The 30 Best Buddy Comedy Movies on Now TV (July 2026)

1

The Hangover (2009)

IMDb 7.7 🍅 79% 1h 40m

Directed by Todd Phillips

✦ MovieMuse AI takeThe mystery-box structure forces escalating absurdity as mismatched personalities hilariously reconstruct a vanished night.

When three friends finally come to after a raucous night of bachelor-party revelry, they find a baby in the closet and a tiger in the bathroom. But they can't seem to locate their best friend, Doug – who's supposed to be tying the knot. Launching a frantic search for Doug, the trio perseveres through a nasty hangover to try to make it to the church on time.

2

Superbad (2007)

IMDb 7.6 🍅 88% 1h 53m

Directed by Greg Mottola

✦ MovieMuse AI takeThe neurotic banter between McLovin and the leads captures buddy comedy's soul: two characters finishing each other's sentences while sabotaging themselves.

Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.

3

Lethal Weapon (1987)

IMDb 7.6 🍅 81% 1h 50m

Directed by Richard Donner

✦ MovieMuse AI takeGlover and Pesci's contrasting temperaments—calm vs. unhinged—create perfect comedic friction that defines the buddy archetype.

A veteran cop and an unstable detective become partners who must put their differences aside in order to bring down a heroin-smuggling ring run by ex-Special Forces.

4

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! poster

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

IMDb 7.6 🍅 88% Letterboxd 3.7 1h 26m

Directed by David Zucker

✦ MovieMuse AI takeDrebin's oblivious competence paired with his partner's exasperation creates comedy through contrast; absurdist sight gags replace conventional buddy banter.

When the bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin investigates events following the shooting of his partner, he stumbles upon an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.

5

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

IMDb 7.6 🍅 93% Letterboxd 3.8 1h 32m

Directed by John Hughes

✦ MovieMuse AI takeThe road-trip format forces incompatible personalities into escalating intimacy, transforming antagonism into genuine affection through shared hardship.

An irritable marketing executive, Neal Page, is heading home to Chicago for Thanksgiving when a number of delays force him to travel with a well meaning but overbearing shower curtain ring salesman, Del Griffith.

6

Trading Places (1983)

IMDb 7.5 🍅 87% Letterboxd 3.6 1h 56m

Directed by John Landis

✦ MovieMuse AI takeRole-reversal creates situational comedy gold where each character must authentically inhabit their opposite's world, exposing class prejudices through lived experience.

A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

7

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

IMDb 7.3 🍅 69% 1h 47m

Directed by Peter Farrelly

✦ MovieMuse AI takeCarrey and Daniels commit fully to sustained stupidity, transforming cluelessness into an infectious comedic engine.

Lloyd and Harry are two men whose stupidity is really indescribable. When Mary, a beautiful woman, loses an important suitcase with money before she leaves for Aspen, the two friends (who have found the suitcase) decide to return it to her. After some "adventures" they finally get to Aspen where, using the lost money they live it up and fight for Mary's heart.

8

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

IMDb 7.3 🍅 94% Letterboxd 3.5 1h 39m

Directed by Harold Ramis

✦ MovieMuse AI takeClark's obsessive optimism collides with reality's disasters, making his family his reluctant comedy partners in suburban aspirational failure.

Clark Griswold is on a quest to take his family to the Walley World theme park for a vacation, but things don't go exactly as planned.

9

Project A (1983)

IMDb 7.2 🍅 81% Letterboxd 3.7 1h 45m

Directed by Jackie Chan

✦ MovieMuse AI takeChan and his stunt-partner chemistry elevates martial arts sequences into physical comedy conversations, redefining what buddy dynamics can accomplish.

In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.

10

Uncle Buck (1989)

IMDb 7.1 🍅 61% Letterboxd 3.5 1h 40m

Directed by John Hughes

✦ MovieMuse AI takeGenerational clash between anarchic uncle and structured suburban household generates humor from their fundamental incompatibility gradually morphing into mutual respect.

Buck Russell, a lovable but slovenly bachelor, suddenly becomes the temporary caretaker of his nephew and nieces after a family emergency. His freewheeling attitude soon causes tension with his older niece Tia, loyal girlfriend Chanice and just about everyone else who crosses his path.

11

We're the Millers (2013)

IMDb 7.0 🍅 48% 1h 50m

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber

✦ MovieMuse AI takeThe fake-family masquerade forces incompatible personalities into forced proximity, generating awkward chemistry gold.

A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.

12

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

IMDb 7.0 🍅 72% Letterboxd 3.6 1h 36m

Directed by Hal Needham

✦ MovieMuse AI takeThe reluctant pairing—con-artist driver and runaway bride—creates constant banter and dependency, exemplifying how forced proximity breeds comedic chemistry.

A race car driver tries to transport an illegal beer shipment from Texas to Atlanta in under 28 hours, picking up a reluctant bride-to-be on the way.

