The 20 Best Comedy Movies of the 21st Century

Though we’re only two decades into the 21st Century, these two decades have been chock-full of hilariously memorable comedy films. From the classic slapstick parody in the Scary Movie series to witty dark comedies like In Bruges, comedy filmmakers of this era have refined classic comedic tropes while inventing new ones all their own. With so many great films out there, choosing the top few seems near-impossible, so here are the top 20 comedy films of the 21st Century.

	Title of the Movie	Year / Country / Director / Cast	Movie Description
1	Trainwreck	Release Date: 2015 Country: USA Director: Judd Apatow Cast: Colin Quinn, Devin Fabry, Carla Oudin, Josh Segarra, Amy Schumer, Jim Florentine, Robert E. Torres, Ryan Farrell, Brie Larson, Bill Hader, Robert Kelly, John Cena, Dan Soder, Dave Attell, Randall Park, Vanessa Bayer, Tilda Swinton	With Trainwreck, stand-up comedian Amy Schumer made her Hollywood debut with director Judd Apatow, whom produced, wrote, and directed many other hit comedies of the 21st Century. The movie, which features major comedy names like Bill Hader and Brie Larson, takes a refreshing spin on the classic romantic comedy by crafting a female lead that’s raw, honest, and relatable. The film turns traditional rom-com gender roles on their heads by making Schumer’s character, Amy, the philandering, heavy-drinking, and career-driven one whereas Hader’s character, Aaron Conners, is shy, geeky, and virginal. While it otherwise mostly adheres to the classic rom-com trope, it’s cleverly written and humorously self-aware, making it an enjoyable film even for those who typically stray away from romantic comedies. While the film received mixed reviews from critics and moviegoers alike, its refreshing take on romantic comedies makes it a worthwhile watch for rom-com lovers and raunchy comedy fans alike.
2	Scary Movie 5	Release Date: 2013 Country: USA Directors: Malcolm D. Lee, David Zucker (uncredited) Cast: Ashley Tisdale, Simon Rex, Gracie Whitton, Dylan Morris, Ava Kolker, Snoop Dogg, Ryan Morris, Darrell Hammond, Lidia Porto, Mac Miller, Erica Ash, J.P. Manoux, Marisa Saks, Molly Shannon	Like the rest of the Scary Movie franchise, Scary Movie 5 delivers the same laugh-out-loud slapstick comedy that viewers have come to expect from the well-known series. This installment parodies films from horror flicks like Cabin in the Woods and Paranormal Activity to dramas like Inception and even Black Swan. Starring Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex, the film follows a couple as they adopt two children who were raised in the wild and are then haunted by a mother-like monster. The main characters’ acting may seem overdramatic at times, but the Scary Movie franchise is well known for its over-the-top parody of the serious nature of many horror, thriller, and drama films. The film also features cameos from actors and celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, Mike Tyson, Snoop Dogg, and Molly Shannon, whose performance as a drunken and injury-prone ballerina is quite the standout. Overall, the Scary Movie franchise continues to make viewers laugh as it parodies some of the best horror and drama films out there.
3	The 40-Year-Old-Virgin	Release Date: 2005 Country: USA Director: Judd Apatow Cast: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Romany Malco, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, Seth Rogen, Gerry Bednob, Kat Dennings, Jordan Masterson, Shelley Malil, Chelsea Smith, Erica Vittina Phillips, Jonah Hill	The 40 Year-Old Virgin’s hilarious dialogue and well-developed story and characters helped rocket Steve Carrell to comedy superstar status while bringing director and producer Judd Apatow – one of the most influential comedy producers of this era – into the spotlight. The movie centers on a middle-aged man, played by Steve Carrell, who hasn’t had much luck in love or lust, and his friends make it their mission to get him laid. This relatively simple plot is pepper with memorable moments ranging from sweet to hilarious, and the characters in the film are remarkably relatable to the average audience. Despite some easy gags and its apparent simplicity, this movie avoids the common trappings of raunchiness for the sake of raunchiness that some R-rated comedies fall into, delivering hilarious banter along with an engaging story and believable and relatable characters. The 40 year-old virgin helped to further shape the well-written raunchy comedy that has become a hallmark of the 21st Century.
