The 20 most fun crime comedies

Melissa McCarthy is one of the most talented comedians of her generation, and her talents are abundantly on display in Spy. In the film, she portrays an unorthodox CIA operative. She is, of course, brilliant when it comes to physical comedy, but the film also features a very clever script and a strong director (Paul Feig, in both cases). In that sense, the movie is a true meeting of greatness, with both Feig and McCarthy showing that they work best when they’re working together.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are two of their generation’s best comedy talents, and their comedy stylings always complement one another. They’re both in particularly fine form in Hot Fuzz, in which they play a mismatched pair of police officers who attempt to solve several murders in a small town in the West Country. It’s a spoof that also serves as a good example of the genre it gently mocks, and it remains a delight, even twenty years after its release. 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is arguably one of the best movies of the 1980s. This is a film, after all, that manages to blend live-action and animation into a delightfully madcap whole, and, as if that weren’t enough, it also features classic Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons in the same movie. In addition to being a fantastic piece of animation, it’s also a laugh-out-loud movie that is a powerful reminder that cartoons aren’t just for children but can be just as entertaining for adults.

Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill have infectious comedy chemistry in 21 Jump Street, the film based on the TV series of the same name. It’s the kind of film that immediately draws the viewer into the action, and though it definitely leans into the ridiculousness of it all, that’s precisely why it’s so much fun. It definitely pokes fun at the various conventions and tropes associated with teen movies, but its commitment to the bit and the performances from Tatum and Hill make it worth watching.  

Not every spoof manages to be as good as the genres that it mocks, but Murder by Death certainly does. It helps that it is filled with a truly remarkable cast, including David Niven, Elsa Lanchester, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith, and Peter Falk. There’s a screwball comedy energy to the film that makes it quite a joy to watch, even if the central mystery ends up being rather unsatisfying. It’s definitely a must-watch for anyone who is a fan of the whodunit genre.

It’s always fun to watch a buddy cop movie that features two characters (and actors) who are as unlike one another as it’s possible to be, and in this regard, The Nice Guys  more than succeeds. Both Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are perfectly cast in their roles, and to add to the pleasure, the movie also evokes the buddy comedies of the 1970s. It might not have been a huge success at the box office at its time of release, but one can’t help but hold out hope that there might one day be a sequel. 

Eddie Murphy was, without a doubt, one of the biggest names in comedy in the 1980s, and he’s at his best in Beverly Hills Cop, in which he portrays Detroit cop Alex Foley, who goes to California to solve his friend’s murder. There’s no question that Murphy is both cocky and charismatic, and he’s the kind of actor who always knows how to deliver a line and capture the camera’s and the viewer’s attention. The film has also held up remarkably well, and it’s as charming now as it was when it was first released. 

Most remakes rarely even come close to the brilliance of the original, but one exception to this rule is The Naked Gun.  It certainly helps that the film stars two heavy hitters like Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, who have amazing chemistry together. The 2025 version has the same sort of rampantly silly sensibility as its 1980s predecessor, and that’s what makes it so much fun. Besides, it’s quite enjoyable to see Neeson be so willing to spoof his action hero persona, and Anderson proves that she also has some strong comedy chops.

Leslie Nielsen gave one of his most enduring and endearing performances in The Naked Gun, in which he portrays police lieutenant Frank Drebin. It’s the kind of movie that invites the audience to just let themselves go and laugh at the simple and utter ridiculousness of it all. And, while Nielsen might have begun his career playing in more dramatic roles, films like The Naked Gun demonstrated that he truly had a gift for comedy and could elevate any comedy in which he appeared.

The Thin Man is rightly considered a classic of the private detective genre, and it maintains its power to amuse. There’s remarkable chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy, who play Nick and Nora Charles, a wealthy couple who solve crimes. In addition to being a crime film, it’s also very funny, with an arch style of humor that is very much of a piece with 1930s comedy more generally. In fact, the pair were such a hit with audiences that they would go on to appear in five sequels. 

