2024 is shaping up to be a tumultuous year for the world, so the comedy movie slate will need to get us through some (knock-on-wood) eventful times. Thankfully, plenty of fun films have arrived in theaters or are still headed to our screens soon, from returns of beloved animation franchises to swoon-worthy rom-coms starring Hollywood's biggest stars to heartwarming yet laugh-out-loud feel-good films. Below, read our list of the best comedy movies to watch out for throughout the year.
'Mean Girls: The Musical'
Release Date: January 12, 2024
Starring: Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auliʻi Cravalho, Christopher Briney, Jacquel Spivey, Bebe Wood, Avantika, Tina Fey, Jenna Fischer, Busy Phillips, Tim Meadows, and Jon Hamm
Why It's Worth Watching: The beloved 2004 comedy received a musical makeover this year, with an adaptation of the Broadway version based on Cady and the Plastics. Hope you kept your Barbie looks, 'cause on Wednesdays, we wear pink.
Trailer: HERE
'The Book of Clarence'
Release Date: January 12, 2024
Starring: LaKeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, James McAvoy, and Benedict Cumberbatch
Why It's Worth Watching: The Harder They Fall filmmaker Jeymes Samuel released his revisionist spin on a classic Hollywood Biblical epic. Clarence (Stanfield), an ordinary man living in 29 A.D. Jerusalem, tries to capitalize on the rise of Jesus Christ by claiming to be a new Messiah sent by God to free himself of debt and gain a life of glory.
Trailer: HERE
'Fitting In'
Release Date: February 2, 2024
Starring: Maddie Ziegler, Emily Hampshire, Djouliet Amara, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Ki Griffin
Why It's Worth Watching: This semi-autobiographical dramedy by writer-director Molly McGlyn follows 16-year-old Lindy (Ziegler), who is "unexpectedly diagnosed with a reproductive condition, MRKH syndrome. The diagnosis upends her plans to have sex, her presumptions about womanhood and sexuality, her relationship with her mother, and most importantly, herself," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'Lisa Frankenstein'
Release Date: February 9, 2024
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest, and Carla Gugino
Why It's Worth Watching: Writer Diablo Cody's monstrous rom-com is about a gloomy high schooler named Lisa (Newton) and her love interest, a long-dead Victorian corpse (Sprouse). "After horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two lovers embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts along the way," reads the synopsis. Sounds romantic.
Trailer: HERE
'Drive Away Dolls'
Release Date: February 23, 2024
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal, Bill Camp, and Matt Damon
Why It's Worth Watching: In this comedy road trip from Ethan Coen, free spirit Jamie (Qualley) and her calm bestie Marian (Viswanathan) set off on an "impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals along the way," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'Problemista'
Release Date: March 1, 2024
Starring: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, Isabella Rossellini, Greta Lee, Spike Einbinder, Laith Nakil, Larry Owens, and Megan Stalter
Why It's Worth Watching: Comedian Julio Torres writes, directs, and stars in this surrealist comedy about an aspiring toymaker from El Salvador who takes a job with unhinged artist Elizabeth (Swinton) to keep his visa and stay in the U.S.
Trailer: HERE
'Ricky Stanicky'
Release Date: March 7, 2024
Starring: Zac Efron, John Cena, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino, Lex Scott Davis, and William H. Macy
Why It's Worth Watching: A trio of friends have been running a longtime con: They came up with a fake friend, Ricky Stanicky, to use whenever they need an excuse for their immature antics. When the ruse goes too far and their partners demand to meet Ricky, the men hire a washed-up actor (Cena) for "the role of a lifetime." Things quickly go off the rails in this return to the classic raunchy R-rated comedy.
Trailer: HERE
'Kung Fu Panda 4'
Release Date: March 8, 2024
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, and Ke Huy Quan
Why It's Worth Watching: 2024 is a big year for beloved animated franchises making a return. The fourth Kung Fu Panda film (and the first in the franchise since 2016) follows Po (Black) as he searches for his successor as the Dragon Warrior while fighting a new villain called The Chameleon (Davis).
Trailer: HERE
'Wicked Little Letters'
Release Date: March 29, 2024
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Joanna Scanlan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Lolly Adefope, Eileen Atkins, and Timothy Spall
Why It's Worth Watching: In this comedy based on a true story (no, really), a 1920s seaside town is turned on its head when the town elders begin receiving profanity-laden letters. A foul-mouthed woman named Rose (Buckley) is put on trial for the national scandal, but as other women in the town investigate the crime, including Rose's prim neighbor Edith (Colman), they find that Rose may not be the culprit.
