Laughter meets the macabre in our countdown of the best dark comedies ever made. From satirical masterpieces to pitch-black humor, these films push boundaries and tickle our funny bones in unexpected ways. Join us as we explore the finest examples of comedy's darker side, featuring beloved classics and hidden gems alike.
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00:00-"She's dead, sir. They took her to the morgue."
00:02-"The morgue?! She'll be furious!"
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best comedies
00:10with unconventionally dark subject matter and a biting edge.
00:14-"Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man."
00:21Number 30. The Menu.
00:23Set in the exclusive restaurant of famed chef Julian Slowick,
00:26The Menu slowly builds on an atmosphere of awkwardly funny discomfort before
00:31revealing its characters' horrifying intentions. Margot, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, is at the
00:35center of it all, the sole innocent among an island of morally bankrupt elite and corrupt chefs.
00:41-"Who are you?"
00:42-"I am Margot."
00:46-"You shouldn't be here tonight."
00:47The 2022 film was a surprise hit with audiences,
00:50quickly becoming Searchlight's biggest opening at the box office in 14 years.
00:55And it's not hard to see why. The Menu's pitch-perfect cast,
00:59strikingly original plot, satire of the uber-rich,
01:02and the intriguing world of fine dining all added up to a surefire recipe for success.
01:07-"I have to beg of you one thing. It's just one. Do not eat."
01:13-"Yes, sir."
01:16-"Taste."
01:17Number 29. Beetlejuice.
01:19A movie so good we'll sing its praises thrice.
01:22-"It's him. Beetlejuice."
01:26-"Beetlejuice."
01:29-"Go ahead, Barbara, say it."
01:32-"Beetlejuice!"
01:33Beetlejuice may not be your typical dark comedy, injecting complex practical effects and absurd
01:38fantasy into the world of an ordinary family, but that's exactly what makes it so special.
01:43Despite being released over three decades ago, Beetlejuice worms its way into every single
01:48Halloween season. And after the release of its sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,
01:52it's obvious it's here to stay. But you won't hear us complaining. From beginning to end,
01:57every frame of the film leaves a lasting impression. The costuming, the performances,
02:02the music, it's all so instantly iconic and so singularly true to itself.
02:16Number 28. The Producers.
02:18Dark comedy and controversy go hand in hand, but few dark comedies have been quite as
02:22controversial as The Producers. The film tackles the challenging topic of Nazism
02:27through the lens of a celebratory play penned by a pair of con artists.
02:31-"And now it's springtime for Hitler and Germany."
02:41As with To Be or Not to Be Before It and Jojo Rabbit After It, critics and audiences were
02:47initially mixed on how the film handled such a serious subject. But as time went on, people began
02:52to accept the work for the brilliant piece of satire it is. The Producers became a cult classic,
02:57and even entered the National Film Registry nearly 30 years after its release.
03:02-"Congratulations, it's the biggest hit on Broadway.
03:08Congratulations, Hitler will run forever."
03:12Number 27. In the Loop.
03:13-"Don't get funny with me, Liza. I am not in the mood to joke."
03:17-"I'm getting that."
03:19Prior to creating the Emmy Award-winning HBO comedy Veep, Armando Iannucci dipped his toes
03:24into the messy world of American politics within The Loop. Set during a time when the U.K. and U.S.
03:29are considering military intervention in the Middle East, the film is at times realistically
03:34bleak, and at others absurdly funny, with endlessly quotable dialogue. And did we mention it features a
03:40pre-Doctor Who Peter Capaldi and a post-Sopranos James Gandolfini?
03:44-"La la la, la la la, la la la la."
03:46-"Good."
03:47-"Your military hardware is impressive, General."
03:49-"Yeah, well, not anymore it isn't."
03:51It is a must-watch political satire even, or perhaps especially,
03:56for those disenchanted with modern politics.
03:58Number 26. Little Miss Sunshine. In spite of its cheery title,
04:02Little Miss Sunshine delves into some pretty dark topics. At the film's start,
04:07we learn that Steve Carell's character Frank has recently tried to take his own life.
04:11The family eventually experiences a devastating loss while on the road, and even Dwayne, played
04:16by a young Paul Dano, is forced to confront a difficult truth about his future.
04:20-"Dwayne? Dwayne, honey, I'm sorry."
04:27Fortunately, it's not all doom and gloom. The road trip is also filled with plenty of laughs,
04:32and ends with a heartwarming performance subtly criticizing child beauty competitions,
04:36which were quite popular at the time.
