When it comes to the genre of comedy, many people are quick to lament how modern comedy films simply don’t hold up compared to the wide array of classics from the past. It usually ends up being a case of inherent nostalgia and bias, as films likeBarbie,American Fiction, andAnoraprove that the 2020s are a greatly impactful and effective decade when it comes to comedy. However, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t ineffective comedies released in the modern day, as several releases fulfill all the negative fantasies that people assume are the case with all modern comedies.
Between the array of low-effort streaming service originals, painful remakes and reboots of classic comedies, and disastrously out-of-touch original films,the 2020s have no shortage of abysmal comedy experiences. It’s difficult to get a sense of the inherent legacy of these films, whether they will simply be forgotten once the decade is over or forever live in infamy as some of the worst comedy movies of all time. However, it’s undeniable that among all the comedies of the 2020s, some of the most standout examples are simplynot funny from start to finish.
10’The Bubble' (2022)
Directed by Judd Apatow
WhileJudd Apatowwas once one of the most prolific comedy directorsand producers throughout the 2000s and 2010s, his massive influence has largely waned throughout the 2020s, most prominently seen in the lack of quality ofThe Bubble. The film acts as a satirical look at Hollywood productions during the COVID-19 pandemic, following a group of chaotic celebrities shooting the latest entry in a blockbuster franchise while quarantined at a fancy hotel.
Even for a film that was released so close to the pandemic, all the jokes inThe Bubblefeelsurface-level and wildly out of touchwith its portrayal and perspective of Hollywood icons. There was certainly potential in telling a satire about the chaos of the pandemic, but the film simply isn’t interested in exploring this distinct time in human history and insteadfalls back on Apatow’s tired clichés and signatures.The Bubbleis also over 2 hours long, which is painfully long for a comedy and only makes the entire experience more annoying and tiring to sit through.
The Bubble
9’Borderlands' (2024)
Directed by Eli Roth
While theBorderlandsvideogame franchise was once considered a pinnacle of comedic writing in videogames, its distinct style of quirky, meme-fueled 2010s comedy doesn’t work nearly as well in the 2020s. This is easily at its worst in the long-awaited film adaptation of the franchise, in which it doubles down on the worst aspects of the series' sense of comedy while also filling it with hollow, uninteresting versions of the classic characters. Even worse, the filmseemingly does everything in its power to annoy and aggravate long-time fans.
While this inherent style of humor and approach could have worked in the 2010s, in the 2020s, the execution proves to be painfully unfunny and derivative of long-since tired clichés. One can only listen to a roboticJack Blackvoice swear and talk about sex for so long before it goes from simply unfunny to actively aggravating and painful to watch.Borderlandsshows that, even in an era that has never been better for video game adaptations, terrible video game movies are still entirely possible.
Borderlands
8’Home Sweet Home Alone' (2021)
Directed by Dan Mazer
While the first twoHome Alonefilms are widely celebrated as classics of the holiday season, each subsequent attempt to capitalize ontheHome Alonefranchise’s inherent popularity has been a deeply embarrassing, near-unwatchable experience. This same sentiment is shared by the latest reboot of the franchise,Home Sweet Home Alone, even despite the film’s larger prospects and new ownership under Disney. The film is about as blatant a repeat of the original film imaginable, yetit’s missing all the charm and comedic witthat madeMacaulay Culkin’s version a holiday classic.
The slapstick comedy is more reserved and lukewarm compared to the originals, with the manic, chaotic demeanor of its characters being toned down to the point of boredom.Archie Yatesmakes for a fun protagonist in concept, but the film doesn’t do much to play to his signature strengths that were expressed inJojo Rabbit.Rob DelaneyandEllie Kemperare such forgettable villains that they make the entire film a largely underwhelming experience, as it simply isn’t fun to watch them get hurt in the same way it was for the Wet Bandits in the original movies.
Home Sweet Home Alone
7’Thunder Force' (2021)
Directed by Ben Falcone
Considering the massive rise and inescapable popularity of superhero movies during the 2010s and leading into the 2020s, it was only a matter of time before an original parody of the genre was created. However, instead of commenting on the trends and clichés of the genre as a whole,Thunder Forceis largely content to tell basic and underwhelming jokes that make its leads the punchline.The film followsMelissa McCarthyandOctavia Spenceras estranged childhood best friends who find themselves coming together as they become a duo of superheroes to take down the villains plaguing their city.
While McCarthy and Spencer have proven themselves to be largely effective in the realm of comedy,Thunder Forcegives themnothing to work with in terms of genuine laughs and compelling comedy. The film features the same surface-level commentary and jokes about superhero stories that have been told for decades,adding nothing interesting to the conversationand being incredibly boring in its execution. Even the strange inclusion ofJason Batemanwith crab claws for hands isn’t enough to save the film from crippling mediocrity.
Thunder Force
6’Harold and the Purple Crayon' (2024)
Directed by Carlos Saldanha
A consistent trend that has been a frequent source of middling blockbusters despite their frequent critical misfiring is that of live-action adaptations of traditionally animated or 2D characters and stories. While several of these films have found success over the years,Harold and the Purple Crayoneasily stands out as one of the most baffling and poorly executed examples of this trend. The film seesZachary Levias the titular Harold, who uses his magical purple crayon to bridge a pathway into the real world, where he and his friends go on a quest to find his creator.
