By Christina Lyon

Why go out when you can stay in with your girlfriends and let the good times roll? Grab your coziest pj’s, your best gals, some vino, and the popcorn, because these comedy films will have you and your squad laughing ’til you cry.

And no, we’re not just covering the go-to rom-coms. In this list, we’re sharing funny lady movies that stand-up against the best male-led genre films. Step aside Steve Martin and Bill Murray; it’s time to let the brilliant female comics take the spotlight.

Proving that ladies can hold their comedy chops with the best of them and promising endless belly laughs, here are the 22 best comedy movies for friends to watch together.

Best Recent Comedy Movies

If you’re a movie-buff, you’ll want to see the most recent releases to avoid a repeat. Here are the best recently released comedy movies you can stream.

1. You People

Studded with some of Hollywood’s favorite funny people: Jonah Hill, Eddy Murphy, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, You People is a modern tale of two families clashing when two cultures are brought together by a newly budding relationship.

It’s certifiably cringe-humor, so if you love when a film makes you shout at the characters on screen for being so… bad at this, you’ll love this one.

Stream it on Netflix.

2. Shotgun Wedding

Giving new meaning to the idea of a shotgun wedding, Jennifer Lopez as Darcy and Josh Duhamel as Tom portray a destination wedding interrupted by gunmen. The film asks us, at what point in a destination wedding gone wrong do we want to save our families?

Rent it on Amazon Prime.

3. Triangle of Sadness

What starts as a luxurious cruise for the uber-rich ends up in a catastrophe when the entire boatload of rich and famous are left stranded on a desert island fending for themselves. It’s a film of social satire with extreme conditions.

Rent it on Amazon Prime.

4. Still Time

Edoardo Leo plays as Dante, a workaholic suddenly re-evaluating his life when he finds himself skipping ahead in time a whole year every single day. It’s an Italian film with a unique spin on the ever-lasting romantic comedy format.

Stream it on Netflix.

5. This Is Where I Leave You

With a star-packed cast including Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, and Jason Bateman, This is Where I Leave You demands a watch just to see how they all play together. The cast has space for all that star-power because it’s a family drama. Four adult siblings are summoned back to their childhood home by their mother, played by Fonda, when their father passes away.

Of course the siblings alone aren’t in play but spouses, exes, and lost connection all intermingle in this showcase of what happens when characters are put under familial pressure.

Stream it on Netflix.

6. Glass Onion

Highly anticipated, this Benoit Blanc whodunit doesn’t disappoint the anticipation. Bored during a pandemic, Blanc finds himself suddenly invite to a private estate on a Greek Island by billionaire Miles Bron for a reunion of his closest friends, his fellow game-changers. Every character has their own concerns, secrets, and lies to keep up and the movie unravels them all.

It’s delightful to try and follow with a wit anyone who loved Knives Out or Agatha Christie will appreciate.

Stream it on Netflix.

Best Comedy Movies of All Time

Some movies stand the test of time and stay funny year-to-year, these are our 22 favorites that aren’t new.

1. The Devil Wears Prada

Meryl Streep stars as the editorial ice-queen, Miranda Priestly, whose mission is to make hungry journalist Andy Sachs’ life a living hell. 

Try to catch Meryl Streep breaking a genuine smile in the hour and 49 minutes; we dare you. Just don’t tell her because we’re actually scared to death of her in this film. 

Watch ambitious career women as they climb the fashion ladder to success at any cost. And yes, the bitchy boss trope is overplayed but done with unapologetic precision in this film.

Rent it on Amazon Prime.

2. Julie and Julia

In Julie and Julia, we revel in another brilliant Meryl Streep performance. In this endearing film, she’s not a media mogul but a cheery, jovial chef. Follow Julie (Amy Adams) as she blogs her journey of recreating Julie Child’s French cooking epoch.

The story jumps from past to present, intertwining the two women’s stories as they triumph over obstacles to discover what brings them real joy. 

The movie is a classic feel-good comedy, and you and the girls will probably end up in the kitchen covered in flour as you attempt to bake a midnight quiche. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Watch it on Netflix.

3. Bridesmaids

​Why was Bridesmaids such an instant hit? Because for the first time in the comedy genre, we get to see a cast of women accurately represent women rather than adorn the screen as a male accessory.

Kristen Wiig helms the stellar cast directed by Paul Feig in a story proving best friends can survive anything, including jealousy, food poisoning, and the unpaved, messy road to the big day. 

