While there's plenty to love about drama, action, and adventure, sometimes you just have to laugh. Honestly, there may be nothing harder to pull off than a good joke. Thankfully, there were plenty of them told in 2019.
As GameSpot looks back on the year, there were so many comedies, within the realms of TV and film, that stuck with us. Only the cream of the crop could wind up in the top 10 best comedies of 2019, though. Interestingly, only two of those entries wound up being movies, but they're easily two of the absolute funniest films of the year. The rest of the entries show just how varied and how incredibly powerful TV comedy can be. From sillier entries like BoJack Horseman to hilariously haunting titles like HBO's Barry, there's something funny for just about everyone somewhere on TV.
Take a look at our favorite funny movies and TV shows of the year below. Then make sure to take a look at our Top 10 films and TV shows of 2019, as well as the entertainment team's editor's choices for the year.
1. Fleabag (Season 2)
The first season of Fleabag premiered back in 2016, and was one the funniest, darkest, and most insightful comedies of that year. It took creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge three years to deliver the second season, but it was well worth the wait. With the characters and situations fully established, Waller-Bridge was able to fully drill down into the chaotic life and troubled psyche of the titular main character, as she struggles to balance her work, family, and love life. Much of the season revolved around Fleabag's lust for the seemingly unavailable "hot priest"--played by Black Mirror and Bond star Andrew Scott--while haunted by the tragic events of Season 1. But while this season is consistently hilarious, it is the darker, more serious aspects that gave it its true power, as Fleabag comes to terms with her own massive failings and attempts to find some sort of moral redemption. Waller-Bridge has stated that there won't be a third season, so treasure these six episodes--they're a TV masterpiece. - Dan Auty
2. Barry (Season 2)
Barry Season 2 may not, strictly speaking, be a comedy in the traditional sense, but it's definitely going to make you laugh just as much as it's going to break your heart or make you flinch away. With the story established in Season 1 steamrolling ahead without even the slightest hint of a sophomore slump, Bill Hader and Alec Berg have taken their unlikely hitman-with-a-heart-of-gold story to all new, even more absurd heights this year, and we couldn't love it more. Season 2 delivered eight perfect episodes, a killer cliffhanger, and some of the strongest acting on TV. - Meg Downey
3. Dollface (Season 1)
If you missed Dollface on Hulu, now is the time to rectify that. It's an absurdly funny show, loaded with a trio of truly entertaining performances. On the surface, it's about a woman (Kat Dennings) getting out of a bad relationship and rediscovering the single life--and the friends she left behind to devote all of her time to her boyfriend. Beyond that, though, it explored the quirks and intricacies of dating, long-lasting relationships, being single, and the importance of a group of friends through it all. And if that's not enough to sell you on it, it does it all through a fantasy lens as Dennings' character shops for new men at a car lot, talks to a human-sized cat, and gets put on trial for being a bad friend. Joining the actress are Brenda Song (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody), Esther Povitsky (Alone Together), and Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars), who turns in one of the absolute funniest performances of 2019. Watch this show, you won't regret it. - Chris E. Hayner
4. I Think You Should Leave (Season 1)
Don't worry if you haven't heard of comedian Tim Robinson before now. After you watch Netflix's I Think You Should Leave, he'll skyrocket to the top of your comedy favorites list. The Michigan native previously starred in the canceled Comedy Central sitcom Detroiters, but I Think You Should Leave is composed entirely of disconnected sketches--many of which are rejected remnants from Robinson's days writing on Saturday Night Live. Understanding this is crucial, because the show's humor is utterly unique, relying almost entirely on Robinson's strange mannerisms, idiosyncratic ways of speaking, and carefully chosen words (you'll never eat a "mud pie" the same way again). Robinson's sketches may have been too weird for SNL, but if you give this show a chance, you'll quickly be reminded why streaming is the future. - Mike Rougeau
5. Booksmart