04:46The darkly comedic crowd-pleaser was such a hit that it was nominated for Best Picture
04:50at the Academy Awards, and landed writer Michael Arndt an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
04:56Number 25. Harold and Maude. This 1971 film isn't just a dark comedy,
05:01it's a dark romantic comedy, with a shockingly unconventional romance at its center.
05:08-"Oh, Harold. You make me feel like a schoolgirl."
05:14Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon star as the titular Harold and Maude, who meet each other at the
05:18funeral of a person neither of them knew. Ironically, Harold, the younger of the two,
05:23is obsessed with death, while the 79-year-old Maude still entertains a zest for life.
05:27Their differences are the jumping-off point not only for the film's quirky comedy,
05:31but its beautifully bittersweet drama as well.
05:34-"I couldn't imagine a lovelier farewell."
05:41-"Farewell?"
05:43If you're a fan of atypical love stories with a dash of humor, Harold and Maude is not to be missed.
05:48Number 24. Sorry to Bother You. Boots Riley is a quadruple threat,
05:52entertaining success as a rapper, producer, screenwriter, and director. In 2018, he released
05:58his first feature film, Sorry to Bother You, which was inspired by his former work as a telemarketer.
06:03-"Spin Doctors. Classic. Tim, I want to chop it up more, but I gotta get to my squash game.
06:10Was that Visa or Mastercard?"
06:13The film utilized surreal sci-fi elements that occasionally pushed its narrative into
06:17horror territory, all while still discussing real human issues. This unique approach,
06:22paired with memorable costuming and piercing satire, made Sorry to Bother You one of the
06:26most inventive films of that year, or any year. It confronts racism head-on in a way that is also
06:32distinctly anti-capitalist, but is nonetheless an entertaining must-watch for any fans of the
06:37dark comedy genre.
06:38-"Ha ha ha. Here's the starting salary.
06:40Hmm? Well, man, I'm gonna have to get me some new suits."
06:53Just make sure you go in not knowing anything.
06:5523. Inglourious Bastards
06:58This Best Picture nominee is often thought of as a film in the war and action genres,
07:03with thrilling suspense and surprising drama. But like all of Quentin Tarantino's films,
07:07it's also often darkly humorous. Dialogue is exchanged by the film's actors with great finesse,
07:13perfectly orchestrated to create an appropriate level of levity against
07:16the horrifying backdrop of 1940s Germany.
07:19-"Well, I speak the most Italian, so I'll be your escort. Donovan speaks second most,
07:24so he'll be your Italian cameraman. Omar, third most, so he'll be Dona's assistant."
07:30-"I don't speak Italian."
07:31-"Like I said, third best."
07:33It's part of what makes Inglourious Bastards so great,
07:35and worthy of returning back to again and again. If you haven't seen it yet,
07:39what are you waiting for? Pulp Fiction may have had a bigger impact on pop culture,
07:43but Bastards may be Tarantino's greatest masterpiece.
07:46-"Who wants to send a message to Germany?" -"I have a message for Germany.
07:56That you are all going to die."
07:58Number 22. The Favorite
08:00-"My dear friend and cousin, how good to see you've returned from hell. I'm sure you
08:06shall pass through it one day."
08:08In 2023, Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos surprised audiences with Poor Things,
08:13an irreverent and profane fairy tale that stumbled its way into several of that year's
08:17major award ceremonies. The film came five years after the actress and director's first
08:22collaboration, The Favorite, which followed a more traditional narrative structure but
08:26was no less audacious.
08:27-"You will dismiss her?"
08:29-"I don't want to. I like it when she puts her tongue inside me."
08:33Also starring heavy hitters Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz, The Favorite quickly became a
08:37favorite of critics and audiences alike. As with its successor, it earned a coveted Best Picture
08:42nomination, and even led to Olivia Colman receiving her first Oscar in the Best Actress category.
08:47Number 21. Network
08:49This 1976 satire's cable TV setting is quickly becoming dated, but its shocking commentary
08:55on the American entertainment industry remains timeless. Directed by Sidney Lumet, who also
08:59gave us classics like 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon, Network is a masterclass in screenwriting.
09:05-"A series about a bunch of bank-robbing gorillas?"
09:10-"What are we gonna call it? The Mousy Tongue Hour? Why not?"
09:15Viewers laugh and cringe in equal measure, as the tense atmosphere behind the scenes
09:19of UBS Evening News continues to ramp up towards a shockingly bleak crescendo.
