| Released in 1980The new decade opened with comedy finding its feet in a rapidly changing Hollywood. Chevy Chase established himself as a reliable big-screen funnyman, while the National Lampoon brand was building towards its mid-decade peak. John Waters continued pushing boundaries with his Baltimore-set provocations, and the teen comedy format — which would dominate the decade — was beginning to take shape. Nineteen eighty was a transitional year, bridging the anarchic spirit of 1970s comedy with the glossier, more commercially polished style that would define the decade. The groundwork was being laid for the era of Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, and Steve Martin, whose collective brilliance would make the 1980s one of the richest decades in Hollywood comedy history. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 |  |
Airplane!1980 | A landmark spoof comedy that fires jokes at machine-gun speed as an ex-pilot must overcome trauma to land a crisis-stricken passenger flight. | Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker | Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen | Watch |
| #23 |  |
The Stunt Man1980 | A fugitive hides on a film set and becomes a stunt performer, entering a surreal world where danger, illusion and manipulation overlap. | Richard Rush | Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback, Barbara Hershey | Watch |
| #32 |  |
The Blues Brothers1980 | Jake and Elwood Blues set out on a mission from God to save an orphanage, triggering car chases, musical numbers and comic mayhem. | John Landis | John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway | Watch |
| #45 |  |
Stardust Memories1980 | A filmmaker reflects on fame, romance and artistic dissatisfaction during a retrospective weekend in Woody Allen's surreal black-and-white comedy-drama. | Woody Allen | Woody Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper | Watch |
| Released in 1981Nineteen eighty-one was a quieter year for big-screen comedy, but it produced films of genuine wit and originality. The genre was in a period of creative regrouping after the anarchic energy of the late 1970s, with studios searching for the next wave of comedic talent. Bill Murray was consolidating his post-Ghostbusters stardom, and the Brat Pack generation was beginning to emerge. British comedy was also making its presence felt, with sharp satirical films crossing the Atlantic. The year's output demonstrated that the comedy genre was capable of real depth and ambition alongside its crowd-pleasing instincts, setting the tone for the more adventurous mid-decade comedies that would follow. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #31 |  |
An American Werewolf in London1981 | A horror-comedy classic about an American backpacker cursed after a wolf attack, balancing gruesome transformation effects with mordant humour. | John Landis | David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Joe Belcher | Watch |
| #38 |  |
Polyester1981 | John Waters' outrageous suburban satire follows a long-suffering housewife surrounded by adultery, delinquency and bad taste, originally released with Odorama gimmicks. | John Waters | Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey | Watch |
| Released in 1982Nineteen eighty-two saw comedy begin to hit its stride. The buddy formula was sharpening, teen comedies were multiplying, and a new generation of comedic actors was demanding attention. Steve Martin's screen persona was evolving from stand-up absurdism towards something warmer and more cinematic, while the National Lampoon franchise was approaching its commercial peak. Sydney Pollack's Tootsie — with Dustin Hoffman in drag as a struggling actor — became one of the year's most celebrated films, blending sharp social comedy with genuine emotional intelligence. The year confirmed that 1980s comedy could be both commercially dominant and artistically ambitious, a balance the decade would strike repeatedly throughout its run. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #11 |  |
Victor/Victoria1982 | A struggling singer in 1930s Paris finds success by posing as a male performer who impersonates women, creating a sophisticated farce about identity and performance. | Blake Edwards | Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston | Watch |
| #13 |  |
Diner1982 | A group of Baltimore friends wrestle with adulthood, marriage and loyalty while hanging out at their favourite diner in this character-driven comedy-drama. | Barry Levinson | Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon | Watch |
| #15 |  |
My Favorite Year1982 | A young television writer must supervise a hard-drinking swashbuckling movie star booked for a live 1950s variety show appearance. | Richard Benjamin | Peter O'Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Jessica Harper | Watch |
| #30 |  |
Tootsie1982 | A difficult actor disguises himself as a woman to get a soap-opera role and unexpectedly learns lessons about empathy, ego and gender politics. | Sydney Pollack | Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr | Watch |
