Hello and welcome to the 2nd Annual Comedy Challenge!
My name is Nick, and I will be your host. I love doing Letterboxd challenges because they’re often excuses to watch movies that I’ve either neglected or never heard of (they’re the gift that keeps on giving!). Comedy is often an overlooked genre in these challenges, and there’s plenty of worthy films that deserve some attention.
For this year’s challenge, I decided to shake things up a bit. Instead of focusing on specific actors or directors, I decided to focus more on thematic and representation-centric prompts. This should allow participants more flexibility with their selections and, if needed, the ability to make changes (as long as they still meet the requirements of the prompts).
RULES:
– You can watch the movies in any order and at your own pace (daily, weekly, monthly).
– There are no substitutions for the prompts, although you can change your picks as the year progresses (as long as they fit within the parameters of the prompt).
– Every movie must be a comedy.
– The length of each movie varies based on the prompts below.
– While I would prefer your movies to be first-time watches (with the exception of prompts 1–3), I’ll leave that up to you when crafting your lists.
– The challenge begins on January 1, 2026, and concludes on December 31, 2026. You can finish the challenge at any point during the year.
Here are this year's prompts:
1. Rewatch a comedy you first watched in your childhood (before the age of 18).
2. Rewatch a comedy you haven’t seen in 10+ years.
3. Rewatch a comedy you want to revisit that you didn’t like on your first viewing.
4. Watch a comedy released exclusively on a streaming service (e.g., Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, Paramount+).
5. Watch a comedy with a runtime between 5–29 minutes.
6. Watch a comedy with a runtime between 30–60 minutes.
7. Watch a comedy with a runtime between 61–90 minutes.
8. Watch a comedy with a runtime between 91–120 minutes.
9. Watch a comedy with a runtime of 121 minutes or longer.
10. Watch a documentary about a comedy legend or icon.
11. Watch a comedy in the Criterion Collection.
12. Watch a comedy celebrating its 25th, 15th, or 10th anniversary in 2026.
13. Watch a comedy celebrating its 100th, 75th, or 50th anniversary in 2026.
14. Watch a British comedy.
15. Watch an action comedy.
16. Watch a buddy comedy.
17. Watch a dark comedy.
18. Watch a family-friendly comedy.
19. Watch an indie comedy.
20. Watch a parody or spoof comedy.
21. Watch a romantic comedy.
22. Watch a political comedy or political satire.
23. Watch a stand-up comedy movie or special.
24. Watch a comedy remake or reboot.
25. Watch a comedy sequel from your watchlist.
26. Watch a comedy adapted from a book or play.
27. Watch a comedy with an SNL alum in a leading role.
28. Watch a comedy that takes place in New York City or Los Angeles.
29. Watch a comedy that takes place in a U.S. state other than New York or California.
30. Watch a comedy centered around a holiday (e.g., Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving).
31. Watch a comedy directed or written by a woman.
32. Watch a comedy directed or written by a person of color.
33. Watch a comedy by a filmmaker making their directorial debut.
34. Watch a comedy with a cult following or one considered a cult classic.
35. Watch a comedy that was nominated for or won an Academy Award.
36. Watch a comedy that blends with another genre (e.g., crime, horror, musical, sci-fi, western).
37. Watch an LGBTQ-themed comedy.
38. Continents: Africa or Australia
39. Continents: Asia.
40. Continents: Europe.
41. Continents: North America (outside the U.S.).
42. Continents: South America.
43. Watch a silent-era comedy.
44. Decades: 1930s or 1940s.
45. Decades: 1950s or 1960s.
46. Decades: 1970s or 1980s.
47. Decades: 1990s or 2000s.
48. Decades: 2010s or 2020s.
49. Watch a comedy from your birth year.
50. Watch a comedy released in 2026 (theaters or streaming).
51. Watch a comedy in theaters in 2026 (first-run or re-release). [If you don't live near a theater or can't go to one, a 2026 comedy that is streaming is also acceptable).
52. Watch a comedy from your watchlist.
NOTES:
For prompts 38-42, use Letterboxd's World Map if you need some inspiration or having trouble finding something from those continents.
Helpful Resources:
-They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They? 1,000 Greatest Films of All Time – 2024 Edition
-AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 LAUGHS
-U.S. National Film Registry
-BBC: The 100 Greatest Comedies of All Time
-Letterboxd Unofficial Top 250 Comedies
-Letterboxd’s Top 250 Highest Rated Short Films Of All-Time (Comedy)
-Best Comedy Movies (Letterboxd Poll)
-Edgar Wright's 100 Favorite Comedies
Please use the tag “comedy challenge 2026” so that we can keep track of everything, and link your lists in the comments below.
I hope you all have a great 2026!
