Comedy movies don’t have to be long to leave audiences laughing, and some of the funniest movies can be enjoyed in less than 90 minutes. In fact, dragging on for too long can often hurt a comedy movie, since audiences can grow tired of a premise outstaying its welcome.

While 90 minutes can feel restrictively short in other genres, a shorter runtime isn’t an issue in comedy. Great comedy movies can deliver plenty of laughs without the need to delve too far into character development, setting the stakes and robust storytelling. A quick burst of hilarity can be much more memorable.

10

Airplane! (1980)

Airplane Pokes Fun At Disaster Movies And Much More

Airplane is often ranked as one of the funniest comedies ever made, but it packs all its laughs into a relatively slender runtime. In terms of sheer jokes-per-minute, Airplane is unmatched, and what’s even more impressive is the success rate of these rapid-fire gags.

Airplane is filled with hilarious quotes, but there are also visual gags spilling out from practically every frame. This all contributes to an unbelievable density of first-rate comedy. Every actor gets their chance to shine, but Leslie Nielsen’s deadpan masterclass deserves a special mention.

9

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Wes Anderson’s First Animation Is Just As Enjoyable For Adults

There are plenty of funny animated movies that run under 90 minutes, like the old Disney classics and some Pixar hits. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a little different, however, because it’s clearly designed to appeal just as much to adults as it does to children. There are some elements of the story that could fly over a child’s head.

Wes Anderson’s movies are famous for their neat, visually appealing style, and Fantastic Mr. Fox‘s stop-motion animation allows the director even more control over what’s on screen. He can tailor each character’s movements to his comedic sensibilities, and the result is an infectiously funny, heartwarming treat.

8

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Buster Keaton’s Comedy Still Holds Up

Sherlock Jr.

Release Date

May 11, 1924

Runtime

45 Minutes

Director

Buster Keaton

Writers

Jean C. Havez, Joseph A. Mitchell, Clyde Bruckman

Movies were generally much shorter back in Buster Keaton’s day, so there are tons of silent classics that run under 90 minutes. Unfortunately, not all of these old hits can still appeal to modern audiences, but Sherlock Jr. is a rare exception which still has the capacity to delight and surprise people over 100 years later.

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Sherlock Jr. showcases Keaton at his very best, pulling off outrageous, death-defying stunts all in the name of comedy. He often uses wide angles to show that there’s no cheating involved, and it’s a continuous joy watching him throw his body around in a cartoonish crime comedy. The pool table scene, the police chase and the ending at the movie theater are all highlights.

7

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Mia Farrow And Jeff Daniels Star In A Creative Rom-Com Like No Other

The Purple Rose of Cairo

Release Date

March 1, 1985

Runtime

82 minutes

Producers

Charles H. Joffe, Jack Rollins

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  Jeff Daniels

  Tom Baxter / Gil Shepherd

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  Irving Metzman

  Theater Manager

The Purple Rose of Cairo stars Mia Farrow as a downtrodden waitress who escapes the strife of the Great Depression and her unfulfilling home life by going to the movie theater. When one of the characters in her new favorite movie leaves the screen to talk to her, the pair embark on a hilarious romance, tinged with inventive fantasy elements.

Despite the absurdity of its premise, The Purple Rose of Cairo gets a lot of laughs from the mundane, predictable way that people react to this moment of magic. The film studio tries to keep a lid on the whole affair, while customers want their money back and the other characters start to grow weary. It’s a love letter to cinema, but it keeps a keen eye on reality.

6

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

The Kiwi Cult Classic Spawned A TV Show

What We Do in the Shadows gave rise to one of the funniest TV shows of recent years, but the original movie has a style all of its own. Rather than taking place in New York like the show, What We Do in the Shadows follows a group of vampires living in Wellington, New Zealand.

Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords star Jemaine Clement direct, and they also take two of the starring roles as polar opposites in personality who are forced to live together due to their shared immortality. The clash between the paranormal and the just plain normal is constantly hilarious in What We Do in the Shadows.