Actor Olivia Wilde made an impressive directing debut with this high school comedy that puts a fresh, funny spin on familiar material. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever play Molly and Amy, a pair of studious, high-achieving students who, on the last day of school, realize they have literally one night to cram in all the rule-breaking fun that they missed out on over the past few years. While the overall plot might be familiar, as Molly and Amy encounter various mishaps while trying to get to a party, Booksmart sets itself apart from similar movies such such as Superbad or American Pie. The movie celebrates being smart and doing well at school, and its approach to gender and sexuality is hugely refreshing--the movie accepts all its characters for who they are, with no judgements made by either the filmmakers or any other characters. It also gives the more stereotypical "bad" characters--the jocks, the bullies--plenty of depth and sympathy, resulting in a rare high school movie where you ultimately like everyone. And, just as importantly, it never stops being funny, from the drug-fueled barbie doll sequence and Molly and Amy’s quickfire banter to some winning performances from the incompetant adults in their lives, including Jason Sudeikis’s taxi-driver principal. Booksmart is top of its class. - Dan Auty
6. Jojo Rabbit
Based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens, Jojo Rabbit is easily one of the most delightful movies of the year--despite tackling the sensitive subject matter of one boy's indoctrination into the Hitler Youth. Thankfully, young Jojo's (Roman Griffin Davis) world is turned upside-down when he discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johnasson) is harboring a young Jewish girl in their walls. Equal parts hilarious, sweet, and horrifying--and with an instant classic portrayal of a bumbling, imaginary Hitler by director Taika Waititi--Jojo Rabbit is a must-see of 2019. - Mike Rougeau
7. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 14)
With its fourteenth season, the unstoppable It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia officially tied ABC's The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as the longest-running live-action comedy series of all time. And somehow, the gang that consists of Charlie (Charlie Day), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Denny DeVito) has yet to run out of ideas. Far from it. Season 14 sees this pack of ne'er-do-wells take on texting, completely miss the point of Waiting for Godot during a game of laser tag (while also indicating that they understand it better than the average high school English teacher), and fade to black-and-white for a noir mystery episode with more twists than Charlie's insides after his sixth cat food martini of the night. - Mike Rougeau
8. Silicon Valley (Season 6)
When any show comes to an end after multiple seasons, it's a bummer. And after six seasons on HBO, Silicon Valley closed up shop with an incredible final season. Richard Hendricks and the Pied Piper group took a terrible music application with amazing compression software and turned it into a whole new internet for the masses over the course of six years. The final season wrapped up the show in the most fitting way, with the group on the verge of greatness--about to change the world--only to hit another major roadblock. Russ Hanneman also made a triumphant return with his terrible outdoor festival Russfest--which has its own website and amazing Spotify playlist. The final episode was the real icing on the cake, as the series jumped forward in time a decade for a "where are they now" episode, and one of the best moments is seeing the show's main antagonist, Gavin Belson, becoming a romance novelist with amazing titles like "Cold Ice Cream & Hot Kisses." Everything about this latest season was a delight and hilarious to boot. It's sad to see Silicon Valley go, but at least it went out with a bang. - Mat Elfring
9. What We Do In the Shadows (Season 1)
Is it a comedy or is it horror? Is it both? What We Do in the Shadows is one of the absolute funniest shows on TV. And while it can get pretty scary, this is a show at its best when it's deconstructing horror conventions and the very idea of vampires--which it does flawlessly. Plus, any show that can manage to get Tilda Swinton, Evan Rachel Wood, Danny Trejo, Paul Reubens, Kristen Schaal, and Dave Bautista into a single episode of TV deserves to be celebrated. This is a rare show that--on paper--seemed like a risky bet. The original What We Do in the Shadows film is beloved and crafting some kind of sequel for cable TV could have gone horribly wrong. Instead, it's turned into one of TV's most endearing comedies that also happens to play heavily in the horror space. - Chris E. Hayner
10. Bojack Horseman (Season 6)
In the first half of its final season, Netflix's Bojack Horseman continued doing what it does best: it gave us hope that things might change for the titular self-destructive, drug-addicted, abusive former TV star, before forcing us to gaze yet again into the unforgiving maw of the reality that no one can ever change and deep down we're all miserable sacks of s*** with no redeeming qualities or inherent goodness even in the deepest recesses of our souls. Oh, and there are lots of funny jokes about how dogs love tennis balls and penguins sometimes slide around on their bellies, too. Here's hoping next year's final episodes stick the landing and deliver us some much-needed catharsis. - Mike Rougeau
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