Melissa McCarthy wins best in show for playing the offbeat sister-in-law with a heart of gold and penchant for puppies and air marshals.

Rent it on Amazon Prime.

4. My Best Friend’s Wedding

She’s a successful food critic; he’s a noble journalist. How could they not be destined to marry? The problem is, she’s in love with him, and he’s in love with bubbly Cameron Diaz.

It’s not quite a romantic comedy, but it’s got all the hallmark features of one — a theatrical sing-along, dramatic running scenes, witty writing, and irresistible chemistry among cast members.  

Watch it on Netflix.

5. First Wives Club

Led by an all-star cast of funny ladies (Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Midler), this hilarious black comedy follows three middle-aged wives on a bender for revenge — and they’ll stop at nothing to get it. 

Get ready for juicy scandals, witty banter, and some unexpected dark turns along the way. What more could you ask for from a female-led dark comedy? Hilarity ensues, naturally.

Watch it on Amazon Prime.

6. Mean Girls

At first glance, Mean Girls looks like any high school teen drama — and it absolutely is — but it’s written by the brilliant mind of Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey.

Mean Girls illuminates how toxic real-life high school cliques can be on a teenage girl. While the film offers bubblegum and glitter, it also relentlessly delivers some of the funniest one-liners of all time.

So, if you’re reading this on a Wednesday, let’s hope you’re wearing pink.

Rent it on Amazon.

7. Booksmart

In her directorial debut, Olivia Wilde brings to life the coming-of-age story of two bookworms who realize the night before graduation that they’ve squandered their high school years between the pages of books. How will they rectify the problem and gain some street smarts in one night? 

As you can imagine, a larger-than-life adventure commences.

Catch the 2019 indie comedy produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay on Hulu!

8. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Grab the champagne and let the classic tale of Holly Golightly sweep over you and your best friends. Audrey Hepburn stars in this looking-for-love-in-all-the-wrong-places story about an escort who finds love in an unlikely place — just a few doors away. Watch it for the love story, but stick around for the pearls and fashionable parties.

Watch it on Amazon Prime.

9. Clueless

As if we’d even think of writing this list without including the 1995 cult classic, Clueless. Don’t be too quick to shrug this one off as a teen movie. Clueless became a cultural phenomenon in the 90s, thanks to its decade-centric adaptation of Jane Austen’s fiction novel, Emma. She’s zany, light-hearted, and, as she quickly realizes, utterly clueless about love.

Stream it on Pluto TV.

10. Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona

What happens when two American college-students spend their summer in Barcelona? Your first guess probably wouldn’t be that they stumble into a contentious love triangle accentuated by Spanish guitar, museum visits, and passionate Spanish artists. Well, that’s what you’ll get from this charming, seductive 2008 Woody Allen comedy-drama about unspoken desires set against romantic backdrops.

Watch it on Amazon Prime.

11. Miss Congeniality

Long before Marvel superheroes, there was Gracie Hart, a badass FBI agent in pumps.

Sandra Bullock playing a buttoned-up federal agent turned beauty queen? Yes, please! This 2000 blockbuster is a girl’s night must, following an undercover agent as she tries to locate the mastermind behind a compromised beauty pageant. 

It’ll take more than a head-to-toe makeover from Michael Caine to soften Gracie Hart’s rough edge. Thankfully the endearing camaraderie among the pageant’s contestants is up to the task.

Stream it on Sling TV.

12. Nine to Five

This office comedy is all too familiar to real-life working environments for professional women in the 80s: sleazy, sexist dictators rule the corporate world while harassing their buxom secretaries.

But don’t worry, the male chauvinist falls when the three witty women (Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda) hatch a juicy revenge plot. 

Nothing goes as planned, or maybe it goes a little too correctly to plan? Watch to find out for yourself!

Stream it on Hulu.

13. The Princess Bride

A classic love story of a princess who falls in love with the stable boy? “Inconceivable!”

Sit back and let this wildly entertaining fairy tale spoof on period romance dramas captivate you. The Princess Bride has it all: wit, adventure, sword fights, magic elixirs, slapstick laughs, and celebrity cameos at every corner.

There’s a reason why it’s earned a spot in the cult comedy classic hall of fame — it’s bedtime storytelling adapted to the big screen in the loveliest fashion.

Ready to watch it? “As you wish!”

Watch it with your Disney+ or Hulu Premium subscription.

