The 15 Best Comedy Movies From Black Directors

There have been many classic movie comedies over the years featuring Black stars, ranging from Eddie Murphy's Coming to America to Whoopi Goldberg's Sister Act. Those films are among the many that resonated with Black audiences even though they were directed by white filmmakers (John Landis and Emile Ardolino, respectively, in the case of those two movies). Despite that, Hollywood has also had a long tradition of Black directors creating movies aimed specifically at Black audiences; trailblazer Oscar Micheaux, in fact, is regarded as the first major Black filmmaker, directing and producing more than 40 so-called "race films" between 1919 and 1948.

These days, as Hollywood executives increasingly come to realize the importance of Black directors telling Black stories, there's been an ever-growing number of Black directors engaging in big-screen filmmaking, a trend that has been evident not just in dramas but in comedies as well. In fact, some of the most beloved comedies with predominantly Black casts featured Black directors at the helm. For the full picture, keep on reading for a rundown of the 15 best comedy movies from Black directors

Written, produced, directed by, and starring Robert Townsend, Hollywood Shuffle is a prime example of the old axiom advising to "write what you know." In this semi-autobiographical indie comedy, Townsend — an up-and-coming actor at the time — plays aspiring actor Bobby Taylor, who auditions for one stereotypical role after another while paying the bills by working at Winky Dinky Dog. Bobby figures his big break has arrived when he's cast in the street-gang flick Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge, but finds himself having a crisis of conscience about accepting the stereotypical-bordering-on-insulting role, and he eventually quits to save his dignity.

The film's funniest bits come during Bobby's fantasy dream sequences, which function as comedy sketches within the film. In one, he envisions an acting school that specializes in teaching Black thespians how to be "more Black," while another spoofs the then-popular film review show At the Movies, substituting the show's stars — movie critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert — with two Black guys who sneak into cinemas to review such faux films as Chicago Jones and the Temple of Doom and Attack of the Street Pimps before they're thrown out of the theater by an usher. After spoofing At the Movies, Townsend ironically wound up receiving a thumbs-up review from Ebert, who acknowledged the low-budget indie's problems while also offering praise: "There are a lot of good laughs in Hollywood Shuffle, and the movie certainly functions as a showcase for Townsend ..."

Ostensibly a vehicle for then-popular rap duo Kid 'n Play (a.k.a. Christopher "Kid" Reid and Christopher "Play" Martin), House Party marked the directorial debt of Reginald Hudlin, who would go on to direct such films as the Eddie Murphy-starring Boomerang and the Matthew Perry rom-com Serving Sara). Essentially high school hijinks, the plot focuses on a party that Play throws when his folks are out of town for the weekend. Because Kid has been grounded, he sneaks out but eventually incurs the wrath of his angry dad (comedian Robin Harris, who steals every scene he's in). Getting to the party, however, is easier said than done, with Kid encountering a variety of obstacles (including a brief stint behind bars) before finally making it to the big bash. 

The low-budget film made its money back and then some, ultimately raking in more than $26 million — 10-plus times the $2.5 million it cost to make. That led to sequels, 1991's House Party 2 and 1994's House Party 3, and the 2023 House Party remake. What set House Party apart from other Black-centric comedies at that time was its authenticity. "The theory we've always believed ... is that if you can make a film that is culturally uncompromised, it will still have broad appeal," Hudlin told the Los Angeles Times back in 1990. "And, in fact, by diluting the [ethnic content of] the film, it becomes less interesting for all audiences."

While Friday may have been a reaction to all those gritty hood-set dramas, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood is a straight-out genre parody. Taking his cues from the over-the-top, absurdist antics of Airplane, director Paris Barclay shifted gears from directing music videos and TV shows to his first feature film. The sibling duo of Shawn and Marlon Wayans starred as, respectively, Ashtray — sent by his mother to live in the ghetto so he can toughen up — and Loc Dog, his drug-dealing, weapons-loving, criminal cousin. 

Among the film's most memorable characters are: Officer Self Hatred (Bernie Mac), a Black cop who only harasses Black people; demon-possessed Keisha (Terri J. Vaughn); Dashiki (Tracey Cherelle Jones), a "hood mother" who has seven kids by seven different fathers; Crazy Legs (Suli McCullough), who dreams of becoming a professional dancer despite having been paralyzed in a drive-by shooting; and Malik, played by Omar Epps as a parody of the character he portrayed in Higher Learning. Keenen Ivory Wayans also appears as a mailman who pops up whenever a lesson is being imparted to the audience so that he can hammer it home even further by yelling, "Message!" Sometimes, those messages become the setup for a joke — like when Ashtray tells a young Black boy that they're an endangered species "Why, because we're Black males?" the boy asks. "No," Ashtray responds, "because rappers are taking all the good acting jobs."

