Amazon Prime has plenty of great comedies. Fans with a Prime subscription should have no trouble finding a laugh-out-loud comedy to watch, but the streaming service's vast catalog of films can make it difficult for fans to narrow down their next comedy viewing.
With a basic Amazon Prime subscription, viewers can choose from hilarious genre parodies like Violent Night to all-time classics like Shaun of the Dead and Liar Liar. The best comedy movies on Prime will have great performances, a solid story, and plenty of side-splitting moments.
Game Night (2018)
Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams head up the silly action comedy, Game Night. Bateman's Max and McAdam's Annie are a happily-married couple who host a weekly game night with their group of friends. One night, Max's brother Brooks joins in on the fun and announces that he's hosting an interactive murder mystery game. However, when Brooks is kidnapped, the mystery game becomes a reality.
Game Night was a box office success and received praise for its original take on the mystery genre and star-studded cast. In particular, Jesse Plemons shines as Gary, the socially awkward, recently-divorced police officer neighbor. With sitcom-esque misunderstandings and a fun premise, Game Night is a great blend of comedy and mystery.
Violent Night (2022)
Violent Night offers a different Christmas movie by placing Stranger Things’ David Harbour at the center of a dark and twisted take on Santa Claus. Harbour plays Santa, who finds himself having to do more than deliver gifts when he slides down the chimney into the Lightstone family home. The wealthy family has been taken hostage, and it’s up to Santa to fight the mercenaries and save them.
Violent Night is the perfect anti-holiday comedy movie to watch around the Christmas season. The shocking take on the Christmas story, bloody action sequences, and hilarious jokes makes Violent Night one of the most unique Christmas comedy movies.
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical comedy film that centers around the songs from the iconic pop group, ABBA. The movie follows Sophie, a young, soon-to-be bride who reads her mother's diary and discovers that her father is either Bill, Harry, or Sam. As such, she decides to invite the trio of strangers to her wedding without her mother's knowledge.
While Donna reunites with her ex-lovers, Sophie also gets to know them. Mamma Mia! is a true, feel-good comedy, thanks in large part to Meryl Streep's amazing performance, Donna's hilarious and iconic former bandmates, and ABBA's catchy songs.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Set during the zombie apocalypse, Shaun of the Dead follows Simon Pegg's Shaun, a London-based salesman, and his lazy friend Ed, played by Nick Frost. The pair suddenly find themselves in a precarious situation when their mundane world is taken over by flesh-eating undead. Shaun of the Dead is both a parody and a love letter to traditional zombie horror movies.
Shaun of the Dead performed moderately well at the box office when it released in 2004, but over the last couple of decades, the movie has developed a devoted cult following. Thanks to the constant jokes, easy-to-root-for heroes, and a series of hilarious mishaps, Shaun of the Dead is one of the best zombie comedies of all time.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Happy Gilmore solidified Adam Sandler's status as an A-list comedy actor. The former SNL star plays the titular character, a hockey player who decides to take up golf when his career isn’t going very well. The decision is also fueled by his elderly grandmother’s financial woes: she needs to pay the IRS a large sum of money or she will be kicked out of her home.
Gilmore’s journey to learn golf is full of hilarious obstacles, like his horrible temper. However, with former golf professional Chubbs' help, Gilmore works through his rivalries with the arrogant Shooter McGavin and his tournament partner Bob Barker. Happy Gilmore's funny story has helped the film develop a cult following among golf players, but even those who aren't interested in the sport can enjoy Sandler's amusing tribulations.
Ticket to Paradise (2022)
2022's Ticket to Paradise is a romantic and family comedy that stars Julia Roberts and George Clooney as Georgia and David, divorced parents who despise each other. However, Georgia and David reluctantly team up when their daughter graduates from college and decides to forego law school to get married to a young man she met on vacation in Bali. They try to stop her from throwing her life away and making the same mistakes they did.
Together, Georgia and David contrive a plan to sabotage their daughter's wedding. Ticket to Paradise features Georgia and David's hilarious hijinks, which includes stealing the wedding rings and causing mayhem. Everything works out in the end, and Ticket to Paradise offers a fun-filled ride through relatable family drama.
Nacho Libre (2006)
Jack Black is hilarious in Nacho Libre as Ignacio, a Catholic friar who follows his passion for lucha libre by moonlighting as a luchador at night. Ignacio works as a luchador both for his own amusement and for a good cause, as he aims to earn money to donate to the orphanage he works at.
Nacho Libre is loosely based on the real-life Mexican Catholic priest, Reverend Sergio Gutierrez Benitez (a.k.a. Friar Storm). The 2006 sports comedy film is as ridiculous as it is entertaining, and Jack Black never fails to draw laughs from the audience.
Billy Madison (1995)
Adam Sandler is a big name in comedy movies, and his 1995 film Billy Madison hit it out of the park with a ridiculous premise but plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. Sandler's Billy Madison is a spoiled, entitled, and immature man whose life takes a turn when his father makes a big decision: he won't leave his business empire to Billy unless the latter goes back to school.
Scrambling to prove to his father that he’s worth it, Madison agrees to complete all 12 grades of school to show that he has the competence to lead. As Madison fast-tracks through grade school and high school, he interacts with kids of all ages. Madison's interactions with these children and the hilariously strange lengths he'll go to his inherit his father's company make Billy Madison a silly but amusing watch.
Liar Liar (1997)
Jim Carrey’s comedic career has seen him star in some of the best comedy movies of all time, and Liar Liar is arguably Carrey's most underrated project. Carrey stars as Fletcher, a busy working lawyer and father who never has time for his son. Sad that his father constantly lies to him, Max blows out his birthday candles and wishes that his father is unable to lie for a full day. Eventually, the wish magically comes true.
This wish proves detrimental to Fletcher's career. His job as a lawyer relies on him often not telling, or at least stretching, the truth. Carrey’s signature comedic style and energetic expressions are on full display in Liar Liar, complete with contorted faces and goofy physical comedy as he struggles not to blurt out the truth in court. Prime subscribers will learn many meaningful life lessons if they watch Liar Liar, like the importance of family.
Burnt (2015)
Burnt stars Bradley Cooper as a talented chef in a high-end restaurant whose drug use gets in the way of his career. After taking time off to sober up, Cooper's Adam plans to return to cooking and earn a third Michelin star. Burnt skews more toward drama than comedy and received mixed reviews.
However, Burnt is a worthwhile watch for those interested in culinary comedy dramas. Even if the film is predictable, it's full of heart, and Bradley Cooper is compelling as the stressed-out and relatable Adam. Burnt has a talented supporting cast as well, including Sienna Miller, Alicia Vikander, Matthew Rhys, Uma Thurman, and Emma Thompson.