'Caddyshack' Went from Criticized to 'Best Comedy Movie of All Time'
There have been some funny films over the years that have been so delightful that fans feel joyous when they envision their favorite moments or quotes. That is why it is remarkable that a 1980 classic has recently been named the "best comedy movie of all time." More than that, the really surprising thing is that the film, Caddyshack, was once derided as "everything that is wrong with contemporary film comedy."
Why 'Caddyshack' Was Ranked the 'Best Comedy Movie of All Time'
On June 17, 2026, the website StudioBinder released its list of the "33 Best Comedy Movies of All Time." The article noted that the films included were graded based on their "era-defining impact," "unique situational absurdity," and whether they had "fresh twists on the genre." Based on its criteria, the outlet ranked Caddyshack at No. 1. While explaining its choice, the outlet praised the film's simple premise, Bill Murray's iconic performance, and the epic battle against the taunting gopher.
Over the years, the rest of the comedy classic's cast, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight, have often been celebrated. Other reasons why the film is beloved by so many include how perfectly it portrays class conflict, how endlessly quotable it is, and how it helped define its era of comedy.
The Full List: StudioBinder's "33 Best Comedy Movies of All Time"
- No. 33 Game Night (2018)
- No. 32 Bridesmaids (2011)
- No. 31 21 Jump Street (2012)
- No. 30 Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
- No. 29 Safety Last! (1923)
- No. 28 Young Frankenstein (1974)
- No. 27 Airplane! (1980)
- No. 26 Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
- No. 25 A Fish Called Wanda (1989)
- No. 24 Waiting for Guffman (1996)
- No. 23 The Jerk (1979)
- No. 22 Tootsie (1982)
- No. 21 Ghostbusters (1984)
- No. 20 Coming to America (1988)
- No. 19 Trading Places (1983)
- No. 18 Blazing Saddles (1974)
- No. 17 Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
- No. 16 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
- No. 15 Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
- No. 14 Withnail and I (1987)
- No. 13 Love Actually (2003)
- No. 12 Overboard (1987)
- No. 11 50 First Dates (2003)
- No. 10 My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
- No. 9 Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
- No. 8 The Truman Show (1998)
- No. 7 Bad Santa (2003)
- No. 6 Meet the Parents (2000)
- No. 5 Dumb and Dumber (1994)
- No. 4 The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
- No. 3 Groundhog Day (1993)
- No. 2 What About Bob? (1991)
- No. 1 Caddyshack (1980)
Who Called 'Caddyshack' 'Everything That Is Wrong With Contemporary Film Comedy'
After decades of Caddyshack being considered a comedy classic, it can be easy to think that the movie was always embraced. However, the reality is that many critics weren't big fans of the film when it was released. For example, Roger Ebert gave it 2.5/4 stars, while noting that it "never finds a consistent comic note of its own" before complaining about its lack of structure. "Caddyshack feels more like a movie that was written rather loosely, so that when shooting began, there was freedom, too much freedom, for it to wander off in all directions in search of comic inspiration."
Ebert's old onscreen partner, Gene Siskel, was mostly positive in his review of the film. However, he also wrote about the film dismissively, calling it "a frivolous film" with "throwaway jokes for a most disposable motion picture."
The most illustrative indication of how critics reacted to the movie is the fact that Caddyshack holds a 73% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes based on critics' reviews. That website summarized a scathing one-star Boston Globe review of Caddyshack in a way that shows how brutal some takes on the film have been: "Caddyshack represents everything that is wrong with contemporary film comedy."
Next: 1980 Hilarious Classic Ranked Among the ‘Best Comedy Movies of All Time' - How to Stream It Free
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 28, 2026 at 4:30 AM.