Based on writer and director John Ridley's animated online series, director Malcolm D. Lee's Undercover Brother spoofs both blaxploitation movies and the spy genre. Eddie Griffin stars as Anton Jackson, whose crime-fighting alter ego Undercover Brother joins the top-secret espionage agency known as  B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D., which exists to thwart the devious efforts of The Man, leader of a Caucasian cabal devoted to the denigration of Black culture. Undercover Brother works under the organization's boss, the Chief (Chi McBride), alongside fellow agents Conspiracy Brother (Dave Chappelle), Smart Brother (Gary Anthony Williams), Sistah Girl (Aunjanue Ellis), and Lance the Intern (Neil Patrick Harris), the sole white member of the group. "What can I tell you, man," sighs the Chief while explaining Lance's presence. "Affirmative action." Undercover Brother and his cohorts must foil an evil plot after The Man's henchman, Mr. Feather (SNL alum Chris Kattan), kidnaps James Brown (with the Godfather of Soul playing himself). Other stars include Billy Dee Williams as a Colin Powell-esque general and Denise Richards as henchwoman She-Devil, who ultimately betrays The Man after falling for Undercover Brother's seductive charms.

"The picture is crammed with shameless satire, engaging moments of pure silliness and jokes that border on the outrageous," wrote critic Mick LaSalle of the film in his review for the San Francisco Chronicle. "It combines relentless energy with an aura of good nature for a formula that works."

It's no secret that the blaxploitation films of the 1970s have been lovingly and hilariously spoofed in subsequent years, and director Scott Sanders' Black Dynamite is a worthy addition to that list. Michael Jai White stars as the titular Black Dynamite, a Vietnam vet, ex-CIA agent and kung fu expert whose mission to avenge the murder of his brother uncovers a vast conspiracy involving a malt liquor that's been infused with a nefarious chemical that shrinks the genitals of those who drink it. Sanders and White co-wrote the screenplay, with White revealing in an interview with The A.V. Club that he came up with the idea for Black Dynamite while listening to the James Brown classic "Super Bad," and that the character was initially intended to be named Superbad (a notion that the 2007 release of teen comedy Super Bad kiboshed). 

While the film has frequently been compared to fellow blaxploitation spoofs I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Undercover Brother, Black Dynamite is set in the 1970s, not the present, lending a level of authenticity that makes the absurdity of its gags hit even harder. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the film's action-packed climax, when Black Dynamite enters the Oval Office to engage in a mano-a-mano nunchuks battle with Richard Nixon — a scene that also features a cameo from the ghost of Abraham Lincoln.

Female-fronted comedy movies were once a rarity, and female-fronted comedies with Black leads were even rarer. Malcolm D. Lee (who brought viewers Undercover Brother) delivered a female buddy comedy for the ages with Road Trip, assembling an all-star cast featuring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, and newcomer Tiffany Haddish. The four women play pals — who dubbed themselves the Flossy Posse — who have drifted apart over the years, but make an effort to reinforce their four-way friendship with a trip to the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. It's there that Queen Latifah's character — a lifestyle guru fashioning herself as "the next Oprah" — will be giving a speech. Raunchy, drunken hijinks ensue, particularly in one scene in which the women imbibe absinthe, sending them all into a hilariously hallucinogenic frenzy.

Not only was Girls Trip beloved by critics, audiences felt the same way, propelling the film to a worldwide box-office gross of $140 million. Meanwhile, Girls Trip also served as a cinematic calling card for Haddish, whose breakout role as outrageous Dina sent her comedy career into the stratosphere.

There have been many variations on the body-swap premise best evinced by the Tom Hanks classic Big, in which a child morphs into an adult version of themselves (also think Jennifer Garner's 13 Going on 30). Little presents a role reversal of Big, which is evident in its title, with Regina Hall playing high-powered tech executive Jordan Sanders, who transforms into her childhood self (Marsai Martin of Black-ish), with Issa Rae (Insecure) costarring as Jordan's incredulous best friend. Interestingly enough, it was Martin — then just 10 years old — who came to producer Kenya Barris (her boss on Black-ish) after watching Big, and at 14 wound up becoming an executive producer on the project — the youngest EP in Hollywood history. Tina Gordon (who wrote the screenplays for such films as Drumline and ATL) was tapped to make her directorial debut (as well as co-write the screenplay with Tracy Oliver). 

The fact that Little was directed by, written by, and starred Black women is something of a milestone. And while several critics found the film too reminiscent of other body-swap comedies (and claimed it could have benefited from a bit more of Hall), Gordon moves the film along at a fast pace and keeps the comedy coming consistently.