09:23At the center of it all, English-Australian actor Peter Finch is at the top of his game
09:28as Howard Beale, a role that would come to be known as his last, and for many, his best.
09:33-"I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it and stick your head out and yell,
09:40I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore!"
09:44Number 20. The Cable Guy
09:46The Cable Guy was released at an interesting time.
09:48-"I'm the tardy one?" -"Yeah, I was gonna go to that bed and bath place and now it's closed."
09:56-"Well, maybe I shouldn't have come at all." -"Jerk off!"
10:02-"I'm just joking with you."
10:04Megastar Jim Carrey had recently starred in enormously popular comedies like Dumb and
10:08Dumber and Ace Ventura when nature calls. People were expecting another wacky Jim Carrey comedy,
10:13and what they got instead was a creepy, deliriously dark movie about an unhinged
10:18cable installer who stalks his customers. Carrey is convincingly creepy, and Matthew Broderick
10:23plays the perfect straight man foil to his chilling antics. Now that Carrey has done
10:28more dramatic work, we can look back on this movie and appreciate its qualities, and there are many.
10:32-"Steven, look out!" -"Yes, Steven, look out!"
10:39Number 19. Horrible Bosses
10:42For a movie starring funnymen Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis,
10:46Horrible Bosses goes to some surprisingly dark places, like murder and assault.
10:51-"Hypothetically, if we could do it and none of us get caught, would you guys do it?"
10:56-"No." -"I would."
10:58-"No, you wouldn't." -"Yeah, I would."
10:59-"You would?" -"Yeah."
11:01-"It's not murder if it's justified. Justifiable homicide, that's the thing, right?"
11:04-"I can't wait to hear this."
11:05The three comedians star as dejected men who hate their jobs and decide to murder their bosses.
11:11The movie explores some troubling themes,
11:14including workplace sexual harassment with the typical gender roles reversed.
11:18-"Let's see if this thing's working. Oh! Oh, I'm sorry. I'm a squirter, Dale.
11:26Oh, you know what? Ah, I think I can make out our little friend right there."
11:34Well, and the fact that the protagonists are wannabe murderers. Despite all that,
11:38the screenwriting and performances wonderfully toe the line between uncomfortable and uproarious.
11:43Charlie Day's screaming and Jason Bateman's bewildered straight man shtick are reliably
11:48awesome. Number 18. Bad Santa. Christmas. The time of year for gooey cookies, comfy fires,
11:56pine-scented Christmas trees, and alcoholic mall Santas.
11:59-"Jesus, Mother Mary and Joseph, will you piss yourself?
12:07Oh, Jesus."
12:08Bad Santa is a different kind of Christmas movie, as it follows a sex-addicted,
12:12alcoholic thief named Willie who poses as a mall Santa to case the joint. Along the way,
12:17he befriends a bullied and lonely boy named Thurman. It's the role of a lifetime for
12:22Billy Bob Thornton, who plays Willie with reckless aplomb. He's not a likable man,
12:27at all. But the movie is surprisingly endearing, and Willie undergoes some
12:31serious character development as his relationship with Thurman deepens.
12:35-"I was gonna make some sandwiches. I could make you one before you leave."
12:42-"Listen, kid, I don't know. I mean, I got shit to do and everything.
12:52Okay, make me some sandwiches."
12:54It's certainly not a movie you'd want to watch with the kids,
12:56but it's also far funnier and sweeter than you'd imagine.
13:0017. World's Greatest Dad
13:02This movie faced the same troubles as The Cable Guy.
13:05-"How about you come over to my place for something hot and spicy?"
13:08-"Is that a double entendre?"
13:09-"No, it's gonna make you my chili. And then bang you."
13:14It's a comedy, and it stars Robin Williams. So, most people assumed it would be a Robin
13:19Williams comedy. You know what we mean. Wackiness, weird voices, hyperactive energy, the works.
13:25What they got instead was a very morose movie about fame, popularity, and the deplorable depths
13:31that some people will go to in order to procure it. This movie came and went without much attention
13:36in 2009, yet it received near-universal adoration from critics, many of whom praised Williams'
13:42performance and the incredibly risky subject matter. We won't spoil what happens, just know
13:47that this movie goes to some horrible, yet fiendishly funny places.
13:50-"He was my son. He was also a douchebag. He wasn't very smart."
14:0216. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
14:05Shane Black has made many great movies over the years,
14:08but Kiss Kiss Bang Bang may in fact be his best.
14:10-"You know why I didn't, I didn't kill him? He wanted in.
