This article is updated frequently as titles leave and enter Max. *New additions are indicated with an asterisk.
Who doesn’t need a laugh these days? Max (formerly HBO Max) has one of the richest and deepest catalogs of any of the streaming services, and so it naturally has the comedy you’re looking for tonight. From classic comedies starring iconic performers to movies that played in theaters recently, this rotating list of laugh generators should have something for everyone.
21 Jump Street
Year: 2012
Runtime: 1h 50m
Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller made their live action directorial debuts with this 2012 buddy comedy that really has no right to be as funny as it is. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star in the adaptation of the ‘80s TV series but they turn it into a charming flick about perception, identity, and the best and worst of high school life. Note: The sequel is on Max too.
50/50
Year: 2011
Runtime: 1h 40m
Director: Jonathan Levine
Will Reiser adapted his own story of battling cancer in a tender, genuine film that ended up being a sizable box office hit given its subject matter. People were attracted to the truth in Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance as a young man diagnosed with cancer, and how that diagnosis impacted his relationships, particularly one with a good friend, played by Seth Rogen.
Beetlejuice
Year: 1988
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director: Tim Burton
It’s not very often one gets a sequel almost four decades after the original film, but that’s what happened in September 2024 with the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (now on Max). Clearly following closely on the imagery and storytelling from the original – including returning characters played by Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and, of course, Michael Keaton — the sequel demands you remember the first film. And it’s been a long time. Get to catching up.
The Birdcage
Year: 1996
Runtime: 2h
Director: Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols’ remake of the beloved La Cage aux Folles is a joyous comedy about acceptance and love that still works well today (which is not something you can about a lot of mid-‘90s comedies). Robin Williams and Nathan Lane are phenomenal as a gay couple forced to jump through hoops for their son’s new in-laws, played wonderfully by Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest. It’s funny and smart from front to back.
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Year: 1989
Runtime: 1h 30m
Director: Stephen Herek
It’s really hard to dislike this charming time travel comedy about two underachieving buddies who travel through time for a school project. Keanu Reeves (Ted) and Alex Winter (Bill) are so wonderfully sweet and funny in a film that has held up better than most comedies of its era. Note: The also-excellent follow-up Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey is also on Max.
Barbie
Year: 2023
Runtime: 1h 55m
Director: Greta Gerwig
One of the biggest films of 2023 has already landed on Max in the form or Greta Gerwig’s daring blockbuster, a comedy that works both as a reminder of the power imagination and the fight for equality. Anyone who thinks this movie is anti-male isn’t paying any attention. The theme of the movie is that no one — not even Barbie nor Ken — should be defined by traditional roles. We should all be free to play however we want. It’s a wonderful film that will truly stand the test of time.
*The Cable Guy
Year: 1996
Runtime: 1h 36m
Director: Ben Stiller
Coming off a wave of friendly blockbusters, Jim Carrey’s black comedy rubbed some people the wrong way. Those people were wrong. The story of a normal guy played by Ben Stiller (who also directed) who befriends a very abnormal guy is a classic for those who like their humor with a little bit of danger. OK, a lot of danger.
*Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Year: 1988
Runtime: 1h 51m
Director: Frank Oz
Frank Oz directed this hysterical comedy starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine as two con men who compete to see which one can swindle an heiress out of a fortune first. The two stars are perfectly cast and the script for this remake of the 1964 Bedtime Story is witty and very, very funny.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Year: 2008
Runtime: 1h 51m
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Nicholas Stoller directed this charming 2008 rom-com that stars Jason Segel as a man desperately trying to get over a recent break-up with a celebrity girlfriend named Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). To move on, he goes to Hawaii for a vacation, and just so happens to run into Sarah and her new boy toy, played so memorably by Russell Brand that he actually got a spin-off of his own in Get Him to the Greek.
