Between the AI doomsday chatter, inflation memes, and world leaders treating the planet like a personal playground, 2025 often felt like a badly written sketch. Thankfully, the movies understood the assignment.

The best comedy films this year leaned in. They made the awkward funnier, the bleak more absurd, and the serious completely unserious. Dialogue-driven, chaotic and refreshingly unpolished, these films mirrored how we actually talk, argue, and laugh—bad timing, weird silences and all.

So, before the credits roll on 2025, here are the comedies that kept us cackling, gasping and often wondering if we were supposed to be finding any of it funny at all.

10. Inspector Zende (Netflix)

With Manoj Bajpayee at the helm, Inspector Zende was a highly-anticipated comedy. And it did deliver on that front. In parts, at least. The titular cop chasing the elusive Charles Sobhraj-inspired criminal Carl Bhojraj (Jim Sarbh) through a stylised ’80s Mumbai was a potent premise. The film’s best moments live in the contrast between Zende’s dead-serious professionalism and the banter in police stations, hotel rooms and Goa back-alleys.

But the flaws are equally noticeable. The tone flits between genre-thriller, spoof and buddy-cop farce so often that it never settles. Bhojraj’s character suffers because they never get the balance between viciousness and comedy just right. As a cop-comedy, the film could have reached for more but is comfortable serving up the tried-and-tested. A decent one-time watch, it just doesn’t quite reach the twisted heights of satire it aims for.

Funniest Moment:
Serial killer Carl Bhojraj has fled from prison. But why can’t the Mumbai police help? Because they forgot to pay their telephone bill. Cut to them calling the neighbourhood handyman for some good ol’ jugaad.

9. Heads of State (Prime Video)

When the White House and 10 Downing Street become the backdrop for an action comedy, you know things are about to get ridiculous. Starring John Cena as the bombastic President of the United States (formerly an action star) and Idris Elba as the tightly wound British Prime Minister, Heads of State thrives on their oppositional banter, constant one-upmanship and the eerie relatability of reacting to global threats.

The film’s humour works when it embraces its fun-house mirror of geopolitics. Cena’s clueless celebrity-turned-leader and Elba’s dry sarcasm play off each other like two old roommates who used to prank each other for sport—except now their lives (and that of a million civilians) are on the line. Cena has proved that he’s got the chops to pull off a comedic role a few times already and he can happily add this one to his resume as well.

Funniest Moment:
John Cena: “You vetted me? I’m the President of the United States. You don’t vet me. I vet you.”

8. The Roses

With a stellar pairing like Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch, The Roses certainly delivers on dramatic comedy. The two seasoned actors have you rapt as they trade biting quips and cold glances characteristic of any failing marriage. The rupture is simple and cruelly contemporary: Ivy rides a wave of culinary success while Theo’s architecture career quietly collapses, turning their home into a domestic battleground.

The humour lands best when the dialogue crackles—Colman’s razor-sharp sarcasm playing off Cumberbatch’s simmering resentment is genuinely fun to watch. The film thrives in these scenes. That said, it isn’t without flaws. Several supporting characters feel underwritten, the pacing wobbles, and by the final stretch the screenplay loses some of its raw edge. The Roses is frequently funny, but ultimately falls short of its source material—both the novel and the earlier film adaptation.

Funniest Moment:
Kate McKinnon: “If you need a shoulder or an inner thigh to lean on…”

7. Deep Cover (Prime Video)

Deep Cover hits like a comedy caper that accidentally wandered into a crime thriller—and we’re glad it did. Directed by Tom Kingsley and starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed, the setup is glorious—struggling improv teacher and her hapless students are drafted into a London undercover sting and nobody is saying “aaaaaand scene”.

What makes the film stand out is its confidence in tone. It never pretends to be something it’s not. The humour isn’t in big-set jokes but in the collision of the two opposing worlds—method actor meets fake gangsta, improv instructor meets real gunfight. One moment you’re chuckling through a low-stakes improv bit in an apartment; the next, you’re in a high-speed chase where the laughs come from sheer ridiculousness of the action. It’s a free-wheeling comedy at its finest. The film may not reinvent the wheel, but it polishes the heck out of it. It’s bold, it’s messy, and (thankfully) hilarious.

Funniest Moment:
The Convenience Store scene. The entire thing.

6. Good Fortune

In his feature-directorial debut, Aziz Ansari teams up with Seth Rogen and Keanu Reeves to deliver a caper-style comedy with a message about envy and privilege. Keanu Reeves as Gabriel, a low-ranking guardian angel swaps the life of struggling gig-worker Arj (Ansari) with that of wealthy tech-bro Jeff (Rogen). Like Freaky Friday but make it professional existentialism. Reeves’ deadpan charm lifts scenes that might otherwise feel too sweet, while the film’s heart lies in the comfortable mess of modern work, friendship and desperation.

Yet despite the clever premise and the stellar cast, Good Fortune sometimes feels untethered. The film fails to find its footing between fantasy and social commentary. The pacing drags in places and supporting characters like Keke Palmer’s union organiser don’t get their moment to shine. Though if you’re up for a comedy that’s playful and full of goodwill Good Fortune is still your best bet.

Funniest Moment:
Keanu Reeves sipping a milkshake for the first time: “Could you imagine seeing strawberries for thousands of years but never actually knowing the sweet taste enclosed in those magical berries?
Seth Rogen: “I can’t imagine. And in all fairness that’s a chocolate milkshake.”

