Bad Moms is one of the most surprisingly good comedies of the last few years. Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Han star as three overworked mothers that decide to let go of their responsibilities to hilarious effect. The premise is that simple, yet Bad Moms managed to distinguish itself in the genre of American comedies that has become lazy and predictable. This is mostly thanks to a sharp script and the talents of the movie’s three leads. If you loved Bad Moms don’t worry, we’ve got ten more movies of the same caliber to make you laugh. Enjoy yourself!
Bad Moms Christmas
Let’s begin with the most obvious choice. You can’t recommend movies like Bad Moms without mentioning its surprisingly good sequel. Hollywood has a habit of following a solid hit, like Bad Moms, and then rushing out a sequel to make more money. If it’s a comedy, there’s a good chance that the studio will slap on the Christmas gimmick which rarely culminates into a good second instalment. Bad Moms Christmas is the exception to this rule which easily uses the Christmas gimmick to its advantage. With the first movie tackling the huge responsibilities of motherhood, the sequel puts its moms headfirst into the most stressful time of the year. What’s even better is that the movie perfectly makes room for the Bad Moms own mothers, played by Susan Sarandon, Cheryl Hines, and Christine Baranski. It’s a recipe for disaster that brings a whole new level of humor to its story.
How to Be Single
How to be Single is one of the more traditional movies like Bad Moms, but it has some fun playing around with the romantic comedy formula. The movie’s biggest selling point is the lead performance from Fifty Shades of Grey actress Dakota Johnson who, like Kristen Stewart did during the Twilight years, makes a case for her talent as an actress outside of the franchise that make many fans question whether she’s a good actress at all. Johnson is aided by a strong supporting cast, including Alison Brie, Leslie Mann, and Rebel Wilson, who make up the group of friends trying to find their perfect version of love in the big city. How to be Single isn’t exactly a classic of the genre, but it’s a great ride, and its talented cast paper over most of the cracks within the plot.
Daddy’s Home
Daddy’s Home is the flipside to Bad Moms with slightly less quality. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg (who first appeared together in The Other Guys) reunite as rival fathers. Ferrell is a kind and decent stepfather who is also really dorky, while Wahlberg is the estranged biological father that must fight Ferrell for his territory. Unlike Bad Moms, Daddy’s Home only flirts with its best idea (basically deconstructing the role of the father) by relying instead on the comedic chemistry of its lead actors. It’s a solid comedy, but a word of caution for those who read this. Daddy’s Home is a fun movie, but Daddy’s Home 2 is dreadful: acting as the common example of a family comedy with Christmas jammed in, while also wasting John Cena and John Lithgow in supporting roles. Oh, and Mel Gibson sucks, so only watch the first movie.
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids was billed at the time of its release as women’s answer to The Hangover and it quickly proved that it was so much more than that. Kristen Wiig stars Annie, who has been named maid of honor for her friend Lillian’s wedding. Chaos inevitably ensues as Annie has to contend with her friend’s extended family, new friends, and the growing distance between them. The movie’s supporting cast is an embarrassment of riches featuring Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Kimmy Schmitt’s Ellie Kemper. Bridesmaids is a fantastic movie that boasts some genuinely gross-out gags, as well as a brutal Jon Hamm cameo, and a star-making turn from Melissa McCarthy.
Pitch Perfect
Pitch Perfect is the first movie of a franchise that has become one of the most successful female-fronted trilogies in movie history. Anna Kendrick stars as Beca, a freshman at Barden University who comes into the orbit of the acapella group The Barden Bellas. With Beca’s help, The Barden Bellas discover their hidden potential with the help of mastering a new sound. Pitch Perfect is one of those movies in which the premise doesn’t sound that important. Drama and arts societies in colleges are usually the butt of the joke but Pitch Perfect pulls off the task of making acapella look and sound fun rather than cringy. This is mainly due to a sharp script from Kay Cannon (in her first appearance on this list) and a brilliant cast including Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, and Elizabeth Banks (who would break box office records by directing Pitch Perfect 2).
Trainwreck
Let’s magically travel back in time to the year 2015 when Amy Schumer was still a new mainstream star rather than the divisive comedian she is today. After three seasons of her wickedly funny sketch show Schumer made the seamless transition into cinema with the brilliant Trainwreck. A relatable movie about the pull of life against the temptation to find love, Trainwreck was a movie of many treasures. Schumer is fantastic, as is her love interest played by Bill Hader in a rare romantic lead. 2015 saw audiences become fatigued by the Judd Apatow trend of stoner movies that heavily relied on improvisation. This makes Trainwreck doubly special as it gave Apatow himself a new direction as well as supporting Schumer’s rising status as the new queen of comedy. It’s true that Amy Schumer has floundered since this movie, but regardless of this Trainwreck is an excellent movie.
Sisters
It’s a safe bet these days that when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler work together the result is usually comedy gold. That’s certainly the case with Sisters. Sharing its title with an early Brian De Palma movie (which I’m sure is a joke in itself) Fey and Poehler play the titular sisters who decide to have one last party before their parents sell their family home. Read that description again and it sounds like the plot of a teen movie, instead we have two middle-aged women causing gleeful chaos. The best part is that both Fey and Poelher are playing against type. Tina Fey is the cray party animal with Amy Poelher taking the goody two-shoes role, which gives both actresses opportunities to let loose in unfamiliar roles. Sisters is a filthily funny comedic romp that will have you wishing that these two still hosted the Golden Globes.
We are the Millers
We are the Millers stars Jason Sudeikis, as pot dealer called David, that has had a weeks-worth of weed stolen. In order to replace what he lost, he sent to Mexico by his boss to pick up a huge shipment of drugs to smuggle back to the US. To avoid suspicion he recruits a stripper (played by Jennifer Aniston) and two strange teenagers (played by Emma Roberts and Detroit’s Will Poulter) to pretend to be his family making it easier to cross the border. What follows is a predictably funny road trip movie that uses its talented cast well. Aniston in particular provides a performance that wipes all thought of Rachael Green out of your head, much like her other collaborations with Sudeikis in the Horrible Bosses movies. We are the Millers is a fun and filthy distraction of a movie, but if you’re scared of spiders you best look away, it’s pretty disturbing.
Blockers
2018 may still be in its early stages: which makes it a little silly to be naming the best comedy of the year, but it will take a lot to beat Blockers. The directorial debut of Pitch Perfect writer Kay Cannon, Blockers is two comedies in one: a coming of age story about three teenage girls deciding to lose their virginity, and their clueless parents desperately trying to stop them. The movie’s cast is uniformly strong with Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz playing the three parents who humiliate themselves constantly. Leslie Mann is a comedy legend at this point so her two co-stars have to work extra hard to match her, which is exactly what they do. John Cena goes full-on Dwayne Johnson by completely going against his macho image, and Ike Barinholtz proves that his two high profile appearances for David Ayer in Suicide Squad and Bright are mere blips on the radar.
The Hangover
The Hangover is easily the most successful comedy in the last 10 years as it paved the way for movies like Bad Moms that focused on the comedic possibilities of stories centered on a small group of friends and rivals. The movie is perhaps best known for catapulting it’s three leads into superstardom. Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis became household names thanks to The Hangover (sorry Justin Bartha) as did the disturbingly funny Ken Yeong. The premise is simple: four friends meet up in Las Vegas for a Bachelor party only to party way too hard and lose the groom. The rest of the movie involves its three leads trying to decrypt their hangovers in order to find the groom. It’s a journey that involved Mike Tyson, his tiger, a naked Ken Yeong leaping out of the trunk of a car, and much more. Fair warning once again: the two sequels are nowhere near as inspired as the first.
