A comedy film is a category of film in which the main emphasis is on humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement and most often work by exaggerating characteristics for humorous effect. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). One of the oldest genres in the film—and derived from the classic comedy in theatre—some of the earliest silent movies were comedies, as slapstick comedy often relies on visual depictions, without requiring sound. When sound films became more prevalent during the 1920s, comedy films took another swing, as laughter could result from burlesque situations but also dialogue.

Comedy, compared with other film genres, puts much more focus on individual stars, with many former stand-up comics transitioning to the film industry due to their popularity. While many comic films are lighthearted stories with no intent other than to amuse, others contain political or social commentary (such as The King of Comedy and Wag the Dog).

The Screenwriters Taxonomy contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character, and story, and therefore the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, the taxonomy contends that comedy films are a "Type" of the film; listing at least a dozen different sub-types of comedy films.

All good comedies have actors that need to know how to make a tough audience laugh. Most of the biggest comedies in Hollywood were starred by known comedians. Examples include Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Robin Williams (1951-2014), Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, and other great comedians. All those actors are known for their input to the comedy world.

Contents 1 Anarchic comedy 2 Bathroom comedy (or gross-out comedy) 3 Comedy of ideas 4 Comedy of manners 5 Dark comedy (or black comedy) 6 Farce 7 Observational humor 8 Parody (or spoof) 9 Sex comedy 10 Situational comedy 11 Straight comedy 12 Slapstick 13 Surreal comedy Anarchic comedy The anarchic comedy film, as its name suggests, is a random or stream-of-consciousness type of humor that often lampoons a form of authority. The genre dates from the silent era, and the most famous examples of this type of film would be those produced by Monty Python. Others include Duck Soup (1933) and National Lampoon's Animal House (1978).

Bathroom comedy (or gross-out comedy) Gross out films are a relatively recent development and rely heavily on vulgar, sexual, or "toilet" humor. They often contain a healthy dose of profanity. Examples include Porky's (1982), Dumb and Dumber (1994), There's Something About Mary (1998), and American Pie (1999).

Comedy of ideas This sub-type uses comedy to explore serious ideas such as religion, sex, or politics. Often the characters represent particular divergent world views and are forced to interact for comedic effect and social commentary. Some examples include Bob Roberts (1992) and MASH (1970).

Comedy of manners A comedy of manners satirizes the manners and affectations of a social class, often represented by stock characters. Also, satirical comedy-drama & the plot is often concerned with an illicit love affair or some other scandal. However, the plot is generally less important for its comedic effect than its witty dialogue. This form of comedy has a long ancestry, dating back at least as far as Much Ado about Nothing created by William Shakespeare. Examples of a comedy of manners films include Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Under the Tuscan Sun (2003).

Dark comedy (or black comedy) The black comedy film deals with normally taboo subjects, including death, murder, crime, suicide, and war, in a satirical manner. Examples include Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Ladykillers (1955), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), The Loved One (1965), MASH (1970), The King of Comedy (1983), Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), Brazil (1985), After Hours (1985), The War of the Roses (1989), Heathers (1989), Wag the Dog (1997), Your Friends & Neighbors (1998), Keeping Mum (2005), Thank You for Smoking (2005), Burn After Reading (2008), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (2017) and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).

Farce Farcical films exaggerate situations beyond the realm of possibility – thereby making them entertaining. Film examples include: In the Loop (2009) and Some Like it Hot (1959).

Observational humor These films find humor in the common practices of everyday life. Some film examples of observational humor include Carnage (2011) and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002).

Parody (or spoof) A parody or spoof film satirizes other film genres or classic films. Such films mock-u-mentary, employ sarcasm, stereotyping, a mockery of scenes from other films, and the obviousness of meaning in a character's actions. Examples of this form include Mud and Sand (1922), Blazing Saddles (1974), Airplane! (1980), Young Frankenstein (1974), Spaceballs (1987), and Scary Movie (2000).

Sex comedy Humor that is primarily derived from sexual situations and desire, such as Choke (2008) and Knocked Up (2007).

Situational comedy Humor that comes from knowing a stock group of characters (or character types) and then exposing them to different situations to create humorous and ironic juxtaposition; case in point: Galaxy Quest (1999) and Madea's Big Happy Family (2011).

Straight comedy This broad sub-type applies to films that do not attempt a specific approach to comedy but, rather, used comedy for comedic sake. Clueless (1995) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) are examples of straight comedy films.

Slapstick Slapstick films involve exaggerated, boisterous action to create impossible and humorous situations. Because it relies predominately on visual depictions of events, it does not require sound. Accordingly, the subgenre was ideal for silent movies and was prevalent during that era. Popular silent stars of the slapstick genre include Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Roscoe Arbuckle, and Harold Lloyd. Some of these stars, as well as acts such as Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges, also found success incorporating slapstick comedy into sound films. Modern examples of slapstick comedy include Mr. Bean's Holiday (2007) and The Three Stooges (2012).

Surreal comedy Storytelling that includes behavior and storytelling techniques that are illogical; includes bizarre juxtapositions, absurd situations, and unpredictable reactions to a normal situation; for instance: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and Swiss Army Man (2016). Gustavo.lopez7 (talk) 11:43, 2 November 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Peer review

Hey Gustavo.lopez7! I just wanted to let you know that I just reviewed your article. Go check it out! so, you can start improving more this article. Happy editing! Lessly.cortes (talk) 22:26, 20 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]