed podcast. The show gave us six sterling seasons – we’re more hopeful than ever for the movie. – Daniel Furn

After making his directorial debut with Eighth Grade and starring in Oscar-winning thriller Promising Young Woman, Bo Burnham is finally back with a brand new comedy special – written, shot, directed and edited by himself in the midst of the pandemic. While it’s been six years since Burnham’s last special Make Happy gave us a raft of quotable, hugely-viral tunes, he hasn’t lost his edge despite his recent success and Inside just proves that.

The COVID-themed special not only crams in a number of catchy ear-worms but captures so many themes of pandemic life, from the joys (and frustrations) of FaceTiming your mum to the last year’s effect on everyone’s mental health. A skilfully written 87 minutes with something to say, Bo Burnham: Inside will make you both laugh out loud and possibly cry throughout this sharp, poignant, brutal and relatable rollercoaster ride through the comedian’s mind. – Lauren Morris

Trevor Noah recently announced that, after eight years, he is to cease hosting one of America’s foremost satirical news programmes, The Daily Show. In truth he’s always looked a little awkward stuck behind a desk, so it’s good to see him already returning to stand-up comedy with a new Netflix special (Netflix already carries his previous shows, Afraid of the Dark and Son of Patricia). A performer who ably combines politics with regular observational comedy now tackles the tribulations of learning German, ordering Indian food in Scotland, and speaking ill of the dead.

Jack Seale

A show that surprisingly lives up to its name, Sex Education has become something of a phenomenon for Netflix. The show follows insecure student Otis, who inadvertently starts underground sex therapy at his school in order to impress sarcastic social outcast Maeve. However as he begins to solve his classmates’ problems, he starts to realise he should face his own issues with his frank sex therapist mother and his exploration of first love.

What sounds like an easy premise for a cheap sex comedy actually turns out to be so much more, with Otis and his mother’s therapy sessions used to openly discuss a number of sexual issues rarely even referred to on television, with a surprising amount of tenderness and care. Along with a healthy and progressive attitude to sex, the show also explores issues relating to sexuality, sexual assault, contraception and pornography. Being a teen comedy, there is of course the big will they/won’t they romance, as well as a few gross-out gags – but it never feels gratuitous or unnecessary.

Young rising star Asa Butterfield plays unwitting teenage sex therapist Otis Milburn, with X-Files legend Gillian Anderson as his over sharing mother. Emma Mackey plays the rebellious Maeve ahead of her appearance in Death on the Nile, while Ncuti Gawa plays Otis’s openly gay best friend Eric. – Daniel Furn

Break-out Irish hit Derry Girls has taken the world by storm since it premiered on Channel 4 in 2018, and is going from strength to strength. This unique sitcom follows a gaggle of 16-year-old girls at a Derry secondary school during the Troubles, as they deal with growing pains and teenage angst in the world of armed police and British Army checkpoints.

Channel 4’s biggest comedy launch since 2004, Derry Girls has been swamped with critical praise with season one earning an impressive 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes. The show is based on events in writer Lisa McGee’s own childhood, including writing a letter to Bill Clinton’s daughter, and has been praised for juxtaposing normal teenage life with the violence of the Troubles. It’s been a big hit in Northern Ireland in particular – it has become the most watched show since modern records began in the region, and a large mural of the cast has been painted in the titular city.

The cast are all rising stars now – theatre actress Saoirse-Monica Jackson plays the lead role of Erin Quinn, but is joined by an ensemble including Louisa Harland (The Deceived) as her meddling cousin Louisa McCool and Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) as the sensible Claire Devlin. Look out for the cameo from Father Ted’s Ardal O’Hanlon. – Daniel Furn

Beloved British sitcom Peep Show may have ended in 2015, but has only gotten more popular as more time passes from the finale. The title, despite what it may suggest, refers to the show’s style of being filmed entirely in first-person, which means we get to hear every regrettable thought of main characters slacker Jeremy and socially awkward Mark. The show follows the day-to-day lives of the two dysfunctional flatmates as they struggle to transition from university to working life, trying and usually failing to advance at work and dating.

While the show could easily have fallen into mismatched flatmate tropes, the show’s central gimmick is actually its greatest strength by bringing the viewer into collaboration with the protagonists. We understand exactly how they are feeling and thinking and can relate and empathise with them through every embarrassing situation, poor decision and terrible behaviour as we know their motivations.

This is, of course, helped by a sterling cast, specifically leads David Mitchell and Robert Webb who have genuinely known each other and collaborated since university. The supporting cast, too, are exceptional: most notably national treasure Olivia Colman in her breakthrough role of Sophie, but also Matt King deserves credit for nearly stealing the show with his fan-favourite character Super Hans. – Daniel Furn

Based on a script Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg started writing when they were only 13(!), it’s perhaps not surprising that Superbad is a rather authentic take on young friendships and school awkwardness. Teenagers and best friends Seth and Evan are hoping to go out with a big party before they head to different universities, but their friendship is tested when their plan to get booze goes seriously awry.

