
(Photo by Orion/courtesy Everett Collection.)
The Best Comedies of 2020, Ranked by Tomatometer
From rom-coms to coming-of-age stories to straight up joke machines, we’ve collected all the Fresh and Certified Fresh comedies with at least 20 reviews to create our guide to the best comedies of 2020, ranked by Tomatometer.
We’ve mashed together all the comedy styles, including romantic comedies (The Lovebirds, Happiest Season), comedy-dramas (On the Rocks, Yes, God, Yes), coming-of-age tales (How to Build a Girl), road trips (Come As You Are, The Trip to Greece), and genre mixers (Kajillionaire, Get Duked!, Save Yourselves!). And, of course, there are the comedies that go straight for the jokes: Eurovision Song Contest, Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm, Bill & Ted Face the Music.
If you needed a laugh in 2020, these were the best comedies of the year to watch.
#41
Adjusted Score: 70.315%
Critics Consensus: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga contains inspired ingredients and laugh-out-loud moments, but they're outnumbered by the flat stretches in this overlong comedy.
Synopsis: When aspiring musicians Lars (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) are given the opportunity of a lifetime to represent their...
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#40
Adjusted Score: 72.22%
Critics Consensus: If the breezily enjoyable The Lovebirds feels like a little less than the sum of its parts, it's still an enjoyable showcase for the talents of its well-matched stars.
Synopsis: A couple (Issa Rae & Kumail Nanjiani) experiences a defining moment in their relationship when they are unintentionally embroiled in...
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#39
Adjusted Score: 67.298%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Over one wild night, two siblings learn their overprotective mom is a highly trained former thief abducted for one last...
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#38
Adjusted Score: 77.797%
Critics Consensus: The High Note doesn't quite soar above rom-com formula, but audiences seeking some comfort viewing should find themselves solidly in harmony with this well-acted genre entry.
Synopsis: Set in the dazzling world of the LA music scene comes the story of Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross), a...
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#37
Adjusted Score: 70.923%
Critics Consensus: Stargirl's feel-good story hits familiar coming-of-age beats, but self-assured performances and an earnest mission worn proudly make it a tune worth listening to.
Synopsis: Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere) is an average student at Mica High School. He gets decent grades, is a member of...
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#36
Adjusted Score: 78.739%
Critics Consensus: An American Pickle lacks the tart snap viewers might expect given its creative premise, but Seth Rogen's dual performance makes this a low-key comedy to relish.
Synopsis: Seth Rogen stars as Herschel Greenbaum, a struggling laborer who immigrates to America in 1919 with dreams of building a...
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#35
Adjusted Score: 86.314%
Critics Consensus: The King of Staten Island's uncertain tone and indulgent length blunt this coming-of-age dramedy's ability to find itself, but Pete Davidson's soulful performance holds it together.
Synopsis: Scott (Pete Davidson) has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven....
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#34
Adjusted Score: 77.461%
Critics Consensus: To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You may feel like little more than an amiable postscript to its predecessor, but fans of the original should still find this a swoonworthy sequel.
Synopsis: It's a new year and Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) are no longer pretending to be a...
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#33
Adjusted Score: 78.458%
Critics Consensus: Eternal Beauty deals unevenly yet honorably with complicated themes, elevated by strong work from the ever-reliable Sally Hawkins and David Thewlis.
Synopsis: When Jane (Sally Hawkins) is dumped at the altar she has a breakdown and spirals into a chaotic world, where...
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#32
Adjusted Score: 80.499%
Critics Consensus: This late-capitalism comedy is undeniably uneven, but Zoey Deutch's effervescent performance gives Buffaloed wings.
Synopsis: Peg Dahl (Zoey Deutch) has never run with the Buffalo pack. As a young girl obsessed with making enough cash...
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#31
Adjusted Score: 81.624%
Critics Consensus: Uncle Frank finds writer-director Alan Ball still untangling the modern American family dynamic, aided by standout work from Paul Bettany and Sophia Lillis.
Synopsis: In 1973, teenaged Beth Bledsoe (Sophia Lillis) leaves her rural Southern hometown to study at New York University where her...
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#30
Adjusted Score: 82.547%
Critics Consensus: A low-key charmer led by Adam Brody's sharp performance, The Kid Detective uncovers dark comedy in a story of unfulfilled childhood potential.
Synopsis: A once-celebrated kid detective, now 31, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until...