Fargo is arguably one of the best films that the Coen Brothers have ever made. It is the perfect blend of black comedy, crime, and noir, anchored by a career-best performance by Frances McDormand, who plays good-hearted cop Marge Gunderson. The film certainly has plenty of dark moments, and in addition to McDormand, it features terrific performances from the likes of Steve Buscemi and William H. Macy. It’s the kind of funny movie that makes one laugh out loud, even as one can’t help but be amazed at the dark depths to which people will sink in their pursuit of money.

Darren Aronofsky turns his considerable gifts as a filmmaker to the crime comedy with Caught Stealing. Austin Butler delivers one of the best performances of his career as Hank Thompson, a former aspiring baseball player who gets caught up in a scheme involving stolen money and crooked cops. It’s a very funny movie at times, but there’s genuine heart to it, too, and Butler imbues Thompson with enough genuine emotion and complexity that the viewer cheers for him and wants him to succeed. 

In Bruges is arguably the blackest of black comedies, with Martin McDonagh bringing his own unique sensibility to this crime film. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are both in fine form as a pair of hitmen who end up in Bruges after a hit goes wrong. The movie has plenty of twists and turns, and the comedy is neatly and inextricably intertwined with the darkness. This, though, is precisely what makes it so appealing and, as critics noted at the time, there’s also something deeply human to it, too.

The Coen Brothers are at their best in Raising Arizona, which features many actors they frequently cast in their films, including John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Frances McDormand. Like so many other classics, it wasn’t a critical darling at the time, particularly since it plays fast and loose with genre expectations. However, it remains a key piece of the Coens’ body of work. In addition to being quite stylishly produced, it’s often very funny, thanks to the often over-the-top nature of many of the performances. 

While Clue might not have been a huge success when it was first released, it has gone on to become a true cult classic. Based on the board game of the same name, it focuses on a group of people who are invited to a mysterious mansion, where murders abound and the suspects are numerous. It’s a sublimely silly film, but it also features some very memorable and eccentric performances from some true comedy greats, including Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, and Martin Mull.

Benoit Blanc makes a triumphant return in Glass Onion,  in which Daniel Craig once again portrays him. The second installment of the franchise is just as fun as the first, with Craig once again demonstrating he’s just as comfortable in comedy as in drama. It also features an embarrassment of riches when it comes to its cast, which includes such heavy hitters as Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, and Dave Bautista. Throw in some social commentary about tech billionaires, and one has the recipe for success. 

Rian Johnson has directed many great movies, but with Knives Out,  he really outdid himself, assembling a terrific ensemble cast and introducing the world to Daniel Craig’s private detective Benoit Blanc. The film is a terrific whodunit in its own right, but the directing, the performances, and the whipsmart writing really help it to sing. When one is dealing with a cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, and the late Christopher Plummer, the results are bound to be outstanding. This is indeed the case, with the movie being a joy from beginning to end.

Deep Cover is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to its cast, which includes the likes of Bryce Dallas Howard, Nick Mohammed, and Orlando Bloom. The three stars are a trio of improv actors tasked with infiltrating the criminal underground, leading to predictably madcap results. The cast is uniformly excellent, though Bloom is particularly amusing, especially because his character is in some ways a send-up of the many epic heroic roles he played early in his career.

Few classic Hollywood movies are quite as much fun as Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot,  which stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as a pair of musicians who end up dressing as women to hide out from the mob. The film is a beautiful farce from beginning to end, with smart dialogue and terrific performances, including from Marilyn Monroe. It’s easy to see why it remains an enduringly popular film, and why many regard it as not just one of Wilder’s best but also one of the funniest comedies ever made.

Few movie duos have worked as effortlessly together as the late Paul Newman and Robert Redford. They always brought out the best in one another, whether they were playing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or, in The Sting, where they played a pair of grifters who perpetrate a massive con. It’s a film that makes abundant use of its leading men’s charms, and it’s the perfect meeting of style and story. It has more than a few twists and turns, and it remains as entertaining today as it was when it was released.