13

The Bad Guys 2 (2025)

IMDb 7.0 🍅 87% Letterboxd 3.5 1h 44m

Directed by Pierre Perifel

✦ MovieMuse AI takeAnimated ensemble chemistry shines as reformed criminals constantly betray each other's good intentions, generating comedy from conflicting buddy-group loyalties.

The now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.

14

Project A Part II (1987)

IMDb 7.0 🍅 73% Letterboxd 3.5 1h 45m

Directed by Jackie Chan

✦ MovieMuse AI takeJackie Chan's escalating predicament comedy paired with improvised partner dynamics proves physical comedy transcends language barriers in buddy storytelling.

Dragon is now transferred to be the police head of Sai Wan district, and has to contend with a gangster kingpin, anti-Manchu revolutionaries, some runaway pirates, Manchu Loyalists and a corrupt police superintendent.

15

The Young Master (1980)

IMDb 7.0 Letterboxd 3.6 1h 47m

Directed by Jackie Chan

✦ MovieMuse AI takeChan's solo-hero narrative structure contrasts with genuine buddy moments, showing how one character's persistence can create partnership through circumstance.

Youthful martial arts master Lung is searching for his missing brother, when he is mistaken for a criminal on the run. He must prove his innocence by solving the case himself, while local lawmen and merciless mercenaries are hot on his trail.

16

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

IMDb 6.9 🍅 47% Letterboxd 3.2 1h 26m

Directed by Tom Shadyac

✦ MovieMuse AI takeCarrey's manic performance clashes brilliantly with straight-man supporting cast, weaponizing his absurdity against normalcy.

He's Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The Ace is on the case to find the Miami Dolphins' missing mascot and quarterback Dan Marino. He goes eyeball to eyeball with a man-eating shark, stakes out the Miami Dolphins and woos and wows the ladies. Whether he's undercover, under fire or underwater, he always gets his man… or beast!

17

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear poster

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)

IMDb 6.9 🍅 77% Letterboxd 3.4 1h 26m

Directed by David Zucker

✦ MovieMuse AI takeDrebin's bumbling persistence relies on a foil's straight-man reactions; physical comedy masquerades as investigative partnership.

Bumbling lieutenant Frank Drebin is out to foil the big boys in the energy industry, who intend to suppress technology that will put them out of business.

18

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)

IMDb 6.8 🍅 29% Letterboxd 3.4 1h 42m

Directed by Arthur Hiller

✦ MovieMuse AI takeDeaf-blind duo's complementary disabilities create a perfectly calibrated physical comedy engine that drives every scene's humor.

A murder takes place in the shop of David Lyons, a deaf man who fails to hear the gunshot being fired. Outside, blind man Wally Karue hears the shot, but cannot see the perpetrator. Both are arrested, but escape to form an unlikely partnership. Being chased by both the law AND the original killers, can the pair work together to outwit them all?

19

Police Academy (1984)

IMDb 6.7 🍅 58% Letterboxd 3.2 1h 37m

Directed by Hugh Wilson

✦ MovieMuse AI takeThe ensemble-cast approach multiplies personality clashes across a unified institution, creating overlapping buddy dynamics rather than single-pair chemistry.

New rules enforced by the Lady Mayoress mean that sex, weight, height and intelligence need no longer be a factor for joining the Police Force. This opens the floodgates for all and sundry to enter the Police Academy, much to the chagrin of the instructors. Not everyone is there through choice, though. Social misfit Mahoney has been forced to sign up as the only alternative to a jail sentence and it doesn't take long before he falls foul of the boorish Lieutenant Harris. But before long, Mahoney realises that he is enjoying being a police cadet and decides he wants to stay... while Harris decides he wants Mahoney out!

20

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

IMDb 6.7 🍅 42% Letterboxd 3.1 1h 38m

Directed by Jonathan Lynn

✦ MovieMuse AI takeFish-out-of-water mobster-in-suburbia premise pairs disparate personalities whose contrasting methods and worldviews generate conflict-driven physical and verbal comedy.

After a mobster agrees to cooperate with an FBI investigation in order to stay out of prison, he's relocated by the authorities to a life of suburban anonymity as part of a witness protection program. It's not long before a couple of his new neighbours figure out his true identity and come knocking to see if he'd be up for one more hit—suburban style.

21

Penguins of Madagascar (2014)

IMDb 6.6 🍅 74% Letterboxd 3.2 1h 32m

Directed by Simon J. Smith

✦ MovieMuse AI takeFour distinct personalities with complementary skills execute elaborate schemes, embodying ensemble-buddy dynamics perfectly.

Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private join forces with undercover organization The North Wind to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world as we know it.

22

Flushed Away (2006)

IMDb 6.6 🍅 72% Letterboxd 3.2 1h 25m

Directed by David Bowers

✦ MovieMuse AI takeRoddy and Sid's class-conflict dynamic generates fish-out-of-water comedy through personality clash and cultural misunderstanding.

