25 underrated comedy films that are worth rediscovering

Olivia Wilde's directorial debut was advertised as a "female Superbad," which doesn't do justice to the script. The story is fresh, the leads are great, and the characters pass the comedy test with flying colors. I laughed at least 20 times in this movie, which is more than I can say for any other high school movie in years. 

This comedy is such a gem that no one appreciates. It actually makes me upset that more people don't know about it. It's peak Andy Samberg--a comedic actor who is always welcome--and the peak of stuntman parody. Samberg's stuntman is terrible at his job, but it's hilarious to watch him try to land stunts that no one ever could. 

Do we really need to sell you on this indie comedy? Yes? Okay, fine. A boy gets adopted by a couple in the forest, where he accidentally burns down the house and goes on the run. What ensues is one of the most joyous comedies of the 21st century, made by a director who wasn't known at the time but is now directing Marvel movies: Taika Waititi. 

The story of girls working at a sports bar is entirely beside the point. What matters are the people on screen and how they interact with each other. Support the Girls gives the people who work at places like Hoōters a personality and will make you look at your waitresses in a new light. Regina Hall is a knockout, while Haley Lou Richardson is a comedic revelation. We'll support these girls all the way. 

Robert De Niro in a comedy? Last time I checked he was supposed to be punching people in the face. Well, he does get to do some of that in this '80s comedy, which sees a cop and a fugitive on the run. But he also gets to be funny, too. 

Every scene in Playtime seems like a gift--to comedy fans, to movie buffs and to anyone who likes originality. Jacques Tati created a cinematic language all his own, with cars that drive their own way, people that walk their own way, chairs that squeak their own way and buildings that face their own way. He created a world unlike any other. It's a stand-in for Paris, but it might as well be called "Mars."

Swingers is so money and you don't even know it. A classic breakup flick, it's the breakout of Vince Vaughn, who takes his buddy out on the town. And it's the breakout of John Favreau, who would go on to direct Marvel movies but who would never make another movie quite like this one. Then again, who has? 

Get Duked is a coming-of-age movie about four misfits who, when they go on a field trip, get attacked by a serial killer in Scotland. It's the perfect mix of Snapchat filters, hilarious jokes and Most Dangerous Game horrors, including a masked killer who is actually rather scary. 

No CGI! No pixels! No effects! This is a comedy with Tom Cruise-like stunts. Watch as Harold Lloyd hangs from a clocktower in an advertising stunt gone wrong. 

Two guys drive around England, eat food, and do impressions. It sounds like the most boring thing ever, but not when those guys are played by Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Taking the formula of television shows, these two offer a full-course meal of conversation. 

Charlie Chaplin takes on Hitler in his first movie with sound. The actor plays Hitler and a Jewish farmer, both of whom navigate the war from different perspectives. It's an act of courage from a great actor--one that would go on to be topped by Ernst Lubitsch. 

Nothing against Chaplin's satire, but Ernst Lubitsch made the ultimate World War II parody. If for some reason, you haven't heard of Lubitsch--the man behind such classics as Trouble in Paradise and Shop Around the Corner--he's known for giving perilous situations a light touch. This movie gets a ton of mileage out of Hitler and concentration camps, along with a subplot about Nazi spies.

Another World War II parody. This time from the folks who gave us Airplane! and The Naked Gun. The movie sees a rockstar (Val Kilmer) going to Germany for a secret mission, where he belts out some great tunes. Have you ever heard of Skeet Surfing? Well, now's your chance. 

It's a scientific fact that a person cannot be sad while watching A Matter of Life and Death, a comedy about a British officer who dies but, instead of going to heaven, goes back to Earth. It's a Technicolor marvel that feels like a daydream coming to life. Nothing in it seems real, except for a romance that sees two people push the boundaries of "till death do us part." 

Underrated? Only cause most people don't have it in their Top 10. There's no better mix of smart and stupid, which is what every comedy aims to be. Adam McKay makes it look easy, juggling humor, emotion and silliness as two bothers move in with their parents. 

Yup, another Will Ferrell movie. While most of the actor's work is properly rated, this spoof of a European singing contest didn't get the same attention. Those who did see it have been quoting it with their friends and listening to the soundtrack in their cars, which means the rest of you have some catching up to do. 

The best adaptation of Sherlock Holmes ever, Sherlock Jr. isn't even about the main character. It's about a wannabe detective who is so bad at his job he catches the bad guys by accident. Buster Keaton brings his usual deadpan to the role, as well as the stunts we've come to expect from him. 

The second Jacques Tati movie on our list makes fun of posh French people. That alone would earn it a spot on our list, but the sunny location makes it a no-brainer. 

A man tries to kill everyone in his family to inherit all the fortune. It's a great concept for a movie, but why turn it into a comedy? It's not like there's anything funny in watching Dennis Price murder all his relatives, all played by Alec Guinness? Or is there...

Looking for a comedy with a side of action? What about drama? In Bruges covers so many genres, which is the main reason why it's so watchable. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play two hitmen stuck in Bruges waiting for orders. 

The chemistry between Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neal as two strangers is some of the best around. While the one-liners are fun and the chase sequences are impeccable, it's the pair's back-and-forth that really does it for me. 

If you haven't seen this cult classic mockumentary about the theatre, please get it into your queue immediately. It's a wacky good time with incredible performances across the board, all of whom bring this little town to life. You could swear you're watching a documentary, thanks to Christopher Guest's use of cinema verite techniques. 

Action movies are easy to parody, what with their stone-faced heroes and cheesy dialogue. Which is why so many directors get it wrong. It's easy to put a Stallone look-a-like on screen and simply laugh at what he does. What's more impressive is when a director like Edgar Wright makes fun of those tropes while also taking them seriously. Hot Fuzz is a spoof of buddy cops that also has great fight sequences, making it a great action flick in its own right. 

Sometimes there's nothing better than watching an everyday guy make it through a breakup. It's a reminder that you, too, can get over a broken heart. Even if you think you'll never find love again, there's still someone out there that's right for you.   

Wes Anderson directs this movie about a high school student who...oh wait, we had you at Wes Anderson? Then we don't need to tell you that this movie also stars Bill Murray, who goes mano-y-mano with a high school student in one of the funniest comedies of all time. This is Wes Anderson's best effort, hands down. It takes the director's early, more subtle techniques and mixes them with his later, more grandiose production design without dipping too far into either one.