14:16Why? I didn't want him to come in, and he insisted. I said,
14:22you gotta stay at home, but he doesn't listen. He's such a stupid son of a bitch."
14:25Or at least his most overlooked. Robert Downey Jr. proves that he is one of the funniest men
14:30in the business with his performance as Harry Lockhart, a thief posing as an actor who gets
14:35caught up in a murder investigation. It's brilliant stuff, the movie is wickedly stylish,
14:40and serves as a biting satirical send-up of pulpy hard-boiled detective stories.
14:44Despite debuting at the Cannes Film Festival and earning critical praise,
14:48this too was somewhat overlooked and underappreciated upon release.
14:51-"I put in one bullet, didn't I?" -"You put a live round in that gun?"
14:54-"Oh yeah, there was like an 8% chance." -"8%? Was that just 8?"
14:57-"8? Yeah. Who taught you math?" Let's give it the credit it deserves.
15:0215. Arsenic and Old Lace
15:04We're going way back for Arsenic and Old Lace, which was released in September of 1944.
15:10-"Never mind about that, just sit down. Now tell me, who was the first one?"
15:14-"Mr. Midgley. He was a Baptist." -"He was such a lonely old gentleman,
15:19Mr. Midgley was." -"All his kith and kin were dead."
15:22-"We felt so sorry for him." The movie is adapted from a popular Broadway play,
15:27which ran for almost 1,500 performances in the early 40s during World War II.
15:31It stars Hollywood legend Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic who learns
15:36that his maiden aunts are serial killers who lure lonely old bachelors to their deaths.
15:41However, that's just the tip of this raving and utterly insane nightmare of a story.
15:45And all throughout The Lies, Insanity, and Murder, the movie manages to be uproariously funny.
15:52-"You know about what's down there?" -"Of course we do. And he's no friend
15:56of Mortimer's. He's one of our gentlemen." -"Your gentlemen?"
16:00-"Yes. And we won't have any strangers buried in our cellar."
16:06Despite what the title may suggest, Todd Solanz's Happiness,
16:10which revolves around the lives of three sisters, is not a happy movie.
16:14-"Oh, honey. So happy. You're happy.
16:18Because all this time I've been thinking you were so miserable."
16:21-"Oh, Trish, that's too funny when I couldn't be happier."
16:24Far, far, far from it. This movie puts the dark in dark comedy,
16:29and is filled with deeply troublesome and troubled characters,
16:32and many viewers may find it hard to sympathize with their searches for meaning.
16:35Yet the poignant and deft script, combined with the stellar performances from everyone involved,
16:40give the audience a path to feeling human connection.
16:43But this ain't no late entertainment, even with the laughs.
16:52Many people will not like this movie, and that's okay.
16:55But it proves that major risks often result in major rewards.
17:02Riz Ahmed leads the charge in Four Lions,
17:04a satirical dark comedy that explores issues of fanaticism and radicalization.
17:09-"They hope you don't believe in kuffar bastards. I'm gonna turn you into beans."
17:13-"No, no, no. What? What's with the gun?
17:22Proper replica, man."
17:23He stars as Omar, a British security guard who is a member
17:26of a radicalized homegrown terrorist group from Sheffield.
17:29The terrorist group is critical of Western imperialism,
17:32and aspires to suicide bomb the London Marathon.
17:35This type of content sounds crass and borderline tasteless.
17:38And it is.
17:39But it's also a wickedly funny movie that portrays its protagonists
17:43as imbeciles and lampoons fanaticism with intelligence and grace.
17:47-"How'd you get it all?"
17:48-"A wholesale shop down the road."
17:50-"What, all from the same shop?"
17:51-"Yeah."
17:52-"You mug. You'll get us nicked."
17:53-"No. I use different voices every time I go in."
17:57-"Different what? Different voices?"
17:58-"Different voices."
17:59-"Show me."
18:00-"What?"
18:01-"Show me the voices. Come on."
18:04You can't really go wrong with a cast containing Steve Buscemi,
18:08Paddy Considine, Jason Isaacs, and Geoffrey Tambor.
18:11-"This is calamity. Calamity. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh no. He's on the floor."
18:24As you can probably surmise from the title,
18:26this movie concerns the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin,
18:29who died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1953.
18:32Following Stalin's unexpected death,
18:34the Council of Ministers scrambles and schemes as they all vie for power.
18:38-"Well, if you could do me a favor and just nod as I'm speaking,
18:41people are looking to me for reassurance and I have no idea what is going on."
