The 20 best comedies on Amazon Prime Video

The streamer's funniest offerings include sci-fi musicals, hilarious whodunits, and much more.

Amazon Prime Video really delivers (get it?) the goods here, curating a collection of comedy movies that range from classic to experimental, acerbic to heartwarming, family-friendly to R-rated fare. And since the titles on this list are all available with your Prime subscription, you won't have to spend a dime.

Here are the 20 best comedies on Amazon Prime Video right now.

21 Jump Street (2012)

This ballsy remake of the '80s TV show of the same name remains one of the funnier buddy comedies of the 21st century. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill play police officers who are tasked with going undercover at a local high school to stop the outbreak of a new drug and find the supplier. During their stint, the pair relive the highs and lows of high school — which sometimes overshadows the task at hand. With its fun blending of action, comedy, and undercover thrills, 21 Jump Street exceeded expectations upon its 2012 release. EW's critic writes, "What this fast, cheeky, and very funny interpretation of the original premise sacrifices in teachable moments, it makes up for in intelligent giddiness." —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch 21 Jump Street: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A (read the review)

Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, Ice Cube

Related: Jonah Hill doesn't think 23 Jump Street–Men in Black crossover will happen

American Graffiti (1973)

George Lucas' nostalgic coming-of-age dramedy is an earnest ode to his formative years growing up in Modesto, Calif., in the early 1960s. Centering on a group of friends hanging out on the last day of summer vacation, American Graffiti is a slice-of-life film that follows their exploits over the course of the night. Some deal with relationship problems, while others are more concerned with celebrating their last night in their hometown before the rest of their lives begin. Told in a series of dreamy vignettes (aided by a killer soundtrack), the film transports the viewer back to a specific time and place, a snapshot of life before it got messy and complicated. —K.J.

Where to watch American Graffiti: Amazon Prime Video

Director: George Lucas

Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Cindy Williams, Wolfman Jack, Harrison Ford

Related: Why nostalgia movies leave us dazed (but not confused)

Asteroid City (2023)

Wes Anderson uses his trademark dollhouse-like style to raise questions about the nature of storytelling in this comedic puzzle box of a film. Making use of multiple layers, the film centers largely on a play about a group of parents and their stargazing children who have come to the desert town of Asteroid City. Additionally, we follow a playwright's struggle to write the play, as well as a TV documentary about the making of the play. Got that? While these metatextual elements provide a thought-provoking commentary on myths and humans' search for meaning, it also has plenty of Anderson's quirky sense of humor. —K.J.

Where to watch Asteroid City: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Wes Anderson

Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber

Related: Wes Anderson teases what you need to know about Asteroid City

The Big Sick (2017)

If you like your comedy with a side of tragedy, The Big Sick has got you covered. This is truly a unique, one-of-a-kind production: stomach-achingly hilarious, mega-touching, and…all true? Yep, written by the couple who went through it IRL (Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon) and acted by one (Nanjiani, with Gordon played by Zoe Kazan), the pair deftly turned her shocking diagnosis/near-death experience into true laughs. The best medicine? We think so. —Debby Wolfinsohn

Where to watch The Big Sick: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Michael Showalter

Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter

Related: The Big Sick writers Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani remembered their first date differently

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)

Exposing the worst of America in a fearless, laugh-while-you-cringe style is Sacha Baron Cohen’s specialty. Disguising himself as a mustachioed, overly-confident Kazakh allowed Cohen a kind of magic access: the ability to travel into the dark corners of the U.S. as an "innocent." This ruse encouraged others to open up in ways they might not have otherwise, creating jaw-dropping moments of comedy (veering into tragedy) you can't look away from. The setup is simple — Cohen's character Borat returns to the West with his daughter, Tutar (the excellent Maria Bakalova), to win the favor of its leader, "a magnificent new Premier named McDonald Trump." In a kind of bizarro buddy comedy, the two visit synagogues, debutante balls, and freedom rallies, creating moments so indelible they will go down in cinematic history. It's hard to choose just one, so we'll pick two: Rudy Giuliani, and the horrifying father-daughter OB-GYN visit. As EW’s critic writes, "his outrageous, uncountable isms — the confident screeds against women and Jew[ish people], the casual endorsements of incest or indentured servitude — are of course satirical, and entirely the point." —D.W.

