Shubhabrata Dutta
Comedy movies carry a lot of advantages for their audiences. Although they aren’t prescribed as medicines, they can work wonders for your mental health. To tune it down a little bit, watching comedy movies relieves stress, brings joy, and serves as a great getaway from a mundane life. Of course, you can watch them even if your life isn’t mundane, and they will have the same effect, perhaps even better than usual, as they will only add to your already happiness-filled life.
So, here we bring you nine great comedy movies of different kinds, all of which are available for streaming on Peacock. Each of these movies, while being connected by humor, offers a different kind of comedy that is customized to complement the story, offering you a unique experience with each watch.
8. Better Watch Out (2016)
A horror comedy directed by Chris Peckover, ‘Better Watch Out’ stars Olivia DeJonge, Levi Miller, and Ed Oxenbould. It shows what happens when 17-year-old Ashley arrives at 12-year-old Luke Lerner’s suburban home to babysit him. Luke’s friend Garret also joins them. Luke has feelings for Ashley and plans to seduce her, but things take a dark turn when someone breaks into the house. Slowly, it is revealed that the intruder isn’t the criminal but one among the three already inside the house. Who is it? To find out, you can watch this movie here.
7. Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)
This movie takes a dig at every “Cabin in the Woods” horror movie ever made, and rightfully so. We can assure you that you will be glad you saw this movie after the countless times you were subjected to the thought that any cabin in any forest has to be the home of either a serial killer or a psycho with an axe or a chainsaw or a sawed-off shotgun. ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’ shows a group of college students who arrive in the woods to party only to encounter two scary guys. But the truth is these two “scary” guys, namely Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine), have also come to the woods to spend some quality time in their cabin but end up being misunderstood by the group. They have also been subjected to the very thoughts mentioned above. What follows is how the vacations of both parties take a turn for the worse, and it taps into our sadistic side as we take joy in all the blood that is spilled as a result. Watch, and you will know what we mean. ‘Tucker and Dale vs Evil’ is directed by Eli Craig. You can stream the film here.
6. Welcome to Me (2015)
Kristen Wiig pulls off one of her most charming roles ever in ‘Welcome to Me,’ directed by Shira Piven, and proves that she is an actor of high caliber. The movie transcends the comedy genre as we meet Alice Klieg, who has borderline personality disorder. After winning $83 million in a lottery, she decides to put aside her meds and produce her TV show where she speaks her heart out to the world, her inspiration being Oprah Winfrey herself. But while she is all set to reveal herself to the world, is the world prepared for her? ‘Welcome to Me’ is problematic not as a movie but as an experience that shows the absurd world as seen through Alice’s eyes while providing a fair share of laughter. You may watch the movie here.
5. The King of Staten Island (2020)
Starring Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, and Steve Buscemi, ‘The King of Staten Island’ follows twenty-four-year-old high school dropout Scott Carlin who lives with his widowed mom and dreams of his a tattoo artist. Scott lost his father, who was a firefighter when he was seven but is still grappling with his death as well as dealing with Crohn’s disease and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). When her mother starts dating another guy, Ray, who is also a firefighter, he doesn’t like it at all. However, more time spent with Ray changes things for Scott, who also starts walking Ray’s children, Harold and Kelly, to school. This change that Scott undergoes is the film’s main aspect, which is showcased masterfully by director Judd Apatow. Davidson also co-wrote the script alongside Apatow and Dave Sirus. You can watch the film here.
4. Irresistible (2020)
Starring Mackenzie Davis, Rose Byrne, and Steve Carell, ‘Irresistible’ is a political comedy directed by Jon Stewart. It revolves around campaign consultant Gary Zimmer, a Democrat, who is heartbroken due to the defeat of the Democrats in the 2016 presidential elections. So he is looking for a new candidate to make a face out of and finds one in Marine veteran Col. Jack Hastings from the fictional town of Deerlaken in Wisconsin. Thus begins Zimmer’s work of convincing Hastings to run for mayor of the town and grab the national spotlight. A political satire, by all means, ‘Irresistible’ is a great watch. You can watch the movie here.
3. World’s Greatest Dad (2009)
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, this black comedy stars Robin Williams as Lance Clayton who is a single father/teacher/writer and is struggling to be good at all of these. His 15-year-old son Kyle is sex obsessed and has got nothing to do with his father. But when Kyle dies, Lance pulls a stunt whose consequences he has no idea about. Lying to those around him, i.e., his co-teachers, including his new girlfriend Claire, and the students, Lance finds himself lying to himself, taking advantage of his son’s death, and struggling with it after realizing he has gone too far. Has he reached a point of no return? Will he be able to make peace with himself? Featuring one of Robin Williams’s best performances, ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ can be streamed right here.
2. The Holdovers (2023)
Starring Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, ‘The Holdovers’ is a Christmas comedy-drama directed by Alexander Payne. It revolves around the two-week winter break at 1970s Barton Academy, which has a few unfortunate students within its premises because they have no place to go for the holidays. And the hateful professor Paul Hunham is responsible for them. What begins as a war between him and a troublesome 18-year-old student, Angus Tully, slowly turns into an unlikely bond when both find out about each other’s damaged parts and how they make them similar. Joining them is head cook Mary, who lost her son in the Vietnam War.
‘The Holdovers’ is one of the best movies to come out in recent times and even received numerous accolades at the Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, National Board of Review, and Golden Globe Awards. At the Golden Globe Awards, Da’Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress, while Paul Giamatti won Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. You can watch ‘The Holdovers’ here.
1. Liar Liar (1997)
Only a few things in life are as funny and sadistically satisfying as Jim Carrey telling the truth on people’s faces in his signature obnoxious tone. In ‘Liar Liar,’ he plays attorney Fletcher Reede, whose ability to tell lies and turn cases and trials in his favor is legendary. However, this devotion costs him time with his family, which leads to him missing his son’s birthday. In return, his son wishes his daddy would not lie for a whole day. And voila! Fletcher Reede takes the whole world by storm with his truths, many if not most of which take the shape of insults. Directed by Tom Shadyac, ‘Liar Liar’ is a must-watch comedy that stars Carrey, Jennifer Tilly, Justin Cooper, Amanda Donohoe, Cary Elwes, Maura Tierney, and Christopher Mayer. You can watch this movie here.
Read More: Best Comedy Movies on Paramount+