18:45While critics praised the satire and performances,
18:47the film was met with disdain by the Russian Ministry of Culture
18:50and was subsequently banned in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
18:55Number 11. The War of the Roses
18:58Danny DeVito both directed and stars in The War of the Roses,
19:01which was adapted from Warren Adler's novel of the same name.
19:04-"When a man who makes $450 an hour wants to tell you something for free,
19:09you should listen."
19:10While the movie takes its name from a historic period,
19:12the movie depicts a different kind of war, a war of love gone wrong.
19:17Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner star as Oliver and Barbara Rose,
19:20a married couple going through a bitter divorce
19:23and a fierce battle over their shared material possessions.
19:26As the battle is prolonged,
19:28their methods to get rid of each other grow increasingly macabre.
19:31-"Sorry I'm late.
19:33Well, I guess I better not sit too close to anybody because I have a bit of a cold.
19:44The movie is DeVito's finest directorial effort,
19:47as he capably manages the delicate balancing act between style, comedy, and the grotesque.
19:53Number 10. Snatch
19:55Guy Ritchie is a master of the crime comedy,
19:58having directed the classic Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels as well as Snatch,
20:02and the latter is particularly acclaimed.
20:04-"Is she allowed to throw that?"
20:06-"It's an unlicensed boxing match, Tom. Not a tickling competition.
20:12These lads are out to hurt each other."
20:14Even holding down the 103rd spot on IMDb's top-rated movies list,
20:19there are so many things to enjoy about the star comedy,
20:22including Ritchie's impeccable stylistic flourishes,
20:24his penchant for writing memorable dialogue and characters,
20:27and Brad Pitt's brilliant performance as one-punch Mickey O'Neil.
20:31-"How big are you? Hey, kids, how big is he?"
20:34-"Big man, that's for sure."
20:35-"Hey, man, come and look at the size of this fella."
20:38-"Best you box a little, can't you, sir?"
20:40-"Ah, you look like a boxer."
20:43And hey, so what if you sometimes can't understand any of the heavily-accented dialogue?
20:48Throw on the subtitles, have a laugh, and enjoy one of the finest dark comedies ever.
20:53Number 9. The Wolf of Wall Street
20:55When you combine Martin Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio, you get art.
20:59-"Yep. On a daily basis, I consume enough drugs to sedate Manhattan,
21:05Long Island, and Queens for a month."
21:08This movie stars DiCaprio as real-life stockbroker and scam artist Jordan Belfort,
21:13who spent 22 months in federal prison for fraud.
21:16The film is masterfully edited by longtime Scorsese collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker,
21:21resulting in a rapid-fire, erratic, drug-fueled good time.
21:25Think the last act of Goodfellas only stretched to three volatile and surprisingly sprightly hours.
21:31It's amazing that a story about Wall Street and stocks, and terrible fraud,
21:34can be so incredibly entertaining.
21:39Well, such are the incredible talents of its cast and crew.
21:43Number 8. After Hours
21:45Martin Scorsese really knows how to craft a dark comedy.
21:48-"Which would be like a forum for writers and intellectuals
21:51who can't get into print anywhere else, who could, you know,
21:55I'm not into like editing or trying to reach a particular audience,
21:58getting it out there, they would get some momentum going, you know, and do,
22:01you know, do something with, with, you know, excuse me."
22:07Long before The Wolf of Wall Street, Scorsese showed his comedic chops with After Hours.
22:12The movie stars Griffin Dunn as the gentle Paul Hackett,
22:15a computer data entry worker who finds himself having the worst and most bizarre night of his life.
22:20It's a total existential nightmare that is
22:23expertly edited by Schoonmaker and directed by Scorsese.
22:26While the movie was critically acclaimed and won the Best Director award at that
22:29year's Cannes Film Festival, it never really took off,
22:32and has since become one of Scorsese's most underappreciated works of art.
22:36-"I'm sorry, um, I just, you wouldn't believe what I've been through tonight,
22:43you just wouldn't believe it."
22:45-"Oh, I'm uh, I'm an ice cream vendor, Mr. Softy."
22:49-"What? I, you misunderstood me, I didn't ask what you did for a living, I said,
22:55you wouldn't believe what I've been through tonight."
22:57Number seven, Heathers.
22:59The mid to late 80s were filled with popular teen comedies,
23:02many of them of the John Hughes variety.
23:04-"Hello, Jason Dean."
23:07-"Greetings and salutations. You a Heather?"
