Is there anything better than curling up on the couch, watching a great comedy film, and laughing the night away? We don’t think so! But with so many funny flicks out there, which ones are worthy of your time? We compiled a list of the best comedy movies ever made, perfect for your next Netflix night. (Or, if you’re more in the mood for a suspenseful whodunit, click here to check out the 20 best mystery films of all time.)
We are drawn to comedy films because we all love to laugh. Sadly, many of us don’t laugh nearly enough. The Mayo Clinic notes that, “Laughter can help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier. It can also improve your self-esteem.” Along with boosting your mental well-being, laughter has a positive impact on your physical health by releasing endorphins in the brain and increasing blood flow to major organs. Laughter may also boost the immune system and even relieve pain.
Spending an evening watching one of the funniest movies of all time might be just what the doctor ordered, literally. These great comedy films are guaranteed to split your sides, raise your spirits, and maybe even boost your health. Let the chuckles, chortles, cackles, and cachinnations commence!
To determine the best comedy movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of October 2023, weighting all ratings equally. We considered only movies with at least 5,000 audience votes on either IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. Directorial credits are from IMDb.
Most of the greatest comedy films of all time were created during Hollywood’s golden age (1910s-1960s). In fact, only four of these 19 films were produced after this golden age of motion pictures. Don’t let their age sour you on these movies, though. These great comedies still hold up after 60, 70, 80 years, or more. Like all great art, the performances by iconic actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Danny Kaye are timeless. (Some of these actors are part of Hollywood’s most famous acting dynasties. Click here for the full list.)
19. His Girl Friday (1940)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (56,106 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (24,333 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (67 reviews)
- Directed by: Howard Hawks
This 1940 screwball comedy starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell was adapted from “The Front Page,” a 1928 play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. In the film, Walter Burns, editor of a major Chicago newspaper, is about to lose his star reporter, Hildy Johnson. She is fed up with Walter, who is not only her editor but also her ex-husband. She is determined to quit journalism and marry her milquetoast fiancé, Bruce Baldwin.
Walter refuses to let Hildy go without a fight. She is not only his ace reporter, but she remains the love of his life. He offers her the chance at the story of a lifetime, the impending execution of convicted murderer Earl Williams. Walter knows that Hildy’s journalistic passion will compel her to take the assignment. He also attempts to sabotage her engagement by arranging for her fiancé to be arrested multiple times. Walter pulls several other people into his diabolical and absurd scheme.
The Library of Congress selected “His Girl Friday” for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry (NFR) in 1993. The comedy film is available for streaming on a myriad of platforms including Pluto TV, Crackle, Tubi, Sling TV, Prime Video, Redbox, Vudu, and many more.
18. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (25,347 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (8,614 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (35 reviews)
- Directed by: Preston Sturges
“Sullivan’s Travels” is an adventure comedy centered on a wealthy filmmaker named John Sullivan. He was a successful director, but he developed a disdain for his work. He believed all his movies were overly simplistic and shallow. John desperately wanted to produce a film with “social significance,” so he decided on a project that focused on the trials and struggles of those living in poverty.
Studio executives scoffed at his idea, pointing out that John was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth and knew nothing of such hardships. They strongly encouraged him to keep making his standard lightweight comedy films, which meant big money for both him and the studio.
John was determined to make his consequential film, so he decided to immerse himself in a world that he had never known. He went on the road posing as a homeless person. John set out on his journey with only a dime in his pocket. However, he soon found that he relied on the protection of his wealth and privilege more than he realized. When a struggling actress joined him in his quest to live an impoverished life, the foibles and shenanigans rose to a whole new level.
“Sullivan’s Travels” was added to the NFR in 1990. It is available for streaming on Apple TV, Google Play, Prime Video, Vudu, and other platforms.
17. Annie Hall (1977)
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (258,110 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (153,824 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (84 reviews)
- Directed by: Woody Allen
“Annie Hall” is a self-described “nervous romance” starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. Allen plays a neurotic stand-up comedian who reflects on the downfall of his relationship with Annie Hall, played by Keaton.
The movie features a series of flashbacks as the comic tries to figure out why his relationship with Annie failed. Could it be that she is as neurotic as he is?
Some of the funniest and most memorable scenes in “Annie Hall” are when Allen’s character breaks the fourth wall. The so-called “fourth wall” is the imaginary wall that separates the fictional film from the real-life audience. Actors “break the fourth wall” when they look into the camera and speak directly to the audience. Allen masterfully employed this technique in the film.
