Comedy movies have a way of surprising us when we least expect it. Many films that were initially met with low expectations ended up exceeding those expectations and becoming beloved classics. In this video, WatchMojo counts down the top 30 comedy movies that nobody expected to be good, but ended up being hilarious hits.
From the quirky charm of “Napoleon Dynamite” to the action-packed laughs of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” to the unconventional humor of “Zombieland,” these movies defied the odds and won over audiences with their wit and charm. Each film on this list offers something unique, whether it’s clever writing, memorable characters, or surprising heart.
So, if you’re looking for some unexpected laughs, be sure to check out these comedy gems that prove you can’t judge a movie by its trailer. Let us know in the comments below which unexpectedly great comedy movie shocked you the most, and don’t forget to subscribe to WatchMojo for more great content!
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Who left the fridge open welcome to watch Mojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the comedy movies everyone had low expectations for until they saw them what’ you do all last summer again I told you I spent it with my uncle on Alaska hunting Wolverines number 30 Paddington my body
Had traveled very fast but my heart she took a little longer to arrive this ended up being the very definition of not judging a book by its cover or in this case a movie by its trailer when Paddington was first announced many assumed it would end up like others
Focused around CGI animals largely forgettable the promotions didn’t help either as they focused on physical comedy rather than jokes however Paddington ended up defying all preconceived notions the quips were charming and wholesome and the human cast played perfectly off the animated Bearer while it’s undoubtedly made for
Children the plot wasn’t dumbed down in the slightest which led to adults enjoying it Paddington serves as proof that just because something is made for kids doesn’t mean it can’t be funny as well I will never be like other people but that’s all right because I a
Bear a bear called Paddington number 29 Friday weed is from the earth God put this here for me and you take advantage man Friday helped push the boundaries of what a comedy could be audiences were skeptical about it at first due to its lowbudget and seemingly violent plot
However Friday ended up being so much more than people expected it portrayed life in rough neighborhoods in an entirely new way while other films showcased darker elements of those areas this one chose to highlight the more casual and light-hearted aspects of it the amusing lines and endless hij Jinks
Are enough to keep anyone entertained it also gave Ice Cube the chance to flex both his his acting chops and his script writing skills with classic lines that are still quoted today this has gone on to become one of the most iconic comedies of all time now your father He Got
Game don’t nobody go in the bathroom for about 35 45 minutes number 28 good boys my neighbor is a total nyphomaniac her boyfriend’s always over she starts fires no that’s a pyromaniac she’s a nymphomaniac someone who has sex on land and sea on paper a film about three
Middle School boys replacing a drone and going to a party doesn’t seem like it has much going for it however good boys proved that a simple premise doesn’t have to drag the final product down whatsoever equal parts chaotic Misadventures and heartwarming moments it ended up being a touching story about
Growing up and apart from childhood friends while adults writing for kids can often come across as out of touch the dialogue and and modern references were both handled perfectly creating the ultimate gen Z coming of age flick between drug deals gone wrong and adult situations being seen Through The Eyes
Of innocent kids good boys hits a perfect Sweet Spot between wholesome and hysterical put it back I’m being generous today we also have drugs he was on to us number 27 Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure who are you guys were you dude no way no way yes way 10 with humor being
As subjective as it is making a comedy of any kind is a huge risk when your narrative is centered around one specific kind of joke then you take the chance of the audience either loving or hating it as Bill and Ted have a particularly unique way of speaking the
Director was worried that it would be polarizing however the gamble paid off and the time traveling Extravaganza became a hit for from the sheer hilarity of seeing historical figures in modern times to the constant onliners this has something for everybody the best part is that the film knows it’s silly and
Doesn’t take itself seriously making it the ideal Comfort watch how’s it going Royal ugly dudes I am the earl of preston and I the Duke of Ted number 26 Deadpool anyway I got places to be a face to fix and oh bad guys to kill when thinking of the superhero genre humor
Isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind considering how Deadpool was introduced in the X-Men series fans were doubtful that they’d be able to get his character and absurdity correct in his solo cinematic debut luckily the creators understood the assignment from the opening credits the fourth wall
Breaks were apparent and they remained consistent throughout the plot everything from the music to the slapstick comedy came together to create one of the funniest films featuring a Marvel hero Ryan Reynolds deserves special credit delivering a stellar performance that makes it clear he was born to play the Vigilante let us go
Talk to the professor makavo or Stewart these timelines are so confusing number 25 Galaxy Quest by grab’s Hammer by the sons of Wan you shall be Avenged parodies are an often overlooked form of Comedy when done correctly they serve as a love letter to the original work while also poking fun
At various tropes Galaxy Quest hit the nail on the head with their caricature of Science Fiction properties particularly Star Trek the tongue-in cheek film wasn’t afraid to take shots at the property and its fan base while also including small details that proved The Writer’s Super Fan status despite
Aing inside jokes it still holds up well on its own meaning you can go in knowing nothing about the source material and still have a good time Galaxy Quest has become widely beloved among comedy lovers in general and is a prime example of a spoof done right what is this thing
I mean it’s there’s no useful purpose for there to be a bunch of choppy crushy things in the middle of a hallway no I mean we shouldn’t have to do this it makes no La number 24 Walk Hard the Dewey story does Dewey seem unhappy you he’s changed I tell you he’s changed
Biographies about musicians have always been popular but they can have the tendency to blend together Walk Hard the Dewey Cox Story pointed this out by lampooning the major points that occurred in several different biopics this was a daring move as the incessant references could have come across as too
Much however the film struck a perfect balance between homage and originality the musical performances alone are enough to set it apart from other spoofs about the industry the subtle Illusions to musical icons like Johnny Cash and Ray Charles are just the cherry on top while it’s considered a parody the movie
Is so well written that you can still enjoy it even if you don’t know all of the artists included don’t tell me what to say and what not to say PA mccadney I’m sick of you being so dark when I’m so impish and Whimsical number 23 Ted
Let’s all be best friends oh my god get away from that thing get over here right now but Dad get over here while Seth McFarland had already made a name for himself in television with shows like Family Guy his involvement in film was minimal that all changed when he
Directed wrote and starred in Ted a movie about a teddy bear who comes to life expectations were low from the beginning many anticipated it would have the same comedic style as Family Guy however the end result was better than anyone could have imagined the crude wit ju supposed with the ridiculous concept
Resulted in a chaotically funny story what’s more impressive is that it managed to maintain its momentum without a single dull moment the success of it helped people see McFarland and his work in an entirely new light hey Johnny I just had a great idea let’s go get drunk
And puke on Cops from the overpass oh come on I do not sound that much like Peta Griffin number 22 Borat in my country they would go crazy oh my for these two not so much yes wow W will satire is one of the hardest forms of Comedy to get right you
Have to commit enough to pull it off but you can’t go so far that the audience thinks you agree with the position you’re mocking Sasha Baron Cohen took a huge chance with this Showcase of what became one of his most iconic characters between the unscripted interviews with
Real people and his dedication to the outrageous bit the whole project was a huge balancing act his risks paid off in Spades incorporating both biting commentary and plenty of shock humor it ended up becoming a hit among the very people it was making fun of it’s the
Ultimate evidence that dark jokes can be hilarious if done right listen puss smile a bit that’s it okay done we’re finished we have to leave number 21 blockers blockers sounded like an outright disaster it’s a sex comedy which aren’t often critical Darlings that’s what trying things is for to
Teach you things it’s contradiction it was directed by a writer producer making her directorial debut so things were likely to be rough around the edges it starred John Cena which seemed more like a meme than anything else and even the title itself is derived from a dirty
Term but the movie ended up being adored not only for its humor but also for its themes and tone what about a little chugging contest yeah bring it it flipped the teen sex comedy on its head by focusing on the parents and it treats the characters with empathy and respect
