Best Comedy Movies of the 1980s

1. 1
   Back to the Future 1985

   Directed by Robert Zemeckis
   8.3

   8.3 · 23K votes
2. 2
   Back to the Future Part II 1989

   Directed by Robert Zemeckis
   7.8

   7.8 · 14K votes
3. 3
   The King of Comedy 1982

   Directed by Martin Scorsese · Streaming on Plex Channel
   7.7

   7.8 · 2.7K votes
4. 4
   The Breakfast Club 1985

   Directed by John Hughes · Streaming on Hulu, YouTube TV
   7.7

   7.7 · 8.8K votes
5. 5
   The Princess Bride 1987

   Directed by Rob Reiner · Streaming on Hulu
   7.7

   7.7 · 5.4K votes
6. 6
   The Blues Brothers 1980

   Directed by John Landis · Streaming on Netflix, YouTube TV
   7.7

   7.7 · 4.7K votes
7. 7
   Nothing Left to Do But Cry 1984

   Directed by Roberto Benigni
   7.6

   7.7 · 1.2K votes
8. 8
   Brazil 1985

   Directed by Terry Gilliam · Streaming on YouTube Free
   7.6

   7.7 · 3.9K votes
9. 9
   The Marquis of Grillo 1981

   Directed by Mario Monicelli
   7.6

   7.8 · 506 votes
10. 10
    Ferris Bueller's Day Off 1986

    Directed by John Hughes · Streaming on Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+
    7.5

    7.6 · 5.6K votes
11. 11
    Tampopo 1985

    Directed by Jūzō Itami · Streaming on HBO Max
    7.5

    7.8 · 466 votes
12. 12
    Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988

    Directed by Robert Zemeckis · Streaming on Disney Plus
    7.5

    7.5 · 6.4K votes
13. 13
    Evil Dead II 1987

    Directed by Sam Raimi · Streaming on HBO Max, Kanopy, IndieFlix Shorts
    7.5

    7.5 · 3.7K votes
14. 14
    The Goonies 1985

    Directed by Richard Donner · Streaming on Tubi TV
    7.5

    7.5 · 6.5K votes
15. 15
    Ghostbusters 1984

    Directed by Ivan Reitman · Streaming on Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV
    7.5

    7.5 · 10K votes
16. 16
    Police Story 1985

    Directed by Jackie Chan · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Shout! Factory TV
    7.5

    7.6 · 1.1K votes
17. 17
    I'm Starting from Three 1981

    Directed by Massimo Troisi
    7.4

    7.6 · 714 votes
18. 18
    After Hours 1985

    Directed by Martin Scorsese · Streaming on Howdy
    7.4

    7.5 · 1.9K votes
19. 19
    Heart of a Dog 1988

    Directed by Vladimir Bortko
    7.4

    7.9 · 210 votes
20. 20
    Waiting for the Hearse 1985

    Directed by Alejandro Doria
    7.4

    8.1 · 157 votes
21. 21
    When Harry Met Sally... 1989

    Directed by Rob Reiner · Streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.4

    7.4 · 4.8K votes
22. 22
    Scooby-Doo's A Nutcracker Scoob 1984

    Directed by Charles August Nichols
    7.4

    9.0 · 68 votes
23. 23
    My Partner 1982

    Directed by Paolo Agazzi
    7.4

    8.9 · 72 votes
24. 24
    Hannah and Her Sisters 1986

    Directed by Woody Allen · Streaming on fuboTV, MGM+, Philo
    7.4

    7.5 · 1.2K votes
25. 25
    An American Werewolf in London 1981

    Directed by John Landis · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus
    7.4

    7.4 · 2.8K votes
26. 26
    Once Upon a Time, There Lived a Dog 1982

    Directed by Eduard Nazarov
    7.4

    8.0 · 169 votes
27. 27
    Beetlejuice 1988

    Directed by Tim Burton · Streaming on fuboTV, HBO Max
    7.4

    7.4 · 8.8K votes
28. 28
    Eddie Murphy: Delirious 1983

    Directed by Bruce Gowers
    7.4

    7.6 · 373 votes
29. 29
    This Is Spinal Tap 1984

    Directed by Rob Reiner · Streaming on HBO Max, Kanopy, Hoopla
    7.3

    7.4 · 1.7K votes
30. 30
    My Friends Act II 1982

    Directed by Mario Monicelli
    7.3

    7.6 · 378 votes
31. 31
    Zelig 1983

    Directed by Woody Allen · Streaming on YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    7.3