Where to watch Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jason Woliner

Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova

Related: Sacha Baron Cohen won't make another Borat movie: 'Too dangerous'

Bottoms (2023)

Few films nowadays feel destined to become cult classics, but this satirical teen comedy has the makings of one. The logline is already enough to sell you — Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri play outcast high schoolers who devise a plan to create an all-girls fight club in the hope of hooking up with their cheerleader crushes — but writer-director Emma Seligman brings a giddy surrealism to the film and a very millennial sense of humor that feels gloriously true to life. Come for the richly talented cast of young comedic talent (particularly Edebiri), stay for the wildly unpredictable conclusion. —K.J.

Where to watch Bottoms: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Emma Seligman

Cast: Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, Nicholas Galitzine, Miles Fowler, Dagmara Domińczyk, Marshawn Lynch

Related: Bottoms duo Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott on their lesbian fight club

Bowfinger (1999)

This silly showbiz satire pairs two comedy greats to explore the absurdities of what it takes to make a movie. B-movie producer Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin, doing double duty as the film's screenwriter) is finally ready to direct his first feature, but he can only secure the funding to distribute it if he hires difficult actor Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) to star. Unable to convince Kit to do the movie, Bowfinger resolves to secretly film him, using his other actors to act out the plot in real life to capture Kit's authentic response. EW's critic praises Martin's script, calling it "bitingly funny but tolerant, bemused rather than bitter." —K.J.

Where to watch Bowfinger: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Frank Oz

Cast: Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Christine Baranski, Terence Stamp

Related: Bowfinger stars tell tales of Hollywood desperation

Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)

Jillian Bell stars as Brittany, a New York party girl who decides to change her life the old-fashioned way: jogging! EW's critic says Bell brings a "real, messy humanity to Brittany that comedies hardly ever allow a lead character — let alone a non-impossibly-bodied female — to have." Kept afloat by her running buddies — Michaela Watkins' divorcée with issues and Micah Stock’s sardonic gay dad — the movie avoids a simple happy ending but does provide a satisfying, uplifting one. It’s perfect for watching on the treadmill or stationary bike (or lying in bed eating ice cream). —D.W.

Where to watch Brittany Runs a Marathon: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Paul Downs Colaizzo

Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar

Related: With Brittany Runs a Marathon, Jillian Bell is racing into her first major role

The Cheap Detective (1978)

This light-as-air film noir satire showcases Peter Falk spoofing Humphrey Bogart and the classic films that made him famous. The large ensemble cast (looking a bit like a lost '70s Friars Club roast) is a major treat, featuring Ann-Margret, Sid Caesar, Stockard Channing, Dom DeLuise, and the always brilliant Madeline Kahn. And while you might think Mel Brooks is responsible, guess again; the screenplay credit goes to one Neil Simon. A quirky gem best appreciated by fans who've seen (and can quote) The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca, The Cheap Detective is a silly, enjoyable diversion the whole family can enjoy. —D.W.

Where to watch The Cheap Detective: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Robert Moore

Cast: Peter Falk, Ann-Margret, Sid Caesar, Stockard Channing, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn

Related: All the mistakes in Casablanca we never noticed before — and why it's still essential viewing

Death Becomes Her (1992)

This hysterical black comedy satirizes the impossible beauty standards women deal with as they age. Meryl Streep plays Madeline Ashton, an actress on a career decline, while Goldie Hawn is Helen Sharp, Madeline's writer friend whose happy life with her doctor fiancé (Bruce Willis) is shaken to the core when he breaks it off to be with Madeline. Years later, both women, unhappy with the direction of their lives, take an experimental potion that reverses their age and gives them a more youthful appearance, leading to chaotic consequences. Cartoonishly fun yet rooted in real vulnerability, Death Becomes Her is a campy delight with fully committed performances from Streep and Hawn. —K.J.