“Annie Hall” dominated the 1978 Academy Awards, taking home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Keaton), Best Director (Allen), and Best Screenplay. Allen was also nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
The comedy film was selected for inclusion in the NFR in 1992. It is available for streaming on Hulu, Prime Video, Redbox, YouTube, Apple TV, and other streaming platforms.
16. Paper Moon (1973)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (44,587 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (11,421 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (41 reviews)
- Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
“Paper Moon” is an adaption of “Addie Pray,” a 1971 novel by Joe David Brown.
The 1973 film was set in Kansas and Missouri during the Great Depression and was shot entirely in black-and-white. The plot centers on Moses Pray, an unscrupulous huckster who posed as a Bible salesman. Moses read the obituaries each day to find grieving families to scam. His M.O. was to falsely claim the deceased had ordered a Bible engraved with the name of the loved one. They could possess that Bible ordered by the dearly departed, as long as they paid Moses’ exorbitant fee.
Moses was tasked with delivering a young girl named Addie Loggins to her aunt in Missouri, for a fee, of course. Moses and Addie soon realize that they may be biologically connected as father and daughter. Addie grew wise to the swindling nature of her potential father and joined him in his capers. Moses and Addie were played by real-life father and daughter, Ryan and Tatum O’Neal.
“Paper Moon” was nominated for four Academy Awards. Tatum O’Neal won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. At 10 years old, O’Neal was the youngest actor to ever win an Oscar, a record that still stands today. (Click here for a list of other actors who won Oscars before the age of 30.)
The comedy is available on Max, Prime Video, Hulu, YouTube, and other streaming services.
15. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (948,653 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (571,910 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (250 reviews)
- Directed by: Michel Gondry
This 2004 film is the most recent on this list of the best comedy films of all time.
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” tells the story of Clementine Kruczynski (played by Kate Winslet) and Joel Barish (played by Jim Carrey). The couple simply could not navigate a romantic relationship with one another. Clementine became so fed up with the drama and tumult that she underwent an experimental procedure to permanently erase Joel from her memory.
Joel was so hurt and upset by this that he decided to undergo the very same procedure so he could forget all about Clementine. However, as his memories began to fade away, Joel discovered that he still loved Clementine and he set out to stop the effects of the procedure before his memories of her were completely eradicated.
The film won an Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay. Winslet was also nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.
The film also won Best Science Fiction Film at the Saturn Awards. These annual awards are presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Fans of science fiction often hold the Saturn Awards in even higher esteem than the Oscars.
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” can be streamed on Peacock, Google Play, Redbox, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu.
14. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (14,002 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (5,423 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (30 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Reisner
Buster Keaton stars in the 1928 silent film, “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” Keaton is famous for his physical comedy and sight gags. In the absence of dialogue, Keaton’s fast-paced slapstick antics keep the audience laughing and engaged. The film contains what is likely the most famous stunt Keaton ever performed. The entire front façade of a house crashed down around him, but Keaton remained untouched due to a fortuitously placed upstairs window. It was a full-weight wall rather than a lightweight movie prop. Half of the film’s crew chose to walk off the set rather than be part of filming the stunt that could have killed Keaton had he not been standing in the exact right spot.
In this classic comedy film, Keaton plays William Canfield, Jr. His father, William “Steamboat Bill” Canfield, operated an old steamship. He was in danger of being run out of business by a new state-of-the-art paddlewheel steamer owned by J.J. King.
The elder Canfield hadn’t seen his son for years and was quite underwhelmed by the boy’s thin build, pencil mustache, and ukulele. Bill, Jr.’s college acquaintance, Kitty King, also showed up. Kitty was J.J.’s daughter, and neither he nor Bill, Sr. was happy when a romantic relationship blossomed between Bill Jr. and Kitty.
The Library of Congress selected “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” for preservation in the NFR in 2016. The film can be streamed on PLEX, Tubi, Pluto TV, MGM+, Prime Video, YouTube, Philo, and Sling TV.
13. The Court Jester (1955)
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (12,327 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (9,213 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (30 reviews)
- Directed by: Norman Panama & Melvin Frank
Danny Kaye stars in the 1955 musical comedy, “The Court Jester.” The film is set in medieval England. The throne had been usurped by the evil King Roderick I when he ordered the massacre of the entire royal family. One rightful heir remained, though: a baby boy who bore the royal birthmark of the purple pimpernel.
The Black Fox and his band of rebels (based loosely on Robin Hood and his Merry Men) sought to return the throne to its rightful heir. Hubert Hawkins, played by Kaye, was charged with caring for the infant king until Roderick could be deposed.