Trailer: HERE
'Música'
Release date: April 4, 2024
Starring: Rudy Mancuso, Camila Mendes, J.B. Smoove, Francesca Reale, and Maria Mancuso
Why It's Worth Watching: Real-life couple Mancuso and Mendes star in this fantastical rom-com loosely based on the former's life (and co-starring his real mom). "Música is a coming-of-age love story that follows an aspiring creator with synesthesia, who must come to terms with an uncertain future while navigating the pressures of love, family, and his Brazilian culture in Newark, New Jersey," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'The Idea of You'
Release Date: May 2, 2024
Starring: Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine
Why It's Worth Watching: You're probably more familiar with this as "the Anne Hathaway movie that may or may not be based on Harry Styles fan fiction." Officially, it's a rom-com adaptation of Robinne Lee's 2017 novel of the same name. It follows Solène (Hathaway), a single mother in her 40s, who has a secret relationship with the lead singer of the fictional boy band August Moon (Red, White, and Royal Blue's Galitzine) after they meet at a concert.
Trailer: HERE
'IF'
Release Date: May 17, 2024
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Bobby Moynihan, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina, and Steve Carell
Why It's Worth Watching: Director John Krasinski switches gears from the terrifying Quiet Place franchise to an adorable magical adventure. After a young girl named Bea (Fleming) gains the ability to see imaginary friends (called "IFs" for short) who have been abandoned by the kids they helped, she and her father (Reynolds) start working to reconnect the forgotten IFs with their kids.
Trailer: HERE
'Babes'
Release Date: May 17, 2024
Starring: Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, Hasan Minhaj, and John Carroll Lynch
Why It's Worth Watching: This friendship comedy, co-written by Broad City star Glazer and Pamela Adlon's directorial feature debut, "follows the aggressively single Eden (Glazer), who becomes pregnant from a one-night stand and leans on her married best friend (and mother of two), Dawn (Buteau), to guide her through the gestation and beyond," per Deadline.
Trailer: HERE
'Hit Man'
Release date: May 24, 2024
Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao, Molly Bernard, and Evan Holtzman
Why It's Worth Watching: Powell co-wrote this film with his frequent collaborator Richard Linklater, and it couldn't be more charming. Loosely based on a true story, the film is inspired by a real-life Texas man who worked with the police department by going undercover as a hit man. The movie takes a more rom-com tone (and we bet it would've killed at the box office, had Netflix released it into theaters).
Trailer: HERE
'Ezra'
Release Date: May 31, 2024
Starring: Bobby Cannavale, William Fitzgerald, Rose Byrne, Robert De Niro, Tony Goldwyn, Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg
Why It's Worth Watching: This heartfelt dramedy centers on struggling stand-up comedian Max Bernal (Cannavale), who lives with his father (De Niro) and co-parents his son on the autism spectrum, Ezra (Fitzgerald), with his ex-wife (Byrne). Per the film's description, "When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives."
Trailer: HERE
'Inside Out 2'
Release Date: June 14, 2014
Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, and Maya Hawke
Why It's Worth Watching: In this sequel to the beloved 2015 coming-of-age film, Riley is now 15 and going through a lot, so Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), and the rest of the emotions we met via the then-11-year-old have to make way for a whole new set of feelings taking over the controls. You can expect Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke to be one of them.
Trailer: HERE
'I Used to Be Funny'
Release date: June 14, 2024
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Olga Petsa, and Jason Jones
Why It's Worth Watching: In this dramedy from writer-director Ally Pankiw, Rachel Sennott plays Sam, an aspiring stand-up comedian who has become reclusive while dealing with PTSD. The film jumps through time as we see Sam before a traumatic incident when she was a nanny to a precocious teen (Petsa), and after, when she considers joining the search for the now-missing girl.
Trailer: HERE
'Thelma'
Release date: June 21, 2024
Starring: June Squibb, Richard Roundtree, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell
Why It's Worth Watching: This wild action-comedy follows the titular Thelma (Squibb), a 93-year-old grandmother who has possibly become our new role model. When she loses $10,000 after being scammed by a caller pretending to be her grandson, the nonagenarian "sets out on a treacherous quest across Los Angeles, accompanied by an aging friend (Roundtree) and his motorized scooter, to reclaim what was taken from her," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'Despicable Me 4'
Release Date: July 3, 2024
Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Pierre Coffin, Miranda Cosgrove, and Steve Coogan
Why It's Worth Watching: Let's be real; Despicable Me fans don't come to these movies for the plot as much as the latest Minion-filled adventures. This time, Gru (Carell), Lucy Wilde (Wiig), and their girls are joined by some new additions: a mysterious set of Super Minions, and Gru Jr., a brand-new member of the family who isn't his dad's biggest fan.
Trailer: HERE
'Dìdi'
Release Date: July 26, 2024
Starring: Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Raul Dial, Aaron Chang, Mahaela Park, Shirley Chen, and Chang Li Hua
Why It's Worth Watching: Sean Wang's coming-of-age comedy is a nostalgia-filled journey back to the summer of 2008. The film's description reads, "In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom."
