2020 has been a year when finding something to laugh about has been more important than ever. The 30 Best Stand-up Comedy Specials on Netflix By Garrett Martin and Paste Comedy Writers September 21, 2020; The 50 Best Comedies on Netflix Right Now (September 2020… A wistfully placed camera pan on a wall adorned with vintage banjos and memorabilia carries with it as much emotion as the kinetic dance numbers in the gratifying finale. Witty and full of heart, The Vicar of Dibley is a timeless Richard Curtis triumph which boasts various star-studded guest stars (Hugh Bonneville, Keeley Hawes, Richard Armitage, Peter Capaldi) and a hilarious cast with buckets of chemistry. ", It also has easy-watching rom-coms like "Failure to Launch" and "Monster-in-Law," plus arthouse flicks such as "The Lobster" and "Frances Ha. —Pamela Chelin, Year: 1980 Director: Jim Abrahams Stars: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Robert Stack, Leslie Nielsen Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87% Rating: PG Runtime: 88 minutes, The writing trio of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker (ZAZ) defined a genre with their disaster-movie spoof in 1980. And, for all the increasingly absurd gags about the utilities of that talking corpse’s body—not just as a jet-ski propelled by bodily gas, but as a giver of fresh water through projectile vomiting and even as a compass through its erection—there’s not one iota of distancing irony to be found in the film. Ever since The Office exploded onto the scene at the turn of the millennium, completely changing the expectations of viewers in modern comedy, every project that Ricky Gervais has been involved with on the small screen (whether with his Office writing partner Stephen Merchant, or alone) has garnered a huge amount of excitement in the TV comedy world. Director: David Dobkins Stars: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Pierce Brosnan Rotten Tomatoes Score: 64% Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 121 minutes, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is—let’s be honest here—a bit on the thin side, and a little confusing. This, of course, was ZAZ’s secret weapon in films like Airplane!, and in Leslie Nielsen’s stone-faced imbecility they found their muse. The final 30 minutes are the most interesting, as they lead the plot in an unexpected direction that redefines the audience’s perception of the demon child, but it still makes for a somewhat uneven execution. —Michael Burgin, Year: 2018 Director: Armando Iannucci Stars: Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Jason Isaacs Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96% Rating: R Runtime: 107 minutes, You can trace that dynamic from The Thick of It, through In the Loop and Veep, and then especially in his new film, The Death of Stalin, whose subject matter can be inferred from a mere glance. Channing plays the titular main attraction at a weekend dive run by onetime-stripper-turned-manager Dallas (Matthew McConaughey). With Siobhán McSweeney frequently stealing the show as Sister Michael, the headmistress at the group’s Catholic girls’ school, this charming series is full of hysterical romps, relatable teenage hiccups and end-of-the-century references that’ll leave you desperate for season three (it’s on its way!). Sleeping With Other People pushes at every boundary without ever feeling unnecessarily tawdry; it’s the Cards Against Humanity version of When Harry Met Sally (there’s even an “I’ll have what she’s having” moment involving a bottle of tea). Fey and Poehler help elevate hit and miss material, and Steve Martin revives some of his early career absurdity in a great supporting role. It’s the story of a spoilt, once-wealthy family who continue their lavish lifestyle despite the fact they can no longer afford it. Hoffman stars as a struggling actor who pretends to be a woman and ends up landing a role on a daytime television show, but struggles to keep up the charade. The Seann William Scott hockey cult comedy has been on Netflix for what feels like forever. Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? since. "The Lobster" is an excellent film from "The Favourite" director Yorgos Lanthimos, and follows the highly original conceit of a dystopian future in which single people are taken to The Hotel to find partner, and are turned into an animal if they are unable to do so. Shaun of the Dead just happens to have zombies and Hot Fuzz just happens to have two males as its romantic leads. A former dramatic actor, Nielsen rejuvenated his career by playing Frank Drebin, a hapless L.A. police detective trying to prevent the assassination of Queen Elizabeth.