5. Novocaine (Prime Video)

Novocaine takes one of the most ridiculous premises imaginable—a man who literally can’t feel pain—and turns it into a wild ride of blood, banter and bizarre heroics. Jack Quaid plays Nathan Caine, a cautious bank employee with congenital insensitivity to pain, whose life of over-protective habits and metaphorical dullness flips into Liam Neeson from Taken mode once his crush (Amber Midthunder) is kidnapped. Yes, Vasant Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota explored this idea almost to perfection. But who said we were done with it? Superhero fatigue took 17 franchises to set in; this one still has some time.

The humour here thrives on contrast. The beige mundanity of bank work collides with cartoonish violence, while Quaid’s everyman persona delivers punchlines (and punches) without ever flinching. Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, the gore and action aren’t just shock tactics; they’re the foundation on which this comedy rests. Sure, the romance lacks chemistry, the third act drags and the character development is next to non-existent, but if you’re up for high-concept silliness where the laughs come from the great degree of damage the lead endures and still shrugs it off, Novocaine delivers.

Funniest Moment
The decision to open the film with R.E.M’s ‘Everybody Hurts’. Hilariously apt for a film about a man who can’t feel pain.

4. Sister Midnight (YouTube)

If you think a newly-wed in Mumbai living in a paper-thin flat is just the setup for a domestic series, think again. Sister Midnight, the audacious debut from Karan Kandhari and anchored by a mesmerising performance from Radhika Apte, turns that premise into something uncomfortably and thrillingly weird. It starts small with newly arranged-married Uma trying to fit into a life she never asked for. But her behaviour slowly mutates into full-on feral rebellion when she realises the only thing she might actually control is her own breakdown.

The humour here is prickly and weird. The film thrives on what’s not said, on glances that linger too long and on the absurdity of expectation. One moment you’re watching the stale rituals of marital life and the next you’re leaning into a sequence of dreamlike horror-comedy that defies categorical comfort. It’s a genre-bending masterpiece, complete with dark humour, body horror and copious amounts of feminist subtext. Sister Midnight is a refreshing offering from an industry that has offered up cheap laughs in the form of cross-dressing and punching down for the better part of two decades.

Funniest Moment:
The Ankur Warikoo coded finance class that Apte’s character is subjected to.

3. One Of Them Days (Netflix)

On the surface, One of Them Days is a wildly entertaining comedy about two best friends. Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA, making her major-film debut) realise the latter’s good-for-nothing boyfriend has probably run off with their rent money and they have less than 24 hours to get out of the monetary hole that has caused. But when you look deeper, director Lawrence Lamont and writer Syreeta Singleton deliver something sharper: a fast-paced, witty ride that mines real friendship, urban anxiety and female rage for laughs.

The film thrives on its leads’ chemistry and bold tone. Palmer’s charismatic energy pairs brilliantly with SZA’s off-kilter accent and cool detachment. One Of Them Days proves that slick, smart buddy comedies a la Dumb & Dumber and Friday still have theatrical life. If you like your comedy grounded in banter, shaky alliances and characters racing the clock and their sanity, this one hits the mark.

Funniest Moment:
Just watch this.

2. The Naked Gun (Zee5, Prime Video)

Reviving a comedy cult-classic isn’t easy—yet The Naked Gun somehow pulls it off with exhilarating competence. Directed by Akiva Schaffer and led by Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., this reboot leans into the chaos of the original with deadpan seriousness and a penchant for silliness.

What works is the blend of slapstick and swagger—Neeson’s gravel-gruff voice treats the gags like secret operations, while a supporting cast (including Pamela Anderson) backs up the silliness with comic conviction. It’s the best offering in the “switch your brain off” genre of comedies. The plot is just a device that lends itself to jokes that rely heavily on pop culture references, spoofs and masterful comedic timing.

If you’re looking for a traditional narrative, move along. At a time when comedy is taking itself too seriously too often, The Naked Gun survives because it remembers the joy of laughing at everything, including itself.

Funniest Moment:
Liam Neeson has a chilli dog for breakfast. Soon after, while he’s going about doing his police activity, nature doesn’t just call him. It’s a full on *BAM BAM BAM FBI OPEN UP* situation. He shoots at a bathroom door to finally relieve himself. The funniest part? This is all uncovered while he’s interrogating a suspect.

1. Friendship (Prime Video)

The awkward has-been neighbour who tries too hard isn’t just limited to sitcoms. Friendship, directed by Andrew DeYoung and starring Tim Robinson (Craig) and Paul Rudd (Austin), turns that guy into a feature-length train-wreck you can’t stop watching. The film starts as a standard “let’s make friends” scenario and quickly spirals into obsession, cringey one-liners and bizarre male rituals.

Much like Robinson’s sketch work, the film mines humour from emotional implosions—tiny social cues that escalate into full-blown absurdity. But beneath it all, there’s a lot of heart. Friendship quietly dissects the loneliness of modern adulthood and the lengths we’ll go to feel connected. It’s a bromance gone wrong, perfectly capturing the awkward sincerity of the two actors. The film understands that the funniest thing sometimes is not know when to stop talking.

Funniest Moment:
Everything. Right from the first scene till the end. Seriously.