A hearty laugh now and then does the body good, and a solid comedy can help encourage that. There are so many great comedies available on streaming services, from classic slapsticks to rom-coms, potty-humor comedies, and exciting new films of every sub-genre.
For this list of three comedies on Amazon Prime Video you need to watch in September, we head back to the ’80s and ’90s for some classics that are worth rewatching, especially if it has been decades since you saw them the first time. They star comedy icons like Steve Martin and actors like Vince Vaughn who is known for his fast-talking, sarcastic comedic style.
Swingers (1996)
In the mood for a buddy comedy? Jon Favreau wrote Swingers about the swing revival in the 1990s. The story begins with Mike (Favreau) a struggling comedian who leaves New York to pursue a career in Los Angeles while also grieving a recent break-up. His friend Trent (Vince Vaughn) rallies others to help get Mike out of his funk, and that, of course, involves a quick jaunt to Las Vegas. As the debauchery continues back in Los Angeles, Mike still can’t seem to get over his ex. But when he attends a swing night at The Derby, everything changes.
The film is one of the early works for Favreau and Vaughn as well as Heather Graham and Ron Livingston, helping catapult them to greater success to come. A heartfelt comedy with plenty of hijinks combined with a positive message at the end, Swingers was an early indication of Favreau’s writing and movie-making genius.
Stream Swingers on Amazon Prime Video.
Election (1999)
With the 2024 election looming, it’s the perfect time to re-watch this hilarious black comedy movie about a student body election that cleverly satirizes real politics. Tracy (Reese Witherspoon) is an overachieving student in Election who, unsurprisingly, decides to run for student government president. Popular teacher Jim (Matthew Broderick) doesn’t like Tracy, so he decides to sabotage her campaign by encouraging dimwitted football player Paul (Chris Klein) to run against her. Not only does Jim support the rival candidate, he also goes so far as to tamper with the ballot counts, desperate to prevent her from winning.
Earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, Election has so much going on behind the core story of school politics. A movie about vendettas, vengeance, cheating, and pettiness, Election is the perfect comedy to sink your teeth into right now.
Stream Election on Amazon Prime Video.
Roxanne (1987)
Steve Martin is a comedic icon who starred in many comedies through the ’80s and ’90s. One memorable film is Roxanne, a modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. Equipped with a large, prosthetic nose, he’s Charlie “C.D.” Bales, a charismatic small-town fire chief who feels insecure about his oversized facial feature. He becomes enamored with Roxanne Kowalski (Daryl Hannah), a beautiful astronomy student who comes to town. But his insecurities lead him to believe that she’ll never reciprocate in a romantic way.
The perfect blend of sweet and sappy with the in-your-face message of not judging a book by its cover, Roxanne is arguably one of Martin’s best movies from that decade. Jason Best of Movie Talk calls Roxanne “witty, sweet, utterly delightful.”
Stream Roxanne on Amazon Prime Video.