Amazon Prime Video gives you access to a huge library of movies and TV shows. But quantity is not necessarily quality, especially when it comes to the comedy genre. While Amazon has a good track record of original TV comedies, the movie library isn’t quite as impressive. Still, if you’re looking for a laugh, your Prime Video subscription does give you access to a few sure things. Finding them, however, isn’t always easy. So to help you out, we’ve gone through the library to bring you the best comedies you can currently watch on Amazon Prime Video.
Looking for laughs using a different streaming service? We’ve also curated guides to the best comedies on Netflix and the best comedies on Hulu.
Young Frankenstein (1974)
An absolute comedy classic, Young Frankenstein is one of the best films from comedy legend Mel Brooks. Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) is a respected medical lecturer whose life is turned upside down when he learns he has inherited his infamous grandfather’s estate in Transylvania. Determined to be a responsible doctor, young Frankenstein nonetheless finds himself tempted to recreate his grandfather’s experiments when he arrives in Transylvania. With the help of servants Igor, Inga, and Frau Blücher, young Frankenstein creates his own monster, only for his fiancée to arrive unannounced.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Stars: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman
Director: Mel Brooks
Rating: PG
Runtime: 105 minutes
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
It’s a who’s who of legendary British actors in this dramedy about a group of British retirees who decide to go the “frugal” route with their retirement by moving to India. Lured by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel, the retirees imagine they’ll live out the remainder of their days in glorious, lush environs. Unfortunately, the hotel is truly a shell of its former self. Nonetheless, the retirees soon find joy and love as they begin to let go of their pasts and focus on this bold new future.
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
Stars: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy
Director: John Madden
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 124 minutes
Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
It’s not very Coen Brothers to make a romantic comedy and, to be sure, Intolerable Cruelty is not one of their best, but it’s certainly not bad. George Clooney stars as Miles Massey, an exceptional divorce lawyer who specializes in saving cheating husbands from paying expensive settlements. But he’s too good. He always wins. That is, until he meets Marylin Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones). When Miles defeats her in court, Marylin vows for revenge, enlisting the help of an oil baron (Billy Bob Thornton) to bring Miles off his high horse.
Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
Stars: George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Billy Bob Thornton
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 100 minutes
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Not one of Wes Anderson’s most critically acclaimed movies, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is nonetheless a classic for Anderson fans. Billy Murray is on top of his game as renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou, off on the high seas to revenge himself upon the rare shark that ate a member of his crew. On board, he’s joined by a man who believes Zissou to be his father, a journalist pregnant with a married man’s child, and the rest of his regular crew. Traveling the sea in search of vengeance, they bizarrely stumble across increasingly dangerous figures from Zissou’s past.
Rotten Tomatoes: 56%
Stars: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston
Director: Wes Anderson
Rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes
Knives Out (2019)
Daniel Craig is at it again, but this time he isn’t playing James Bond. Knives Out is a mystery comedy film directed by Rian Johnson and starring a full cast of stars, including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, and more. When a wealthy mystery novelist, Harlan Thrombey, is found dead after his 85th birthday party, Detective Benoit Blanc, played by Craig, steps in to solve the case. While primarily a murder mystery, Knives Out packs a few comedic moments sure to throw a smile on every movie watcher’s face.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Stars: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon
Director: Rian Johnson
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 130 minutes
The Big Sick (2017)
Released in 2017, The Big Sick is a romantic comedy film, starring Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano. Directed by Michael Showalter, The Big Sick follows Kumail, an Uber driver and struggling stand-up comedian living in Chicago. Kumail’s parents have locked him into an arranged marriage with a woman for whom he has little interest. Follow the laughs and romance as Kumail meets Emily, a woman he quickly falls for, but not everything is laid out as one would hope.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter
Director: Michael Showalter
Rating: R
Runtime: 119 minutes
Heathers (1989)
Another tremendous black comedy film, Heathers stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and Shannen Doherty. Directed by Michael Lehmann, it features four girls named Heather who find their everyday lives suddenly thrust into chaos by someone murdering popular students at school and staging their deaths as suicides. If you don’t mind a bit of morbid humor, this teen film is sure to produce a few laughs. Having since been adapted into a musical and a television series, Heathers has become a popular cult comedy.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Stars: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty
Director: Michael Lehmann
Rating: R
Runtime: 103 minutes
Editors’ Recommendations