4	The Hangover	Release Date: 2009 Country: USA, Germany Director: Todd Phillips Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha, Sasha Barrese, Rachael Harris, Mike Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Ken Jeong, Mike Epps, Rob Riggle, Jernard Burks, Cleo King	This box-office hit takes the “wild night in Vegas” trope to new, hilarious heights. The movie follows three groomsmen – a handsome schoolteacher, a geeky dentist, and the socially awkward brother of the bride – as they search for their friend Doug after a wild bachelor party. After waking up to a suite with a tiger, a chicken, and a baby with a missing tooth and belly button piercing, the three friends realize that Doug has gone missing, and they embark on a hilarious adventure to put together the missing pieces of the night before. Their misadventures take them everywhere from the ER to a stripper’s apartment, and they encounter interesting characters from Mike Tyson to Mr. Chow, a wild naked man that they find locked in the trunk of their stolen cop car. While the movie flirts with cliché at times, the characters’ believability, the quotable writing, and the wild antics throughout the film ensure that this film remains a classic for years to come.
5	Bridesmaids	Release Date: 2011 Country: USA Director: Paul Feig Cast: Kristen Wiig, Terry Crews, Maya Rudolph, Elaine Kao, Tom Yi, Michael Hitchcock, Kali Hawk, Rebel Wilson, Joe Nunez, Matt Lucas, Jill Clayburgh, Ellie Kemper, Greg Tuculescu, Wendi McLendon-Covey	Saturday Night Live’s Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph revolutionized mainstream female-focused comedy with Bridesmaids – one of the first chick-flick comedies of this kind geared toward a multi-gendered audience. The film tells the story of a woman who becomes the maid of honor for her best friend and then must corral a wild bridal party while fighting off a fellow bridesmaid and potential nemesis – all while trying to date and keep her personal life together. Though the film has some rom-com tropes peppered in, its humor bridges the gender gap in hilarious – and sometimes disgusting – moments where the bridal party gets food poisoning or when Wiig’s main character, Annie, ends up going wild on the plane due to anti-anxiety meds gone awry. Overall, the movie seamlessly bridges the gap between raunchy comedy and chick flick, making it a great watch for all kinds of audiences.
6	Superbad	Release Date: 2007 Country: USA Director: Greg Mottola Cast: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Emma Stone, Bill Hader, Martha MacIsaac, Seth Rogen, Aviva Baumann, Kevin Corrigan, Joe Lo Truglio, Erica Vittina Phillips, Joe Nunez, Clement Blake, Dave Franco	Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s Superbad tells the tale of three awkward high school seniors on their quest to buy alcohol and get laid. While the story seems like that of a typical teen comedy, the film’s goofball characters and deadpan realism makes it stand out among other films, and its characters’ chemistry transforms a relatively simple plotline into a hilarious misadventure. The most laugh-inducing moments occur in the trio’s attempt to buy alcohol as Fogell produces a fake ID that claims he is “McLovin” – a line that practically became a meme in itself. After a robbery thwarts their attempt, they encounter two police officers who seem bent on reliving their glory years and ultimately take the boys under their wings, and the guys make it to the party, booze in hand. Overall, Superbad tells the tale of adolescent yearning with a somehow tasteful raunchiness that keeps the audience in stitches throughout the film.
7	Playing for Keeps	Release Date: 2012 Country: USA Director: Gabriele Muccino Cast: Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Noah Lomax, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman, Grant Goodman, James Tupper, Abella Wyss, Judy Greer, Grant Collins, Sean O'Bryan, Aidan Potter, Marlena Lerner, Iqbal Theba	Playing for Keeps proves that the classic rom-com can thrive even as it adapts to portray love in the modern age. In this romantic comedy, Gerard Butler plays George, a former professional soccer player whose life has calmed down substantially since his glory days – or so he thought. Though he’s trying to connect with his son and make a living off of his former career, George is little more than a has-been until his ex-wife convinces him to coach his son’s soccer team. Once he takes the job, he has more attention than he can handle from the sex-starved middle-aged soccer moms of his son’s team, leading him into a spider’s web of sticky situations as multiple women avidly pine after him. This movie’s star-studded cast, which features Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid, and Jessica Biel, and laugh-out-loud moments land it firmly into the top 20 for this century.
