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

Booksmart (2019)
96%

#1
Adjusted Score: 116219%
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... [More]
Directed By: Olivia Wilde

#2

The Farewell (2019)
97%

#2
Adjusted Score: 115238%
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... [More]
Directed By: Lulu Wang

#3
Adjusted Score: 116966%
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... [More]
Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

#4
#4
Adjusted Score: 104613%
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... [More]
Directed By: Shinichiro Ueda

#5
#5
Adjusted Score: 105448%
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... [More]
Directed By: Stephen Merchant