Best-Reviewed Comedies 2019
In a year in which a number of the best comedies were genre blends – comedy-slash-dramas The Farewell and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, comedy-slash-horror Once Cut of the Dead – it was a pure and unmitigated laugh-fest that took out top place for the critics. Olivia Wilde’s directing debut, working from a sharp script from Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman, made a huge splash at South By Southwest, with critics praising leads Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever for their work in a kind of nerdy Superbad meets Lady Bird.
The order of the rank below reflects the Adjusted Score as of December 31, 2019. Scores might change over time.
#1
Adjusted Score: 116443%
Critics Consensus: Fast-paced, funny, and fresh, Booksmart does the seemingly impossible by adding a smart new spin to the coming-of-age comedy.
Synopsis: Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 115544%
Critics Consensus: The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes.
Synopsis: Billi's family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 117473%
Critics Consensus: Thrillingly unrestrained yet solidly crafted, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood tempers Tarantino's provocative impulses with the clarity of a mature filmmaker's vision.
Synopsis: Actor Rick Dalton gained fame and fortune by starring in a 1950s television Western, but is now struggling to find...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 104718%
Critics Consensus: Brainy and bloody in equal measure, One Cut of the Dead reanimates the moribund zombie genre with a refreshing blend of formal daring and clever satire.
Synopsis: Real zombies attack a hack director and a film crew who are shooting a low budget zombie film in an...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 105549%
Critics Consensus: Much like the sport it celebrates, Fighting with My Family muscles past clichés with a potent blend of energy and committed acting that should leave audiences cheering.
Synopsis: Born into a tight-knit wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to...
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