The 20 best comedy movies on Hulu

Oscar-nominated satires and endless time loops are a few of the experiences in store in this list of comedy films that are must-watch.

Life is hard, and we could all use a mental vacation sometimes. From the silly shenanigans of Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, to the cringe-worthy laughs of Not Okay, we've got your comedy needs covered from coast to coast, with a variety of genre destinations in between. Since we first published this list, Hulu has parted with some stellar comedies, including The Descendants (2011) and Booksmart (2019). But in their place are fun flicks that are on par with their predecessors. As of April 2024, here are the best comedy movies streaming on Hulu.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

There were few things capable of causing more visceral discomfort in 2005 than the sight of Steve Carell having his chest waxed on camera (yes, for real) in service of filming The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Directed by Judd Apatow, the movie is as funny as it is literal: Andy (Carell) is working as an employee at a big box electronic store when his co-workers (Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, and Romany Malco) discover that, at 40 years of age, he is a virgin. Determined to help him out, all three use Andy to test their own unique approaches to wooing and bedding a woman. Also starring Catherine Keener as Trish, Andy's love interest, and featuring appearances by Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, Mindy Kaling, Kat Dennings, Jonah Hill, Kevin Hart, and more, The 40-Year-Old Virgin's cast billing could rival the guest list at any A-list Hollywood party. While not always in touch with current culture, The 40-Year-Old Virgin is deeply funny — and includes one of the most unexpected final scenes in comedy film history. —Andrew Walsh

Where to watch The 40-Year-Old Virgin: Hulu

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Judd Apatow

Cast: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch

Related content: Judd Apatow tells Kelly Clarkson how she became a swear in The 40-Year-Old Virgin

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Just as the Dude abides, we abide by this being one of those Coen brothers films that just gets better with age. Following up their Oscar-winning crime comedy Fargo (1996), the Coens amped up the absurdity with The Big Lebowski, which follows a slacker, Jeffrey "the Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), who is assaulted in a case of mistaken identity. The intended target was another man named Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), a millionaire whose wife has gone missing, and the wealthy Lebowski soon enlists the Dude to deliver the ransom money. Naturally, nothing quite goes according to plan. "The intertwining characters and their bizarre arcs and behavior are Hitchcockian in nature," EW's critic writes, "standing as one of their best celluloid offerings." —Kevin Jacobsen

Where to watch The Big Lebowski: Hulu

EW grade: B– (read the review)

Director: Joel Coen

Cast: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Related content: Ranking the 20 best characters from The Big Lebowski

Blockers (2018)

In the grand tradition of teen sex comedies, Blockers has a relatively familiar plot: Three friends make a pact to lose their virginities on prom night. But this one puts a spin on that trope, centering on the respective parents of the three teenage girls as they attempt to put a stop to their plan. Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz star as the parents — friends themselves ever since their daughters connected in kindergarten — whose urgency to prevent their kids from taking such a big life step provides both laughs and earnest emotion. The film also provides plenty of wonderfully awkward moments for its teenage cast, too. As EW's critic observes, "Showing that girls can be as horny and impulsive and raunchy as guys isn’t exactly the most radical statement. But when it's done this well, it certainly is a welcome change-up." —K.J.

Where to watch Blockers: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Kay Cannon

Cast: Leslie Mann, John Cena, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideon Adlon

Related content: Blockers' Kay Cannon reveals what a female director brings to a raunchy comedy

The Death of Stalin (2017)

The titular death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin is merely the inciting incident of this irreverent political comedy from writer-director Armando Iannucci. What follows from there is a mad dash for power among the Council of Ministers as they attempt to appease Stalin's children and outmaneuver each other. Iannucci, having been responsible for similar zany political satires such as In the Loop and Veep, delights in the chaos of this power struggle, and all the warring egos that comprise it. As EW's critic writes, "Iannucci treats the casual depravity of Stalinism — the mass arrests and gulags and summary executions, the Orwellian double-speak and constant paranoia — with his trademark surrealist wit, and lands a few truly great lines." —K.J.

