Its fair to say that 2023 was a year where we needed some optimistic films that made us laugh, and these films all came when we needed them most.

Here are our picks for the Top 5 Comedy Movies of 2023.

5. Joy Ride

Every now and again, we start to think we’ve seen everything, but then a film like Joy Ride comes out and shocks us with something we’d never thought of that has us in stitches. This raunchy comedy certainly delivers on shocking and surprising moments but also is a great story about female friendship and learning about where you come from. A really funny and tight 95-minute comedy that should make every happy, especially people who complain about long movies.

– Ashley

4. Wonka

After Paddington 2, I would have happily watched whatever director Paul King made next, and while I didn’t expect it would be a prequel to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory focused on the titular character, I’m very happy it was. Much of the charm and joy of Paddington can be found here as we follow a young Willy Wonka trying to share his chocolate with the world, only to come up against a chocolate cartel, a corrupt police chief and a scheming laundry owner. A sweet film that delivers on pure imagination.

– Ashley

3. Bottoms

A bloody, brutal, surreal and subversive take on the American high school comedy, Bottom sees two unpopular lesbian students starting a fight club in order to get closer to their female crushes. Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edibiri are fantastic as the two leads and are surrounded by a fantastic ensemble cast who are all-in on this weird satire of teen comedies, including a very funny performance from former NFL player Marshawn Lynch as the supervisor of the ‘self-defence club’. Another great feminist comedy in 2023.

– Ashley

2. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Full disclosure from myself: I thought this movie would be bad. The trailers never looked great, and I didn’t feel like they were doing anything fun with the D&D property; instead, they were making a paint-by-numbers fantasy fare. Boy, was I wrong! The movie takes the wild antics that D&D offers, the odd characters, stereotypical barbarians and more into one of the biggest surprises of 2023, an absolute blast with many laughs.

– Dylan

1. Barbie

How Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and co got this film made is a minor miracle. That it turned out to be one of the year’s best movies is surprising, to say the least. But here we are in a world where Kenergy has been added to the lexicon and ‘Hi Barbie’ is a common phrase. Gerwig and Noah Baumbach crafted a really funny script, both paying homage to Barbie but also poking fun at it, while also including very obscure or specific jokes. A stacked cast delivered in every regard and helped to make this film a cultural phenomenon.

– Ashley