Lending the story an undeniable sweetness these are people not caricatures and that is all too rare within the genre it was just really nice what you said it’s good I mean it thanks I feel like like Phil Jackson when he was coaching the Bulls number 20 Hot Tub Time Machine thanks to that
Silly title audiences knew exactly what they were getting into check it out they must have fixed it come on this sounded like just another goofy guy comedy that would come and go without much fanfare even the lead billing of John Cusack seemed questionable as he’s not really the type
Of actor audiences would expect to lead a movie like this you know it’s not always about my emotional Journey that could be about yours but the script was surprisingly dextrous and intelligent using its main characters as targets of satire the characters were also far richer than anyone thought they would be
Everyone was well-cast and the sci-fi flick often leaned into its own Ridiculousness hurry up I can see the ’90s these aren’t things viewers typically see in a gross out comedy such as this and it took critics and audiences by surprise loser hey John lennin gets shot wait that already
Happened number 19 the nice guys Jesus Christ one at a time you took the lord’s name in vain no I didn’t Janet I found it very useful actually okay Janet some movies catch lightning in a bottle this one had all the odds stacked against it as it was
Coming out among a slew of other buddy comedies such as dirty Grandpa and Ride Along along 2o the competition was Steep and it seemed like it wouldn’t stand out Ryan Gosling and Russell Crow were an unconventional comedic Duo and many wondered if they would play well off one
Another that answer ended up being a resounding yes between their chemistries and the tight script the nice guys ended up stunning both audiences and critics it’s a pasti of 1970s film with its own modern twist it has the perfect blend of edginess and action creating an experience that delighted audiences you
Know nobody got hurt people got hurt I’m saying I think they died quickly though so I don’t think that they got hurt number 18 Beetle Juice Beetle Juice Beetle Juice Beetle Juice it’s show time Tim Burton’s eccentric colorful and somewhat morbid approach to Comedy has resulted in a
Number of critical and box office successes but back in 1988 the prospect of getting big laughs with a story about a deceased couple haunting their house was far from a done deal we want to get rid of the people who have moved in here Barbara and I worked very hard on this
House we probably wouldn’t mind sharing the house with people who were more like you used to be given that Michael Keaton’s most recent films hadn’t set the box office on fire and when owner Rider wasn’t yet a recognizable name expectations for Burton’s followup to peewee’s Big Adventure were not high but
The sensibilities of this cast and direct ctor were perfectly in tune resulting in a quirky film that gets laughs from unexpected [Applause] places number 17 Zombie Land rule number one for surviving Zombie Land cardio when the virus struck for obvious reasons the first ones to go were the
Fatties at the time of zombie land’s release many felt the zombie craze was dying down could a zombie Comon with an odd twinky Fascination really Resurrect The genre Tallahasse had a sick sense of humor when it came to zombies zombies aren’t the most lovable creatures but he
Really hated them in fact the only thing he was more obsessed with than killing zombies was finding a Twinkie add to that the fact that it was director Ruben fleer’s first feature film and expectations were not exactly skyh High yet this offbeat flick became one of the genre’s biggest hits and was hilarious
To boot credit sharp writing a solid cast and some funny action sequence quences for its success and of course that Bill Murray Cameo was a major plus mix it all together and you get a comedy that defies expectations B muray you’re a zombie I’m on fire ouch you’re not a
Zombie you’re talking what you you’re okay the hell I am number 16 girls trip deaf Direction and a strong cast can turn a standard comedic PR Prem into a really good movie and as premises go a group of friends going on a road trip is about as
Standard as you can get but Regina Hall Queen Latifah Tiffany hadish and Jada pinket Smith made their characters believable and fresh I’mma Be cool I’mma Be Cool I just want to say hi wait I’m going just say hello no no no don’t you say hello no Dana don’t do that remember
Ryan said this is her life we should get itol With haish stealing the show as the hilarious Dena their friendship felt so real that audiences were only too happy to laugh along with them and girls trip was a huge critical and Commercial Success the result a trip that’s surprisingly fun to take look I get it you’re upset I shouldn’t be throwing
Things in a place of work why are you making air quotes this is a place of work lesson learned how you so understanding number 15 Mean Girls it was written by Tina Fay produced by Lauren Michaels and had Tim Meadows in the cast so it’s easy to assume this
