The best comedy movies on Netflix New Zealand
An updated list of the very best in Netflix crackups.
We’re all in need of a good laugh, or at the very least a brief distraction. Katie Parker selects the best comedy films now streaming on Netflix.
See also:
* All new movies & series on Netflix
* All new streaming movies & series
Asteroid City (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXWes Anderson’s brand of whimsical yet affectless comedy has been carefully honed into an instantly recognisable style—and this ensemble sci-fi rib-tickler proves that practice makes perfect. Featuring a slew of stars, it’s a wryly hilarious 1950’s period piece that ranks among Anderson’s best.
Bad Trip (2020)
Watch on NetflixCombining real life hidden camera pranks with a scripted buddy comedy narrative, Bad Trip saw comedian Eric Andre turn his infamously renegade comic stylings into a full-length film—and, however juvenile, the result is irresistibly hilarious. Following a pair of best friends (Andre and Lil Rel Howery) on a road trip from Florida to New York, the film’s best moments see members of the public unwittingly caught up in the action.
Beau Is Afraid (2023)
Where to watchBest-known for horror movies with nightmarish moments, director Ari Aster did not get enough credit for his knack for wry, pitch black humour until this big and incredibly strange story. It follows a pathologically neurotic man’s attempt to make his way to his mother’s house, proving that Aster is just as capable of finding the horror in humour as he is humour in horror.
Cocaine Bear (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXLoosely inspired by the true story of an American bear that ingested several kilograms of cocaine, Elizabeth Banks’ comedy-horror takes a dynamite concept and runs with it. As silly as it sounds, this film is a fabulously bloody blast.
Do Revenge (2022)
Watch on NetflixRiffing on everything from Cruel Intentions to Alfred Hitchock’s Strangers On A Train, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s 2022 black comedy was a welcome return to the teen flicks of yesteryear, and a slyly successful satire. Following a pair of private school girls (Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes) who agree to carry out each other’s vengeance plots in order to evade suspicion, this winking, witty and gleefully wry comedy proved that the art of the high school comedy is not yet lost.
Dream Scenario (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXNorwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli’s strangely surreal satire follows Nicolas Cage’s mild-mannered family man and professor, who finds himself at the centre of a mysterious phenomenon when he appears in the dreams of hundreds of strangers. Absurd and uncanny, the film is at once deeply thought-provoking and incredibly funny.
Drive Away Dolls (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXEthan Coen’s first narrative film without his brother Joel, this winning and bawdy caper stars Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan as a pair of women making an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee. With an all-star supporting cast including Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal, it’s a fun and feisty buddy comedy.
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (2022)
WATCH ON NETFLIXTaking the 2023 Academy Awards by storm, this action-adventure comedy garnered widespread critical acclaim and commercial success with its story of multiverse madness. Following a woman (Michelle Yeoh) who finds herself and her family embroiled in a battle across parallel universes, whilst in the midst of an IRS audit, it’s irreverent, ambitious and very funny.
Glass Onion (2022)
Watch on NetflixRian Johnson’s follow-up to his 2019 hit Knives Out, Glass Onion saw another ensemble cast—including Edward Norton, Kate Hudsen, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr.—join Daniel Craig’s suave southern detective Benoit Blanc for another sly, twisty, and incredibly wry mystery. A send up of the absurdly wealthy (and in particular a certain breed of tech billionaire), Glass Onion’s whip smart wit created a stunningly prescient and fabulously cathartic comedy.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
WATCH ON NETFLIXWhile the name Adam Sandler may not always connote quality, Happy Gilmore is a reminder that, at his best, he really was very, very good. The story of an
unorthodox golfer who enters a snooty tournament to save his grandmother’s house, this comedy classic is fun and wacky enough to remind you why, not so long ago, Sandler was the king of comedy.
Hitman (2024)
WATCH ON NETFLIXRichard Linklater’s crowd-pleasing comedy harnesses the star power of Glen Powell to create an action caper that’s impossible to resist. Following an undercover police officer who poses as a hitman for undercover stings, Powell proves he has as much charm and wit as he does rippling muscles—in a sexy, romantic thriller that’s also incredibly funny.
The Holdovers (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXAlexander Payne’s beautifully bittersweet and funny film follows a curmudgeonly New England boarding school teacher tasked with staying on over Christmas, to mind the boys with nowhere to go. Memorably pairing Paul Giamatti alongside Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa, it’s a modern holiday classic.
