The genre of comedy is about as subjective as it gets, but with one of the most promising summers as of late in terms of laughs, we’ve brought it upon ourselves to predict what will excel in the category. While there’s a handful of films that certainly have comedic elements (Land Ho!, Frank, Boyhood, Guardians of the Galaxy, Filth, The Double, and What If, to name a few), we’ve selected the thirteen features that reside primarily in the genre. As the headline indicates, these are in order of what we believe will contain the most laughs, not overall quality, so starting in the gutter (the list does include all the offerings) and working our way up to one of the best films of the year thus far, check out the rundown below.
13. Blended (Frank Coraci; May 23rd)
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Being the latest production from Happy Madison, the esteemed outfit that last gave us Grown Ups 2, it should go without saying that this one is so far removed from the next entry that there should be a ten-page gap inbetween. Featuring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore‘s third outing, judging from the trailers, one’s time is surely better spent popping in The Wedding Singer, or even 50 First Dates, before showing up to the theater for this one.
12. Sex Tape (Jake Kasdan; July 25th)
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Featuring the reteam of Bad Teacher trio director Jake Kasdan and stars Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel, Sex Tape doesn’t quite seem to contain the funny bone it should have. Tracking the couple as they attempt to retrieve the titular item that they mistakenly let loose after recording, hopefully there’s a bit of bite to the proceedings that hasn’t been unveiled in the trailers thus far.
11. Think Like a Man Too (Tim Story; June 20th)
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If one thing has been proven the last few years, it’s that Kevin Hart has become a major comedic draw. While it’s not our most-anticipated sequel of the summer, his sequel to 2012’s surprise hit Think Like a Man should be the most promising rom-com of the season, bringing back the original cast and hopefully exceeding what came before it.
10. Ping Pong Summer (Michael Tully; June 6th)
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While I imagine it will be a better made film than some we’ve included below, the Sundance comedy Ping Pong Summer isn’t quite laugh-out-loud, instead opting to create a convincing ’80’s-set throwback. Following a teenager’s rise to glory in a summer filled with table tennis, I said in my review, “While the film feels overly familiar in plot, it’s lightweight, pleasurable tone causes it to glide by. Not all the jokes land, but if one is looking to return to the ’80′s for 90 minutes, it’s hard to find a recent film more honestly depicting the era than Ping Pong Summer.”
9. Tammy (Ben Falcone; July 2nd)
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Ever since breaking out three summers ago in Bridesmaids, Melissa McCarthy has been a staple in the studio comedy arena and following last year’s box-office hit The Heat, she’ll return with Tammy. This time flying solo as the lead, McCarthy is also serving as co-writer and co-producer (for the first time) with her husband Ben Falcone, who is making his directorial debut. Will we experience some burn-out or will the actress’ creative involvement provide more laughs? It’s too difficult to judge from the teaser, but hopefully it sways towards the latter.
8. Let’s Be Cops (Luke Greenfield; August 13th)
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While they can be seen weekly on New Girl, Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. will be spending a few days as police officers in this summer comedy. The laughs aren’t rapid-fire in the first trailers, but the chemistry between the two should make this one far more enjoyable than it has any right to be. Although, directed by Luke Greenfield (The Girl Next Door), perhaps it’ll feel like simply an afterthought following the reverse-concept 22 Jump Street.
7. A Million Ways to Die in the West (Seth MacFarlane; May 30th)
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Yes, I enjoyed the earliest iteration of Family Guy as a teenager, but I can’t recall a comedic talent I’ve grown out of faster than Seth MacFarlane. After not finding humor in any of his current television work or his $500-plus million grosser Ted, I was surprised at my enjoyment of the first look at his sophomore directorial effort, A Million Ways to Die in the West. While I don’t expect it to be the next Blazing Saddles, it looks like there’s a good deal of fun to be had, particularly with his varied ensemble.
6. Borgman (Alex van Warmerdam; June 6th)
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In its own bubble when compared to the rest of the films on the list, for those that like their comedies jet-black, this Danish treat should do the trick. While it has its bizarre dramatic elements, in our review from Cannes we said the dark comedy, “slowly creeps under your skin with an unsuspecting dose of malice. Equal parts mystery and dark satire, Borgman is an original take on an abstract horror premise that never fully appears to be what you might expect it to be.”
5. They Came Together (David Wain; June 27th)
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Screening at the tail end of Sundance, we unfortunately missed the latest feature from Wet Hot American Summer director David Wain, but judging from reactions, it’s going to be worth the wait. Co-written with Michael Showalter, They Came Together follows Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler as they take part in a “subversion/spoof/deconstruction” of the romantic-comedy genre and while there’s no trailer yet, one can see the first clip above.
4. Neighbors (Nicholas Stoller; May 9th)
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Kicking things off this summer in the comedy arena, Neighbors is also one of the most enticing of the season. With promising reviews out of its South by Southwest premiere (including our own) the comedic potential of a heated face-off between Seth Rogen and Zac Efron is one that’s hard to pass up. Add in a visual inspiration from Gasper Noé ‘s Enter The Void, according to DP Brandon Trost, and this could also be one of the more better-looking films of the summer.
3. The Trip to Italy (Michael Winterbottom; August 15th)
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Proving more of the same isn’t a bad thing, The Trip to Italy features the return of Michael Winterbottom and stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. This time the duo roam the beautiful land of Italy, taking in the sights and enjoying more hilarious back-and-forth, impression-filled banter. While the laughs aren’t on the same raunchy spectrum as some other summer features, if you liked the brand of comedy in the first film, this one should exceed expectations.
2. 22 Jump Street (Phil Lord and Cris Miller; June 13th)
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After crafting what might be the best animated film of the year with The LEGO Movie, Phil Lord and Chris Miller are returning to lay claim to the R-rated studio comedy genre with their follow-up to 21 Jump Street. As proven time and time again in Hollywood, sequels are a tricky thing to get right, but with a self-aware notion when it comes to the series, we’re confident this will be the summer’s best wide release in the genre.
1. Obvious Child (Gillian Robespierre; June 6th)
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While the idea of an abortion rom-com doesn’t seem like it would give way to the funniest film of the year, Obvious Child exceeds with a delicate balance. Led by Jenny Slate (Parks and Recreation), she plays an aspiring stand-up comedian barely making ends meet and soon finds out she’s pregnant. We said in our review, “If Paul Feig‘s Bridesmaids can be credited for commercializing the female gross-out comedy of this day and age, Obvious Child does well in bringing it back down to earth within a more contained, personal environment.”
Which of the summer’s comedies do you think will be the funniest?