Where to watch Death Becomes Her: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Cast: Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Isabella Rossellini, Mary Ellen Trainor

Related: Meryl Streep's 21 best performances

Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

As the over-the-top, neon-soaked trailer proclaims: "She's a brunette from Southern California, and he's…not!" (The "he" in question is Jeff Goldblum playing a fuzzy alien.) This spacey, goofy "science-fiction musical comedy" is so ‘80s it should be put into a time capsule. Julien Temple (The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle, Juno's dad) directed this cartoony tale while living legend Nile Rodgers created the soundtrack. And we haven't even gotten to the best part: the cast. Goldblum and Geena Davis play upon their sparky real-life chemistry, meanwhile Damon Wayans and Jim Carrey star as aliens Zeebo and Wiploc, respectively. —D.W.

Where to watch Earth Girls Are Easy: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Julien Temple

Cast: Julie Brown, Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, Damon Wayans, Jim Carrey

Related: Jeff Goldblum takes us through his favorite movies he saw as a kid, from A to Z

Fargo (1996)

This raucous crime comedy is one of the definitive Coen brothers movies, don'tcha know? A series of unfortunate events begins with a hapless car salesman, Jerry (William H. Macy) who concocts a scheme to have his wife kidnapped to extort ransom money from his wealthy father-in-law. Jerry hires a pair of criminals, and, three dead bodies later, pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) enters the picture and doggedly investigates the source of the crime. Fargo is a Midwestern masterpiece full of folksy witticisms and delirious violence, winning two Oscars for the Coens' screenplay and for McDormand's performance. "The joy of Fargo — the reason the movie has won such enthusiastic critical praise," writes EW's critic, "is that everything that goes wrong does so in a perfectly realized universe of icebound Minnesotan understatement." —K.J.

Where to watch Fargo: Amazon Prime Video

EW grade: N/A (read the review)

Director: Joel Coen

Cast: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare

Related: Fargo's wood-chipper turns 20: A brief oral history

Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)

Calling all parental units of the pre-teen variety! Girls Just Want to Have Fun is here to save the day — whether it's a rainy Saturday or a restless sleepover, this little gem can turn it around. Not only is it funny, sweet, and just grown up enough, but you also won't hear "we sawwww that one already" because for some reason, this comedy — featuring ‘80s power trio Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, and Shannen Doherty — has always flown under the radar. Which is, quite honestly, a mystery, seeing as how it pulls off so much so well. With dancing, boys, and a fast pace, this is a film that understands its audience (girls between the ages of 10 and 13) and remains a perfect PG delight with a little extra cheese. —D.W.

Where to watch Girls Just Want to Have Fun: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Alan Metter

Cast: Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, Shannen Doherty

Related: The best teenage romance movies on Netflix

Heathers (1989)

Veronica (Winona Ryder) is a teen girl who gets involved with the popular mean-girl clique at her high school known as the Heathers. She also befriends the mysterious new student J.D. (Christian Slater), a loner whose idea of revenge involves murder staged as a suicide and orchestrating a disturbing plan to get back at the Heathers for their cruelty. On paper, a plot description for this seminal cult classic sounds far from funny. But the film's heightened tone and memorable one-liners ("Dear diary, my teen angst bulls--- has a body count") make for a darkly entertaining answer to the formulaic '80s teen comedies that came before it while still holding up today —K.J.

Where to watch Heathers: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Michael Lehmann

Cast: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty

Related: Heathers: An oral history

The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022)

Question: How are wedding comedies like wedding cakes? Answer: The dysfunction's baked right in! Based on the 2016 Grant Ginder novel and directed by Claire Scanlon (of Netflix's Set It Up), the film follows relatably flawed, baggage-laden siblings Ben Platt and Kristen Bell to England where they must join their mother (the always stellar Allison Janney) at the wedding of their wealthy half-sister (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). The comedic antics flow like champagne in this bride-com with an edge. —D.W.