Where to watch The Death of Stalin: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Armando Iannucci

Cast: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Michael Palin, Andrea Riseborough, Jeffrey Tambor

Related content: Veep creator tackles a dictatorship in hilarious The Death of Stalin trailer

Fire Island (2022)

Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice gets a queer, Millennial makeover in Fire Island, the debut film from comedic multihyphenate Joel Kim Booster. Booster stars as Noah, a broke thirtysomething with a longstanding tradition of vacationing with his friends on Fire Island. When the group learns their house mother (Margaret Cho) plans to sell her home, the friends are forced to confront their love lives and class issues during their last week together. Fire Island also stars Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang as Howie, Noah's neurotic best friend. A clutch casting choice, Yang imbues the film with some of its most memorable comic sequences. EW's critic writes, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a very small swimsuit must be in want of a rom-com to call his own; Fire Island sets the stage, messy and sweet, and lets its freak flag fly." —A.W.

Where to watch Fire Island: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Max Barbakow

Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, James Scully, Margaret Cho, Matt Rogers

Related content: Gays. In. Space! Bowen Yang explains the Fire Island bit and his obsession with the SNL sketch

Happiest Season (2020)

In 2020, actress, writer, and director Clea DuVall pulled us out of our collective pandemic funk with the gift of Happiest Season, a queer holiday rom-com released on Hulu. Co-written with actress Mary Holland and directed by DuVall, Happiest Season follows Abby (Kristen Stewart) as she goes to meet her girlfriend Harper's (Mackenzie Davis) parents and spend Christmas at their family's home. The visit is only slightly complicated by the fact that Harper's conservative family — including her perfectionistic mother Tipper (Mary Steenburgen) and her mayoral candidate father (Victor Garber) — don't know she's gay...or that she's dating Abby. Hijinks ensue, feelings are hurt, and the city of Pittsburgh has never looked more inviting. With a monster cast that includes Alison Brie and Holland as Harper's eccentric sisters, Aubrey Plaza as her ex, and Dan Levy as Abby's best friend, Happiest Season manages to be, as EW's critic puts it, "a smart, heartfelt comedy whose small flaws are easily blotted out by bigger charms." —A.W.

Where to watch Happiest Season: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Clea DuVall

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, Mary Steenburgen

Related content: Kristen Stewart on making the Yuletide super-gay in Happiest Season

Juno (2007)

High school problems take on a much rounder shape in Juno, the story of 16-year-old Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) who finds herself accidentally impregnated with her friend Paulie Bleeker's (Michael Cera) baby. With the support of her father (J.K. Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney), Juno finds the ideal adoptive candidates in Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner), only to discover there's no such thing as a perfect parental situation. Sparkling with Diablo Cody's aggressively verbal, fast-moving dialogue, and brought to life by a cast representing some of the mid-aughts' best comedic and deadpan talents, Juno was well-deserving of the four Academy Award nominations (and one win!) the film received. The key to its success? Underneath all the linguistic acrobatics, Midwestern niceties, and pubescent sarcasm, Juno is ultimately a story about family and growing — up, out, and into oneself. —A.W.

Where to watch Juno: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons

Related content: Elliot Page recounts being closeted at height of Juno fame: 'That s--- literally did almost kill me'

The Little Hours (2017)

This underrated indie comedy transports Alison Brie, Kate Micucci, and Aubrey Plaza and all their modern comedic sensibilities to 1347 Italy, with the trio playing repressed nuns. Having tortured the convent's gardener into quitting, the trio becomes intrigued by his replacement, Massetto (Dave Franco), who is pretending to be deaf-mute while hiding out after being caught in bed with his former employer's wife. Those looking for 14th-century realistic dialogue should look elsewhere as The Little Hours takes wicked pleasure in its anachronisms, particularly Plaza's sadistic, foul-mouthed Sister Fernanda. As EW's review notes, "The dissonance between the austere setting and the filthy jokes brings to mind some of Mel Brooks' or Monty Python's most famous efforts, and the result is a screwball farce that's heavy on the improv and the creative insults." —K.J.

