The weights and per-film scores are published below. Comedy is subjective — re-weight humor or writing and your top pick may change.
Smarter Ranking scored seven comedy films released in 2026 against a published 100-point Watch Score. The laugh rate leads the rubric.
Quick answer
Hoppers scores 87.4/100 and leads the field — Pixar’s body-swap comedy was called one of the funniest entries in the studio’s canon and notched the best opening weekend for an original animated film since Coco. If you want a stylish live-action crime comedy, the runner-up — Normal at 84.6, with Bob Odenkirk — is the pick.
The ranking
| Rank | Film | Best for | Type | Watch Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoppers | Family comedy | Animated | 87.4 |
| 2 | Normal | Crime comedy | Live-action | 84.6 |
| 3 | I Love Boosters | Sci-fi comedy | Live-action | 82.8 |
| 4 | Pizza Movie | Gonzo comedy | Live-action | 81.6 |
| 5 | GOAT | Sports comedy | Animated | 82.0 |
| 6 | Cold Storage | Sci-fi comedy | Live-action | 80.2 |
| 7 | The Moment | Mockumentary | Live-action | 79.4 |
Titles verified via Rotten Tomatoes, SlashFilm, and Marie Claire.
Methodology
The full rubric. Weights sum to 100. Each film scored 0–100 per criterion; the weighted average is the Watch Score.
| Criterion | Weight | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Humor & laughs | 30 | Joke rate, comic invention, payoff. |
| Writing & story | 25 | Script structure, premise, character. |
| Performances & timing | 20 | Comic delivery and chemistry. |
| Critical & audience reception | 15 | Aggregate critic scores plus audience signal. |
| Rewatchability | 10 | Repeat-viewing reward. |
| Total | 100 |
Humor leads at 30; writing at 25; performances 20; reception 15; rewatch 10.
Per-film profiles
1. Hoppers — 87.4/100
Pixar’s original body-swap comedy follows a teen using Avatar-like tech to pose as a beaver and stumble into a plot to save an animal habitat. Critics called it among the funniest Pixar films.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humor & laughs | 88 | 30 | 26.4 |
| Writing & story | 87 | 25 | 21.75 |
| Performances & timing | 86 | 20 | 17.2 |
| Critical & audience reception | 87 | 15 | 13.05 |
| Rewatchability | 90 | 10 | 9.0 |
| Total | 100 | 87.4 |
Trade-off: the family-film frame caps how edgy the comedy gets.
2. Normal — 84.6/100
A stylish, often hilarious crime comedy with Bob Odenkirk as a sheriff in over his head.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humor & laughs | 85 | 30 | 25.5 |
| Writing & story | 85 | 25 | 21.25 |
| Performances & timing | 86 | 20 | 17.2 |
| Critical & audience reception | 84 | 15 | 12.6 |
| Rewatchability | 80 | 10 | 8.0 |
| Total | 100 | 84.6 |
Trade-off: the action turns dilute the comedy for purists.
3. I Love Boosters — 82.8/100
Boots Riley’s first film in nearly a decade, a sci-fi comedy about a crew of shoplifters targeting a fashion professional.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humor & laughs | 83 | 30 | 24.9 |
| Writing & story | 84 | 25 | 21.0 |
| Performances & timing | 82 | 20 | 16.4 |
| Critical & audience reception | 82 | 15 | 12.3 |
| Rewatchability | 82 | 10 | 8.2 |
| Total | 100 | 82.8 |
Trade-off: Riley’s surreal style isn’t for everyone.
4. GOAT — 82.0/100
Sony’s all-animal animated sports comedy, produced by Stephen Curry, about a goat trying to become a pro athlete.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humor & laughs | 82 | 30 | 24.6 |
| Writing & story | 81 | 25 | 20.25 |
| Performances & timing | 82 | 20 | 16.4 |
| Critical & audience reception | 81 | 15 | 12.15 |
| Rewatchability | 86 | 10 | 8.6 |
| Total | 100 | 82.0 |
Trade-off: familiar sports-underdog beats.
5. Pizza Movie — 81.6/100
A gonzo comedy that overloads itself with psychedelic flourishes while staying a tasty slice of absurdism.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humor & laughs | 84 | 30 | 25.2 |
| Writing & story | 79 | 25 | 19.75 |
| Performances & timing | 82 | 20 | 16.4 |
| Critical & audience reception | 80 | 15 | 12.0 |
| Rewatchability | 82 | 10 | 8.2 |
| Total | 100 | 81.6 |
Trade-off: the gonzo style is hit-or-miss.
6. Cold Storage — 80.2/100
A smart but familiar sci-fi B-movie throwback with campy performances and genre wit.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humor & laughs | 80 | 30 | 24.0 |
| Writing & story | 80 | 25 | 20.0 |
| Performances & timing | 81 | 20 | 16.2 |
| Critical & audience reception | 79 | 15 | 11.85 |
| Rewatchability | 81 | 10 | 8.1 |
| Total | 100 | 80.2 |
Trade-off: leans on genre nostalgia.
7. The Moment — 79.4/100
Charli xcx’s Brat-tour mockumentary, loaded with celebrity cameos.
| Criterion | Score | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humor & laughs | 80 | 30 | 24.0 |
| Writing & story | 78 | 25 | 19.5 |
| Performances & timing | 80 | 20 | 16.0 |
| Critical & audience reception | 79 | 15 | 11.85 |
| Rewatchability | 81 | 10 | 8.1 |
| Total | 100 | 79.4 |
Trade-off: the music-scene satire plays best for fans.
How to re-weight
- Pure laughs: humor to 45%. Hoppers and Pizza Movie climb.
- Script-first: writing to 40%. Normal and Hoppers hold.
- Rewatch value: rewatch to 30%. Hoppers and GOAT rise.
Verification
- Hoppers, GOAT — animated comedy standing via SlashFilm best comedies 2026 and Rotten Tomatoes best new comedies 2026.
- Normal, I Love Boosters, Pizza Movie, Cold Storage, The Moment — 2026 comedy releases via Marie Claire best comedy movies 2026.
Related rankings
- Best Action Movies (2026): Ranked by Watch Score
- Best Animated Movies (2026): Ranked by Watch Score
- Best Horror Movies (2026): Ranked by Watch Score
- Best Movies of 2026: Ranked by Watch Score
Frequently asked questions
- What window does this cover?
- Comedy films released theatrically or to streaming in 2026 through early June, drawn from critical roundups.
- Why does Hoppers rank #1?
- It scores highest on humor and reception — Pixar's body-swap comedy was called one of the funniest entries in the studio's canon and had the best opening weekend for an original animated film since Coco.
- Why is humor weighted highest?
- A comedy's first job is to be funny, so the laugh rate leads at 30% with writing close behind.
- Can I re-weight the rubric?
- Yes. Push writing higher and a sharper script climbs. The full table is published.
- How often is this updated?
- Quarterly, with refreshes after major releases.