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#29
Adjusted Score: 84.489%
Critics Consensus: Led by Beanie Feldstein's charming performance, How to Build a Girl puts a disarmingly earnest spin on the familiar coming-of-age comedy formula.
Synopsis: Johanna Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein) is a bright, quirky, 16-year-old who uses her colorful imagination to regularly escape her humdrum life...
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#28
Adjusted Score: 93.161%
Critics Consensus: As wholesomely goofy as its heroes, Bill and Ted Face the Music is a rare long-belated sequel that largely recaptures the franchise's original charm.
Synopsis: The stakes are higher than ever for the time-traveling exploits of William "Bill" S. Preston Esq. and Theodore "Ted" Logan....
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#27
Adjusted Score: 90.565%
Critics Consensus: A jolly good time with heartfelt performances and more than enough holiday cheer, all you'll want for Christmas is Happiest Season.
Synopsis: This romantic comedy is about longtime lesbian couple Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis), who made plans to go...
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Starring:
Directed By:
#26
Adjusted Score: 85.298%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When Quinn Ackerman's (Sabrina Carpenter) admission to the college of her dreams depends on her performance at a dance competition,...
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#25
Adjusted Score: 88.653%
Critics Consensus: Elevated significantly by Gillian Jacobs' central performance, I Used to Go Here tells a familiar story with considerable charm.
Synopsis: Following the lackluster launch of her debut novel, 35-year-old writer Kate Conklin (Gillian Jacobs) receives an invitation from her former...
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#24
Adjusted Score: 88.989%
Critics Consensus: Funny, heartfelt, and brought to life by a smartly assembled ensemble, Big Time Adolescence finds fresh pleasures in the crowded coming-of-age genre.
Synopsis: A seemingly bright and mostly innocent 16-year-old named Mo (Griffin Gluck) attempts to navigate high school under the guidance of...
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#23
Adjusted Score: 98.545%
Critics Consensus: On the Rocks isn't as potent as its top-shelf ingredients might suggest, but the end result still goes down easy -- and offers high proof of Bill Murray's finely aged charm.
Synopsis: A young New York mother faced with sudden doubts about her marriage teams up with her larger-than-life playboy father to...
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#22
Adjusted Score: 98.085%
Critics Consensus: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm proves Sacha Baron Cohen's comedic creation remains a sharp tool for exposing the most misguided -- or utterly repugnant -- corners of American culture.
Synopsis: Journalist Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) makes his return voyage to the United States in an effort to improve political...
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#21
Adjusted Score: 84.49%
Critics Consensus: A fun, fast paced film for all, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made celebrates the power of imagination with a delightful sense of humor and just the right amount of bears.
Synopsis: Based on the best-selling book by Stephan Pastis, the Disney+ original movie "Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made" follows the hilarious...
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#20
Adjusted Score: 90.422%
Critics Consensus: The rare comedy thriller that's funny as well as thrilling, Get Duked! marks writer-director Ninian Doff as a filmmaker with a bright future.
Synopsis: Dean, Duncan and DJ Beatroot are teenage pals from Glasgow who embark on the character-building camping trip -- based on...
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#19
Adjusted Score: 91.624%
Critics Consensus: The Trip to Greece sees this series subject to the laws of diminishing returns, but Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan remain reliably enjoying company.
Synopsis: When Odysseus left Troy it took him ten years to get back to his home in Ithaca. Steve and Rob...
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#18
Adjusted Score: 97.018%
Critics Consensus: Other adaptations may do a better job of consistently capturing the spirit of the classic source material, but Jane Austen fans should still find a solid match in this Emma.
Synopsis: Jane Austen's beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending, is reimagined in this delicious new film...
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#17
Adjusted Score: 92.278%
Critics Consensus: Save Yourselves! doesn't do anything unexpected with its one-joke premise -- but fortunately, that one joke turns out to be consistently funny anyway.
Synopsis: Jack (John Reynolds) and Su (Sunita Mani) are a hip Brooklyn couple who, like many of their friends, find themselves...
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#16
Adjusted Score: 90.923%
Critics Consensus: Unpregnant puts a compelling twist on the road trip comedy -- and treats its sensitive subject with heart.
Synopsis: In Unpregnant, seventeen-year-old Veronica (Haley Lu Richardson) never thought she'd want to fail a test--that is, until she finds herself...
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#15
Adjusted Score: 90.596%
Critics Consensus: Banana Split serves up a sweet comedic dish that serves as a delightful calling card for co-writer and star Hannah Marks.
