The Best Comedies Of 2021

In the aftermath of 2020 being one of the least funny years in recent living memory, the entire world really needs a laugh now more than ever. Luckily, despite the COVID-19 pandemic still tying up film sets across the world, 2021 has already seen some pretty big comedy releases, with more movies coming to streaming services or theaters one way or the other.

While some of the comedies released in 2021 focused on the global health crisis itself, setting their narratives during the very real coronavirus outbreak, others transported viewers to faraway places, from famous cities to pastoral vistas. 2020 was a definitively unfunny year, but luckily, 2021 came out swinging right from the beginning with some pretty strong comedy offerings, and has only continued that trend as the year has gone on. From heist films to slapstick, from romantic comedies to funny movies with a darker edge, here's an ongoing list of the very best comedy films released in 2021.

Set in the fields of Australia, director Jeremy Sims' "Rams" tells the story of two brothers with a difficult relationship who both work in the sheep fields of Western Australia. As the movie opens, Colin (Sam Neill) and Lenton (Michael Caton), who work as rival sheep farmers raising flocks from their family's stock, are constantly battling it out to top one another...until an unexpected consequence affects both of them. As it turns out, one of Les' rams has a rare and contagious illness, which prompts authorities to move to exterminate their sheep; though the brothers take very different approaches to the situation, they eventually have to band together.

With veteran performers Neill and Caton at the helm, "Rams" charmed audiences, performing well at box offices throughout New Zealand and Australia and earning raves from critics. According to the Rotten Tomatoes consensus, "'Rams' draws on the chemistry of its talented veteran stars to explore complicated — and often comedic — sibling ties." Whether you're an only child or love your siblings, you'll find something to connect with in "Rams."

Developed and written by best friend duo Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, who earned an Academy Award nomination together for "Bridesmaids," the delightful, over-the-top "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" is one of the weirdest movies you'll see all year. But it's also definitely one of the funniest. Directed by Josh Greenbaum, the film casts Mumolo and Wiig as Midwestern best friends Barb and Star, respectively, who decide to change their lives by taking the trip of a lifetime to an exotic Florida resort town. While there, Star strikes up a romance with handsome spy Edgar Paget (Jamie Dornan), and the best friends find themselves at the center of a nefarious plot.

Wiig and Mumolo's easy chemistry is an absolute pleasure, and the committed performances from everyone — including Dornan and Wiig herself in a dual role — are a sight to behold. Ultimately, critics found themselves completely charmed by this oddball, truly strange comedy. If a film that had to "cut back" on the number of talking animals sounds like a good time, "Barb and Star" is definitely for you.

Fans of Eddie Murphy's 1988 classic "Coming to America" had to wait over two decades for a sequel to their favorite movie, but luckily, 2021's "Coming 2 America" was well worth the wait. Directed by Craig Brewer and written by "black-ish" creator Kenya Barris, "Coming 2 America" revisits Murphy's Prince Akeem just before his 30th wedding anniversary to Lisa McDowell (Shari Headley, reprising her role from the first film), when he gets shocking news. On his deathbed, Akeem's father, King Jaffe (James Earl Jones), reveals that Akeem has an illegitimate child living in Queens, and Akeem must go and find him to prevent a revolt from their people.

Sometimes, lightning does strike twice, and Murphy's second turn as Prince Akeem — thanks to the performer's still-sharp comedic chops and a healthy dose of nostalgia — won over audiences and critics alike. Thanks to Murphy's performance and new supporting players like "Saturday Night Live" alum Leslie Jones, you'll definitely want to revisit Queens with Prince Akeem in "Coming 2 America."

"Shiva Baby" follows Danielle (Rachel Sennott), a college student whose already-stressful family wake becomes a nightmare when Max (Danny Deferrari), the older man she's been sleeping with, shows up with his wife (Dianna Agron) and child. Danielle struggles to keep her cool as she is bombarded by questions from relatives, family friends, and her over-achieving ex-girlfriend (Molly Gordon) about her studies, her underwhelming career prospects, and her personal life. The tension keeps ratcheting up and something's got to give — the question isn't if disaster will strike, but when.