Where to watch The Little Hours: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Jeff Baena

Cast: Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon

Related content: The 15 best Aubrey Plaza movie and TV roles, ranked

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

This little Sundance-darling-that-could is as quirky and charming as the yellow Volkswagon van the Hoovers use for their road trip to California. The film centers on a chaotic family as they drive from New Mexico to bring young Olive (Abigail Breslin) to a child beauty pageant, in which she desperately wishes to compete. Plenty of dysfunction occurs along the way, including persistent van troubles, which only compounds the stress for mother Sheryl (Toni Collette), workaholic father Richard (Greg Kinnear), and Sheryl's depressed brother Frank (Steve Carell). And that's not even taking into account Olive's older brother Dwayne (Paul Dano), who has taken a vow of silence, and Olive's beloved grandpa Edwin (Alan Arkin), who has a heroin addiction. The winning ensemble contributes to hectic yet lovable atmosphere; the film went on to be embraced by critics and audiences, taking home the Oscars for Best Supporting Actor for Arkin and Best Original Screenplay. —K.J.

Where to watch Little Miss Sunshine: Hulu

Director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris

Cast: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, Alan Arkin

Related content: Abigail Breslin remembers Little Miss Sunshine costar Alan Arkin: 'He will always be Grandpa in my heart'

Not Okay (2022)

The perils of internet fame are explored in this satirical cautionary tale. Zoey Deutch plays Danni, a photo editor whose innocent lie about attending a writers' retreat in Paris spirals out of control as she fabricates photos of her trip for online attention. Things are taken to a new level when she claims to have survived a bombing at the Arc de Triomphe, which gains her unearned sympathy as she struggles to maintain the lie. Not Okay made headlines with its tongue-in-cheek trigger warning at the start of the film, claiming some viewers may be turned off by its depiction of an "unlikable female protagonist." With its sharp, provocative edge, it won't be for everyone, but few would disagree with its messaging of the dangers of being Too Online. —K.J.

Where to watch Not Okay: Hulu

Director: Quinn Shephard

Cast: Zoey Deutch, Mia Isaac, Dylan O'Brien, Nadia Alexander, Embeth Davidtz, Karan Soni

Related content: Dylan O'Brien talks playing thirst trap influencer in Not Okay: 'The f---boys are everywhere!'

On the Count of Three (2022)

Jerrod Carmichael made his feature directorial debut with this dark comedy in which he stars alongside Girls alum Christopher Abbott. The duo play friends who make a suicide pact, but decide to spend one last day doing whatever they want and resolving prior issues. Despite its dark premise, Carmichael finds the right tone to deliver an authentic portrait of friendship as his Val and Abbott's Kevin are able to find simple joys in life even through the pain. "The movie settles into the blackest kind of buddy comedy," EW's critic writes in the review, "a lacerating slice of nihilism rooted in real despair, and real I-love-you-man tenderness, too." Plus, the film's expert use of Papa Roach's "Last Resort" certainly leaves an impact. —K.J.

Where to watch On the Count of Three: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Jerrod Carmichael

Cast: Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Tiffany Haddish, J.B. Smoove, Lavell Crawford, Henry Winkler

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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Quentin Tarantino's ode to 1960s Hollywood is arguably the writer-director's most sentimental film. Bathed in the warm glow of nostalgia, the film centers on fading actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), each struggling to stay relevant and find work during changing times in Hollywood. The film also incorporates real-life figures like actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) as she experiences life as a budding star; of course, with its 1969 Los Angeles setting, the threat of the Manson Family is ever-present. It's a sprawling epic packed with stars and set pieces both big and small, with some of the funniest sequences in Tarantino's filmography, from Rick's trailer breakdown to the gonzo ending featuring a particularly well-deployed flamethrower. —K.J.