Would be a run-ofthe-mill SNL movie if you need anything or if you want to talk to somebody thanks maybe some other time when my shirt isn’t see-through okay okay turns out this teen comedy bucked the trend and was an original thoughtful and funny flick the real surprise though is this 2004 film’s
Cultural impact so you’ve actually never been to a real school before shut up shut up I didn’t say anything while Mean Girls is an apt title meme girls would have worked as well more than a decade later the film’s characters and onliners live on in numerous memes endlessly quotable relatable and
Hilarious all at once Mean Girls is timeless get in loser we’re going shopping number 14 21 Jump Street I think think you idiots are perfect you’re officially transferred all right that’s great well where should we report to down on Jump Street 37 Jump Street no that doesn’t sound right it
Turning an old TV show into a big screen action comedy has been done so many times that it’s almost about as commonplace as well the undercover cop Trope Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s adaptation of 21 Jump Street involves both those things yet it turned out to be incredibly entertaining in no small
Part thanks to the onscreen Chemistry Between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum it also had solid character development just the right amount of self-referential humor and one hell of a comedy and action-packed limo Chase in fact the movie was such a hit that it spawned a solid Sequel and almost a Men In Black
Crossover he literally yo this is the best thing ever number 13 Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle on the SE this might look like your standard Stoner comedy and Road Trip movie but Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is so much more than a one or two note joke
Fest our parents came to this country escaping persecution poverty and hunger Hunger Harold they were very very hungry they wanted to live in a land that treated them as equals a land filled with hamburger STS instead it’s a comedic Odyssey through various communities that deals with some some
Serious social issues such as bigotry and racial profiling you want me to Cross you want me to Cross I will cross it makes you happy I will cross I’ll do it it also offers an abundance of twists and turns along the way as two friends who just want to reach White Castle Jon
Cho and Cal pen are well defined and sympathetic enough to keep the audience rooting for them even if their goal is a fast food restaurant the movie launched their careers and led to a sequel where you going wherever God takes me number 12 game night guys this is
Madison yeah you brought her last week you work at Forever 21 right no no I work at Sephora I’m confused different girl same same look same voice nice to meet you you too what’s yours that’s a no I think you’re supposed to kiss it right welcome the premise seems simple a competitive
Couple participate in a game night with their friends and unusual hij Jinks ensue but despite sounding like a cookie cutter comedy this 2018 film is far from it instead the team behind Horrible Bosses delivers enough twists and turns to keep the audience constantly guessing got to capture this moment honey get in
There we’ll take a quick little selfie here the charismatic ensemble cast manages the difficult trick of keeping viewers on the edge of their seats while ALS Al making them laugh with popular party games incorporated into the character’s attempts to foil a kidnapping this is genuinely a game night to remember turn turn turn
Turn on turn on turn on what turn number 11 spy the Spy genre is one of the most easily spoofed as such audiences have been given countless spy parodies throughout the years with seemingly diminishing returns oh God he went into a building okay okay well well done
That’s it time to call it a day but the winning magic of Paul Fe and Melissa McCarthy resulted in what is arguably the freshest and funniest spy boof in recent memory that’s exactly what I was thinking much of the praise stems from F’s writing directing and McCarthy’s
Lead performance but much can also be said for the supporting roles got a big night ahead of this don’t be afraid to clean yourself up Amber take a show was what I’m saying Rose Burns comedic timing and line delivery are spoton and Jason St provides a self-aware performance that was gleefully
Outlandish and surprisingly hilarious spy made the spoof genre funny again I drive a car off a freeway on top of a train while I was on fire not the car I was on fire Jesus you’re intense number 10 clerks do you have that one with that
Guy who was in that movie that was out last year clerks was shot on a poultry budget of about $30,000 which was rounded up by Kevin Smith taking money from his college fund fund maxing out credit cards and selling his comic books it was also shot in black and white and
