Comedy is notoriously difficult to pull off, and often quickly overlooked, but 2026 has already delivered a surprising number of great comedies in just the first six months – more than many entire years manage. With a highly anticipated fashion sequel exceeding expectations and earning $666 million, a critically acclaimed film becoming A24’s biggest summer hit in years, and a charming Canadian indie rom-com gaining widespread buzz, audiences have been genuinely laughing this year.
This year has seen a fantastic mix of funny movies, with both animated and live-action films delivering big laughs. Here are the five best comedies we’ve seen so far.
Mile End Kicks Is A (Funny) Breath Of Fresh Air
Chandler Levack’s film, Mile End Kicks, first shown at the Toronto Film Festival in late 2025, was released in theaters in 2026. The movie stars Grace Pine as a 24-year-old music critic who relocates to Montreal’s Mile End in 2011 with the goal of writing a book about Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill. However, she quickly shifts gears, becoming a publicist for a local indie band and finding herself attracted to two of its members at the same time.
Although it didn’t make much money in theaters – earning only $679,000 on a $4 million budget – don’t let that discourage you. Mile End Kicks is a genuinely funny and charming romantic comedy, full of moments that will make you laugh. The film stands out for its realistic and unique portrayal of women working in creative fields, and its 2011 setting adds a warm, nostalgic feeling without being overly sappy.
I Love Boosters Is Bold, Vibrant Comedy
I caught Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters when it kicked off SXSW on March 12th, and then everyone got to see it in May thanks to Neon. It’s about Corvette – played brilliantly by Keke Palmer – who leads this awesome crew called the Velvet Gang. They basically steal designer clothes from a big chain store in the Bay Area, but they don’t just keep it for themselves! They sell it all at lower prices and call it ‘fashion-forward philanthropy,’ which I thought was such a cool concept.
The film stars Regina King alongside Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige, with Oscar nominees Demi Moore, LaKeith Stanfield, and Will Poulter also featured. Cinematographer Natasha Braier uses striking colors throughout the movie, and director Jordan Peele cleverly blends elements of time travel and stop-motion animation into what starts as a fun heist story – all while still making a point about class differences. Despite only earning $7 million at the box office on a $20 million budget, this doesn’t reflect how funny and well-made the film actually is.
The Invite Turns A Dinner Party Into Riotous Fun
Olivia Wilde’s latest movie, written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack (who also created the film Celeste and Jesse Forever), is a remake of the 2020 Spanish comedy The People Upstairs. It received a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival, and A24 won a competitive bid to distribute it. The film centers on a married couple struggling in their relationship when their intriguing new neighbors invite them over for dinner.
Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton star as a couple hosting a dinner party, and the resulting film, ‘The Invite,’ is a hilarious 107-minute comedy of increasingly chaotic mishaps. It’s playfully inspired by the styles of filmmakers like Roman Polanski and Luis Buñuel, but still manages to be genuinely funny on its own. With a 97% approval rating, it’s one of A24’s most well-received films this year, largely thanks to the strong performances from its four main actors.
Minions & Monsters Is The Funniest Despicable Me Movie
Despite receiving the best reviews of any film in the Despicable Me series, Minions & Monsters had the lowest opening weekend box office numbers domestically, earning $36.4 million over the July 4th holiday. The movie, directed and co-written by Pierre Coffin (with Brian Lynch), is set in 1927 Hollywood and tells the story of Minions James, Henry, and Ed as they try to create their own monster movie during the shift from silent films to talkies.
I was really hoping for something great, but it seems like their attempts to fight fantastical creatures actually just made things worse – they ended up releasing real monsters! The movie does have a fantastic voice cast though, with names like Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan and even Trey Parker. Honestly, it’s baffling to me how much the critics disliked it when so many people went to see it; it’s one of those movies that really doesn’t make sense at the box office.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 Brings Back The Humor Of The Original
One of the year’s highlights was the return of director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna, twenty years after the beloved film The Devil Wears Prada. This new sequel centers on a compelling idea: what happens when Miranda Priestly, a hugely influential figure in fashion, confronts a struggling industry?
Costing $100 million to produce, The Devil Wears Prada 2 earned an impressive $666.1 million globally and quickly became a major cultural moment. The original cast – Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci – all reprise their roles with the same charm and humor. This time, however, Emily Blunt’s character has risen to a powerful position as an executive with a significant advertising budget that Miranda Priestly urgently needs. The film stands out as the year’s best comedy because the screenplay cleverly recognizes that the most amusing and poignant aspect of Miranda Priestly is the possibility that she’s actually correct – that she’s more deserving of success than the failing industry she operates within.
2026-07-26 04:38