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The surprise success of “Good Boys” has sparked conversations about a resurgence of the R-rated comedy. After reading countless obituaries for the blockbuster comedy genre, the fact that a raunchy film with no star power could carry a weekend should be welcome news to movie lovers. It remains to be seen whether this inspires Hollywood to make more great adult comedies, but here are ten of the best to tide you over.
10. “Four Lions” (2010)
Satirist Chris Morris kicked off the decade by making a hilarious film about what might be the unfunniest subject matter in history. The story of four bumbling would-be terrorists perfectly toes the line between comedy and tragedy, and is all the more enjoyable when you consider what a delicate line it is. A debate about the merits of punching yourself in the face during a fight remains some of the most quotable cinema in recent memory.
9. “They Came Together” (2014)
Tell me about it. A decade after launching countless careers with their delightfully weird “Wet Hot American Summer,” David Wain and Michael Showalter got some of the band back together for this rom-com send up. Mirroring the episodic, surreal rhythm of their summer camp movie without ever repeating it, “They Came Together” is an overlooked gem that every comedy geek should check out.
8. “Deadpool” (2016)
Disney gets a lot of praise for taking risks with its Marvel movies, but it was this Fox flick that took the superhero genre into R-rated comedy territory. Ryan Reynolds’ passion for the motormouthed hero shows in every frame, and the film simultaneously works as a raunchy laugh fest and a sweet love story. It quickly spawned a sequel, proving that an R rating does not equal box office doom.
7. “The Nice Guys” (2016)
Understandably overshadowed by “La La Land,” this Shane Black film represents the other half of Ryan Gosling’s fantastic 2016. The 70s-set comedy pairs him with Russell Crowe, resulting in one of the most unexpectedly hilarious comedic duos in recent memory. Combining “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”-like crime antics with a genuinely sweet look at fatherhood, this one is not to be missed. If nothing else, it will remind you to never end a sentence with “and stuff.”
6. “Good Boys” (2019)
What could have been a generic dud about young men swearing and partying becomes hilarious when the men in question are really, really young. The late-summer hit updated the quintessential R-rated comedy formula by setting it in middle school, and it may end up kickstarting another renaissance for the genre. Film fans can keep their fingers crossed.
5. “The Big Sick” (2017)
Kumail Nanjiani burst into Hollywood’s top tier with a story that only life could write. This Judd Apatow-produced comedy about a man meeting his girlfriend’s parents while she’s in a coma scored him an Oscar nomination, but it’s overflowing with R-rated laughs as well.
4. “22 Jump Street” (2014)
Yes, it’s the same movie as “21 Jump Street,” and all the better for it. The improbable sequel to a reboot that dedicated itself to mocking reboots, Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s film succeeds by knowing exactly what it is. Simultaneously a parody of Hollywood’s sequel obsession and a ringside seat to the Jonah Hill-Channing Tatum bromance, it somehow manages to improve upon its stellar predecessor. The joke about a film school named after Benny Hill is reason enough for its inclusion here.
3. “The World’s End” (2013)
After making two of the best comedies of the 2000s, with “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz,” Edgar Wright had sky-high expectations for the final entry in his Cornetto trilogy. And boy, did he deliver. This sci-fi action comedy about an apocalyptic pub crawl was a fitting end to the loosely-connected series, and remains an unmissable entry in his impressively original filmography.
2. “This Is The End” (2013)
What makes the end of the world such a ripe topic for comedy? That’s a question that Seth Rogen and his celebrity friends try to answer in a film that had no right to be this good. A murderer’s row of Hollywood stars appear as themselves, enjoying a party when a disaster of biblical proportions just happens to strike. A refreshingly meta take on the genre, it served as Seth Rogen’s least-plausible hit until “Sausage Party” came around.
1. “Bridesmaids” (2011)
You knew it was coming. This cultural phenomenon scored Oscar nominations for Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy, establishing them both as legitimate movie stars in the process. It launched Paul Feig’s brand of R-rated female comedy that keeps popping up at multiplexes. And it proved once and for all that you don’t need men to make a hilarious movie (although a Jon Hamm cameo never hurts).