The story concerned the slacker employees of a convenience store just going about their business are either one of these any good I don’t watch movies well have you heard anything about either one of them I find it’s best to stay out of other people’s Affairs in no world would this barebones
Movie have worked but Smith’s assured Direction and sharp dialogue combined with the winning performances of the inexperienced cast helped turn cler Works into a cult classic many people saw themselves in the characters and Smith was praised for capturing the general males of lost and directionless 20s somethings you know there’s a
Million fine looking women in the world dude but they don’t all bring you lasagna at work most of them just cheat on you number nine Home Alone Home Alone is now a Christmas classic but very few people had faith in the film back in 1990 look what you did you little jerk
Warner Brothers seemingly couldn’t care less and shut down production over budgetary concerns and fox picked it up with a still measly $18 million budget what else could we be forgetting Kevin and even though it managed to get made no one was expecting it to perform particularly well at least
Not as well as it did other than that I’m in good shape for some reason Home Alone really resonated with General audiences and its gross slowly ballooned over the holiday season and went to an insane $476 million you guys give up or you’re thirsty for more it stayed at number one
For 12 consecutive weeks at the time and became the third highest grossing movie ever behind only Star Wars and ET it was the little Christmas movie that could keep the change you filthy animal number eight Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle cake is my weakness along with speed and
Strength huh strength is my weakness hey can I quick question how is strength my weakness the original Jumanji starring Robin Williams is a classic so audiences could have been forgiving for viewing this belated sequel with trepidation but with a fresh modern Twist on the premise it was a surprisingly fun and sidesplitting movie
While in 1995’s Jumanji a brother and sister get sucked into a board game Welcome to the Jungle puts an entirely new cast inside a video game instead Dwayne Johnson Jack Black Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart all give great performances and the fast-paced comedic action really works it’s since spawned a
Sequel of its own and is poised to become a franchise come on why am I running so slow number seven the other guys much like spy comedies the cop spoof genre is ancient and seemingly played out City’s dying for a hero is it yeah what about 9 million socially conscious and unified citizens
All just stepping up and doing their part but like spy the other guys proves that sheer Talent both behind and in front of the camera can overcome even the most overplayed of genres Adam McKay and will frell make for a great team and they provided a stellar onew punch with
Step Brothers and the other guys two movies that work far better than they had any right to where are you going I’m going upstairs cuz I’m going to put my nuts at on your drum set this buddy cop flick gy parody the genre in numerous inventive ways including absolutely Stellar
Opening sequence and will farell and Mark Wahlberg made for an unexpectedly delightful Duo maybe we should uh call ourselves the fze brothers cuz it’s feeling so fresh right now right let’s do another Fresh Start cuz I just wanted to punch you in the face in a sea of cop spoofs the other
Guys is the other movie The Rare great one I did my first desk pop it’s a real thing right number six bridesmaids bridesmaids was a Monumental success effortlessly Crossing demographics and grossing nearly $300 million worldwide the movie could be enjoyed by anyone as a deafly mixed seemingly desperate genres I don’t I
Don’t know what to say you look Megan are you okay it was a runchy comedy a Sentimental chick flick and a touching Buddy Story with each aspect given equal importance it wasn’t just a gross out comedy with women as it was so often build help me I’m poor it was also
An intelligently written and wonderfully performed film that took an honest look at its characters lives and situations crafting rich and mature themes amongst all the farting puking and pooping well you’re really doing it aren’t you you’re just in the street it also helped launch Melissa McCarthy’s comedy
Career which led to Future feig marthy collabs like the Heat and spy life is going I’m life and I’m going to bite you in the ass number five Tropic Thunder Tropic Thunder is one of the smartest and funniest comedies of the 2000s but no one really expected it
You hit that director in the face yes the cast was stacked with the likes of Ben Stiller Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr but the general concept of an action spoof had been well trod and Ben Stiller’s directorial filmography was spotty at best this chicken chick chop