The film that introduced McLovin to the world, Superbad has made it to the pantheon of modern high school comedy classics. The film has all the bawdy jokes you’d expect from a Seth Rogen high-school comedy, but underneath all the smut is a genuinely touching story of male friendship. It was based on a real one after all, with Rogen and Evans basing the film on their experiences at secondary school in Vancouver in the 1990s. Rogen was originally meant to play Seth, but due to his age ended up playing Officer Michaels.

However, in Rogen’s place a young Jonah Hill was cast. His chemistry with Michael Cera’s Evan was particularly praised, and Hill, Cera, Rogen, Goldberg and producer Judd Apatow would go on to collaborate on a string of comedy hits in the late 2000s and 2010s. They weren’t the only breakthrough stars, however – Christopher Mintz-Plasse would go on to more teen comedy roles in Kick-Ass and Neighbours, while Emma Stone would go on to become lead in Easy A and eventually Oscar stardom. – Daniel Furn

A comedy film unlike any other, the Coen brothers went down the rare route of making an anthology film in their first movie made for streamer Netflix. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is split into six separate vignettes, and while each is distinct and separate, all share the same Western setting and the underlying theme of death. It certainly doesn’t sound cheery – but the Coen brothers of all people know how to mine comedy from the darkest of storylines.

Presented as a dime western novel, the six tall tales follow the rather violent escapades of a crooning cowboy, an unlucky bank robber, a travelling impresario, a grizzled prospector, a weary wagon train and a possibly supernatural stagecoach journey. Ranging from absurd to profound to ironic in the blink of an eye, it must be noted that not every short film is a straightforward comedy with some dark drama mixed in there too – it’s a real rollercoaster ride. Imagine if Pulp Fiction was a Western made up of separate stories, and you’re close to the unique tone this film has achieved.

Simultaneously both fresh and old-fashioned, every story feels like an authentic western with sweeping vistas and real grit, even if the stories themselves are anything but conventional. It’s helped by an incredible cast across the six segments – Coen brothers regular Tim Blake Nelson memorably plays the iconic Buster Scruggs, but is joined by the likes of James Franco, Liam Neeson, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Melling and Zoe Kazan. – Daniel Furn

Netflix has had overwhelming success in making their own rom-coms recently – and Always Be My Maybe is one of their best. Co-written by stars Ali Wong and Randall Park, this rom-com follows two childhood friends Sasha and Marcus whose teenage fling ends badly prompting the two to stop speaking for the next 15 years. When they reconnect as adults the sparks are still there, so despite Sasha’s demanding career and Marcus’s fears, could this maybe just work?

Ali Wong will be well known to Netflix viewers for her stand up specials Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife and really has known WandaVision’s Randall Park for over 20 years, with the two planning to make their own version of When Harry Met Sally for some time. However, the film is mostly known for its unexpected celebrity cameo, with Keanu Reeves not just appearing as Sasha’s date, but playing an obnoxious hipster version of himself. Arriving in the peak of the Keanussance following the release of John Wick Chapter 3, Reeves very nearly steals the film in his brief scenes, and not only is he in on the joke, but suggested many of them himself – now that’s how you play against type. – Daniel Furn

Olivia Colman is Hollywood royalty these days, but before her Oscar-winning turn the national treasure was the darling of British comedy. Colman started out in eccentric dark comedy Peep Show and in 2016 fittingly followed up with dark eccentric comedy Flowers, following the titular Flowers family made up of author Maurice (Julian Barratt) and teacher Deborah (Colman) who are barely staving off divorce. Dysfunctional is the word for this family – Maurice struggles with dark secrets while Deborah wrestles with the suspicion that Maurice is having an affair, while their 25-year-old maladjusted twins compete for the affection of a neighbour.

With offbeat humour not dissimilar to Colman’s The Favourite, Flowers does however find a surprising emotional core amongst the pitch-black humour and eccentric jokes. In particular, the show has been praised for its handling of mental illness – dad Maurice is clearly depressed and unable to talk to his family about it in the first series, while daughter Amy is diagnosed with bipolar disorder in series two. The show worked with charity Mind in order for an accurate representation of mental illness, while still a retaining a sense of humour – you’ll be crying with tears and laughter as the show remains deadly serious about its subject matter throughout slapstick jokes, crazy costumes and silly situations. – Daniel Furn

The crazy ex-girlfriend has been a popular trope not just in television but in general pop culture for some time – but now the character finally gets some depth in her very own show. As you might expect, the plot follows a young lawyer who gives up her job in New York and moves to California in an attempt to win back her old high school boyfriend.

However the show becomes much more than the standard rom-com you would expect from the premise – the show has been praised for its sensitive exploration of mental illness when the lead character is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, as well as for normalising topics such as female sexuality and the reproductive system.

Much like Community, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend received rave reviews from critics and award shows but failed to attract a large audience, and was one of the lowest-rated shows to ever get renewed to four seasons. It was a move that clearly paid off however – the show has since gained a substantial cult following, with a live tour featuring the cast selling out following the show’s conclusion.

Co-creator Rachel Bloom also stars as the titular character Rebecca, with Vincent Rodriguez II (Insatiable) as the ex-boyfriend she tries to win back. Santino Fontana (Frozen) plays friend Greg who struggles with alcoholism and complicated feelings for Rebecca, while Donna Lyne Champlin (Birdman) as Rebecca’s co-worker and best friend. – Daniel Furn