| Released in 1983Nineteen eighty-three was a landmark year for 1980s comedy. Harold Ramis directed Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation, launching one of the decade's most beloved franchises and cementing Chase as the era's definitive suburban everyman. Mr. Mom gave Michael Keaton a star-making role, while Trading Places paired Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd in a sharp class-comedy that showcased Murphy's explosive talent. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life brought British absurdism to global audiences. The year's output was varied, confident, and hugely entertaining, demonstrating that comedy had become Hollywood's most reliable commercial genre alongside action. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #4 |  |
A Christmas Story1983 | A nostalgic holiday comedy following young Ralphie Parker's single-minded campaign to receive a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas despite repeated warnings. | Bob Clark | Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin | Watch |
| #5 |  |
Zelig1983 | A mock-documentary about Leonard Zelig, a human chameleon who becomes a celebrity by unconsciously changing personality and appearance to fit those around him. | Woody Allen | Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Patrick Horgan | Watch |
| #37 |  |
Trading Places1983 | A snobbish broker and a street hustler have their lives swapped by two wealthy manipulators, setting up a sharp satire of class and greed. | John Landis | Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy | Watch |
| #41 |  |
National Lampoon's Vacation1983 | The Griswold family's cross-country road trip to Walley World becomes a catalogue of disasters in this defining suburban travel comedy. | Harold Ramis | Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca | Watch |
| #49 |  |
Risky Business1983 | A suburban teenager turns his parents' absence into a wild entrepreneurial misadventure in the stylish comedy that helped define Tom Cruise's early stardom. | Paul Brickman | Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano | Watch |
| Released in 1984Nineteen eighty-four produced some of the decade's most enduring comedies. Rob Reiner's This Is Spinal Tap invented the mockumentary form and remains one of cinema's sharpest satires. Ghostbusters — with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis — was the year's biggest comedy hit, blending supernatural adventure with irresistible wit. John Hughes emerged as the decade's defining comedy voice with Sixteen Candles and Vacation follow-ups, capturing teenage experience with rare authenticity. Eddie Murphy was at the height of his powers, and the year confirmed that comedy could produce genuine blockbusters. Nineteen eighty-four was the year the 1980s comedy found its fullest, most confident expression. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #1 |  |
This Is Spinal Tap1984 | A razor-sharp mockumentary about a fictional heavy metal band whose comeback tour collapses into absurd backstage disasters and brilliantly improvised deadpan comedy. | Rob Reiner | Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest | Watch |
| #7 |  |
Broadway Danny Rose1984 | A small-time New York talent agent is pulled into romantic and criminal chaos while trying to help a lounge singer reach the big time. | Woody Allen | Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Nick Apollo Forte | Watch |
| #19 |  |
Ghostbusters1984 | Three eccentric parapsychologists start a paranormal extermination business in New York and stumble into a supernatural threat of citywide proportions. | Ivan Reitman | Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver | Watch |
| #34 |  |
Repo Man1984 | A punk drifter becomes a repossession agent and gets pulled into a strange chase involving stolen cars, aliens and anti-establishment satire. | Alex Cox | Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez, Tracey Walter | Watch |
| #44 |  |
Sixteen Candles1984 | John Hughes' teen comedy follows Samantha Baker through a disastrous sixteenth birthday that her family forgets amid wedding chaos and high-school embarrassment. | John Hughes | Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry | Watch |
| #48 |  |
Gremlins1984 | A Christmas creature feature turns into anarchic comedy when adorable Gizmo spawns mischievous monsters that overrun a small town. | Joe Dante | Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton | Watch |
| Released in 1985The mid-decade years saw comedy reach its commercial and creative peak. Robert Zemeckis's Back to the Future — with Michael J. Fox's irresistible Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd's eccentric Doc Brown — was the year's biggest hit, a time-travel adventure that worked equally well as comedy, action, and romance. John Hughes delivered The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, cementing his status as the poet laureate of 1980s teen experience. Chevy Chase returned in National Lampoon's European Vacation, and Steve Martin starred in Roxanne. Nineteen eighty-five was a year of maximum invention and commercial confidence, with comedy dominating the multiplex. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #2 |  |
Back to the Future1985 | A teen accidentally travels from 1985 to 1955 in a DeLorean time machine, forcing him to repair his parents' romance while racing to return home. | Robert Zemeckis | Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson | Watch |