5

The Producers (1968)

Mel Brooks’ First Movie Is Still One Of His Best

The Producers

Release Date

March 18, 1968

Runtime

88 minutes

Director

Mel Brooks

Producers

Sidney Glazier

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  Zero Mostel

  Max Bialystock

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  Dick Shawn

  Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.)

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  Kenneth Mars

  Franz Liebkind

Mel Brooks was already known for his work on TV and radio by the time he started making movies, but The Producers was an immediate hit that set him up for a long and successful career in Hollywood. It’s quite unlike his other big hits, like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and Spaceballs, because it avoids genre parody.

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The Producers stars Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder as two wannabe Broadway producers who try to game the system by producing the worst play of all time. It’s an uproarious comedy of errors, with the dynamic between Mostel’s slimy, unscrupulous producer and Wilder’s weedy, insecure accountant generating plenty of laughs.

4

Zoolander (2001)

Ben Stiller Leads A Hilarious Cast

Zoolander

7/10

Release Date

September 28, 2001

Runtime

90 minutes

Zoolander is one of Ben Stiller’s best movies, but he isn’t the only actor in top form. Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell and Christine Taylor all deliver great performances, while Stiller’s brief scenes with his father Jerry are also packed with laughs. The only downside to Zoolander is its critically panned sequel that came out 15 years later.

Zoolander indulges in some defiantly stupid comedy, with the two main characters serving as stereotypically unintelligent models who are unexpectedly tasked with stopping a political assassination. Zoolander satirizes celebrity culture, as well as the shallow, image-obsessed media.

3

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Holy Grail Is A Masterpiece Of Absurdist Humor

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

9/10

Release Date

May 25, 1975

Runtime

91 minutes

Director

Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam

Writers

Terry Jones, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, John Cleese

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Monty Python’s movies are famous for their absurd humor, but there’s a point to The Holy Grail‘s frantic succession of ridiculous sketches. In the same way that The Life of Brian takes aim at organized religion, The Holy Grail seeks to deconstruct the innate absurdity of British mythology and modern culture’s affected reverence of history.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail squeezes in so many iconic sketches that it’s almost hard to believe that it’s so short. The Black Knight, Tim the Enchanter, the French knights and the Beast of Caerbannog all enter and exit in just under 90 minutes, but this barely scrapes the tip of the iceberg.

2

Zombieland (2009)

The Zom-Com Offers A Blend Of Horror And Comedy

Zombieland

5/10

Release Date

October 2, 2009

Runtime

88 minutes

Director

Ruben Fleischer

Writers

Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese

Zombieland offers an unabashed and unambiguous good time, replete with chaotic physical humor, excessive zombie-bashing fun and a touch of surprisingly heartwarming drama. Set against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse, it’s really a story about found family and getting by.

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Zombieland manages to balance horror and comedy expertly, partly because the two are often happening at the exact same time. Whether Columbus is being pursued in a circle around an empty parking lot or Tallahassee is having his heroic final stand with an upbeat soundtrack, Zombieland constantly subverts the tropes of the zombie horror genre.

1

Drive-Away Dolls (2024)

Ethan Coen’s Underrated Gem Could Yet Become A Cult Hit

Drive-Away Dolls

5/10

Release Date

February 23, 2024

Director

Ethan Coen

Writers

Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke

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Drive-Away Dolls is Ethan Coen’s first solo directorial effort without his brother Joel beside him, and it’s now clear to see what each half of the partnership brings to the table. While Drive-Away Dolls lacks the pathos and thematic weight of hits like Fargo and The Big Lebowski, it’s another hectic crime comedy with a sense of style.

Margaret Qualley delivers a great performance in Drive-Away Dolls, tuning into the movie’s cartoonish, eccentric energy perfectly. It was met with mixed reviews upon release, but it has all the ingredients of a queer cult classic. Coen’s next movie, Honey Don’t, looks set to continue in a similarly irreverent, fun-loving fashion.