14. Pretty Woman

If ever there were a 90s rom-com to watch with your girlfriends, it’s Pretty Woman. Starring movie stars Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, this classic women’s comedy brims with fashion, a hunky, rich leading man, and an irresistible montage showing Julia Roberts evolve from a Hollywood sex worker to upscale Beverly Hills socialite. How could it not become a box office hit?

Rent it on Amazon Prime.

15. Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion

Lisa Kudrow migrates seamlessly from the hit TV show Friends to this goofy feature film. While this female-led comedy may be the most underrated on our list, it’s undoubtedly one of the funniest. Two 20-something best friends attempt to completely transform their lives two weeks before their 10-year high school reunion.

With little accomplishments to date, the two besties hatch an absurd story to position themselves as business moguls. Without social media to call their bluff, the lie almost works until a cameo from Janeane Garofalo turns their plot on its head.

There’s a road trip, absurd 90s fashion, and quirky dance moves. All around, it’s a girl’s night must.

Rent it on Amazon Prime.

16. How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days

Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey; need we say more? In this 2003 rom-com, a witty magazine columnist conducts a social experiment where she works tirelessly to send her new fling running for the hills. The problem is, her love interest — an ad agency executive — is in deep on a bet that he can make any woman fall for him. 

What do you get when a woman throws out all the smothering stops to drive a man who’s adamant on wooing her away? Romantic comedy at its finest.

Rent it on Amazon Prime.

17. A League of Their Own

“There’s no crying in baseball!” Has anyone told Tom Hanks that he was the one out of his league the whole time? During WW2, when the men go off to war, who’s left to step up to bat? 

Come housewives, single-mothers, and stay-at-home moms, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League wants you!

Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, and Tom Hanks lead this fictional comedy based on real events proving once and for all that throwing like a girl is a gift.

Rent it on Amazon Prime.

18. Crazy Rich Asians

He’s a billionaire, she’s a New Yorker, so naturally, he whisks her away to an extravagant wedding in Singapore. The only problem is, she had no idea he was rich — ridiculously rich. 

As one of Singapore’s prime bachelors, Rachel wards off jealous women aiming to rip her, and her reputation, apart. And we won’t even mention his overbearing mother; you’ll just have to watch the dazzling tale unfold!

Stream it on HBO Max or Hulu.

19. You’ve Got Mail

Oh, those first awkward years of AOL and internet chat rooms. You never knew who you’d meet online or what might pop up in your inbox. In this 1998 rom-com starring one of our favorite duos, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, we watch an unlikely pair of industry enemies find love — using pseudonyms, of course. 

Stream it on Hulu or HBO Max.

20. Legally Blonde

Before Reese Witherspoon won an Oscar for portraying June Carter in Walk the Line, she won the hearts of women everywhere as Elle Woods in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde.

Robert Luketic’s directorial debut follows the bold, blonde Elle as she flawlessly executes the ultimate payback: getting into Harvard, becoming a successful lawyer, and having the last laugh on the aloof guy who dumped her and missed out on the brilliance behind the blonde.

Watch it on Hulu or Amazon Prime.

21. Knocked Up

Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen pair up in this unexpectedly delightful rom-com about a one-night-stand turned unexpected pregnancy. She’s a tenacious journalist, he’s a burnout, and regardless of if they’re ready for it, a baby’s coming.

Most filmmaker Judd Apatow’s movies are goofy stoner films (Superbad, Anchorman), and this one’s no different with the classic supporting line-up of Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, and Jonah Hill. 

However, Knocked Up is a breath of fresh air following the woman’s perspective on unexpected pregnancy — the good, the bad, and painfully hilarious — for once.

Stream it on Hulu.

22. Sex and the City: The Movie

Rounding out our list of the best comedy movies for girl’s night is, of course, Sex and the City. If you come solely for Carrie and co. wardrobe, you’ll be abundantly rewarded. But stay to see how your favorite New York City girls turned out and who they ended up with. 

Does Carrie marry Big? Is Miranda still with Steve? Has Samantha, dare we say, settled down? Is Charlotte expanding the family?

Watch it on Netflix to find out!

Get Ready for A Ladies Night Laugh-Fest with the best comedy movies for friends.

Leave Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Borat for the guys. You’ve got your list of the best comedy movies for girl’s night; now all that’s left to do is invite your best gals over! Why not make it a weekly event? Don’t forget the snacks and wine!

With these funny films on the agenda, you’ll be laughing all night long!

Would you rather get serious with some steamy romance? Pick one of our favorite British movies (or series) instead.

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