| #8 |  |
The Purple Rose of Cairo1985 | During the Depression, a lonely moviegoer's life changes when a charming screen character steps out of the film and into the real world. | Woody Allen | Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello | Watch |
| #9 |  |
The Breakfast Club1985 | Five high-school students from different social groups spend Saturday detention together and discover the insecurities hidden beneath their labels. | John Hughes | Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald | Watch |
| #14 |  |
After Hours1985 | A mild-mannered word processor's late-night trip through downtown New York becomes an escalating nightmare of coincidences, eccentric strangers and darkly comic danger. | Martin Scorsese | Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom | Watch |
| #28 |  |
Lost in America1985 | A yuppie couple quit their jobs to rediscover themselves on the road, only to learn that dropping out of society is not so simple. | Albert Brooks | Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty, Sylvia Farrel | Watch |
| #43 |  |
Better Off Dead1985 | A surreal teen comedy about heartbreak, skiing, paperboys and absurd fantasy sequences as a dumped high-schooler tries to win back his girlfriend. | Savage Steve Holland | John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers, Kim Darby | Watch |
| Released in 1986Nineteen eighty-six was a more selective year for comedy, but its highlights were genuinely exceptional. Ferris Bueller — John Hughes's most beloved creation, played with effortless charm by Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller's Day Off — became the decade's defining teenage icon, a figure of wit, freedom, and irresistible charisma. The film's influence on teen comedy was immediate and lasting. Alongside it, Ruthless People offered sharp satirical comedy with Bette Midler and Danny DeVito. The year demonstrated that even with a smaller output, 1986 could produce films of lasting cultural impact, with Hughes in particular operating at the very top of his considerable powers. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #17 |  |
Ferris Bueller's Day Off1986 | A charismatic teenager skips school for one perfect Chicago adventure, dragging along his best friend and girlfriend while outwitting a determined principal. | John Hughes | Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara | Watch |
| #47 |  |
Something Wild1986 | A buttoned-up businessman is swept into a wild weekend by a free-spirited woman, before the comedy turns darker with an ex-con's arrival. | Jonathan Demme | Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith, George 'Red' Schwartz | Watch |
| Released in 1987Nineteen eighty-seven was one of the richest years for 1980s comedy. Robin Williams delivered one of his finest performances in Good Morning, Vietnam, his improvisational energy electrifying every scene. Steve Martin starred in Roxanne and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the latter pairing him with John Candy in a Thanksgiving road-movie of genuine warmth and hilarity. John Hughes continued his extraordinary run of form, and Cher demonstrated unexpected comedic range in Moonstruck. The year's output was remarkable for its variety — from broad farce to sharp satire to tender character comedy — confirming that 1987 was a golden moment for the genre. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #12 |  |
Radio Days1987 | A warm ensemble comedy built from childhood memories, family anecdotes and the golden age of radio in 1930s and 1940s New York. | Woody Allen | Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Mike Starr | Watch |
| #16 |  |
Broadcast News1987 | A witty newsroom comedy-drama about ambition, romance and journalistic ethics, centred on a producer, a reporter and a charismatic anchor. | James L. Brooks | William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter | Watch |
| #27 |  |
Raising Arizona1987 | The Coen brothers' madcap crime comedy follows an ex-con and a police officer who kidnap one of a furniture magnate's quintuplets. | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson | Watch |
| #33 |  |
Planes, Trains and Automobiles1987 | An uptight executive and a well-meaning shower-curtain-ring salesman endure a disastrous journey home for Thanksgiving in John Hughes' heartfelt road comedy. | John Hughes | Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins | Watch |
| #35 |  |
Moonstruck1987 | A widowed Italian-American bookkeeper falls unexpectedly in love with her fiancé's passionate brother in a romantic comedy full of family chaos and operatic feeling. | Norman Jewison | Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis | Watch |
| #42 |  |
Good Morning, Vietnam1987 | Robin Williams stars as an irreverent Armed Forces Radio DJ whose comic broadcasts energise troops while clashing with military authority in wartime Saigon. | Barry Levinson | Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tung Thanh Tran | Watch |