This awful family movieis a strange, bewildering experience from beginning to end, attempting to balance philosophical discussions on life through the guise of a brainless children’s film. Whether it be through its terrible visual effects, overly complicated story, or laughably bad performances,Harold and the Purple Crayonsimply can’t satisfy its lofty goals and massive expectations. The film quickly cemented a legacy for being a so-bad-it’s-good effort, yet none of its ironic praise can be attributed to any actual strengths or comedy.
Harold and the Purple Crayon
5’White Men Can’t Jump' (2023)
Directed by Calmatic
The originalWhite Men Can’t Jumpwas one of the defining and most critically acclaimed comedies of the ’90s, with incredibly likable characters and an inherent sense of charm that made each scene both hilarious and emotional. By comparison, the Hulu original remake ofWhite Men Can’t Jumpnot only doesn’t hold a candle to that classic status, butactively spits in the face of the themes and timelessness of the original. The film seesSinqua WallsandJack Harlowas a duo of rival street hoopers who team up in order to have a chance at a basketball tournament.
While the film supposedly makes attempts to be more progressive and modern than the original, its active neutering of the social dynamics and race relations of the original makes it a much more shallow and uncompelling watch. No duo of actors was ever going to live up to the chemistry and dynamic betweenWesley SnipesandWoody Harrelson, but Walls and Harlow’s dynamic is genuinely embarrassing. It’s one of many aspects that shows the film’s fundamental misunderstanding of the original, using its name as a tool to tell a more generic basketball story.
White Men Can’t Jump
4’Guest House' (2020)
Directed by Sam Macaroni
Few classic comedians have had such a divisive career asPauly Shore, whose frequent work ranged from beloved cult classics to some of theworst comedies of the ’90s. However, whatever charm and strength the comedian once held throughout the ’90s is completely barren in the 2020s, as his leading role inGuest Houseshows Shore at his worst. The film sees Shore as Randy Cockfield, an obnoxious squatter who lives in a newlywed couple’s new home and begins to drive them apart and destroy every part of their lives.
It almost feels like poetic justice that Shore’s character in the film is defined by being an obnoxious, ever-present nuisance, as this energy is equally translated to being aggressively annoying to audiences. Shore is aggressively painful to watch on-screen in the film, with an overall tone that isfar too mean-spirited and rottento accomplish the high-energy party vibes that the film desperately desires. If Shore’s ’90s films had audiences feeling like the life of the party,Guest Houseisthe sluggish, crabby hangover that nobody wants to be a part of.
Guest House
3’Good Mourning' (2022)
Directed by Machine Gun Kelly and Mod Sun
Movies directed by celebrity musicians have always been a wildly chaotic mixed bag when it comes to comedy, withMod SunandMachine Gun Kelly’s filmGood Mourningespecially being a case of how bad celebrity directors can be. The film sees Kelly as a world-renowned movie star whose life begins crashing down on him when he wakes up to a break-up text from the love of his life. It’s only the beginning of his issues, as the rest of his day gets even more chaotic and even more of a pain to experience.
While Kelly and Mod Sun may be talented when it comes to making music, these talents do not translate whatsoever to the art of comedy filmmaking, resulting in anawkwardly-paced, deeply moronic comedyexperience. Even outside the writing, nobody outside ofPete Davidsonis doing anything effective with their performances, giving dry, unenthusiastic readings that make the entire film feel like a chore for those involved.
Good Mourning
2’Marmaduke' (2022)
Directed by Mark A.Z. Dippe
A modern animated reboot of the classic comic strip canine,Marmadukedoesn’t have any of the likable features of the original comic, relying on toilet humor and bare-bones slapstick for its entire runtime. Even compared to the already terrible Marmaduke film of the past that starredOwen Wilson, this animated version isa deeply unsightly viewing due to its uncomfortable visuals and overly gross story. It easily makes for one of theworst animated movies of the 2020sand a hopeful final nail in the coffin when it comes to film adaptations of the Great Dane.
WhenMarmadukeisn’t telling some of the laziest and ineffective poop jokes imaginable, it’s sporting some terrible animation and designs that make its characters either as skinny as toothpicks or as curvy as a supermodel. Its visual style makes even traditional scenes of characters talking an eyesore to look at, made worse when the film is constantly failing to conjure anything close to laughter from the audience. It’s one of many low-effort animated movies that were simply dumped onto Netflix, knowing that younger streaming service audiences wouldn’t mind its lack of quality.
Marmaduke (2022)
1’He’s All That' (2021)
Directed by Mark Waters
While it’s far from the most timeless rom-com of the ’90s,She’s All Thatis a bona fide classic of the era that helped further set in stone some of the defining conventions of teen rom-coms at the height of their popularity. By contrast, the modern-day gender-swapped remake of the film,He’s All That, is completely lacking any of the charm of the original and isa deeply embarrassing chore to sit through. The film mostly follows the exact plot, only with the gender roles reversed, with a popular girl (Addison Rae) getting with an unpopular boy classmate (Tanner Buchanan) with the goal of turning him into prom king for a dare.
He’s All Thatamplifies all the poorly aged and cliché-ridden aspects of the original film while also cutting out core aspects of development and depth that made its story interesting. Instead of actually telling a compelling rom-com story, the film is much more interested in being a stepping stone for its social media stars, showing young stars who were already pretty to begin with pretending to be deeply unpopular. Completely failing in terms of romance and comedy,He’s All Thathas zero reason to exist, and you have even fewer reasons to watch it.
