5 Comedy Movies on Streaming that Turn 20 this Year!

2004 was a fantastic year for comedy movies, as several films have earned consideration as classics in the genre since their release. Let’s look back at five comedy movies – including all of their laugh-out-loud moments – that turn 20 years old in 2024!

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy might have been met with mixed reviews from critics upon its theatrical release, but the film is now often listed as one of the finest comedy movies ever made, even scoring positions on Bravo’s Top 100 Funniest Movies and Time Out’s Top 100 Comedy Films of All Time lists. And who could argue with that? The ensemble cast, which stars Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, and David Koechner, and has Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, and Danny Trejo in supporting roles, masterfully executes an insane plot, which includes 1970s news station rivalries, an awkward love-hate relationship, a lost dog, and an epic conclusion at a San Diego zoo. The one-liners alone make it worth it, with such memorable quotes like “You stay classy, San Diego,” “It’s so damn hot…milk was a bad choice,” and “60 percent of the time, it works every time.” 

Where to watch: Paramount+, available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video

Napoleon Dynamite

The offbeat comedy Napoleon Dynamite stars Jon Heder as the titular character, a socially awkward 16 year old who essentially fumbles his way through high school. Napoleon’s own family is just as bizarre, with Uncle Rico, who thrives on his past football glory, his chatroom-obsessed brother, Kip, and grandmother Carlinda. Napoleon is able to befriend Pedro, an exchange student who, at times, steals the screen in his bid to win the class president title. It all comes together, however, as Napoleon etches his name in comedy lore with one of the funniest and most parodied dance scenes of all time. Working on a $400,000 budget, Napoleon Dynamite took in $46 million worldwide and has become a cult classic and pop culture phenomenon ever since. 

Where to watch: Hulu, available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

As suggested in the title, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story follows a group of ragtag dodgeball players who defeat their rivals while attempting to save their beloved gym from closing. Vaughn and Stiller return in this flick as Peter LaFleur and White Goodman, respectively, leaders of their competing dodgeball squads. Christine Taylor plays Kate, a lawyer and one of Peter’s top players as they pull off the upset against White’s Globo-Gym and raise enough money to save their local business. It’s the classic David vs. Goliath story, this time put in the intense and hilarious world of professional dodgeball. As expected, Vaughn, Stiller, Taylor, and others, including Chuck Norris at one point, make for a fun-filled plot with different twists, turns, and long-lasting jokes. 

Where to watch: Hulu, Sling TV, available to rent on Apple TV and Prime Video

Mean Girls

If there was one word to describe the original Mean Girls, it would be “iconic.” Iconic in the sense that it sparked a revolution for future films that would describe the cliques and clichés of high school, produced many memes and quotable moments, helped further Lindsay Lohan’s status as a teen idol, and even received its own social media holiday, “Mean Girls Day,” on Oct. 3. Lindsay Lohan plays Cady, a former home-schooled student who is just getting used to life in the United States when she falls for Aaron, who just so happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Regina George, the leader of the Plastics, the popular mean girl group. You can imagine what chaos ensues when Cady (and her new friends) have to fend off the Plastics and, effectively, the entire North Shore High School. Due to Mean Girls’ extreme popularity, a made-for-TV sequel was released in 2011 and a successful remake followed in 2024. 

Where to watch: Paramount+, premium subscription on Hulu and Prime Video

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

It’s easy to say that The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie lies more in the family and adventure genres than comedy, but come on, what’s not funny about SpongeBob and Patrick’s escapades, a shockingly bald King Neptune, or a cameo from real-life David Hasselhoff, Baywatch bathing suit and all. SpongeBob and Patrick, who have to retrieve King Neptune’s crown, meet several curious sea creatures along the way, like Neptune’s daughter, Mindy, while Bikini Bottom is taken over by Plankton and his horde of hypnotized fish servants. Gen Z has had a field day with this movie, partly due to nostalgia, and memes, mainly revolving around “Surprised Patrick,” Patrick in high heels, and “The Goofy Goober Song,” have been established as a result. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie now owns a 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and has spawned three sequels (including an upcoming film in 2025). 

Where to watch: Max, premium subscription on Hulu and Apple TV