    7.4 · 946 votes
32. 32
    Kin-dza-dza! 1986

    Directed by Georgiy Daneliya · Streaming on Philo, Hoopla, Night Flight Plus
    7.3

    7.7 · 312 votes
33. 33
    Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown 1988

    Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
    7.3

    7.4 · 1K votes
34. 34
    Crimes and Misdemeanors 1989

    Directed by Woody Allen · Streaming on Hoopla, YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    7.3

    7.4 · 982 votes
35. 35
    The Purple Rose of Cairo 1985

    Directed by Woody Allen · Streaming on Hoopla, YouTube Free, Tubi TV
    7.3

    7.4 · 1.2K votes
36. 36
    My Dinner with Andre 1981

    Directed by Louis Malle · Streaming on HBO Max, Criterion Channel, YouTube Free
    7.3

    7.5 · 493 votes
37. 37
    Thus Spoke Bellavista 1984

    Directed by Luciano De Crescenzo
    7.3

    7.9 · 157 votes
38. 38
    Airplane! 1980

    Directed by Jim Abrahams · Streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.3

    7.3 · 5.3K votes
39. 39
    Bianca 1984

    Directed by Nanni Moretti
    7.3

    7.5 · 415 votes
40. 40
    Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 1983

    Directed by Terry Jones · Streaming on TCM
    7.3

    7.3 · 2.2K votes
41. 41
    Good Morning, Vietnam 1987

    Directed by Barry Levinson
    7.3

    7.3 · 3.1K votes
42. 42
    The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! 1988

    Directed by David Zucker · Streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.3

    7.3 · 4.7K votes
43. 43
    The Broken Landlord 1985

    Directed by Nesli Çölgeçen
    7.3

    8.2 · 107 votes
44. 44
    Down by Law 1986

    Directed by Jim Jarmusch · Streaming on HBO Max, YouTube TV, Fandango at Home Free
    7.2

    7.4 · 884 votes
45. 45
    Decalogue X 1989

    Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
    7.2

    7.9 · 144 votes
46. 46
    Santa Claus Is a Stinker 1982

    Directed by Jean-Marie Poiré
    7.2

    7.3 · 1.1K votes
47. 47
    The Gods Must Be Crazy 1980

    Directed by Jamie Uys · Streaming on Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
    7.2

    7.3 · 1.4K votes
48. 48
    Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears 1980

    Directed by Vladimir Menshov
    7.2

    7.5 · 308 votes
49. 49
    Planes, Trains and Automobiles 1987

    Directed by John Hughes · Streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
    7.2

    7.3 · 2.4K votes
50. 50
    Trading Places 1983

    Directed by John Landis · Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, YouTube TV
    7.2

    7.2 · 3.8K votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes.

1. 1
   Okey, Mister Pancho 1981

   Directed by Gilberto Martínez Solares
   6.7

   8.5 · 28 votes
2. 2
   An Audience with Billy Connolly 1985

   Directed by Alasdair Macmillan
   6.5

   8.4 · 22 votes
3. 3
   Radovan the Third 1983

   Directed by Ljubomir Draškić 'Duci'
   6.4

   9.2 · 12 votes
4. 4
   Rags to Riches 1987

   Directed by Bruce Seth Green
   6.4

   9.5 · 10 votes
5. 5
   George & Mildred 1980

   Directed by Peter Frazer-Jones
   6.6

   8.0 · 33 votes
6. 6
   The High Schoolers 1986

   Directed by Nicolae Corjos
   6.6

   8.1 · 28 votes
7. 7
   The Kingdom of Diamonds 1980

   Directed by Satyajit Ray
   6.6

   8.0 · 31 votes
8. 8
   Dangerous Charm 1984

   Directed by Ivan Andonov
   6.5

   8.3 · 20 votes
9. 9
   Jára Cimrman Lying, Sleeping 1983

   Directed by Ladislav Smoljak
   6.5

   8.2 · 20 votes
10. 10
    ¡El que no corre... vuela! 1982

    Directed by Gilberto Martínez Solares
    6.5

    8.1 · 21 votes