10 Funniest Comedy Movies Made by Milennials

The art of the comedy film has withstood the test of time in a theatrical capacity, from Shakespearean stage plays and the Silent Era of cinema through to the talkies and the Superbads of today.

As the old guard begins to pass the baton onto the new age of filmmakers, we are gradually witnessing the shift into millennial movie making, and this slow and steady transition is beginning to reflect in the films that are made in both substance and style. That is exemplified in the comedy genre, which is more socially aware, and perhaps more satirically self-conscious, than ever before. As such, we have started to see some truly brilliant movies directed by millennials, especially comedies in recent times, so, let’s take a look at the very best.

10 Theater Camp (2023) – Nick Lieberman and Molly Gordon

This hilarious comedy musical follows the story of an outlandish group of staff at a dilapidated Theater Camp. It traverses Upstate New York, who are forced to rely on their cohesive efforts when their beloved founder devastatingly falls into a coma.

The Awkward Mockumentary-Style Makes Theater Camp a Great Comedy

Directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, this mockumentary-style flick has a beautifully unrefined edge to it. It relies on this coordinated effort from both the camp’s eccentric guardians and this riff-raff of kids. The slightly awkward rapport between the respective parties is hilariously well-managed, and it’s this cohort of theater-loving thespians that make this movie what it is; a howling delight.

Watch the trailer for Theater Camp here.

Stream on Hulu

9 This Is the End (2013) – Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

Seth Rogen penned this apocalyptic horror comedy alongside childhood best friend, Evan Goldberg. This Is the End sees a star-studded cast, all playing themselves, feature in this film about six LA-based celebrities stranded in James Franco’s house after Los Angeles falls victim to an apocalyptic catastrophe.

The Dramatization of Celebrity Makes This Is the End Such a Funny Movie

A seriously self-indulgent picture, in typical Rogen fashion, this is about poking fun at oneself, and at the cult of celebrity. As they goof out and succumb to the panic of the everyman and deal with the ongoing world-changing events occurring outside Franco’s door, we bear witness to these famous personalities in a dramatized form. What’s so likable about This Is the End, is that the cast is malleable, and gives themselves fully to these roles as utter imbeciles.

Watch the trailer for This Is the End here.

Rent on Apple TV+

Related Link: 13 Actors Who Starred as Fictional Versions of Themselves in Movies & Television

8 Bottoms (2023) – Emma Seligman

As the youngest director on this list, Emma Seligman has launched a burgeoning directorial career at just 28 years old. 2023’s comedy-drama, Bottoms, is a nutty, off-the-wall laughing-fest about two unpopular lesbians at Rockbridge High School, who conceive the idea of a fight club, with the primary aim of losing their virginities before graduation. Of course, their plan goes horribly wrong.

How Bottoms Is a Comedic Delight

This LGBTQ+ satire is a barrel of laughs, it is one big splurge of silliness that is unceremoniously splattered in our faces. Bottoms is such a fun, goofy, and deliriously funny watch that, rather than striking a balance, launches itself into this deeply insincere, slapstick brashness, and enjoys itself while doing so.

Watch the trailer for Bottoms here.

Stream on Fubo

7 Game Night (2018) – Jonathan M. Goldstein and John Francis Daley

2018’s Game Night, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, with the former being of a millennial derivation, chronicles a group of friends who frequently meet up for game nights at each other’s houses. Yet, in this instance, things take an awry turn as one of them is seemingly kidnapped by menacing gangsters, and as such, we are left with a slightly ambiguous ending.

Why Game Night Is a Gripping Comedy-Thriller

On paper, this was a movie that had all the makings of another below-par flick with its candy-cane American humor and predictable, empty, and soggy-bottomed platitudes. However, what we were served was completely transformative, and a thoroughly gripping hour and forty minutes.

Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman have scintillating on-screen chemistry, and the way they roll out every type of comedy is impressive; from Charlie Chaplin-slapstick humor to sharp witticisms and electrifying stunts, Game Night has earned its right to be called a modern classic comedy.

Watch the trailer for Game Night here.

Rent on Apple TV+

6 Barbie (2023) – Greta Gerwig

2023 was a landmark year for cinema, especially down to the fact that the Barbenheimer double-header weekend ostensibly reignited the cinema-going flame, with the box office laughing all the way to the bank as screening after the screening of both Barbie and Oppenheimer were packed to the rafters. Greta Gerwig’s take on this ditsy blonde children’s doll makes light of the disparity between Barbie Land and the patriarchal real world, as Barbie and Ken journey to the Land o’ the Humans and come to a dawning realization.

As with all of Gerwig’s previous cinematic submissions, the Frances Ha star melds together a cutting satire with a riveting social commentary through this very particular lens of an iconic extract of many a little girl’s childhood. While it could be argued Barbie is a little too on the nose, this feminist parable, in all its pink interior, is exceptional at poking light-hearted, yet, meaningful fun at the state of the male-dominated modern world, and it reaped the rewards by becoming one of the fastest movies to gross $1 billion.

Watch the Barbie trailer here.