Where to watch Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Hulu

EW grade: A– (read the review)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Emile Hirsch, Margaret Qualley, Timothy Olyphant, Austin Butler, Dakota Fanning, Bruce Dern, Al Pacino

Related content: Quentin Tarantino on how Brad Pitt perfected his shirtless Once Upon a Time in Hollywood scene

Palm Springs (2020)

Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) are stuck at a Palm Springs wedding that will literally never end. While Nyles is resigned to his fate, Sarah — the maid of honor — is desperate to escape this desert hell. Directed by Max Barbakow with a script from Andy Siara, Palm Springs adds a trippy time loop twist to the rom-com genre. This existential comedy — which broke Sundance sales records by 69 cents (nice) — uses its sci-fi hook to explore what it really means to forgive yourself and let go of the past. Then there's the standout performance from J.K Simmons as deranged wedding guest Roy, who manages to be inspiring, terrifying, and hilarious all at once. Still, it's the budding romance between Milioti and Samberg that will make you want to revisit Palm Springs again and again. —A.W.

Where to watch Palm Springs: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Max Barbakow

Cast: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons

Related content: Watch Palm Springs cast talk twists, 69 jokes, Wild Wild West: 'This is good s---'

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

This laugh-out-loud mockumentary from the Lonely Island satirizes the egos of pop stars and the ridiculousness of the music industry. Andy Samberg stars as Conner Friel, a.k.a. Conner4Real, a narcissistic pop rapper who was originally part of a group known as the Style Boyz with his childhood friends but has since pursued a solo career. After a disastrous second album, Conner considers reuniting with his former groupmates, despite his wounded pride. Come for the film's incisive commentary on pop music, stay for the surprisingly touching representation of childhood friendship. As EW's critic observes, "The movie has a sweet message of bros-before-gold that’s not at all surprising considering the Lonely guys' real lifelong friendship." —K.J.

Where to watch Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Directors: Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone

Cast: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows

Related content: Popstar: The Lonely Island guys look back on path to Never Stop Never Stopping

Quiz Lady (2023)

Part of the appeal of this charming comedy from Academy Award winner Jessica Yu is in seeing its stars stretch beyond their typical roles. Awkwafina, often cast as the brazen comic relief, plays anxious game-show aficionado Anne, while the typically hyper-competent Sandra Oh plays Anne's messy older sister Jenny. They are reunited after their mother flees the country on a gambling streak, and after a loan shark comes out of the woodwork, the sisters come up with a scheme for Anne to go on her favorite game show to get enough money to pay him back. Awkwafina and especially Oh excel in their against-type roles, creating a believable chemistry that goes beyond silly antics; their bonding allows them to confront old traumas and get to a more hopeful place as sisters. —K.J.

Where to watch Quiz Lady: Hulu

Director: Jessica Yu

Cast: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Will Ferrell, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, Jon "Dumbfoundead" Park

Related content: Awkwafina and Sandra Oh bring the dysfunction as estranged sisters in Quiz Lady first look

Rye Lane (2023)

Fresh off a splashy, well-received premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, this British rom-com centers on Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah), who meet in a gender-neutral bathroom and bond over their recent breakups. Walking around Rye Lane Market in South London, they discuss life and love as their bond grows inevitably closer. While rom-coms of this variety have existed for decades and decades, critics were universal in their praise of Rye Lane as an invigorating addition to the genre. There is a warmth and vibrancy to the film, with first-time feature director Raine Allen-Miller infusing her South London setting with specificity and genuine affection, and Jonsson and Oparah have the kind of complementary energies that make such films so magical. —K.J.