Where to watch The People We Hate at the Wedding: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Claire Scanlon

Cast: Ben Platt, Allison Janney, Kristen Bell

Related: See a first look at adults-behaving-badly comedy The People We Hate at the Wedding

Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)

Based on Casey McQuiston's best-selling novel of the same name, Red, White & Royal Blue is a charming romantic comedy that charts the unlikely romance between a British prince and the son of the President of the United States. In a classic tale of enemies-to-lovers, American Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez) has a feud with Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), which escalates to a rather unfortunate cake accident (pictured above). Following the subsequent tabloid scandal, the pair eventually make amends and come to realize their feelings for each other, which blossoms into an affair. It's a frothy good time with two star-making performances at its center; it also happens to feature Uma Thurman in what may be her campiest performance since 1997's Batman & Robin. —K.J.

Where to watch Red, White & Royal Blue: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Matthew López

Cast: Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Clifton Collins Jr., Sarah Shahi, Rachel Hilson, Stephen Fry, Uma Thurman

Related: Red, White & Royal Blue director explains biggest changes from the book

Renfield (2023)

It should surprise no one that Nicolas Cage makes a great vampire. As demonstrated in 1988's truly deranged Vampire's Kiss, Cage has inherent bloodsucker traits: stiffness and swagger, weird intensity, a dark sense of humor, and that wonderful awkwardness no amount of makeup can cover. And with the equally creepy (in a totally different way) Nicholas Hoult as his costar, how can you not give this one a chance? —D.W.

Where to watch Renfield: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Chris McKay

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Schwartz

Related: Nicholas Hoult ate salt-and-vinegar-flavored bugs while making Renfield

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Hailed by EW as one of the greatest movies of all time, Some Like It Hot is the gold standard for farcical comedy. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon star as jazz musicians who witness Mob violence and are forced to flee. Out of options, they devise a plan to disguise themselves as women to sneak onto a bus on which an all-women band is traveling to Miami. En route, they meet Sugar (Marilyn Monroe), an enchanting singer with whom both men fall in love. Naturally, their situation becomes increasingly complicated as the men try to keep up the ruse, leading to a hilarious final act and one of the best punchlines in film history. —K.J.

Where to watch Some Like It Hot: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Billy Wilder

Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft, Joe E. Brown, Pat O'Brien

Related: Marilyn Monroe made our list of 10 best Oscar-snubbed performances

Totally Killer (2023)

Totally Killer boasts four major cinematic selling points guaranteed to make a horror fan happy: a 1980s setting, serial killers, a Halloween night theme, and time travel. Not to say Totally Killer doesn't take a fresh approach, because it totally does. Here, we meet teenage girl Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), who goes back to 1987 to save her mom's friends from being murdered (as you do). Smartly referencing the Best Movies of All Time (Back to the Future, Scream, etc.), Totally Killer joins a long line of genre flicks led by kick-ass heroines. —D.W.

Where to watch Totally Killer: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Nahnatchka Khan

Cast: Kiernan Shipka, Julie Bowen, Olivia Holt, Randall Park

Related: The psycho's mask in Totally Killer was inspired by Dolph Lundgren and Rob Lowe

Vibes (1988)

Worth it for the cheese factor alone, we love everything about this late-'80s quirk-fest, including the oddball pairing of Jeff Goldblum and Cyndi Lauper, Peter Falk in a white suit, and the senseless plot. Yes, this aggressively wacky throwback movie is a hot mess, but that's part of the fun. Billed as "the psychic comedy that's out of its mind," Goldblum and Lauper play, yes, psychics looking for treasure in a lost Incan city while falling in love (quite unconvincingly) along the way. Part adventure, part buddy movie, part romance, part caper, it does exactly none of these things very well but remains undeniably charming in its own clunky way. —D.W.

Where to watch Vibes: Amazon Prime Video

Director: Ken Kwapis

Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Cyndi Lauper, Peter Falk

Related: Cyndi Lauper: Girls Just Want Equal Funds performed with James Corden

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.