2008 proved that yearly, there was still an audience for the gross-out comedy gag or the heartfelt rom-com. The mid-2000s were a treasure trove of comedy that enlisted a slew of familiar faces. Each had a unique take on how these films should be made, both heavy on improvisation. What's clear over the years is that these films are missing; looking back, 2008 was the last great year for the studio comedy.
In this article, we will introduce the top 10 best comedy movies of 2008 you should watch.
1. Burn After Reading (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 7.0/10
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Stars: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney
Burn After Reading is a 2008 black comedy film. It follows a recently jobless CIA analyst, Osbourne Cox, whose misplaced memoirs are found by a pair of dimwitted gym employees. When they mistake the memoirs for classified government documents, they undergo a series of misadventures in an attempt to profit from their find.
The film premiered on August 27, 2008, at the Venice Film Festival. It was released in the United States on September 12, 2008, and in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2008. It performed well at the box office, grossing over $163 million from its $37 million budget. Critical response was mostly positive, and the film received nominations at both the Golden Globes and British Academy Film Awards.
The National Board of Review named Burn After Reading in its list of the Top 10 Movies of 2008. Noel Murray of The A.V. Club named it the second-best film of 2008, Empire magazine named it the third-best film of 2008, and Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly named it the seventh-best film of 2008.
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 7.1/10
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Stars: Kristen Bell, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy film. The film revolves around Peter Bretter, who is a music composer for a TV show that features his girlfriend, Sarah Marshall, in the lead role. After a five-year relationship, Sarah abruptly breaks up with Peter. Devastated by this event, he chooses to go on vacation to Hawaii, in order to try to move forward with his life. Trouble ensues when he runs into Sarah on the island as she is on vacation with her latest boyfriend.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 83% of 185 critics have given the film a positive review. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B on a scale of A to F.
3. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 7.1/10
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a 2008 romantic comedy-drama film. The plot centers on two American women, Vicky and Cristina, who spend a summer in Barcelona, where they meet an artist, Juan Antonio, who is attracted to both of them, while still enamored of his mentally and emotionally unstable ex-wife María Elena.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, and then received a rolling worldwide general release, in the United States, and continued in various countries. The film emerged as a commercial success at the box office, becoming one of Allen's highest-grossing films. It received widespread critical acclaim upon release.
At the 66th Golden Globe Awards, Vicky Cristina Barcelona received 4 nominations, including Best Actor – Musical or Comedy (Bardem), Best Actress – Musical or Comedy and Best Supporting Actress, and won Best Film – Musical or Comedy.
4. In Bruges (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 7.9/10
Director: Martin McDonagh
Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds
In Bruges is a 2008 black comedy-drama film. In Bruges was the opening night film of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and opened in release in the United States in 2008. For his performance in the film, Farrell won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, while Gleeson was nominated in the same category. McDonagh won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
The film opened at No. 25 in the United States with grossing $125,541 on its opening day and $459,575 on its opening weekend, ranking No. 25 with a per theater average of $16,413. On its second weekend, it was released in 112 theaters and moved up to No. 22, grossing $970,211, with a per-theater average of $8,663. It has a current worldwide total lifetime gross of $33,394,440.
5. Role Models (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 6.8/10
Director: David Wain
Stars: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks
Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film. The film follows two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair children with adult role models.
Role Models was met with generally positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 77%, based on 162 reviews. On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 61 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews".
Role Models opened #2 at the box office behind Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa with $19.2 million. The film made a total of $67,300,955 domestically and $25,201,210 in foreign countries, for a total of $92,502,165 worldwide.
6. Marley & Me (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 7.0/10
Director: David Frankel
Stars: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane
Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film. Newlyweds John and Jenny Grogan escape the brutal Michigan winters and relocate to South Florida, each landing reporter jobs at competing newspapers. At The Palm Beach Post, Jenny immediately receives prominent front-page assignments, while at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, John finds himself writing obituaries and mundane two-paragraph news articles.
Marley & Me received reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a rating of 63% based on 142 reviews, with an average rating of 6.10/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 53 out of 100, based on 30 critics. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.
It grossed $14.75 million on its first day of release, setting the record for the best Christmas Day box office take ever by surpassing the previous high of $10.2 million achieved by Ali in 2001. The film ended its run having grossed $143.2 million in the US and $104.7 million in foreign markets for a total worldwide box office of $247.8 million.
7. Definitely, Maybe (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 7.1/10
Director: Adam Brooks
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Abigail Breslin
Definitely, Maybe is a 2008 romantic comedy film. Set in New York City, the film is about a former political consultant who tries to help his daughter understand his impending divorce by telling her the story of his past romantic relationships and how he ended up marrying her mother.
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 70% based on reviews from 148 critics, with an average rating of 6.5/10. On Metacritic the film has an average score of 59 out of 100 based on 33 reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
In its opening weekend, the film grossed $9.8 million from 2,204 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #5 at the box office. It went on to gross $56 million worldwide.
8. Sunshine Cleaning (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 6.8/10
Director: Christine Jeffs
Stars: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin
Sunshine Cleaning is a 2008 American comedy-drama film. The story revolves around two sisters who start a crime scene cleanup business and the various events that occur in their respective lives.
Sunshine Cleaning received mostly positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 75% approval rating based on 181 reviews, with an average score of 6.4/10. On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 32 critics.
Box Office Mojo said the film showed promise earning $219,190 from four, an average of $54,798 per location, and made decent earnings when it expanded to 64 theaters the following weekend, earning a further $671,618. The film expanded to 167 theaters in its third week. Its run it earned $12 million in North American and a further $5.3 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $17.3 million.
9. Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 7.0/10
Director: Mike Leigh
Stars: Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman, Samuel Roukin
Happy-Go-Lucky is a 2008 British comedy-drama film. The screenplay focuses on a cheerful and optimistic primary school teacher and her relationships with those around her.
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 159 reviews, with an average rating of 7.73/10. Film is a light-hearted comedy with moments that bite, and features a brilliant star turn by Sally Hawkins. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84, based on 34 reviews.
10. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
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IMDb RATING: 7.0/10
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Stars: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Ciarán Hinds
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Bharat Nalluri, starring Frances McDormand and Amy Adams. The screenplay by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy is based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Winifred Watson.
Set in London just prior to World War II, the film follows a day in the life of Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged, straitlaced vicar's daughter and governess who has just been fired from her fourth job. When Miss Holt, the head of the employment agency, tells her she is not able to find her another post, the destitute Miss Pettigrew leaves the office with an assignment intended for a colleague, unaware that the potential employer, flamboyant American singer-actress Delysia Lafosse, is seeking a social secretary rather than a governess.
The film holds a 78% approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 150 reviews with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10. Miss Pettigrew is a breezy period comedy carried by the strong performances of Amy Adams and Frances McDormand. On Metacritic, the film has an average score of 63 out of 100, based on 27 reviews.
In its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, the film earned $2,490,942 on 535 screens, ranking No. 11 at the box office. It grossed $12,313,694 in the US and Canada and $4,411,239 in other markets for a total worldwide box office of $16,724,933.
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