Johnny English (2003)
WATCH ON NEONThe sort of comedy that was kind of made for watching with your parents, Rowan Atkinson’s spy spoof doesn’t exactly push the cinematic boat out. But despite being decidedly tame and very silly, it never fails to have me roaring with laughter (and entirely willing to go along with Natalie Imbruglia as a love interest for Mr. Bean). Pure buoyant fun with nothing weighing it down, this film is so dumb it’s genius.
Notting Hill (1999)
WATCH ON NETFLIXA classic of the rom-com golden age, Notting Hill captures two of the 90s most magnetic stars at their most gorgeous, charming and witty. Twenty-five years on from its release, no-one has ever quite topped the irresistible humour and swoonworthy romance of this timeless story of a London book retailer (Hugh Grant) who miraculously lands Hollywood’s hottest movie star (Julia Roberts).
Problemista (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXPerhaps one of the most original comedies in years, Problemista turns usually somber subject matter into something colourful, quirky and very funny. It follows a struggling immigrant (Torres) desperately trying to find an employer who will sponsor him to stay in New York, finding an unlikely ally in an eccentric art critic (Tilda Swinton). This film is fantastical and delightfully wry.
She’s The Man (2006)
WATCH ON NETFLIXThe kind of teen movie we once took for granted, this crowd-pleaser puts a modern twist on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, turning a gender-bending farce into a delightfully silly high school comedy. It’s a testament to Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum’s comedic powers.
Spoiler Alert (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXSometimes the best comedies are the ones that leave you crying uncontrollably. Based on Michael Ausiello’s memoir about his experience of watching his long-time partner die from terminal cancer, Michael Showalter’s film is as sweet, funny and life-affirming as it is utterly heartbreaking.
Strays (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXCrude, crass and completely hilarious, Strays may look like a modern-day Milo and Otis—but this story of an abandoned terrier teaming up with other down-and-out dogs is strictly for adults. Featuring a dynamite voice cast led by Jamie Fox, Will Ferrel, and Isla Fisher, it’s a gleefully uncouth talking animal caper.
Superbad (2007)
Watch on NetflixSeth Rogen and Evan Goldberg began development on the screenplay for Superbad when they were just 13 years old, which is perhaps why even the crudest and most adolescent jokes in Greg Mottola’s 2007 coming-of-age film hit so perfectly. Starring Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as a pair of sex-obsessed high schoolers, the endlessly quotable and instantly beloved film is among the best in producer Judd Apatow’s stable, and easily one of the best teen comedies of all time.
They Cloned Tyrone (2022)
WATCH ON NETFLIXSocial satire is rarely as sharp as Juel Taylor’s genre-bending directorial debut, starring John Boyega, Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx as an unlikely trio who unwittingly uncover a secret government cloning conspiracy. Their cracking chemistry take this surreal and surprisingly poignant sci-fi comedy to another level.
Time Addicts (2023)
WATCH ON NETFLIXInventive and darkly funny, Sam Odlum’s directorial debut is a hidden gem. Following two foul-mouthed Melbourne junkies (Freya Tingley and Charles Grounds) who spend their days bickering and trying to score, things take an unexpected turn when they try a new drug that sends them travelling through time. This ambitious sci-fi caper is funny, thoughtful and well worth a watch.
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024)
WATCH ON NETFLIXThis delightful comedy catches up with our favourite claymation dog and his clueless yet well meaning owner—and sees the return of the diabolical penguin Feathers McGraw. Irresistibly charming and filled with sight gags, Vengeance Most Fowl is a reminder that good natured, gentle humour can be every bit as side-splitting as edgier fare.
White Chicks (2004)
Watch on NetflixIt’s only years later with the benefit of hindsight that we can truly appreciate what the Wayans brothers were doing in the 2000s—and the once panned, now cult classic, 2004 comedy White Chicks proves that it was on a whole other level. The story of two FBI agents (Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans) donning whiteface to go undercover as women to thwart a kidnapping plot broke every rule in the book and remains undeniably hilarious.
This guide is regularly updated to reflect changes in Netflix’s catalogue. For a list of capsule reviews that have been removed from this page because they are no longer available on the platform, visit here.