| Released in 1988Nineteen eighty-eight was the most prolific year of the decade for comedy, producing an extraordinary cluster of films across every sub-genre. Tom Hanks gave one of the era's most charming performances in Penny Marshall's Big. John Cleese's A Fish Called Wanda demonstrated that British and American comedy could combine to spectacular effect. Coming to America showcased Eddie Murphy at his most inventive, while Beetlejuice gave Michael Keaton one of his most gloriously unhinged roles. Bull Durham, Working Girl, and Midnight Run all added to an exceptional year. Nineteen eighty-eight proved that comedy could be the decade's most versatile and rewarding genre. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #10 |  |
Midnight Run1988 | A bounty hunter escorts a talkative mob accountant across America, dodging gangsters, federal agents and rival hunters in a fast, funny action-comedy. | Martin Brest | Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto | Watch |
| #18 |  |
Who Framed Roger Rabbit1988 | A dazzling blend of live action and animation in which a hard-boiled detective investigates a toon star framed for murder in 1940s Hollywood. | Robert Zemeckis | Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy | Watch |
| #21 |  |
Heathers1988 | A pitch-black teen satire about popularity, cruelty and rebellion, following a high-school outsider whose dangerous romance takes revenge fantasies too far. | Michael Lehmann | Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty | Watch |
| #24 |  |
Hairspray1988 | John Waters' exuberant dance comedy follows a Baltimore teenager who becomes a TV sensation and challenges racial segregation on a local music show. | John Waters | Sonny Bono, Ruth Brown, Divine | Watch |
| #26 |  |
A Fish Called Wanda1988 | A stylish British-American caper comedy about double-crossing thieves, an uptight barrister and a jewel heist that spirals into farce. | Charles Crichton, John Cleese | John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline | Watch |
| #29 |  |
Big1988 | A boy's wish to become grown-up magically turns him into an adult, giving Tom Hanks a warm showcase for innocence, playfulness and comic timing. | Penny Marshall | Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia | Watch |
| #36 |  |
Bull Durham1988 | A veteran catcher, a wild young pitcher and a devoted baseball fan form a funny, romantic triangle around a minor-league season. | Ron Shelton | Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins | Watch |
| #39 |  |
Torch Song Trilogy1988 | A drag performer searches for love, family acceptance and dignity in this funny and emotional adaptation of Harvey Fierstein's stage work. | Paul Bogart | Anne Bancroft, Matthew Broderick, Harvey Fierstein | Watch |
| #40 |  |
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen1988 | Terry Gilliam's lavish fantasy comedy follows the legendary baron through impossible adventures filled with theatrical imagination and visual invention. | Terry Gilliam | John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley | Watch |
| #46 |  |
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!1988 | Leslie Nielsen's clueless detective Frank Drebin stumbles through a plot to assassinate the Queen in a relentless barrage of visual gags and wordplay. | David Zucker | Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, O. J. Simpson | Watch |
| #50 |  |
Beetlejuice1988 | Tim Burton's macabre comedy follows recently deceased homeowners who hire a chaotic bio-exorcist to scare away the living family occupying their house. | Tim Burton | Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton | Watch |
| Released in 1989The decade closed with a strong final chapter for 1980s comedy. When Harry Met Sally — with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan — redefined the romantic comedy for a new generation, Rob Reiner directing a script by Nora Ephron that crackled with intelligence and warmth. Steve Martin and John Candy reunited the spirit of the previous year's road-movie comedy, and John Hughes continued producing hits. The decade's great comedy stars — Murphy, Martin, Murray, Williams, Hanks — had between them created a body of work that rivalled any era in Hollywood history. As the 1980s closed, comedy stood as the decade's most consistently entertaining and culturally resonant genre. | ||||||
| Rank | Picture | Title | Description | Director | Stars | Watch |
| #3 |  |
Crimes and Misdemeanors1989 | Woody Allen blends dark comedy and moral drama in intersecting stories about guilt, infidelity, success and the consequences people choose to ignore. | Woody Allen | Martin Landau, Woody Allen, Bill Bernstein | Watch |
| #20 |  |
Say Anything...1989 | A sincere underachiever falls for a brilliant valedictorian after graduation, creating one of the decade's most enduring romantic comedy-dramas. | Cameron Crowe | John Cusack, Ione Skye, John Mahoney | Watch |
| #22 |  |
Mystery Train1989 | Jim Jarmusch's offbeat comedy interweaves stories of travelers and locals around a Memphis hotel, Elvis mythology and nocturnal misadventures. | Jim Jarmusch | Masatoshi Nagase, Yuki Kudo, Screamin' Jay Hawkins | Watch |
| #25 |  |
When Harry Met Sally...1989 | A beloved romantic comedy tracking years of friendship, attraction and debate between two New Yorkers who wonder whether men and women can truly be friends. | Rob Reiner | Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher | Watch |
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