3 best Netflix comedies you (probably) haven't watched but should stream ASAP

Ray Romano and Mark Duplass in Paddleton
(Image credit: Netflix)

State of the universe have you needing a laugh? Helpfully, Netflix's sprawling library of original content includes plenty of hilarious comedy movies for you to choose from.

However, having too many choices can make it difficult to land on just one laugh-inducing title to turn on next, so we've made things easier for you by spotlighting a trio of comedies that you might've missed the first time around.

These underrated Netflix movies span a comedic biopic on an eccentric stand-up performer, a crime comedy centered on two train-stealing sisters in rural Idaho, and a Duplass dramedy focused on two friends dealing with a shocking diagnosis. (It's a lot funnier than it sounds, trust us.)

Here are three Netflix comedies you (probably) haven't seen yet but definitely should stream as soon as possible.

'Deidra & Laney Rob A Train'

Deidra & Laney Rob a Train | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube Deidra & Laney Rob a Train | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube
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If you loved seeing Keke Palmer and SZA ham it up on the recently released "One of Them Days," you'll likely enjoy "Deidra & Laney Rob A Train," a 2017 buddy comedy set following the hustle and hijinks of two titular teenage sisters (played by Ashleigh Murray and Rachel Crow, respectively) in small-town Idaho.

With their mother Marigold (Danielle Nicolet) in jail and their younger brother at risk of being placed in foster care, the scrappy teens decide to plot a series of train robberies to keep themselves afloat and pay off their mom's debts.

Anchored by believable sibling chemistry between its up-and-coming lead actresses, as well as memorable supporting turns by castmates like Tim Blake Nelson (as the Pacific Western detective investigating the train robberies), "Deidre & Laney Rob a Train" has a very strong 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's critical consensus praising the film as a "well-executed teen thrill ride supported by great performances and expert direction" by filmmaker Sydney Freeland.

Watch "Deidra & Laney Rob A Train" on Netflix now

'Paddleton'

Paddleton | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube Paddleton | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTube
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From "50/50" to "The Big Sick," scary medical diagnoses surprisingly make for funny movie fodder, and that's definitely the case with "Paddleton," a 2019 comedy-drama directed by Alex Lehmann, from a script by Lehmann and Mark Duplass.

Duplass stars as Michael Thompson, a middle-aged California man recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. On paper, not exactly chuckle-worthy stuff—however, the predicament takes a wistfully funny turn when Michael and his neighbor-slash-best friend Andy Freeman (Ray Romano) set off on a road trip through the countryside to fill a prescription at a far-flung pharmacy, experiencing open mic nights and ostrich farms along the way.

As with any comedy dealing with larger life-and-death themes, "Paddleton" has to navigate a tricky tonal balancing act through its 90-minute runtime, which the "quietly effective" film does — per Rotten Tomatoes, where it has a healthy 89% approval rating —" thanks largely to the strengths of its well-chosen leads."

Watch "Paddleton" on Netflix now

'Dolemite Is My Name'

Dolemite Is My Name | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube Dolemite Is My Name | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
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Legendary comic Eddie Murphy is responsible for some of the funniest and most successful comedies of all time, from "Beverly Hills Cop" to "Coming to America," from the "Shrek" franchise to "The Nutty Professor" movies. But one of his best, if not a household-name-level film, is "Dolemite Is My Name," a 2019 biographical comedy that sees Murphy portray Rudy Ray Moore, a real-life filmmaker and performer best known for his outrageous comedic character Dolemite.

Set in the 1970s, the biopic chronicles Moore's rise from a struggling comedian in Los Angeles to his adoption of the obscene, kung-fu fighting alter ego Dolemite, a hilariously chaotic creation that would end up proving naysayers wrong as the titular character becomes a Blaxploitation phenomenon.

And as with any Eddie Murphy enterprise, there are countless laughs and absurdities throughout. With a stand-out turn by its iconic lead — not to mention a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess and Wesley Snipes — "Dolemite Is My Name" earned a stellar 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch "Dolemite Is My Name" on Netflix now

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Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 

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