When Hubert met Roderick’s jester, a man named Giacomo, a new scheme was hatched. Hubert subdued Giacomo and assumed his identity as the jester to Roderick. Hubert could infiltrate Roderick’s palace under this new guise, meaning the mission of deposing the false king seemed to be within reach. However, the plot would take unforeseen twists and turns with new characters, love interests, and plenty of slapstick antics.
“The Court Jester” was added to the NFR in 2004. It is available for streaming on YouTube, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.
12. The Apartment (1960)
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (172,183 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (38,259 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (72 reviews)
- Directed by: Billy Wilder
“The Apartment” focuses on C.C. Baxter, a clerk at the Consolidated Life insurance company in Manhattan. With tens of thousands of employees in the company, Baxter finds it difficult to make inroads with the company’s leadership so he can move up the corporate ladder. That would all change when he hatched a new plan. C.C. began loaning out his bachelor pad apartment to some of the company’s senior leaders. These men would take turns using the apartment for their ongoing extramarital affairs. In return, they would sing C.C.’s praises to the company’s big boss, Jeff Sheldrake.
When C.C. is called into Sheldrake’s office, he is hoping to receive his long-awaited promotion. Instead, Sheldrake wants to use C.C.’s apartment for a tryst of his own. This could solidify C.C.’s aspirations to move up in the company, but an unexpected problem surfaces. Can C.C. continue with his plan, rise through the corporate ranks, and also have a romantic relationship of his own?
The subject matter in this 1960 romantic comedy film was controversial and denounced in some circles, but it made a big splash at the Academy Awards. The movie won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards overall.
“The Apartment” was selected for NFR preservation in 1994. It can be streamed on The Roku Channel, Sling TV, MGM+, Philo, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, Apple TV, and Prime Video.
11. Safety Last! (1923)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (19,650 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (3,761 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (35 reviews)
- Directed by: Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor
This 100-year-old silent film starred Harold Lloyd, one of the giants of Hollywood’s silent era. He played a country boy named Harold Lloyd (the same name as the actor) who moved to the big city in search of a job. Harold wanted to earn enough money so he could marry his sweetheart, Mildred. However, life in the city was nothing like he had planned.
Harold was only able to secure a low-wage job as a sales clerk at De Vore Department Store. In his letters to Mildred, though, Harold tells her that is making big money and will soon send for her. He even sends her expensive gifts, which he obviously cannot afford. When Mildred shows up unexpectedly, Harold has to keep up his ruse without arousing the suspicions of his boss.
Lloyd performed many of his own stunts in the film, including one of the most famous scenes from the silent era. In an attempt to earn big money by drawing people to the department store through a daring stunt, Harold finds himself hanging from the hands of a clock high above the city.
“Safety Last!” was added to the NFR in 1994. It is available on Max, Prime Video, and Apple TV.
10. Some Like It Hot (1959)
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (254,537 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (82,393 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (65 reviews)
- Directed by: Billy Wilder
“Some Like It Hot” features a star-studded cast from Hollywood’s golden age, including Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and George Raft. The film is set in Chicago during the Prohibition era. Two musicians, played by Curtis and Lemmon, are employed at a speakeasy. When police raid the establishment on a tip from an informant, the two men narrowly escape.
Later, the men unwittingly witnessed the owner of the speakeasy and his henchmen murder the informant. Knowing the gang members saw them, the two men ran for their lives. They desperately needed a place to hide from the murderers who were hot on their trail, so the two male musicians ended up dressing as women and joining an all-female band that was boarding a train for Miami. As if that wasn’t absurd enough, the men begin having romantic feelings for the band’s lead singer, but they cannot divulge their true identities since they are on the run from mobsters.
This 1959 comedy film was controversial since it featured cross-dressing, a violation of the Hays Code. This code was a self-imposed set of guidelines that moviemakers used to censure content. The success of the movie contributed to the code’s eventual retirement.
“Some Like It Hot” was nominated for six Oscars, winning one (Best Costume Design in a Black-and-White Film). The Library of Congress chose to add the film to the NFR in 1989.
The movie is available on Hulu, Max, Google Play, Prime Video, YouTube, Redbox, Vudu, and Apple TV.
9. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (33,747 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (6,029 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (47 reviews)
- Directed by: Ernst Lubitsch
This World War II-era comedy film is set in Poland. The movie centers on Joseph and Maria Tura, a married couple who operate a theater in Warsaw. When the Nazis invade Poland, the theater was forced to cancel its production of “Gestapo,” a satirical play about Adolf Hitler.
Instead of focusing on their theatrical careers, the two actors are forced to employ their talents to support the war effort and stop the delivery of a list containing the secret identities of resistance fighters to the Nazis.