Trailer: HERE
'The Fabulous Four'
Release date: July 26, 2024
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Timothy V. Murphy, and Bruce Greenwood
Why It's Worth Watching: This friendship comedy follows three lifelong besties (Sarandon, Mullally, and Ralph) who "travel to Key West, Florida to be bridesmaids in a surprise wedding of their college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Once there, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past rises up again in all its glory, and there are enough sparks, drinks, and romance to change all their lives in ways they never expected," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'
Release date: September 6, 2024
Starring: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe
Why It's Worth Watching: 36 years after Tim Burton's Beetlejuice arrived in theaters and became an instant spooky season classic, he got the gang back together for a sequel. When the Deetzes are drawn back to their old home after a death in the family, Ryder's iconic character Lydia must reconnect with the demon (Keaton) she sparred off with years ago after her daughter (Ortega) is swept away to the world of the undead.
Trailer: HERE
'My Old Ass'
Release date: September 13, 2024
Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Maddie Ziegler, Maria Dizzia, and Percy Hynes White
Why It's Worth Watching: The official synopsis for Megan Park's sophomore feature reads, "An 18th birthday mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (Stella) face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Plaza). But when Elliott’s 'old ass' starts handing out warnings about what her younger self should and shouldn’t do, Elliott realizes she has to rethink everything about family, love, and what’s becoming a transformative summer."
Trailer: HERE
'The Wild Robot'
Release date: September 27, 2024
Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Kit Connor, Pedro Pascal, Catherine O'Hara, Stephanie Hsu, and Mark Hamill
Why It's Worth Watching: Based on Peter Brown's children’s book of the same name, this gorgeous, emotional—make sure to bring tissues—animated film follows the android ROZZUM unit 7134, or Roz (Nyong'o) for short. After she's marooned on a deserted island, Roz "must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling," per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'Saturday Night'
Release date: October 11, 2024
Starring: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, and J.K. Simmons
Why It's Worth Watching: Set in the final hours of October 11, 1975, this highly-anticipated ensemble comedy is "based on the true story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. Full of humor, chaos, and the magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, we count down the minutes in real time until we hear those famous words…" per the film's description.
Trailer: HERE
'Anora'
Release date: October 18, 2024
Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, and Vache Tovmasyan
Why It's Worth Watching: Acclaimed filmmaker Sean Baker's latest dramedy, which took home the Palme d'Or at Cannes, is about a sex worker (Madison) in N.Y.C. neighborhood Brighton Beach as she enters a whirlwind relationship with the son of a Russian oligarch (Eydelshteyn). Their relationship becomes rather high-stakes, leading to wild hijinks and surprising turns, even as the film balances several tones. Madison shines as the titular Anora, or Ani as she calls herself; she'll be one to watch this awards season.
Trailer: HERE
'A Real Pain'
Release date: November 1, 2024
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, and Jennifer Grey
Why It's Worth Watching: Eisenberg writes, directs, and stars opposite Culkin in this dramedy. The two play quarreling cousins who set out on a trip across Poland to honor their grandmother, inevitably digging up old family wounds. It's been a hit at festivals throughout the year and is said to be full of biting humor—so watch out for this one as awards season rolls around.
Trailer: HERE
'Wicked Part 1'
Release Date: November 27, 2024
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Jeff Goldblum, and Michelle Yeoh
Why It's Worth Watching: This long-awaited film adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical puts a new spin on The Wizard of Oz. Before Dorothy touched down, before they became the Wicked Witch and the Good Witch, Elphaba and Glinda were just two young women who formed an unlikely friendship in Oz.
Trailer: HERE
'Y2K'
Release date: December 6, 2024
Starring: Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell, Julian Dennison, Daniel Zolghadri, Lahlan Watson, and Eduardo Franco
Why It's Worth Watching: SNL alum and former Good Neighbor comedy troupe member Kyle Mooney helms (and makes an appearance in) this movie, so you can expect it to be zany. Set on New Year's Eve when 1999 turned into 2000 and the Y2K panic was very real, it imagines the technological bug happened and caused all tech to turn against humanity. It follows a group of high schoolers played by a bunch of rising upstarts that night.
Trailer: HERE
'Nutcrackers'
Release date: TBA
Starring: Ben Stiller, Linda Cardellini, Edi Patterson, Tim Heidecker, and Toby Huss
Why It's Worth Watching: Per Deadline, Stiller stars in this family comedy as "a work-obsessed city slicker who is forced to move to rural Ohio to take care of his sister’s children after her sudden passing. To his astonishment, these blue-collar kids are skilled ballet dancers, and he finds an outlet for their endless energy. What begins as a short trip to find them foster care turns into a gradual realization that this is where he belongs."
Trailer: TBA