8	Elf	Release Date: 2003 Country: USA Director: Jon Favreau Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner, Daniel Tay, Zooey Deschanel, Faizon Love, Michael Lerner, Peter Dinklage, Artie Lange, Amy Sedaris, Andy Richter, Kyle Gass	With so many classics made throughout the 1900s, breaking into the Christmas classic genre is no easy feat, and many modern Christmas movies have quickly faded into obscurity. Elf, however, breaks that trend through its lovable main character, Buddy, and quotable, side-splitting one-liners throughout the film. Will Ferrell plays Buddy, a human whom ends up in the North Pole and is raised as an elf, and delivers a hilarious yet oddly believable performance. In the movie, Buddy ventures to the urban jungle of New York City, where he meets his father – a miserly publisher who’s on the naughty list, and Buddy aims to redeem his father by infusing him with the Christmas Spirit. Throughout the film, Buddy’s innocence and cheery, ridiculous personality lands him in all sorts of trouble, driving the plot forward as he tries his best to raise Christmas spirit throughout the Big Apple. The film’s goofiness and heart has made this movie a Christmas classic despite the odds.
9	Borat!	Release Date: 2006 Country: USA, UK Director: Larry Charles Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, Luenell	In Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Sacha Baron Cohen takes his satirical stunts to the next level by fooling unsuspecting strangers into showing the good, the bad, and the straight-up weird parts of American society. Like his Ali G TV series, Cohen poses as a fictional character in the real world as he involves unsuspecting strangers in his crazy documentary. However, Borat! begins in a completely staged manner, introducing his native Kazakhstan in a remarkably offensive fashion that seems to purposefully mock post-Soviet bigotry in central Asia. Then, when Borat lands in America, Cohen enters into his standard semi-improvisational style to lampoon some of the strange and dysfunctional elements of American society, and he winds up in all sorts of interesting predicaments in rodeos, car dealerships, and even gun shops. Though the film’s controversial style and offensive nature certainly elicited mixed reactions from the crowd, its critical success lies in how Cohen expertly posed as an outsider to expose an interesting side of the American psyche.
10	The School of Rock	Release Date: 2003 Country: USA, Germany Director: Richard Linklater Cast: Jack Black, Adam Pascal, Lucas Papaelias, Sarah Silverman, Chris Stack, Lucas Babin, Mike White, Joan Cusack, Veronica Afflerbach, Miranda Cosgrove, Jordan-Claire Green, Joey Gaydos Jr., Robert Tsai, Angelo Massagli	With it’s laugh-out-loud moments and heartwarming plot, School of Rock somehow straddles the line between rock ‘n’ roll comedy and family film. In this lighthearted and goofy comedy, Jack Black plays Dewey, a failed rock musician whom poses as a private school teacher to form a band to compete in a local battle of the bands. This role seems almost tailor-made for Black, whose wild energy and ridiculous noises and expressions bring the screen to life throughout the film. The story is a bit on the side of typical and predictable, but enjoyable due to its comedic moments and characters’ authenticity. Though the film’s premise could have easily ventured into cheesiness, Black’s likeable and natural performance combined with the kids’ equally hilarious personalities make the film a great watch even over a decade later.
11	Step Brothers	Release Date: 2008 Country: USA Director: Adam McKay Cast: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Kathryn Hahn, Elizabeth Yozamp, Logan Manus, Andrea Savage, Lurie Poston, Travis T. Flory, Shira Piven, Lili Rose McKay	This is exactly what happens when you see a 40 year old son acting as if he’s only 12 or 13. Will Ferrell and John C Reilly play an ideal match of immature sons, both of whom are trying to live with their respective parents, when their folks meet up with each other, fall in love and then get married! It’s the ultimate inane comedy which is so off the wall that it’s nothing short of hilarious. As can be expected from any blended family, the boys require time to be comfortable with their new stepparents, not to forget with each other. However, once they’re past that step and have worked out their differences, they evolve into best of the friends. Both of them experience what can be normally expected from young teenagers. Except for the fact that these guys are funny to the hilt. You get to see how inane two grown-up men can actually be. Both are good enough to wreck a marriage, yet are family-minded enough to try bringing their folks back with each other. If you’re keen on getting truly entertained, you need to come to the ‘fuckin’ Catalina Wine Mixer,’ and make sure you have some good fun!
