There are a solid number of good movies similar toIncoming, which wears its influences on its sleeve. The raunchy new Netflix teen comedy, which follows a group of four incoming freshmen who prepare to attend what they believe will be a life-changing party, has already become a hit on the platform, debuting at No. 2 on the streamer’s weekly global chart of the most-watched English language movies in its first three days.
TheIncomingcastis led by up-and-coming stars Mason Thames, Ramon Reed, Raphael Alejandro, and Bardia Seiri alongside a supporting cast of familiar faces that includes Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Isabella Ferreira (Love, Victor), and Bobby Cannavale (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle). While co-directors Dave and John Chernin made their feature debut with the 2024 title and thus have no other movies to pursue afterward, there are plenty of other teen comedy movies, particularly those centered around parties, that are similar to the Netflix offering.
25 Best Netflix Original Comedy Movies
The best Netflix original comedy movies offer a diverse line-up of dark comedies, ensemble films, kids movies, and even a Western anthology.
Blockers
Cast
Blockers is a 2018 comedy from director Kay Cannon starring Leslie Mann, John Cena, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideon Adlon, and Ramona Young. The film’s premise revolves around a group of parents who are trying to prevent their daughters from having sex and losing their virginity on prom night.
WhileIncomingreviewstrended negative, earning ita Rotten Tomatoes score of 27%,the raunchy 2018 comedyBlockersbowled critics over. The movie earned a Certified Fresh score of 83% in addition to to becoming a solid commercial success, earning $94 million against a $21 million budget and outgrossing other major comedies from the year, includingThe Spy Who Dumped Me,Love, Simon, andLife of the Party.
Blockersis somewhat different fromIncomingin that its premise - which follows a group of parents who want to prevent their teenage daughters from losing their virginities - necessitates that the adults (played by stars Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz, and John Cena) get more or less equal screen time with the teenagers (played by Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Gideon Adlon). However, it still offers its fair share of over-the-top teen movie antics, similarly centered around a single event, in this case the prom.
9Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)
An Epic Teenage Odyssey Over One Wild Night
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlistis another movie that won over critics, earning aCertified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 75%.The 2008 title, which is based on the 2006 novel of the same name co-written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, also earned a 65% audience score on what has now been dubbed the Popcornmeter by the review aggregator platform.
The movie’s premise fits in perfectly withIncoming, as it follows a group of teenagers over the course of a wild unchaperoned night in the city trying to find the location of a secret show being performed by the band Where’s Fluffy? The movie also features a cast that is studded with teen stars from the time period includingJuno’s Michael Cera,Disturbia’s Aaron Yoo,Undeclared’s Jay Baruchel, andRaise Your Voice’s Kat Dennings.
Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 comedy based on the book Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Story by Cameron Crowe. The film stars Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Judge Reinhold. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a simple story detailing the escapades of teenagers in Southern California who center their lives around sex, drugs, and rock music.
Another movie that is a precursor toIncomingis 1982’sFast Times at Ridgemont High, an ensemble-led teen movie from the early 1980s that is one of the earliest entries in the teen movie boom of the era. The beloved title is another Certified Fresh entry with a78% Rotten Tomatoes scoreon top of its 80% Popcornmeter score. Its reputation as a teen classic has endured over the decades, and in 2005 it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.
In addition to being a raunchy comedy that acknowledged many realities of teen sexuality, the movie - which was directed byClueless' Amy Heckerling - examined the inner lives of teenagers in a uniquely heartfelt and earnest way. TheFast Times at Ridgemont Highcastis also stacked with future icons of the 1980s and beyond, including Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, and - in very small roles - Forest Whitaker and Nicolas Cage.
Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls is a comedy-drama directed by Nigel Cole, centered on a Women’s Institute group in Yorkshire. Helen Mirren and Julie Walters star as two friends who initiate the creation of an unconventional calendar to raise funds for leukemia research. The film explores themes of friendship, community, and the humorous challenges faced by the women as they break from tradition.
Despite being a period piece set in 1962, it has many similarities toIncoming
Calendar Girlfollows three teenagers (played by Jerry O’Connell, Gabriel Olds, andBeverly Hills, 90210starJason Priestley) who go on aroad trip to Hollywood, believing that they can go on a date with - and possibly go to bed with - Marilyn Monroe. Despite being a period piece set in 1962, it has many similarities toIncoming, including the misguided approach the main characters take to their own sex lives at the beginning of the movie.
The arcs of the characters also take a similar shape to those fromIncomingas the bond between the core group of friends, as well as respect for women as human beings, begins to triumph over their base physical needs. While much maturing takes place over the course of their coming-of-age journey, it is still rife with raunchy screwball comedy moments along the way, including a visit to a nude beach.
Good Boys
Written and directed by Gene Stupnitsky, with writing help from Lee Eisenberg, Good Boys is a Comedy starring Jacob Tremblay, Brady Noon, and Keith L. Williams. The 2019 film follows three sixth-graders that end up in a series of situations while trying to attend a party.
Good Boysis another movie that was both a critical and commercial success. Critics and audiences both agreed on Rotten Tomatoes, with the raunchy comedy offering earning aCertified Fresh Tomatometer score of 81%and an even better Popcornmeter score of 86%. It was also a smash hit at the box office, earning $111.2 million at the box office against its $20 million budget, outgrossing other 2019 comedies such asThe Hustle,What Men Want,Long Shot, andIsn’t It Romantic.
