Even if I don’t watch anything new on Netflix, my subscription is still worth keeping because I know I at least get use out of rewatching my favorite movies and series. Heck, I’ve even rewatched KPop Demon Hunters multiple times with my kids now. It has some of my favorite classic movies, too, like Liar Liar and The Other Guys.
However, Netflix is now adding more classic movies, and I couldn’t be more excited because they’re a mix of genres, with a strong emphasis on comedy. If you’re looking for a feel-good movie or something to laugh at, all of these classic movies will be available to stream on Netflix by the start of October.
10 Things I Hate About You
10 Things I Hate About You will be available on Netflix on September 28, 2025
I’m not going to pretend sickly sweet romance movies aren’t any good, but I also like ones that subvert expectations. Case in point, 10 Things I Hate About You achieves this on multiple levels, including bringing together two unlikable characters, a secondary love story, a critique of romance movies, and a coming-of-age narrative all wrapped into one.
Starting with the two unlikable characters, Kat and Patrick—these two aren’t terrible people, but they are incredibly insufferable and antisocial. Heath Ledger plays a traditional “bad boy,” an edgy jerk with a soft side, while Julia Stiles is so smug about her correctness, you can’t help but fume like her father and sister do. While they both have prickly exteriors, they still manage to fall in love with one another.
At the same time, 10 Things I Hate About You features a secondary love story between Kat’s teenage sister, Bianca, and a student from school, Patrick, who is later revealed to be Cameron. Where the relationship between Kat and Patrick relied on trusting one another, Bianca and Cameron represent the need to chase after love because it’ll never come to you.
Idiocracy
Idiocracy will be available on Netflix on September 28, 2025
While you’re sure to be laughing all the way, it’s easy to have a bit of an existential crisis when watching this one. A librarian named Joe is frozen with a companion named Rita, where they’re forgotten well into the future. Upon waking, they’re met with the dumbest form of human ever. Everybody’s intelligence in the entire world has decreased dramatically, and people are obsessed with consumerism. Sounds a bit familiar, yes?
So many aspects of our lives are rooted in politics. Idiocracy is a perfect example of a movie that remains relevant even in modern times. Yes, it’s a social-political movie that infuses truth with satire, but amazingly, the satire can be less ludicrous than real life these days. Plus, it’s fun to think of a world where bumbling idiots satisfying the most basic needs also have nuclear launch codes. Society breaks down in Idiocracy exactly how I’d imagine it.
What makes this movie so good is that it tackles important political issues and handles them with just the right amount of humor. From crops being watered with a liquid that’s a spoof on Gatorade, to being awarded a political position at the White House for scoring high on a test that’s seemingly meant for children. I think Idiocracy deserves way more love than it gets!
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Dodgeball will be available on Netflix on October 2, 2025
Dodgeball is one of those movies you end up quoting for years, possibly even the rest of your life. Every time I have a family get-together, which are frequent, someone makes a reference once or twice. That’s the power of a strong, well-written comedy, and this one’s starring Ben Stiller to boot.
Essentially, Dodgeball is a comedic twist on real-life underdog stories, which, in some cases, have had the truth stretched to make it sound more harrowing than it actually was, like biopics. The cast is particularly talented at bouncing comedy off one another, like Ben Stiller’s chaotic energy as White Goodman or Vince Vaughn’s straight-faced delivery as Peter La Fleur.
The comedy is equal parts slapstick, wit, and absurdity. For example, Justin Long is frequently “hurt” throughout the movie as a gag, while Alan Tudyk is a pirate, and Missi Pyle has makeup that makes her unrecognizable. There are even celebrity cameos like William Shatner and Chuck Norris, who have their own absurd part to play.
Sister Act
Sister Act will be available on Netflix on October 1, 2025
If you were like me growing up in the 90s, you probably remember seeing a lot of Whoopi Goldberg in movies. I was still in single digits by 1999, but I recall seeing her face seemingly everywhere. In Sister Act, Whoopi plays Deloris, a girl who is entirely dedicated to music but cares little for school. To the nuns at the Catholic school she attends, they think she’s on a fast path to nowhere. Instead, what is seen as a weakness of Deloris actually gives her the most strength.
Deloris is constantly challenging the nuns in her life who may not agree with her need for fame and performance. Along the way, Deloris not only finds herself and who she wants to be, but also does so while running from her gangster ex-boyfriend, Vince. It adds a good bit of humor to an otherwise tense game of cat-and-mouse.
On top of the story itself, Whoopi is just a delight on screen, and her charisma as an actor is probably why I distinctly remember her being on television a lot. When Sister Act breaks out the music, which is a mix of covers and original pieces, her energy as a performer is what puts it over the top.
These classic movies are even better with friends
One important aspect I wanted every movie on my list to share is that they were even better with a partner or friends, preferably with plenty of popcorn and snacks. The jokes hit especially hard when you’ve got a friend to laugh alongside and then quote the movie for all of eternity.