Variety Names The Naked Gun the Greatest Comedy Movie Ever Made
Variety has released its new list of the 100 greatest comedy films of all time, and the top spot has gone to The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!. The announcement immediately stirred excitement, curiosity and a fair share of disagreement from comedy fans and critics.
The 1988 spoof classic starring Leslie Nielsen beat long-established favorites such as Some Like It Hot, which landed at #2, surprising many who expected that classic to dominate. Variety’s editors appear to have focused on a blend of laughs-per-minute, lasting influence, cultural impact, and how well each film has aged over time.
The Naked Gun has long been praised for its gag-a-second style, with critics noting that there’s hardly a wasted moment in its rapid-fire comedy. Its creators, Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, leaned on a sincere approach to parody, playing every scene straight so the sheer absurdity could shine.
The film’s staying power also comes from Nielsen’s deadpan delivery, which elevates even the most ridiculous scenarios into something close to slapstick brilliance. Many fans point out that the movie remains just as funny today as it was nearly four decades ago.
The movie’s influence is broad, with even directors like Paul Thomas Anderson acknowledging inspiration drawn from its comedic timing and structure. Its ongoing relevance has only grown with the recent 2025 franchise revival, which has brought renewed attention to the original film’s legacy.
Variety’s full list includes a mix of pure comedies and films that blend humor with drama, a choice that has triggered some debate. For instance, Fargo appears at #8, even though many argue it leans more on suspense and dark atmosphere than on constant laughs.
Readers have also questioned some specific placements, such as Blazing Saddles ranking at #77 and Airplane at #62, with both considered foundational comedies by many. Meanwhile, Poor Things appears at #65, raising eyebrows among fans who feel it’s more of a stylized dark fantasy than a straight comedy.
The list also includes only one Jim Carrey film, Ace Ventura (#69), while Dumb and Dumber—often regarded as one of his best comedies—did not make the cut. This omission has become one of the list’s more widely discussed surprises.
Variety’s rankings also leave out several widely celebrated classics altogether. Notably missing are The General, Being There, Raising Arizona, Modern Times, The Apartment, and Beverly Hills Cop. Early Woody Allen comedies such as Bananas, Sleeper, and Love and Death are also absent.
Some critics argue that the list includes too many films that could be considered comedic dramas, creating uneven comparisons between movies built purely for laughs and those with broader narrative ambitions. This has led to conversations about how modern comedy lists should categorize genre-blending films.
The top 20 chosen by Variety are: The Naked Gun, Some Like It Hot, Annie Hall, The Great Dictator, Waiting for Guffman, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Duck Soup, Fargo, Young Frankenstein, Groundhog Day, Sherlock Jr., Tootsie, Dr. Strangelove, Sideways, Playtime, His Girl Friday, The Heartbreak Kid, This Is Spinal Tap, It Happened One Night, and Superbad.
Readers can browse the complete list on Variety’s official page using this Variety Top 100 Comedies link.