12	The Grand Budapest Hotel	Release Date: 2014 Country: USA, Germany Director: Wes Anderson Cast: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Saoirse Ronan, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Tom Wilkinson	Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel blends comedy and tragedy to paint a picture of a bustling central European hotel between the two World Wars. Throughout the film, Anderson uses the lens of comedy to offer a critical examination of the many factors leading up to World War II and then the Communist Era that followed in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe, addressing serious themes such as the rise of Nazism and the tensions that ultimately sparked the Second World War. The film elegantly strides along the tightrope of bringing levity to heavy subject matter without making jokes in inappropriate places; in fact, by setting the film before and after World War II, the film has more comedic liberty than a traditional historical fiction film set during the early and mid 1900s. This Golden Globe winner blew critics away with its perfect balance of comedy and tragedy perfectly framed in Anderson’s unique style of cinematography.
13	Juno	Release Date: 2007 Country: USA Director: Jason Reitman Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, Allison Janney, Eileen Pedde, Darla Fay, Daniel Clark, Aman Johal, Rainn Wilson, Valerie Tian, Emily Perkins	As shows like MTV’s Teen Mom and others sensationalized teen pregnancy, Juno took a more realistic, witty, and heartwarming take on the subject. In the film, Ellen Page plays Juno, an acerbically-witted tomboy who ends up pregnant after losing her virginity to her best friend, Paulie Bleeker, who’s played by the classically awkward Michael Cera. Once the deed is done, the film follows Juno as she seeks a couple to adopt her baby, navigates the trials of teen pregnancy, and struggles with her feelings for Bleeker. Though the unique dialogue can be cheesy at times, the film is filled with memorable lines and hilarious characters, but it also offers depth and emotion as Juno navigates the trials and tribulations of becoming pregnant during high school, making for a well-rounded film. Overall, Juno’s relatable characters, witty dialogue, and overall heart make it one of the best comedies of the century thus far.
14	Thor: Ragnarok	Release Date: 2017 Country: USA Director: Taika Waititi Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Idris Elba, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Karl Urban, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Tadanobu Asano, Rachel House	With renewed interest in comics and advancements in CGI, superhero movies have become a staple of 21st Century film, but for the most part, these movies focus more heavily on action and adventure than on comedy. However, this list of the best comedies would not be complete without the funniest Marvel movie yet – Thor: Ragnarok. Though most superhero movies blend in a small bit of comedy to provide relief from the action and the drama, this installment of the Thor series perfectly peppers the standard superhero movie with gut-busting lines from all characters – thanks in part to Taika Waititi’s brilliant directing; in fact, most characters in the film deliver at least a handful of hilarious lines. Overall, Thor: Ragnarok proves that with the right cast and team, a superhero movie can go beyond just high-powered action and loads of CGI, incorporating witty dialogue without losing the genre’s classic elements and appeal.
15	Mean Girls	Release Date: 2004 Country: USA, Canada Director: Mark Waters Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Lacey Chabert, Amy Poehler, Tim Meadows, Lizzy Caplan, Neil Flynn, Ana Gasteyer, Rajiv Surendra, Jonathan Bennett, Daniel Franzese, Amanda Seyfried, Elana Shilling	Saturday Night Live writer Tina Fey first ventured into the world of filmmaking with Mean Girls, a teen comedy that revolves around a formerly homeschooled student who navigates her way through the hellish social landscape of high school. The film features hilarious takes on high school movie tropes like cliques, the dating game, and even the awkwardness of sex ed, but the film’s unique writing keeps it from venturing too far into the realm of cliché. Though the film certainly offers fresh takes on typical teen comedies, it’s most memorable aspect is its dialogue and its well-developed female characters, whom have real depth in lieu of the typical portrayal of teen girls as catty and vacuous. Even over a decade later, lines like “you go Glen Coco!” and “is butter a carb?” still elicit a laugh and a follow-up from most comedy fans, demonstrating the movie’s status as a classic among early 2000s moviegoers.
