It’s been a great decade for comedy. New talent has emerged, genre innovations have been plentiful, and the mainstream seems to be in sync with the indie world. Here are 5 of the funniest comedies to grace the silver screen in the past decade.
5. School of Rock
Image via Wikimedia Commons by Moses
Mike White and Richard Linklater’s 2003 love letter to the philosophies of rock music is memorable for two things: the incredible talent of its young musicians, and Jack Black’s tour-de-force of hilarious personality. School of Rock is the rare all-ages comedy that’s equally enjoyable for audiences young and old.
4. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
via Wikimedia Commons by Eva Rinaldi
Will Ferrell transitioned from his start on Saturday Night Live to become a surprisingly versatile comedian who bridges the gap between conventional humor and Adult-Swim-caliber absurdity. His crowning achievement so far has been his virtuosic performance in Adam McKay’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. At once a live-action cartoon, fun period piece, and apt genre parody, the film lets Ferrell and an ensemble cast of great comedic actors run wild.
3. 40 Year Old Virgin
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The Judd Apatow brand had been building for years, struggling against canceled TV shows and an industry climate that preferred a little less reality than Apatow tends to feature. That all changed with 2005’s The 40 Year Old Virgin, ostensibly a Steve Carell vehicle but in truth a stunning ensemble comedy. Dirty without being lewd, silly without being cartoonish, this film did more to revolutionize comedy as a genre than anything for a decade prior.
2. Knocked Up
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Though Judd Apatow struck gold with Virgin‘s off-beat sense of humor, he didn’t play it safe for his next big feature. A-list names like Anne Hathaway dropped out of the unsparing pregnancy comedy Knocked Up because of its unflinching approach to a typically saccharine subject. Apatow partnered with executives at Universal Studios like Marc Shmuger and frequent Apatow collaborator Shauna Robertson to get this challenging (but ultimately rewarding) comedy off the ground. If 40 Year Old Virgin put Judd Apatow on the A-list, Knocked Up ensured he would make it into the pantheon of comedic directing greats.
1. Bridesmaids
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It was only natural that the Age of Apatow would cross over with the rise of strong, female-led comedy. That’s exactly what happened in 2011 with Paul Feig’s hit Bridesmaids. Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig co-wrote this uproariously funny ensemble comedy with Apatow placing his seal of approval on the project as a producer. Wiig stars along with a great collection of comediennes in an overstuffed inversion of wedding movie tropes, making a raunchy but smart feature that paved the way for a shift toward gender equality in the comedy world.
The great comedies of the early 21st century have opened the doors for an out-and-out revival of the genre going into the next decade. Hilarious writers and performers are enjoying a fresh era of support from studio executives, as well as newfound freedom in the digital-aided independent circuit. It’s an exciting time for comedy geeks and popcorn crowds alike.