Synopsis: April (Hannah Marks) has spent the last two years of high school in a relationship with Nick (Dylan Sprouse), from...
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#14
Adjusted Score: 97.518%
Critics Consensus: Whether you see Kajillionaire as refreshingly unique or simply bizarre will depend on your cinematic adventurousness -- and fans of writer-director Miranda July wouldn't have it any other way.
Synopsis: Con-artists Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins) have spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel...
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#13
Adjusted Score: 94.624%
Critics Consensus: The Climb uses the complicated bond between two friends to dissect male friendships in engaging -- and frequently funny -- fashion.
Synopsis: Kyle and Mike are best friends who share a close bond -- until Mike sleeps with Kyle's fiancée. The Climb...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 102.632%
Critics Consensus: The Personal History of David Copperfield puts a fresh, funny, and utterly charming spin on Dickens' classic, proving some stories truly are timeless.
Synopsis: From birth to infancy, from adolescence to adulthood, the good-hearted David Copperfield is surrounded by kindness, wickedness, poverty and wealth,...
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#11
Adjusted Score: 95.596%
Critics Consensus: Come As You Are approaches sensitive subjects with heart and humor, taking audiences on a thoroughly entertaining road trip to a crowd-pleasing destination.
Synopsis: Three young men with disabilities (Grant Rosenmeyer, Hayden Szeto, and Ravi Patel) flee their overbearing parents on a road trip...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 97.864%
Critics Consensus: Natalia Dyer's charming performance -- and writer-director Karen Maine's sensitive work -- will leave audiences saying Yes, God, Yes to this coming-of-age dramedy.
Synopsis: Growing up in the Midwest in the early 00s, sixteen-year-old Alice has always been a good Catholic. But when an...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 99.921%
Critics Consensus: Powerfully acted and sensitively directed, Babyteeth offers audiences a coming-of-age story that's messier -- and more rewarding -- than most.
Synopsis: When seriously ill teenager Milla falls madly in love with smalltime drug dealer Moses, it's her parents' worst nightmare. But...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 99.771%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by an outstanding Hugh Jackman, Bad Education finds absurd laughs -- and a worthy message -- in the aftermath of a real-life scandal.
Synopsis: Inspired by true events, BAD EDUCATION follows Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) and Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney) who reign over a...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 103.382%
Critics Consensus: Strong performances, assured direction, and a refreshingly original concept make Palm Springs a romcom that's easy to fall in love with.
Synopsis: When carefree Nyles (Andy Samberg) and reluctant maid of honor Sarah (Cristin Milioti) have a chance encounter at a Palm...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 97.74%
Critics Consensus: A disarmingly tender look at young adult ennui, this Shithouse don't stink.
Synopsis: Lonely college freshman Alex (writer/director Cooper Raiff) has closed himself off from his peers, who all appear to have this...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 99.557%
Critics Consensus: As wickedly smart as it is energetic, Why Don't You Just Die! should satisfy audiences in the mood for a gore-soaked good time.
Synopsis: Matvey has just one objective: to gain entry to his girlfriend's parents' apartment and kill her father Andrey with a...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 100.758%
Critics Consensus: For viewers in search of an uncommonly smart, tender, and funny coming-of-age story, The Half of It has everything.
Synopsis: Shy, straight-A student Ellie is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul, who needs help winning over a popular girl....
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#3
Adjusted Score: 99.74%
Critics Consensus: A dark teen comedy with an explosive twist, Spontaneous reaffirms Katherine Langford as a rising star -- and marks debuting director Brian Duffield as a filmmaker to watch.
Synopsis: When students in their high school begin inexplicably exploding (literally...), seniors Mara (Katherine Langford) and Dylan (Charlie Plummer) struggle to...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 103.057%
Critics Consensus: The Forty-Year-Old Version opens a compelling window into the ebbs and flows of the artist's life -- and announces writer-director-star Radha Blank as a major filmmaking talent with her feature debut.
Synopsis: Radha, a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, is desperate for a breakthrough before 40. But when she foils what seems like her...
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Directed By:
#1
Adjusted Score: 102.663%
Critics Consensus: Saint Frances approaches an array of weighty issues with empathy, humor, and grace -- and marks star and writer Kelly O'Sullivan as a tremendous talent to watch.
Synopsis: Flailing thirty-four-year-old Bridget (Kelly O'Sullivan) finally catches a break when she meets a nice guy and lands a much-needed job...
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