“To Be or Not to Be” was released in the middle of World War II and some critics lambasted it for satirizing Nazis, potentially stoking the flames of the conflict even further. The film only received one Oscar nomination. However, the film’s legacy grew over time. It is now a beloved classic and was selected for inclusion in the NFR in 1996.
The movie is available on Max and The Criterion Channel.
A remake of “To Be or Not to Be” was produced in 1983 but was tepidly received by both critics and audiences.
8. The Great Dictator (1940)
- IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (213,266 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (43,757 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (45 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
“The Great Dictator” is another World War II-era film. Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed, and starred in the film that satirized Adolf Hitler. Chaplin was told that the movie may be banned in the United States and the United Kingdom due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter. A satirical comedy film that directly poked fun at Hitler during World War II was sure to be a sensitive issue. Chaplin heard these warnings but pushed forward with the film anyway.
While the movie was produced during World War II, the setting of the film was the fictional nation of Tomania during the final days of the First World War. Chaplin stars as a private serving in Tomania’s army. He rescued Commander Schultz when their plane crashed, but injuries from the crash left the private with amnesia.
When the private, who was a barber by trade, returned to his shop 20 years later, he was unaware of how the world had changed. A dictator named Adenoid Hynkel, who is a doppelgänger of the barber, had taken control of Tomania and was ruling with an iron fist. Schultz, who the private had rescued two decades prior, was now a high-ranking officer in the regime.
The private was Jewish, and Tomania was now under the control of an anti-Semitic regime. Through a wild turn of events, the private and Schultz were arrested by Tomanian forces, but the private was mistaken for Dictator Hynkel. He was afforded the opportunity to give a speech on the radio which was heard by millions. Chaplin’s radio speech is considered by many to be among the greatest speeches ever captured on film.
There was uncertainty about the film upon its release, but it was a box office smash in both the U.S. and England. It became Chaplin’s biggest commercial success. The film was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Original Screenplay. It was added to the NFR in 1997.
“The Great Dictator” is available on Prime Video, Max, and Apple TV.
7. It Happened One Night (1934)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (98,815 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (33,748 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (97 reviews)
- Directed by: Frank Capra
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert star in the 1934 comedy film, “It Happened One Night.” Ellie Andrews, played by Colbert, is a spoiled socialite who married against her father’s wishes. Her father, Alexander Andrews, was a wealthy, powerful, and controlling man. He took control of his daughter and placed her on his yacht off the coast of Miami. However, she jumped overboard and swam to shore, planning to rendezvous with her new husband in New York.
In her escape to New York, Ellie met an out-of-work newspaper reporter named Peter Warne, played by Gable. Peter recognized the high-profile socialite, but instead of returning her to her father and collecting a handsome reward, he offered to help her on the journey to New York. There was one caveat, though. Peter wanted exclusive rights to her story. Such a scoop would surely open the door for him to regain his old job. The two agreed to this arrangement, but things did not go as planned (to put it mildly).
“It Happened One Night” dominated the Academy Awards, taking home five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Gable), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Colbert), and Best Director (Frank Capra). The film was selected for preservation in the NFR in 1993.
This 1934 comedy is available on Vudu, YouTube, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play.
6. Monty Python & the Holy Grail (1975)
- IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (536,985 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (250,000 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (79 reviews)
- Directed by: Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones
This 1975 comedy classic may be the most often-quoted movie on this list. Fans of “Monty Python & the Holy Grail” love to recite lines such as, “I’m not dead!” and “She turned me into a newt!” If you know, you know.
The film is set in 10 century England. King Arthur mounts a horse and rides through the countryside, searching for men worthy of joining the famed Knights of the Roundtable. A number of men answer the call but then change their minds and plan to leave until a divine encounter stops them in their tracks. God speaks to them from heaven, instructing them to find the Holy Grail.
With their new God-given charge, they set out in search of the Holy Grail. Along the way, they encounter a host of characters such as Tim the Enchanter and the evil Black Knight. The movie is chocked full of absurdities, following in the Monty Python tradition.
“Monty Python & the Holy Grail” can be streamed on Netflix, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Prime Video.
5. The Cameraman (1928)
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (11,259 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (2,467 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (18 reviews)
- Directed by: Buster Keaton & Edward Sedgwick
“The Cameraman” is the last Buster Keaton film where the actor maintained full creative control of the production. It is widely believed to be among the very best of his iconic comedy films.
In this 1928 silent film, Keaton plays a photographer named Buster (the actor’s real first name) who fell in love with Sally, a secretary at MGM Newsreels. In an attempt to win her over, Buster abandoned photography and took a job as a news cameraman. The technology was very different from taking still photographs, and Buster clumsily learned how to operate the motion picture camera.