Good Boyshas an extremely similar premise toIncoming, except its main characters (played by Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon) are considerably younger. They have just entered sixth grade, but the new stage in their lives nevertheless sends each of them into a tailspin as they attempt to accomplish their individual goals and come of age without losing sight of their bond as a trio.
House Party
House Party (1990) is a comedy film directed by Reginald Hudlin, featuring Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin of Kid ‘n Play fame. The plot follows a high school student whose plans for a house party are complicated by his disciplinary problems at school and interference from his strict father. The film is noted for its lively dance sequences and humorous portrayal of teenage social dynamics.
1990’sHouse Partyis another early offering that won over critics, earning94% on Rotten Tomatoeswith a similarly glowing 81% score from audience reviews on the Popcornmeter. It was also a success in theaters. While it didn’t become one of the highest-grossing movies of the year, its $26.4 million gross far exceeded its scant $2.5 million budget, launching a robust franchise that now includes two theatrical sequels, two direct-to-video sequels, and a 2023 reboot produced by and co-starring LeBron James. In 2022, the movie was also selected for preservation by the United States National Film Registry.
House Partyprovided a road map for many later party-based comedy movies - includingIncoming- to follow, introducing a constellation of storylines and characters that spins around a central pair of characters (in this case played by Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin of the hip hop duo Kid ‘n Play) as they attempt to use a single event to accomplish their own goals.
Project X
Project X is a found-footage comedy film that follows three high school seniors, Costa, J.B., and Thomas, as they throw a wild party at Thomas’s newly vacated house, which quickly gets out of control. The film is presented through the perspective of a handheld camera, capturing the chaos and debauchery of the party as it spirals into chaos.
While the found footage party comedyProject Xdoes not enjoy a solid critical reputation, earning a splat onRotten Tomatoes with a 29% score from critics,its Popcornmeter results show that audiences are significantly warmer on the movie with a 61% score. The title was also a hit when it premiered in 2012, grossing $102.7 million against its $12 million budget.
The movie is a rare comedy in the found footage medium, which is still most commonly used within the horror genre and was at the time having a boom with hit movies such asParanormal Activity,Cloverfield,The Devil Inside,The Last Exorcism, andQuarantine. In addition to being unique in its format, it features an early performance fromMe and Earl and the Dying Girlstar Thomas Mann and appearances from Miles Teller, Jimmy Kimmell, and Jillian Reynolds as themselves.
Booksmart
Booksmart is a comedy film directed by Olivia Wilde and follows two studious and by-the-book high school seniors who decide on their final day of school to shake up the formula and break some rules. Having lamented missing four potential years of fun and friendship, the best friends attempt to cram four years of the “high school experience” into a single night.
Booksmartwas a runaway critical success in 2019, earning a Certified Fresh badge with a near-perfectRotten Tomatoes score of 96%. Its Popcornmeter score is also solid, with audiences giving it 77%. The movie would go on to be nominated for a Golden Globe and two BAFTAs, helping to launch the careers of co-stars Kaitlyn Dever (Unbelievable,Dopesick,No One Will Save You) and Beanie Feldstein (American Crime Story: Impeachment,Drive-Away Dolls,Merrily We Roll Along).
There are many overt similarities betweenIncomingandBooksmart, including the fact that both movies hinge upon the characters trying to get into parties that they believe will be life-changing. In this case, however, the characters are at the end of their high school careers rather than the beginning, and are attempting to prevent themselves from having not taken advantage of the opportunities that high school presents to a teenager.
Superbad
Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and produced by Judd Apatow, Superbad follows high school seniors Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera), two best friends who are desperate to join the popular kids’ party before heading off to college. After asking their friend Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) - A.K.A. McLovin - to use his fake ID to purchase alcohol, Seth and Evan end up getting drawn into a night of criminal misfortunes that threatens the very fabric of their friendship.
The movie earned a whopping $170.8 million worldwide against its roughly $20 million budget
Superbad, which was co-written by future major Hollywood player Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and is loosely based on their own teenage years, is one of the biggest teen hits of the 2000s. Another Certified Fresh title with an88% Rotten Tomatoes scoreand a nearly matching 87% Popcornmeter score, the movie earned a whopping $170.8 million worldwide against its roughly $20 million budget. It was the 33rd highest-grossing movie of the year, outranking major titles such asResident Evil: Extinction,Saw IV,Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem,Zodiac, andHalloween.
Superbadis one of the movies that likely had the most influence over the shape ofIncoming. Following friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) and weirdo hanger-on Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) as they prepare for a major party in their senior year, its signature approach to R-rated high school comedy shaped many movies to come.
American Pie
American Pie is a 1999 teen comedy that follows four high school friends as they enter a pact to lose their virginity before college. The film explores their comedic and often awkward attempts to fulfill this goal, set against the backdrop of typical high school experiences and senior prom.
The first of theAmerican Piemovieswas reasonably well received critically, earning 62% from critics and 61% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the movie - which featured future comedy superstars including Schitt’s Creek’s Eugene Levy and The White Lotus’ Jennifer Coolidge - was a runaway smash commercially, grossing $235.5 million against an $11 million budget, spawning a franchise that now includes four theatrical movies and five direct-to-DVD spinoff movies.
It seems entirely likely that neitherSuperbadnorIncoming, nor any other number of male-led teen comedies would exist without the influence ofAmerican Pie. Its structure, which follows four teenagers (played by Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, and Eddie Kaye Thomas) pledging to lose their virginities before prom, was influential, but so was its unabashedlyraunchy humor and its heartwarming approach to the emotional arcs, including those of the majority of the female characters.
