Laughter not only makes us feel good, but it also helps us connect with others, and it helps us relax or heal. Some say watching comedies can even make us better people.

Comedies have been entertaining us at the movies since Charlie Chaplain’s Little Tramp was cheering up audiences during the Great Depression. Romantic comedies have eased fears of ominous clouds of war. Absurd plots can help audiences forget their own problems for a little while, and satires are a way to defang danger. No doubt Americans stuck at home to protect against COVID-19 have binge-watched plenty of comic shows.

To help pick a film that will inspire plenty of laughs, Stacker used data from Metacritic to compile a list of the 100 best comedies, according to critics. All films on the list were listed or co-listed as comedies on Metacritic. Of course, audiences don’t always love the films that reviewers praise, and reviewers don’t always love audience favorites.

Scroll through to see which of your favorite films were critical favorites or find a funny movie or two that might bring you a couple of hours of escape and smiles.

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