Another cameraman named Stagg also took a shine to Sally. Buster was forced to quickly master the art of the motion picture before he lost both his job and the love of his life. As in virtually all of Keaton’s silent films, the slapstick action is fast-paced with nary a dull moment.
“The Cameraman” was added to the NFR in 2005. It can be streamed on Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube, Prime Video, and Vudu.
4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
- IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (467,737 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (209,644 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (92 reviews)
- Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
A nuclear apocalypse wouldn’t seem to be a source for comedic material, unless you are Stanley Kubrick. He turned potential atomic cataclysm into comedy gold in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (commonly known simply as “Dr. Strangelove”). It is widely regarded as Kubrick’s greatest cinematic achievement.
This 1964 satirical comedy film centers on the fears of nuclear war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In the film, an insane U.S. Air Force General named Jack Ripper is convinced that the Soviets are contaminating the “precious bodily fluids” of Americans, so he unilaterally orders a B-52 bomber to attack the U.S.S.R.
When U.S. politicians and commanders hear of this mission, they frantically try to stop it. The Soviets have promised that such an attack would prompt them to unleash their “Doomsday Machine” which would destroy all life on this planet as we know it.
“Dr. Strangelove” was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Peter Sellers), and Best Director (Kubrick). The Library of Congress added the film to the NFR in 1989. It is available on Vudu, Prime Video, and Apple TV.
3. The Kid (1921)
- IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (120,168 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (15,470 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (48 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
The top three greatest comedy films of all time were all directed by Charlie Chaplin and they all feature Chaplin’s most famous character: The Tramp. The character was a lovable vagabond with a good heart, but somehow he always managed to find himself in trouble with the authorities. The character is quite possibly the most iconic symbol of Hollywood’s silent era.
“The Kid” is a silent movie released in 1921, making it the oldest entry on this list of the best comedy films of all time. In the movie, The Tramp finds an abandoned baby. The infant’s unwed mother could not care for him, so she left him in the backseat of a car with a note asking the finder to love and care for him. The car was stolen, but the thieves left the child in an alley where he was found by The Tramp.
The Tramp was reluctant to get involved at first, but his big heart eventually won out. He could not ignore the helpless child. The Tramp comes to love the boy as his own son. As the boy grows up, he and The Tramp find themselves in one comedic exploit after another.
“The Kid” was added to the NFR in 2011. It is available on Pluto TV, Max, The Roku Channel, MGM+, Prime Video, YouTube, Philo, and Sling TV.
2. Modern Times (1936)
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (228,754 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (40,314 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (108 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
“Modern Times” marked the end of the long run for Charlie Chaplin’s character, The Tramp. The character had been a mainstay of the silent era. Fittingly, the last film featuring the character centered on the modernization of the world, which The Tramp found utterly confounding. Perhaps in a nod to this confusing modernization, “Modern Times” is a mostly silent film even though talkies had taken over by the early 1930s.
In the movie, The Tramp is employed on a factory assembly line but has a nervous breakdown due to the stress and the never-ending frantic pace of the job. He is institutionalized after the episode. After his release, he picks up a red flag on the street and is arrested as a supposed Communist sympathizer.
After his release from jail, he meets a homeless girl named Ellen. The two work together in one failed attempt after another, trying to navigate the perplexities of these “modern times.”
The comedy film was added to the NFR in 1989. It can be streamed on The Criterion Channel, Prime Video, Apple TV, and Max.
1. City Lights (1931)
- IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (176,008 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (27,144 reviews)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (54 reviews)
- Directed by: Charles Chaplin
The top comedy of all time is another classic silent film from Charlie Chaplin. Although talkies had debuted four years earlier, Chaplin insisted on producing “City Lights” as a silent film.
In the movie, The Tramp befriends a millionaire with quite a drinking problem. The Tramp saves him from a suicide attempt.
The Tramp then falls in love with a young blind girl who sells flowers on the street. After offering the girl a ride in the millionaire’s car, she believes The Tramp to be a rich man. The girl falls in love with this kind and “wealthy” stranger.
After hearing that a costly operation could restore the girl’s sight, The Tramp does whatever he can to raise the needed funds, including entering a boxing competition. However, if her sight is restored and she sees that he is nothing but a shabby vagrant, will her feelings for him change?
We won’t spoil the ending of this iconic film. Suffice it to say that it is considered one of the greatest and most moving scenes ever filmed, comedy or otherwise. (Click here for are the 55 best movies ever made.)
“City Lights” is widely seen as Charlie Chaplin’s crowning achievement. The film was selected for inclusion in the NFR in 1991. It is available on Prime Video, Max, Vudu, Apple TV, Google Play, and YouTube.