Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for comedy movies like Superbad:
No Hard Feelings
No Hard Feelings feels like a shot in the arm for studio comedies – a subgenre in desperate need of *something* to revive it. Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman both star, and carry with them completely different perspectives of maturing emotionally.
One of Them Days
Keke Palmer is undeniably magnetic, and One of Them Days serves as another showcase for her effortless charm and comedic timing. Directed by Lawrence Lamont, the film largely exists to let Palmer shine, and she doesn’t disappoint, carrying the movie’s 97-minute runtime with infectious energy.
Zola
Zola is an A24 film that fully embraces the chaotic, anything-goes energy of its source material—a viral Twitter thread detailing a Florida road trip gone terribly wrong. Directed by Janicza Bravo, the film blends Scorsese-like brashness with Sean Baker-style realism, offering a flashy, unfiltered look at the underground world of sex work. At times, it’s as glamorous as it is grimy, a fever dream that refuses to look away from its characters’ choices, even when things spiral out of control.
Mean Girls
Mean Girls doesn’t cover enough new ground to warrant the movie’s existence. The music is surprisingly fresh, and the performances are often the best aspects, but it’s a copy-and-paste concept executed to marginally acceptable results. Tina Fey relies heavily on the original material to render the movie passable.
Y2K
The best way to approach Y2K is to go in completely blind. Seriously, avoid trailers and marketing if you can. The film’s absurd twists and genuinely hilarious moments are what make it so enjoyable, and knowing too much beforehand could spoil the fun. Kyle Mooney makes his directorial debut here, and he nails it. Throughout the brisk 91-minute runtime, he keeps the pace sharp and entertaining. The movie is often exhilarating, always self-deprecating, and has just enough 1999 nostalgia to hit the right notes without feeling overdone or cheesy.
Snack Shack
Snack Shack is an uncomplicated good time, anchored by two excellent and innocent performances by Conor Sherry and Gabriel LaBelle as 14-year-olds A.J. and Moose, respectively. Director Adam Rehmeier flexes his ability to tap into the mind of today’s youth and deliver a movie that is laugh out loud funny with a charming, heartfelt story.
Joy Ride
Joy Ride shoots for the stars in its outrageous comedy style and unique sense of emotion, but the two often clash for an uneven viewing experience. Adele Lim’s directorial debut occasionally hits the right notes, but with some snags along the way.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Stylistically and visually, Bodies Bodies Bodies is a real treat. The scenes are lush and vibrant, and the color design for this film is excellent. As all A24 horror projects go, this film finds its pocket early on and sticks to it. Even with a narrative that can feel generic at this point, Bodies Bodies Bodies excels at amplifying and hyper-intensifying the world around its main plotline.
Saturday Night
Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman, takes us back to the chaotic, unpredictable hours leading up to the first-ever episode of Saturday Night Live. Reitman’s film suggests that those 90 minutes before the show’s debut were more frenzied, uncertain, and downright messy than anything that’s aired in the decades since. It paints a vivid picture of a young Lorne Michaels, played with wide-eyed determination by Gabriel LaBelle, as someone who was deeply in over his head, unprepared to helm what would become one of television’s most iconic and enduring shows.
Scream 5
Scream 5 resurrects a franchise gone for far too long. Although not a perfect transition into the modern age, the newest Scream movie offers plenty of fun and camp that gels with the common core of this franchise’s ideas.