*Hot Tub Time Machine
Year: 2010
Runtime: 1h 39m
Director: Steve Pink
They can’t all be think pieces. Sometimes you just want a goofy movie with which to unwind after a long day at work or school. This one should get the job done. John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, and Clark Duke star in a film about, well, it’s right there in the title. Remarkably and defiantly silly, this was such a surprise hit that it even produced a sequel (also on Max). Avoid that one, but revisit the original, a comedy that has held up surprisingly well.
I, Tonya
Year: 2017
Runtime: 2h
Director: Craig Gillespie
Who could have ever guessed that the true(-ish) story of Tonya Harding would become an Oscar-winning dramedy? Margot Robbie does some of the best work of her career as the title character, who reclaims her own story through this odd, funny, and ultimately moving character study that won Allison Janney an Academy Award.
Inherent Vice
Year: 2014
Runtime: 2h 29m
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Is this the most divisive movie of Paul Thomas Anderson’s career? Watch it for yourself and see on which side of the debate you fall. Joaquin Phoenix rocks as Larry “Doc” Sportello in PTA’s adaptation of the great Thomas Pynchon’s 2009 novel of the same name. Doc is a private investigator in 1970 who gets caught up in the criminal underworld in Los Angeles, but that might make this sound like more of a traditional thriller or noir than it really is. It’s something distinctly special.
Lady Bird
Year: 2017
Runtime: 1h 34m
Director: Greta Gerwig
The Barbie director’s Best Picture nominee is one of the most personal and striking coming-of-age films in years. Saoirse Ronan stars as the titular character, a young Californian who longs for someplace cooler than her own hometown. It’s a heartfelt and very smart film, buoyed by great performances throughout, including Ronan, Tracy Letts, Timothee Chalamet, Lucas Hedges, Beanie Feldstein, and Laurie Metcalf, who was robbed of that Oscar.
*Mrs. Doubtfire
Year: 1993
Runtime: 2h 6m
Director: Chris Columbus
Remember when Robin Williams was one of the biggest stars in the world? Relive those days with one of his biggest flicks, this comedy about a man who dresses up like a housekeeper to spend more time with his children. The script is pretty mediocre, but Williams throws himself into every scene in a way that made it an instant hit. He always gave his all.
The Player
Year: 1992
Runtime: 2h 4m
Director: Robert Altman
After a rough patch in the ‘80s, Robert Altman came roaring back with his scathing Hollywood satire written by Michael Tolkin. Tim Robbins does his best film work as a studio executive who can’t decide if his biggest problem is at work or the writer sending him death threats. Altman’s skill with improvisational comedy and knowledge of the Hollywood machine blend to make a simply perfect movie, one of the best of the ‘90s.
Problemista
Year: 2024
Runtime: 1h 45m
Director: Julio Torres
The genius behind Los Espookys, wrote/directed/starred in this truly unique A24 gem that quickly jumped from theatrical release to Max. Torres plays a toy designer trying to survive both the business world and the roadblocks put up for immigrants in this country. Tilda Swinton is unforgettable in this film that’s really like nothing else on Max.
*Silver Linings Playbook
Year: 2012
Runtime: 2h 3m
Director: David O. Russell
Sometimes a director finds a cast at just the right time and that’s exactly what happened when David O. Russell tapped Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Jacki Weaver in this romantic dramedy. They’re all perfect, making this one of the more likable and easy-to-watch movies you could possibly bring up on Max.
Singin’ in the Rain
Year: 1952
Runtime: 1h 43m
Director: Stanley Donen
Movies don’t get more delightful than this beloved classic about backstage drama on the advent of the talkie. Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor are as charming as charming can be, and the movie contains some of the best choreography of its era, and not just in the titular number. It’s joyous from front to back. Honestly, you have to be kind of a jerk not to like this movie.
*Steel Magnolias
Year: 1989
Runtime: 1h 59m
Director: Herbert Ross
One of the most beloved tearjerkers ever made actually isn’t on streaming services that often, so take the chance while you can. A cast of living legends that includes Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and a young Julia Roberts helped people fall in love with this tale of friendship and tragedy.
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