Where to watch Rye Lane: Hulu

Director: Raine Allen-Miller

Cast: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah

Related content: Sundance Film Festival wrap-up: The best and worst of 2023

Support the Girls (2018)

This hidden gem stars Regina Hall as Lisa, the general manager of a "breastaurant" called Double Whammies, where anything that can go wrong does go wrong. From an attempted robbery to a cable outage to wrangling her employees to pressure from her boss, Lisa tries to keep calm when one false move could cause even further headaches. Fittingly, director Andrew Bujalski keeps all these plates spinning, delivering a working-class comedy with genuine heart. EW's critic calls Support the Girls a "low-key pleasure," with particular praise for Hall, in a "lovely, nuanced performance as a woman who cares too much, even when no one else is watching." —K.J.

Where to watch Support the Girls: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Andrew Bujalski

Cast: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, James LeGros, Shayna McHayle, Dylan Gelula, AJ Michalka, Brooklyn Decker, Jana Kramer

Related content: Regina Hall knows how men can Support the Girls

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

Triangle of Sadness comes after a slew of similarly delicious "eat the rich" satires in recent years, from Parasite (2019) to The White Lotus to The Menu (2022). Ruben Östlund, whose previous class commentaries include Force Majeure (2014) and The Square (2017), won the Palme d'Or for writing and directing this audacious comedy about a pair of dating models who set sail on a luxury cruise that ends in disaster. (Think Titanic, but with a lot more bodily fluids.) As EW's critic raves in the review, Triangle of Sadness is "not the funhouse mirror we need for these ridiculous times, maybe, but one we deserve." Östlund's film went on to score Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, though curiously not nominated was Dolly de Leon, whose forceful presence in the film's third act makes for a wildly unpredictable ending. —K.J.

Where to watch Triangle of Sadness: Hulu

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: Ruben Östlund

Cast: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de Leon, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Burić, Iris Berben, Vicki Berlin, Henrik Dorsin, Jean-Christophe Folly, Amanda Walker, Oliver Ford Davies, Sunnyi Melles

Related content: Triangle of Sadness director breaks down the film's class satire and that wild vomiting scene

Warm Bodies (2013)

Due to the nature of zombies, we rarely get stories from their perspective but this adaptation of the 2010 novel of the same name does just that with R (Nicholas Hoult), a zombie who falls in love with a human, Julie (Teresa Palmer). She eventually takes a liking to him, too, though the nature of their opposing species creates a series of obstacles — not unlike star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. Made at a time when Twilight fever was continuing to sweep the nation (and, with it, a fair share of backlash), Warm Bodies is a refreshingly light spin on sci-fi romance, not taking itself too seriously but still investing you in its core relationship. As EW's critic quips, "Warm Bodies is a funnier and pleasantly cheaper-grade movie than Twilight that aims to draw in both Bella & Edward lovers and haters." —K.J.

Where to watch Warm Bodies: Hulu

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Jonathan Levine

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, Lio Tipton, Cory Hardrict, John Malkovich

Related content: Teresa Palmer on Warm Bodies, Terrence Malick, her cinema verite film

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

The Worst Person in the World plays like one of those great romantic comedies that charms you to start, only to sneak up on you with the emotional weight and authenticity of its depiction of modern relationships by its conclusion. The Norwegian film unfolds through 12 chapters of med student Julie's (Renate Reinsve) life as she tries to figure out what she wants, falling in and out of love. Her relationship with a comic artist 15 years her senior leaves an indelible mark on her life. Joachim Trier's film may be classified as a rom-com (with admittedly heavy dramatic undertones), but it deftly plays with tropes of the genre to provide a fresh experience for the audience. EW's critic writes, "It vibrates with real life, a film so fresh and untethered to rom-com cliché it might actually reshape the idea of what movies like this can be." The film received Oscar nominations for Best International Feature and Best Original Screenplay. —K.J.

Where to watch The Worst Person in the World: Hulu

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Joachim Trier

Cast: Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum

Related content: The most shocking snubs and surprises of the 2022 Oscar nominations

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.