Comedy

Released in 1987, Lethal Weapon didn’t just energize the buddy cop genre—it redefined it. Directed by Richard Donner and written by Shane Black, the film fuses intense action, razor-sharp banter, and surprising emotional depth, all anchored by the now-iconic chemistry between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. It walks a deft line between gritty cop drama and stylized action spectacle, with undertones of noir, post-Vietnam disillusionment, and dark comedy.

House on Haunted Hill (1959) is a quintessential mid-century B-movie horror film that remains a beloved cult classic. Directed by the showman William Castle, a filmmaker known more for his marketing gimmicks than for cinematic artistry, the film transcends its low-budget roots thanks to an iconic performance by Vincent Price, a memorably creepy setting, and a clever blend of horror and whodunit tropes.

The Invisible Man (1933), directed by James Whale, is a foundational work of both science fiction and horror cinema. Adapted from H.G. Wells’s 1897 novel, the film was part of Universal Pictures’ ground breaking cycle of horror films in the early 1930s, alongside classics like Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Mummy (1932).

Harvey (1950) is one of those rare films that feels both timeless and gently magical — a story that balances whimsy with wisdom, offering gentle humour alongside quiet philosophical reflections on identity, reality, and kindness. Adapted from Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, the film tells the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a mild-mannered man whose best friend is an invisible six-foot-three-and-a-half-inch tall rabbit named Harvey.

Adam’s Rib is a whip-smart romantic comedy that doubles as a battle-of-the-sexes courtroom drama. Directed by George Cukor and written by married screenwriters Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin, the film cleverly dissects gender roles, double standards, and marriage dynamics — all while delivering rapid-fire wit and sizzling chemistry between its leads, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.

Billy Wilder’s 1960 classic The Apartment is one of the crowning achievements of mid-century American cinema. Winner of five Academy Awards — including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay — it is both a biting corporate satire and a deeply human romantic drama.

Directed by Frank Capra and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night is a landmark romantic comedy that set the blueprint for the genre.

Woody Allen’s 1977 masterpiece Annie Hall is a landmark in the history of romantic comedies, marking a definitive shift in the genre’s tone and narrative style. Winner of four Academy Awards — including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress for Diane Keaton — the film represents Allen at his most innovative and introspective. Both a love story and a post mortem of a relationship, Annie Hall broke cinematic conventions while exploring the neur

A Night at the Opera is one of the Marx Brothers' most iconic and celebrated films, released in 1935 during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Directed by Sam Wood and produced by Irving Thalberg at MGM, the film marked a significant transition in the Marx Brothers' cinematic careers—from the anarchic free-for-alls of their earlier Paramount pictures to more structured narratives aimed at a broader audience.

The Cannonball Run is a film that thrives on energy, absurdity, and pure unadulterated fun. Directed by former stuntman Hal Needham, the movie is an ensemble comedy inspired by the real-life Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash—an illegal cross-country car race conceived by automotive writer Brock Yates.

“Hello, Dolly!” (1969) is a lavish, sprawling adaptation of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, which was itself based on Thornton Wilder’s play The Matchmaker. Directed by musical legend Gene Kelly and starring the inimitable Barbra Streisand in only her second film role, the movie exemplifies the final flourish of Hollywood’s golden era of big-budget musicals.

The Odd Couple (1968) is one of those rare comedies that not only delivers enduring laughs but also taps into the human condition with surprising poignancy. Based on Neil Simon's smash Broadway play and brought to life on screen by the dynamic pairing of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, the film remains a gold standard for character-driven humour.

Murder by Death is a genre-savvy spoof that brings together caricatures of the world’s most famous fictional detectives — thinly veiled versions of Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Sam Spade, and Charlie Chan, among others — and places them in a haunted mansion for a mysterious dinner party. The film was penned by the legendary playwright and screenwriter Neil Simon, known for his sharp wit and theatrical flair.

After a decade away from the role, The Return of the Pink Panther marked the triumphant comeback of Peter Sellers as the bumbling, absurdly self-confident Inspector Jacques Clouseau. It was also a revival for the franchise itself, which had faltered slightly after the 1964 hit A Shot in the Dark and the Sellers-less 1968 film Inspector Clouseau.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a transgressive, irreverent, and gloriously bizarre musical comedy-horror film that quickly outgrew its modest box office beginnings to become the ultimate cult classic. Based on the 1973 British stage musical by Richard O’Brien, the film is a madcap tribute to B-movies, sci-fi serials, glam rock, and sexual liberation.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a comedic tour de force that turns the medieval legend of King Arthur into a gleefully absurd farce. Directed by two of the Monty Python troupe’s key members — Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones — and performed by the entire group in multiple roles, the film is a subversive, self-aware parody of chivalric myths, storytelling conventions, and historical epics.

Young Frankenstein is both a razor-sharp parody and a loving tribute to the classic Universal monster movies of the 1930s — particularly James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Co-written by Gene Wilder and directed by Mel Brooks, the film is a rare feat: a comedy that manages to be wildly funny, visually sophisticated, and emotionally endearing all at once.

Woody Allen’s Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask)* is a sketch comedy anthology, loosely inspired by the bestselling 1969 sex manual by Dr. David Reuben. Rather than a straightforward adaptation or educational satire, Allen uses the book’s provocative questions as jumping-off points for seven wildly different comedy vignettes, each lampooning a particular sexual taboo, myth, or neurosis.

Bananas is one of the early films that established Woody Allen’s voice as a filmmaker—neurotic, erudite, chaotic, and absurdist. Before Allen's transition to more introspective, narrative-driven comedies like Annie Hall or Manhattan, Bananas represents his Marx Brothers-inspired period, where anarchic comedy and slapstick reigned supreme.

Often viewed as a spiritual cousin (and sometimes understudy) to Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 musical fantasy that combines whimsy, wartime grit, and good old-fashioned Disney spectacle. With a stellar performance from Angela Lansbury and the visual innovation of combining live action with animation, the film is a nostalgic oddity that hasn’t always received the attention it deserves.