The golden age of laughter in cinema seems to be officially over according to a new ranking. Variety recently released its list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time. This extensive collection features legendary titles that shaped pop culture. However, a closer look reveals a startling trend that has industry experts and audiences worried.
The list barely features any films from the last ten years. This omission highlights a massive void in modern entertainment. It raises a serious question about what is happening to the comedy genre in Hollywood. The days of mid-budget comedies dominating the box office appear to be gone.
The numbers reveal a stark reality
Data does not lie when it comes to the disappearance of funny movies. The breakdown of the Variety list paints a grim picture for recent cinema. The ranking is heavy with hits from the 1980s and 1990s.
You can see the sharp decline when you look at the numbers by decade. The 1980s secured 20 spots on the list. The 1990s followed closely with 18 films. These decades gave us classics like “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day.”
The representation drops off a cliff when we reach the current era.
Only two films from the 2020s made the cut. One is “Everything Everywhere All at Once” from 2022. The other is “Poor Things” from 2023. Many critics argue these are not even traditional comedies. They are genre-bending art films that happen to have funny moments.
This gap suggests that the industry has stopped investing in pure comedy. The mid-budget studio comedy that defined a generation is now a relic. We have compiled the data from the list to visualize this collapse clearly.
| Era | Number of Films on List | Notable Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 20 | Airplane!, Tootsie |
| 1990s | 18 | Clueless, My Best Friend’s Wedding |
| 2010-Present | < 5 | Bridesmaids, Lady Bird |
This chart proves that the funny bone of the film industry has broken.
empty movie theater seats with popcorn spilled on floor
Cultural shifts spark fear in creators
Many experts point to a specific cultural shift as the primary cause. The rise of political correctness and “cancel culture” has created an environment of fear. Writers and directors are now terrified to take risks.
Comedy relies on pushing boundaries and subverting expectations. It often requires making fun of social norms. This becomes impossible when every joke is analyzed for potential offense.
Jerry Seinfeld recently made headlines confirming this exact sentiment.
The legendary comedian told the New Yorker that “the extreme left and P.C. crap” has ruined television comedy. He noted that audiences are starving for laughter but are not getting it. He argued that people used to go home and watch something funny to relax. Now they get lectured instead.
“Go home, let’s watch something funny. Where is it? Where is it? This is the result of the extreme left and P.C. crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people.”
— Jerry Seinfeld
Todd Phillips is another major figure who left the genre. He directed huge hits like “The Hangover” and “Old School.” He pivoted to dark drama with “Joker” in 2019. He explicitly stated that it is impossible to be funny in today’s “woke” culture. He said he would rather leave comedy than deal with the constant outrage on social media.
Studios retreat to safer investments
The death of comedy is also a financial decision by big studios. Hollywood has become obsessed with global box office returns. Action movies and superhero franchises translate easily across languages.
Comedy is often specific to culture and language. A joke that lands in New York might not work in Shanghai. Studios are risk-averse entities. They prefer to bet 200 million dollars on a visual spectacle than 40 million on a comedy.
Streaming services have picked up some of the slack. Netflix and Amazon produce romantic comedies and stand-up specials. Yet these rarely have the cultural impact of a theatrical release.
The communal experience of laughing in a crowded theater is vanishing. “Barbie” was a rare exception in 2023. It proved that audiences still want to laugh together. But even that film was wrapped in a massive intellectual property package to ensure safety.
Here are the main factors driving studios away:
- Fear of backlash: Social media campaigns can sink a movie before it opens.
- International appeal: Dialogue-heavy comedies do not sell well overseas.
- Streaming shift: Audiences are trained to watch comedies at home now.
- Lack of stars: Few modern actors can open a comedy like Jim Carrey or Will Ferrell once did.
The future of funny looks uncertain
There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon despite the gloom. The massive success of “Deadpool & Wolverine” shows that R-rated humor still sells. That film broke records by being unapologetically offensive and funny.
However, that film is also a superhero movie. It fits into the safe box that studios love. Pure comedies like “Superbad” or “Step Brothers” seem unlikely to be greenlit today.
Directors like Jay Roach have spoken about the difficulty of making sequels to classic comedies. Roach directed the “Meet the Parents” franchise. He recently admitted that writing a new installment is difficult in the current climate. He has to navigate a minefield of what can and cannot be said.
The audience demand is clearly there. People are sharing clips of old comedies on TikTok and Instagram constantly. They are nostalgic for a time when movies were just fun.
The industry is currently at a crossroads. Studios will eventually have to listen to the audience or continue losing money. If they continue to ignore the demand for humor, the next Variety list might have zero modern entries.
The decline of the theatrical comedy is a loss for culture. Laughter brings people together in a way that explosions cannot. We lose a vital release valve for society when we lose the ability to laugh at ourselves.
We have seen the data and heard the experts. The verdict is that Hollywood needs to lighten up. The world is serious enough as it is. We need our comedies back.
