Funny and Smart: Top 10 Sci-Fi Comedies Available on Amazon Prime

Some people like comedy. Some love science fiction. But who says the two genres can't go hand in hand? These ten movies prove that they can.

Idiocracy (2006, 6.5 on IMDb)

This sci-fi comedy stars Luke Wilson and Maya Rudolph as a US Army librarian and a prostitute chosen by the Pentagon to participate in a hibernation experiment. The two wake up five hundred years later to find that the world is inhabited by morons whose level of intellect is even lower than that of the not-so-smart characters.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005, 6.7 on IMDb)

Starring Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Nighy and many others, this sci-fi comedy follows Arthur Dent, an Earth man who, shortly after his own home is demolished to make way for a highway, learns that the entire planet is about to be demolished to make way for a cosmic freeway. He is rescued by his alien friend, and together with a number of other characters, they travel the galaxy in search of answers to life's questions.

Paul (2011, 6.9 on IMDb)

Written by and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the sci-fi comedy centers on two British friends who attend the annual San Diego Comic-Con. To diversify their trip, the two characters take a road trip across the southwestern US to visit the famous UFO sites. Along the way, they meet Paul, an alien who escaped from a secret government facility and is being sought by agents. And the encounter brings a lot of fun and danger into the guys' lives.

The World's End (2013, 6.9 on IMDb)

Another sci-fi comedy starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the film revolves around five friends who return to their small English hometown to make another attempt at the pub crawl they failed over two decades ago. However, the attempt proves to be doomed when an alien invasion breaks out right in the town, thwarting the characters' plans.

Men in Black (1997, 7.3 on IMDb)

This classic sci-fi action comedy needs little introduction as it follows the famous fictional Men in Black government agency that controls extraterrestrial life forms and their activities on Earth while keeping the general population oblivious to the existence of aliens. In the first installment, fan-favorite Agents K and J investigate a series of seemingly unrelated incidents involving aliens, only to discover a larger problem.

Galaxy Quest (1999, 7.4 on IMDb)

Starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman and many others, this parody of the Star Trek media franchise tells the story of the cast of the once-popular sci-fi TV show, whose glory days are long gone. But one day, the semi-forgotten actors are approached by an unusual fan and inadvertently become involved in a real space conflict between actual aliens who mistake the show for a documentary series.

Ghostbusters (1984, 7.8 on IMDb)

Since the fourth installment of the supernatural sci-fi comedy series premiered in March, you probably remember the cult film well. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the film tells the story of three Columbia University parapsychology professors who are fired from their jobs for their ridiculous research and open a ghost-busting business in New York. Along with their apprentice and secretary, they help the residents of the Big Apple fight the ghosts that have suddenly become more prevalent in the city.

About Time (2013, 7.8 on IMDb)

Richard Curtis' sci-fi rom-com starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy follows Tim Lake, who comes from a family where all the men have the ability to travel back in time to any moment in their lives. At first he is happy to use it to improve his life, but gradually he comes to realize that his travels affect not only his life, but the lives of everyone around him.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022, 7.8 on IMDb)

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert's absurdist sci-fi comedy-drama, which won seven Oscars last year, is one of the best takes on the popular multiverse theory. Focusing on Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant who runs a laundromat and is being audited by the IRS, the film tells the story of her travels through the multiverse, which she must save from a powerful being bent on destroying it.

Back to the Future (1985, 8.5 on IMDb)

This sci-fi comedy from Robert Zemeckis is an absolute classic of the genre. The famous movie follows Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly, a teenager from 1985 who is sent back in time to 1955, where he accidentally gets in the way of his future parents, who don't fall in love because of his intervention. Before he can figure out how to get back to his time, the character must fix his parents, lest he be erased from existence.