16	21 Jump Street	Release Date: 2012 Country: USA Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Dave Franco, Brie Larson, DeRay Davis, Rob Riggle, Ice Cube, Chris Parnell, Dax Flame, Ellie Kemper, Johnny Pemberton, Jake Johnson, Nick Offerman, Stanley Wong, Holly Robinson Peete	Many remakes often turn into box-office and critical flops – but not this fantastic reboot of the TV series 21 Jump Street. The film foregoes true loyalty to the series in favor of creating a compacted plot as well as emphasizing the “odd couple” dynamic between the film’s two stars – hunky Channing Tatum and awkward Jonah Hill. These two bicycle cops turned undercover investigators end up posing as high school students to seek out a new, dangerous drug. Throughout the film, the two wind up in a host of hilarious situations while trying to pull off their disguises – which they don’t always do so well – and find the source of the mysterious drug. Despite its deviation from the original series, the film version appealed to fans of the show by retaining certain key elements while engaging a new audience with a more modern setting. Overall, this remake puts a new spin on the TV series’ classic premise that makes for an entertaining and hilarious adventure.
17	In Bruges	Release Date: 2008 Country: UK, USA Director: Martin McDonagh Cast: Elizabeth Berrington, Rudy Blomme, Olivier Bonjour, Colin Farrell, Mark Donovan, Eric Godon, Ann Elsley, Ralph Fiennes, Zeljko Ivanek, Jean-Marc Favorin, Sachi Kimura, Brendan Gleeson, Anna Madeley	This independent comedy opened to little hype, but its dark humor and charm have transformed it into a cult classic. In Bruges follows two Irish hitmen – played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleason – who must go into hiding in the city of Bruges when they accidentally kill a young boy during an assignment gone awry. Though the movie at first seems to be a standard crime drama, it quickly rams into reality after the botched mission, and the two main characters lack the “cool” factor present in many noir leads as they line up for tourist attractions and fall over in the snow. Instead, the film presents itself as an expertly written dark comedy that intertwines with a morality tale, which is peppered with bits of action throughout. In sum, In Bruges expertly toes the line between comedy and tragedy to create a unique, masterfully written film.
18	Team America: World Police	Release Date: 2004 Country: USA, Germany Director: Trey Parker Cast (voice): Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Kristen Miller, Daran Norris, Masasa Moyo, Phil Hendrie, Chelsea Marguerite, Maurice LaMarche, Fred Tatasciore, Jeremy Shada	After the United States entered into the War in Iraq in 2003, Hollywood reacted to this messy conflict in a number of different ways. Perhaps one of the funniest – and most memorable – reactions to it was the blatantly satirical Team America: World Police. South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone satirized American jingoism with an action movie made with puppets, featuring idiotic heroes that constantly spout patriotic nonsense and even break into a song titled, “America, F*** Yeah!” During the film, the group goes to war with a “leftist coalition” – the Film Actors Guild – as well as a hilariously caricaturized version of North Korea’s Kim Jong Il, mocking notions of the “liberal Hollywood elite,” spoofing foreign leaders, and making crude puns (think of the acronym for Film Actors Guild) in one fell swoop. Overall, Team America: World Police deftly and intelligently satirizes American foreign policy under George W. Bush while ensnaring an unconventional audience with its crude and creative humor.
19	Anchorman	Release Date: 2004 Country: USA Director: Adam McKay Cast: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Chris Parnell, David Koechner, Fred Willard, Kathryn Hahn, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Paul F. Tompkins, Scot Robinson, Danny Trejo, Darcy Donavan, Ian Roberts	Anchorman blends a cast with chemistry and loads of banter to create one of the top comedies of the 21st Century. The film stars Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell, and David Koechner as a top news team prone to wild partying and wilder antics, but they find fierce competition when their station hires a new female anchor, Veronica Corningstone (played by Christina Applegate), who’s out to beat the competition and rise to the top. Over the course of the film, the characters’ antics become increasingly wild as Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell, struggles to keep his seat at the top as Corningstone gives him a run for his money. Though the story appears simple and uninteresting, the cast’s chemistry along with memorable lines like “60% of the time, it works every time” and “I love lamp” make this movie a comedy classic. Not many could have made a hilarious movie out of this premise, but Will Ferrell and company did.