London high-society mouse, Roddy is flushed down the toilet by Sid, a common sewer rat. Hang on for a madcap adventure deep in the sewer bowels of Ratropolis, where Roddy meets the resourceful Rita, the rodent-hating Toad and his faithful thugs, Spike and Whitey.

23

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

IMDb 6.6 🍅 48% Letterboxd 3.3 1h 43m

Directed by Tony Scott

✦ MovieMuse AI takeAxel's infectious charm and comedic improvisation drive the partnership; his fish-out-of-water energy forces uptight cops to embrace chaos.

Axel Foley returns to the land of sunshine and palm trees to investigate the near-fatal shooting of police Captain Andrew Bogomil. With the help of Sgt. Taggart and Det. Rosewood, they soon uncover that the shooting is associated with a series of "alphabet" robberies masterminded by a heartless weapons kingpin—and the chase is on.

24

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby poster

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

IMDb 6.6 🍅 72% Letterboxd 3.4 1h 48m

Directed by Adam McKay

✦ MovieMuse AI takeCompetitive male ego clash between established champion and ambitious newcomer fuels relentless one-upmanship, the genre's purest expression of masculine rivalry humor.

The fastest man on four wheels, Ricky Bobby, is one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. A big, hairy American winning machine, Ricky has everything a dimwitted daredevil could want, a luxurious mansion, a smokin' hot wife, and all the fast food he can eat. But Ricky's turbo-charged lifestyle hits an unexpected speed bump when he's bested by flamboyant Euro-idiot Jean Girard and reduced to a fear-ridden wreck.

25

The Trip to Italy (2014)

IMDb 6.6 🍅 88% Letterboxd 3.6 1h 48m

Directed by Michael Winterbottom

✦ MovieMuse AI takeDocumentary improv framework between real-life comedy partners weaponizes genuine friendship tension, creating meta-commentary on collaborative creative dynamics.

Years after their successful restaurant review tour of Northern England, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are commissioned for a new tour in Italy.

26

The Hangover Part II (2011)

IMDb 6.5 🍅 35% 1h 42m

Directed by Todd Phillips

✦ MovieMuse AI takeRepeating Vegas chaos in Bangkok acknowledges buddy-comedy formula while mining fresh mishaps from predictable dysfunction.

The Hangover crew heads to Thailand for Stu's wedding. After the disaster of a bachelor party in Las Vegas last year, Stu is playing it safe with a mellow pre-wedding brunch. However, nothing goes as planned and Bangkok is the perfect setting for another adventure with the rowdy group.

27

Antz (1998)

IMDb 6.5 🍅 92% 1h 23m

Directed by Eric Darnell

✦ MovieMuse AI takeNeurotic ant and soldier-ant clash ideologically, creating conflict-resolution arcs typical of buddy narratives.

A neurotic worker ant in love with a rebellious princess rises to unlikely stardom when he switches places with a soldier. Signing up to march in a parade, he ends up under the command of a bloodthirsty general. But he's actually been enlisted to fight against a termite army.

28

Big Daddy (1999)

IMDb 6.5 🍅 39% Letterboxd 3.3 1h 33m

Directed by Dennis Dugan

✦ MovieMuse AI takeUnlikely guardianship forces emotional growth on a selfish protagonist, using the child-companion dynamic to explore maturity and unconventional family formation.

A lazy law school grad adopts a kid to impress his girlfriend, but everything doesn't go as planned. Now he's forced to grow up while navigating the challenges of fatherhood.

29

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)

IMDb 6.5 🍅 66% Letterboxd 3.2 1h 23m

Directed by Peter Segal

✦ MovieMuse AI takeDrebin's retirement-comeback forced pairing with reluctant allies resurrects the series' strength: incompetence meeting institutional resistance through escalating gags.

Frank Drebin is persuaded out of retirement to go undercover in a state prison. There he has to find out what top terrorist, Rocco, has planned for when he escapes. Adding to his problems, Frank's wife, Jane, is desperate for a baby.

30

MouseHunt (1997)

IMDb 6.5 🍅 51% Letterboxd 3.3 1h 38m

Directed by Gore Verbinski

✦ MovieMuse AI takeSibling discord over inherited property forces brothers into constant problem-solving partnerships, wedding familial obligation to comedic desperation.

Down-on-their luck brothers, Lars and Ernie Smuntz, aren't happy with the crumbling old mansion they inherit... until they discover the estate is worth millions. Before they can cash in, they have to rid the house of its single, stubborn occupant—a tiny and tenacious mouse.

Best Buddy Comedy Movies on Now TV

The Hangover (2009)

Superbad (2007)

Lethal Weapon (1987)

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Trading Places (1983)

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

Project A (1983)

Uncle Buck (1989)

We're the Millers (2013)

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

The Bad Guys 2 (2025)

Project A Part II (1987)

The Young Master (1980)

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)

Police Academy (1984)

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

Penguins of Madagascar (2014)

Flushed Away (2006)

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

The Trip to Italy (2014)

The Hangover Part II (2011)

Antz (1998)

Big Daddy (1999)

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)

MouseHunt (1997)

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