Stream on Max

5 Eighth Grade (2018) – Bo Burnham

Bo Burnham initially forged a formidable reputation for himself as a YouTuber, stand-up comic, and actor before he made the transition into a directorial capacity with his feature debut, Eighth Grade, one of the best films directed by a millennial. The film follows the story of Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher), a painfully shy, self-conscious teen in her last week of eighth grade.

How Bo Burnham’s Comedy Writing Hits All the Right Notes

As a naturally funny individual, Burnham’s ability to write rip-roaring comedy translates perfectly to scriptwriting, and as such, the way each line and scene has been put together is both allegorical and comically fastidious. One of the best films directed by a millennial, Eighth Grade marries an inherent loneliness experienced by many Gen Zers in this social media age with a relatable comedy full of risky quips, as well as more deft, subtle references that tap into cultural intricacies.

Watch the trailer for Eighth Grade here.

Stream on Max

4 Beau Is Afraid (2023) – Ari Aster

The excitement around Ari Aster, kick-started by his feature debut, Hereditary, has hit new decibels with every new release, and after 2019’s equally weird, wonderful, and downright frightful Midsommar, his repute for creating these eerily hallucinatory horrors is quite like no other. 2023’s Beau Is Afraid certainly caught audiences by surprise in terms of genre, but certainly not thematically. This whacky, rambling, and utterly bemusing work of surrealist comedy follows a troubled middle-aged man played wonderfully by Joaquin Phoenix, who, after the death of his mother, embarks upon an epic journey home.

Why Beau Is Afraid is a Slice of Comic Genius

Akin to the Safdie brothers’ Good Time and Uncut Gems, there is an anxiety-inducing nature to Beau Is Afraid, a disorienting glaze that makes the film so very palpable. From a comic perspective, Aster sows many a funny seed that often takes until a second viewing to fully blossom in our consciousness. While many humorous moments coming from Phoenix’s performance as this deeply chaotic man, Aster does make us work harder for a laughter-filled reprieve.

Watch the Beau Is Afraid trailer here.

Stream on Fubo

3 The Farewell (2019) – Lulu Wang

Lulu Wang’s The Farewell saw the up-and-coming director revert to her Chinese roots, with the film’s tale partly inspired by Wang’s own family. An American movie with an Asian ensemble cast, The Farewell details the story of a Chinese American family, who, after hearing the devastating news of their grandmother and matriarch’s terminal cancer diagnosis, must keep the news from her, and seek to arrange a family occasion as a final hurrah.

How Lulu Wang Makes Light of Cultural Disparities in a Hilarious Manner

Thanks to her heritage, the Crazy Rich Asians creator has the know-how to flit between the cultural disparities of her respective nations and the hilarity that can ensue when the traditions of her contemporary upbringing in the West meet the traditionalist views of her family in the East. Continuously juggling these very different themes in this melting pot that levitates somewhere between emotional turmoil and light-hearted joviality, The Farewell avoids flippancy, but also simultaneously locates laughs in the darkest of times.

Watch the trailer for The Farewell here.

Stream on Netflix

2 Lady Bird (2017) – Greta Gerwig

At 40 years old, Greta Gerwig just sneaks into the conversation as a millennial filmmaker whose penchant for making rib-tickling comedies is up there with some of the finest comedic brains in the industry. 2017’s Lady Bird gave the auteur her second shot at directing, and it follows the tale of Christine “Lady Bird” (Saoirse Ronan), and the navigation of her final year at high school, where relationships, studies, and aspirations all collide head-on.

Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird is One of the Best Comedies by a Millennial Because of Saoirse Ronan’s Performance

What makes Lady Bird such a heartwarming comedy is Gerwig’s ability to wrap this comedic cling film around the often-affecting drama of Christine’s life in what may well be A24’s best film to date. Ronan’s depiction of Christine is one of an outlandish charm and dry wit, allowing us to feel the impact of the trials and tribulations this teenage girl goes through, all while amusing us with her unawareness.

Watch the trailer for Lady Bird here.

Stream on Netflix

Related Link: A24’s Highest Grossing Films of All Time

1 Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) – Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan

2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once very literally took Marvel to the cleaners, concerning a Chinese American family who live a prosaic life running a laundry business. Their entire world is turned on its head when the matriarch, Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), is thrown face-first into a multiverse of mayhem as she comes face-to-face with alternate versions of herself as she bids to save humankind from imminent extinction.

How Everything Everywhere All at Once is the Best Comedy by Millennial Filmmakers

This crafty, exceptionally funny spin on the multiverse saw Everything Everywhere All At Once not only become A24’s highest-grossing movie ever, but it saw Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s film romp home at the 2023 Academy Awards, winning seven of the 11 it was nominated for, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. This sci-fi comedy deserved all the critical acclaim it received, given its limited budget.

Yet, it’s the comedy enlaced throughout that elevates Everything Everywhere All At Once from a good film about cosmic chaos to a great one. From the not-so-subtle references about the disparities between American and Chinese life (an attribute that made The Farewell such a comical hit), and the grandiose nature of the film’s set pieces and fight scenes that take these would-be normal people into a different realm from their conventional, mundane, launderette-based existence.

Watch the trailer for Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Stream on Prime Video