The death of comedy and the path to revival 

Looking back to the 2000s, outside of the major franchises, some of the most popular films of the time were comedies. From Zoolander to Superbad and everything in between, the genre was a major player, appearing as something that would never fade. 

In 2026, however, it evidently has. Today you would be hard-pressed to find a comedy film with any lasting impact, even if the occasional few still release. It raises the question, then, of whether the comedy genre can ever return to the cultural status it once enjoyed.  

Will Ferrell and Steve Carell were undeniably significant. Yet arguably the most foundational contribution to the boom was that of Judd Apatow

The golden age of 2000s comedy was shaped by a few key figures. As both actor and director, Ben Stiller became one of the biggest names in cinema during the period whilst Adam McKay directed some of the most iconic films of the genre, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and The Other Guys. The talents of actors like Will Ferrell and Steve Carell were undeniably significant. Yet arguably the most foundational contribution to the boom was that of Judd Apatow.  

Like Stiller and McKay, Apatow began his career in the raw, unfiltered medium of television. Producing the bitterly short-lived Freaks and Geeks, Apatow discovered a formula for down-to-earth, genuine comedy about the lives of real teenagers. Whilst the series was cancelled following its first season, it would provide the essential ingredients for Apatow’s later directorial efforts, starting with 2005’s The 40-Year-Old Virgin.  

The film may be easy to overlook. Its premise sounds like a cheap joke at someone’s expense, indicating a cruel exercise in humiliation and over-the-top sexual comedy. But it’s not.  

Maybe it’s still reminiscent of earlier raunchy comedies like American Pie but even so, there’s still a surprising earnestness to The 40-Year-Old Virgin.  

The protagonist, Andy, is never the punchline. His awkward journey takes precedence instead, presented all in a way that never feels cruel or mocking.  

This uncompromising, judgement-free view of the lives of real people would be the foundation for Apatow’s career. Films like Knocked Up, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall replicate this same formula but even around these films, other comedies would attempt something similar. And then something else happened…  

As comedy films became more cemented in the cinematic landscape, they became, much to their detriment, increasingly bigger and more outlandish. 

The Hangover Part III represents the wholesale flanderisation of the genre over the past 15 years or so

Nothing displays this better than the Hangover series. While the first film may have its bizarre moments (Mike Tyson’s tiger being the most notable), it also represents something of a lightning in a bottle moment that feels effortless in its execution.  

Part II would attempt to up the ante in this absurdity whilst re-hashing moments from its predecessor but by Part III, the prevailing feeling was that the series was desperately attempting to recapture the moment of the original by staging more and more outlandish scenarios. In the vein of other comedy sequels of the 2010s, The Hangover Part III represents the wholesale flanderisation of the genre over the past 15 years or so. And it is this process which has effectively killed the genre.  

So where does this leave us? There are still some comedic elements to films yet, even so, these tend to be purely cheap and insincere jibes the likes of which can be found in franchise films, most notably those of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

Therefore, though it may have already been proclaimed a thousand times over, this is why something like Project Hail Mary is such a game-changer. That might be a stretch to say. After all, it is predominantly a science-fiction film. However, in its complete sincerity and strong character focus, it provides the ingredients for the general revival of comedic cinema. 

As audiences grow hungrier for stories that reflect a sense of earnestness, comedy films can begin to matter to people again. Perhaps we can look forward to new types of comedies which will stand the test of time, as films like Superbad still do. If this sincerity can be reclaimed, then maybe even a new golden age for the comedy genre could be on the horizon.