We all need a reservoir of funny movies to watch when sad, especially because when you’re actually feeling sad, it can be kind of difficult to sort through yet another seemingly endless selection of streaming movies. 

And if you’re interested in trying out a movie you haven’t seen before, then you also risk that you won’t actually like the movie, which could send you further down the spiral, and that’s the opposite of what we’re looking to do here.

Obviously, we can’t guarantee that you’ll love all of these movies, or even that you’ll find them funny, but every one of them has received some very positive marks, either from viewers or critics or both. 

Also, these are just movies that we really happen to love, even beyond the bits and the goofabouts. If you like these movies, too, then we can probably be friends. Just don’t tell the movies that we left out of the list. There’s only so much time in the day. 

Mascots (2016) 

Christopher Guest, of Spinal Tap fame, is also a fantastic filmmaker, and there’s something about his comedy movies that just strikes such a perfect balance of humor and, you know, actual story and character development. 

Mascots, a Netflix Original film, is perhaps especially unique among Guest’s filmography because of how kind it is to its ensemble cast of quirky characters.

Don’t get us wrong: other Guest movies are also kind to their characters, but there’s an earnestness to Mascots that gives the impression the filmmakers had a lot of respect for professional mascots.   

It’s not a sappy movie, though. In fact, it’s a really consistently funny flick, with some excellent performances from some of Guest’s longtime collaborators, including the wonderful Parker Posey. 

Castello Cavalcanti (2013) 

What’s that? A short film? Can we even call a short film a movie? Well, in our opinion, why not? 

Castello Cavalcanti isn’t just a Wes Anderson short film: it’s also a sponsored short film, which sounds like a terrible idea. Prada paid for this one, and we’re sure they were happy with what they got. 

For the rest of us who aren’t super concerned with buying expensive Italian leather goods and sundries, this is just a fun little short film starring Jason Schwartzman where he plays a retro race car driver who runs into some handling trouble right in the middle of the big race. 

It’s short, of course, so we won’t give too much away, and best of all, you can find the full film on YouTube without hassle.  

Seven Psychopaths (2012) 

We feel like this movie has been basically forgotten since release. On a certain level, that’s pretty understandable. While it boasts a star-studded cast, it also has an unconventional structure, quite a bit of graphic violence, and some slightly experimental elements. 

But Seven Psychopaths is also just a darned funny movie in so many ways. Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken alone make this worth checking out, and hey, if you’re into some weird, creative sequences in comedy movies, then this could be an excellent match for you, you eccentric weirdo you. 

Wet Hot American Summer (2001) 

We were shocked to find that Wet Hot American summer carries a pretty abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score. 

Is it possible that, upon release, plenty of critics just didn’t realize that it was supposed to be a send-up of upbeat teen movies? Perhaps most of these critics happened to go into the screening immediately after eating a large plate of carbonara laden with food poisoning? 

Wet Hot American Summer is a delightful movie, especially if you’re into meta jokes and smart-dumb humor. Also, it’s clearly popular enough to inspire two follow-up Netflix shows.

It’s not a movie that’s going to make you rethink the world as you know it. It’s not a great story, and honestly the ending is pretty weak. Also, that one big song is just plain junk, even through an ironic listening lens.

But the performances are nothing short of wonderful, and the writing works way more often than it probably should.  

Hot Fuzz (2007) 

You already know about Hot Fuzz, unless maybe you’re under the age of ten, in which case, you probably shouldn’t watch this movie quite yet. Or at least ask your parents about it.

Hot Fuzz is an Edgar Wright movie that has continued to deliver joy to viewers for much longer than we would care to admit, given that we remember seeing this when growing up. (Don’t worry; we asked our parents first.)

A big-city cop is moved out to the boonies, where it seems like the most exciting happening is a rogue swan. But soon enough, a massive mystery plot starts to unravel. 

If Hot Fuzz can’t cheer you up in about 3 minutes flat, then it might be time to seek out other options. 

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) 

Why not throw an animated movie into the mix? The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was one of the three collaborations between Aardman Animation and Warner Bros. The relationship eventually fizzled out, perhaps in part due to some of the Hollywood demands WB made on the small British studio, but this one is absolutely a keeper. 

It’s the big giant action-adventure that Wallace and Gromit fans (i.e. everyone on the planet) had been anxiously awaiting. 

The story definitely still feels relatively small-scale in terms of setting and the underlying conflict, but everything is executed with a big old budget and the result is really something special. 

Depending on your experience with the movie, you’ll either be really excited by the idea of visiting the British countryside or never want to go there ever in your whole life. 

Tank Girl (1995) 

Ok, whether or not Tang Girl is actually a “good movie” is sort of a moot point here, in our opinion. 

But we can say with certainty that this is a fun and creative movie, and if you really just want to distract yourself from your troubles, then it’s a great pick. 

Although, be warned that the style happening here is not to everyone’s taste. It’s a cult film for a reason, but rest assured that, if it works for you and your own taste, you’ll probably want to rewatch it soon after the first run.