Up is still outside the perimeter s crack a jump we did did now Tropic Thunder proved his first big hit as a director scoring nearly 200 $ million and earning critical praise for its send up of conceited Hollywood culture actors producers Studio Executives the movie industry in general nothing was safe
From the biting and wide reaching satire of Tropic Thunder while many of the film’s jokes wouldn’t necessarily work today there’s no denying that Downey and Tom Cruz’s performances are simply legendary with Downey even scoring an Academy Award nomination for his efforts Number Four The 40-Year-Old Virgin this
One could have been so bad they were nice you know and like you grab a woman’s breast and it’s and you you feel it and it feels like a bag of sand when you’re touching it bag of sand based on the title viewers could have been forgiven for
Expecting vulgar low brow humor and stereotypes the late Roger eert sure thought that’s what he was in for and was delighted to instead find it surprisingly insightful with a good heart and a lovable hero you know what I respect women I love women I respect them so much that I completely stay away
From them okay I have a very fulfilling life and now I am making your silver pants blue most movie goers concurred and the film became a substantial hit Steve Carell was previously best known for his contributions to the Daily Show and this film put both him and director
Co-writer Jud appow firmly on the Hollywood map for good reason just tell just stop calming me down and tell me what I should do okay we just take everything that’s embarrassing and we move it out of here so it doesn’t look like you live in Neverland Ranch number three Napoleon Dynamite talk about
Coming out of nowhere what are you going to do today Napoleon whatever I feel like I want to go this quirky small town comedy made for $400,000 by a team just out of college went on to make 46 million and become a cult hit complete with merchandising and a bronze statue at
20th Century Fox Studios with an unknown director and no known Stars no one expected much and so we’re surprised by the film’s heart and originality got shocks pegs lucky you ever take it off any sweet jumps you got like 3T of air that time it was director Jared Hess and Star John
Heer’s first feature film and boy did they knock it out of the park this simple personal story about ordinary high school students told with irreverent humor struck aord with audiences and is still quoted today so what do you think it’s pretty cool I guess man I wish I could go back in time
I take State this is pretty much the worst video ever made number two The Hangover made for just $35 million The Hangover starred Bradley Cooper Ed Helms and and Zach galanakis none of whom were particularly popular at the time this isn’t the real Caesar’s Palace is it it
Was directed by Todd Phillips who was known for his runchy but somewhat underwhelming comedies and the story came across as dude wears my car in Vegas I look like a nerdy hillwell but the finished product was far more than the sum of its generic Parts as it was
Well shot and written impeccably acted and genuinely hilarious the comedy turned its relatively unknown actors into movie stars hey there’s a baby on Bor someone just said baby get out of the car it’s a Baby G many of its scenes and lines became iconic and it became
The 10th highest grossing movie of 2009 with $467 million The Hangover series would see diminishing returns but the first is a bonafied comedy classic in the face in the face before we continue be sure to subscribe to our Channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you
Have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you’re on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one super bad gangsters what’s up guys today super bad is fondly remembered as one of the greatest comedies of the 2000s it helped
Launch careers it revitalized the runchy teen comedy and it is unyieldingly hilarious from beginning to end credits but no one would have guessed it changed your name to McLovin mcloven what kind of a stupid name is that Fogle what are you trying to be an Irish R&B
Singer made for a minuscule $20 million super bad starred Michael Sarah who no one had really previously paid much attention to and Jonah Hill who was then only a minor part of Seth Rogan and appa’s movie Gang do another one me not to mention the script was written while
Rogan and Evan Goldberg were teenagers nothing against Teenage creativity but they don’t often pump out acclaimed million dooll grossing Hollywood comedies but super bad captured the high school experience in all its awkward and zany glory and it became one of the most important and cherished comedies of our
Time hey Greg why don’t you go piss your pants again that was like 8 years ago people don’t forget which unexpectedly great comedy movie shocked you the most let us know in the comments and more like what do you need less glasses what did you enjoy this video
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Video “Top 30 Comedy Movies NO ONE Expected to Be Good” was uploaded on 03/02/2024 to Youtube Channel WatchMojo.com