"Shiva Baby" is the feature debut for writer-director Emma Seligman, who adapted the story from her own film school thesis. "Shiva Baby" holds a score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, an impressive feat for any filmmaker but an absolute coup for a first-time director. The film has been praised for its claustrophobic camerawork, its witty screenplay, and the way it incorporates the cinematic language of horror to create maximum suspense within a comedic context. "It's like a feature-length anxiety attack," says NPR's Angie Han. It's also a potential star-making vehicle for actor/comedian Rachel Sennott, on whom the story hangs for the entirety of its 77-minute runtime.

If that sounds short, consider it a blessing — the human body is not built to endure 90 minutes of "Shiva Baby." Happily, Seligman also knows when to let her foot off the gas and provide the audience precious moments of relief and release, offering big laughs when you need them most.

Matt (Ed Helms) is a lonely middle-aged man who's ready to be a parent, even if he has to go it alone. Anna (Patti Harrison) is a waitress in her early twenties who wants to pursue higher education but can't afford it. Out of mutual desperation, Matt hires Anna to be the surrogate mother for his child, addressing both of their problems but plunging the pair into a complicated relationship. Matt and Anna are not a couple, maybe not even friends, just two adults with a very intimate and confusing bond. Over the course of nine months, Anna and Matt navigate the melodrama of pregnancy and try to make plans for the rest of their lives — plans that may or may not involve the other.

The second feature from writer-director Nikole Beckwith, "Together Together" is not a laugh-out-loud type of comedy. It's more of a character study, a light dramedy driven by an unusual premise and the deliberate subversion of genre expectations. The dynamic between Anna and Matt defies the easy labels offered by most Hollywood films, which means neither they nor the audience know the rules. They have to lay out their own boundaries, maneuvering through the murky waters of gender roles and generational dissonance. This friction is mined for comedy, but also discussion and catharsis.

Every generation deserves its own "teen road trip sex comedy." During the 2000s — the heyday of the MTV Film — high school and college kids had no shortage of movies to choose from in which a group of misbehaving young adults take to the open road, driven by sex and fueled by drugs, and do some growing up along the way. For those wondering when Zoomers would get their own "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle," "Plan B" is the movie you've been waiting for, a contemporary, joke-dense gross-out comedy that also reflects the more progressive, socially-conscious sensibilities of people born in this century. 

In "Plan B," studious South Dakota high schooler Sunny (Kuhoo Verna) cuts loose for a change, has sex at a party and is immediately punished by the universe with a prophylactic malfunction. When her local pharmacist refuses to sell her a morning-after pill (which can really happen in several US states), Sunny "borrows" her mother's minivan and races off to the Rapid City Planned Parenthood with her best friend, the freewheeling Lupe (Victoria Moroles). Their quest to get Sunny the pill before its effective window closes gets ever more twisted and complicated as they pursue their crushes, dodge creepy strangers, and test the limits of their friendship. Like any buddy movie, that's ultimately what the story is about — the incredible bond that forms between two people during the most vulnerable and formative part of their lives.

Over the past two decades, Pixar has cultivated a reputation as the animation studio whose films are guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye. All storytelling is manipulative, but films like "Up," "Toy Story 3," and "Coco" are master classes in controlling an audience's feelings. Against this standard, Enrico Casarosa's "Luca" has a relatively light touch. "Luca" is a joyous, youthful adventure that might still make you cry, but is generally more concerned with making you laugh.

Luca's titular character (voice of Jacob Tremblay) is a pre-teen sea monster living with his family off the coast of an idyllic Italian fishing village that he's forbidden from ever visiting. His quiet life is interrupted when he meets the independent and courageous Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer) who chooses to live on land where he, like all dried-out sea monsters, appears human. Luca's friendship with Alberto gets him in big trouble at home, so the pair decide to run off together in search of a new and exciting life among the Italian villagers, from whom they must conceal their true nature.

"Luca" is a family-friendly animated comedy that, like so many Pixar features, is clever enough to amuse adult viewers as well as children. It's a heartwarming coming-of-age story about love, friendship, and the search for belonging that closes on a positive and poignant message of inclusivity and acceptance. But it is, first and foremost, a "fish out of water" comedy, and a good one at that.