Harold Ramis

1993 · Harold Ramis · 101 min · Comedy / Fantasy / Drama

Groundhog Day uses the simplest possible premise to explore the biggest possible questions, and it does it while being consistently, effortlessly funny. Bill Murray's transformation from smug weatherman to genuine human being is one of the great character arcs in American comedy, and the film's refusal to explain its own mechanics turns out to be one of its smartest decisions. The romance is underwritten and some of the small-town humor leans on easy stereotypes, but the core idea is so perfectly executed that it has become a permanent part of how people think about repetition, change, and what it means to live a day well.

1983 · Harold Ramis · 98 min · Comedy

The American family road trip movie to end all American family road trip movies, with Chevy Chase at the peak of his powers and a John Hughes script that finds the absurdity hiding inside every family vacation.

1980 · Harold Ramis · 98 min · Comedy

Three comedy titans operating at full power in the same movie, held together by vibes rather than plot, Caddyshack is a mess that works because the people making it were funnier than the script needed them to be.

1989 · Ivan Reitman · 108 min · Comedy, Fantasy

Ghostbusters II can't escape the shadow of its predecessor, but the cast chemistry remains potent enough to carry a weaker script through sheer force of personality.