20	Shaun of the Dead	Release Date: 2004 Country: UK, France Director: Edgar Wright Cast: Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Nicola Cunningham, Lucy Davis, Keir Mills, Dylan Moran, Peter Serafinowicz, Matt Jaynes, Gavin Ferguson, Arvind Doshi, Horton Jupiter, Rafe Spall, Tim Baggaley	In Shaun of the Dead, Edgar Wright, Nick Frost, and Simon Pegg turn the classic zombie movie on its head by infusing elements of romantic comedy into its plot and dialogue. In the film, three clueless slackers wind up in the midst of a zombie apocalypse that strikes London, and the trio must then must lead a ragtag group of survivors to the only stronghold they can think of – their local pub. The goofy characters use improvised weapons from cricket bats to records to fend off the hordes of zed, but rather than the typical blood-and-guts zombie movie, the film emphasizes the characters and dialogue more than the zombies themselves – at times, the zombies even seem like a nuisance that disrupts a standard comedy film. This refreshing spin on a classic horror trope perfectly captures the thrill of the characters’ fight for survival while seamlessly including elements of comedy and romance.

The 20 Best Comedies of the 21st Century

As the internet has overtaken the world, many people look to sites like YouTube or Reddit for their laughs. However, despite the rise of the internet’s role in modern comedy, the comedy film is alive and well. Over the course of the 21st Century, comedy writers, directors, and producers have taken on issues of modern life while pushing boundaries in the genre of comedy film. From simple, laugh-out-loud movies like Elf to light-hearted comedies like Step Brothers, the 21st Century has thus far brought us a wide variety of comedy films to enjoy.

2003 and 2004 were, by and large, landmark years for 21st Century comedy films; in fact, six of the films featured on this list are from those years, and they set the stage for future major comedy films and TV series. Elf, School of Rock, Mean Girls, Team America: World Police, Anchorman, and Shaun of the Dead not only lifted many important 21st Century comedy figures, such as Judd Apatow, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Steve Carrell, to superstar status, but they also laid the groundwork for other major works. For example, would Judd Apatow have been able to produce other films on this list, such as Trainwreck or Superbad, had he not made it big with Anchorman?

2003 and 2004 also gave rise to three major trends in 21st Century comedy. First, realistic and relatable female characters created by female writers and producers became increasingly common due to the success of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls in 2004. This box-office hit transformed what could have been a typical teen girl movie into a side-splitting comedy that won over fans of all genders and ages. In Mean Girls’ wake came movies like Bridesmaids and Trainwreck, which similarly featured female characters that broke the typical comedy mold of love interests and motherly figures. Like other genres of film, women have garnered a more pronounced and more realistic presence in the world of comedy.

Second, satire also became a common feature in many modern comedies. While the lighthearted parody found in the Scary Movie franchise and Shaun of the Dead has always been around, satire took a more serious turn in the mid-2000s with Team America: World Police, which addressed the more serious and dense subject of American foreign policy. Because it blended intelligent satire with outlandish and raunchy comedy, Team America engaged a younger audience that’s generally less interested in current affairs, increasing political awareness in an unconventional way. This film also set the stage for the explosion of news satire TV shows by Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and others.

Third and finally, writers, producers, and directors seem to have gotten the goofy, raunchy comedy down to an art form during the early 21st Century. Anchorman and its contemporaries arguably set the standard for this type of film – take a relatively simple plotline, create outlandish characters and cast them properly, and write lines that are hilarious and memorable. In Superbad, for example, the plot is relatively simple – three high school outcasts want to win over their classmates and get laid by buying alcohol for a party – but the cast seems tailor-made for their roles, and the movie is filled with memorable lines to the point where “I am McLovin’” memorabilia can still be found in stores today. The same goes for nearly any other similar film whether it’s The Hangover or Trainwreck. Though popular actors and lines have changed, the formula for a solid raunchy comedy was firmly established during the early 2000s.

While we still have the better part of the century to look forward to, the 21st Century has already yielded many comedy classics thus far. As veteran actors, writers, and producers refine their craft and new talent makes its way onto the scene, comedy films of the 21st Century have nowhere to go but up.