23:12-"No, I'm a Veronica, Sawyer."
23:16Heathers looked to change that.
23:17Winona Ryder stars as Veronica Sawyer,
23:20a popular high school student who meets and befriends the psychotic J.D.
23:24J.D. is the creepy yet charismatic outsider who has ulterior motives of his own,
23:29namely killing popular cliquey kids.
23:32Ryder and Christian Slater make for a dynamic duo,
23:35and the movie's script touches on morbid concepts of teenage alienation and suicide,
23:39premeditated murder, and school violence.
23:42-"You got power. Power I didn't think you had.
23:52Slate is clean."
23:54It takes a high degree of talent to make those themes funny,
23:57and Heathers pulls it off with confidence and dexterity.
24:01Number six, Election.
24:03Election is another marvelous high school satire, albeit a much less violent one.
24:07-"And you don't crack under pressure,
24:09as we all saw in the amazing fourth quarter against West Side.
24:13All the kids look up to you. Now what does that spell?
24:22Student. Council. President."
24:26Matthew Broderick stars as Jim McAllister,
24:28a social studies teacher who looks to sabotage the student body election.
24:32Reese Witherspoon turns in arguably the greatest performance
24:35of her fine comedic career as Tracy Flick,
24:37the ambitious student who runs for school president.
24:40Election is not just another high school movie.
24:42It is an intelligent and incisive look into the many aspects of high school life,
24:47including biased teachers, over-ambitious and obnoxious students,
24:50the indifferent student body, and administrative politics.
24:53-"You might think it upset me that Paul Metzler had decided to run against me,
24:56but nothing could be further from the truth.
24:59He was no competition for me, like apples and oranges."
25:02Ironically enough, the movie is not particularly popular, but it is good.
25:07Number 5. Parasite
25:09There's this little South Korean movie called Parasite. You may have heard of it.
25:29Parasite is writer-director Bong Joon-ho's masterpiece,
25:32and it tells the story of a poor and conniving Korean family
25:35that infiltrates a wealthy clan as their servants.
25:37Bong Joon-ho uses this contained story as a microcosm to comment on wider social themes.
25:42Parasite made history by becoming the first South Korean movie to win the Palme d'Or,
25:46and the first non-English film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
25:50It's funny, it's wildly unpredictable,
25:52and it has a lot to say about our modern social climate.
26:05In short, it's a modern-day masterpiece.
26:09Number 4. The Big Lebowski
26:11Coen Brothers' comedies are a bit of an acquired taste, and some prove largely divisive.
26:27That does not seem to be the case with The Big Lebowski.
26:29This movie has become a giant cult favorite throughout the years,
26:32thanks in large part to the movie's brilliant dialogue. Well, that and the memes.
26:37This movie is arguably the Coens' most personable and unique,
26:40as it's filled with memorable lines, scenes, visual flourishes, and characters.
26:45Jeff Bridges is also out of this world good as legendary character The Dude.
26:49The Coens are masters at writing and directing,
26:52and the amazing star-studded ensemble cast does the rest.
27:03The result is pure cinematic magic.
27:08Number 3. In Bruges
27:10Martin McDonagh has proved himself one of the finest creators of dark comedy,
27:14having also crafted the likes of Seven Psychopaths and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.
27:19But perhaps his most capable blending of raw humanity and uproarious comedy is in Bruges.
27:35This movie sees the always reliable Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson
27:38as two Irish hitmen who are hiding out in picturesque Bruges, Belgium,
27:42and awaiting further orders from their boss,
27:45played by one of the best bad guy actors in the biz, Ralph Fiennes.
27:51The unique setting, sharp writing, and commendable performances
27:55all combine to create one of the dreariest and most depressingly hilarious comedies ever made,
28:00and we wouldn't have it any other way.
28:03Number 2. Fargo
28:04While The Big Lebowski may be the Coens' most popular comedy,
28:07Fargo is arguably their greatest original creation.
28:10It's a brilliantly told story that effortlessly mixes elements of the crime genre with black
28:15comedy, endearing family dynamics, and glorious Minnesota nice accents.
28:20It's just as funny as The Big Lebowski, but in a much more down-to-earth way,
28:24deriving laughs from its regional idiosyncrasies.
28:27However, it's also far more violent, and it also takes itself far more seriously.
28:32Is Fargo, later adapted into a superb TV series of funny crime drama,
28:37or a comedy filled with murder, kidnapping, and despicable criminals?
28:41We don't really know, but that's why the Coen brothers are such masters of the film medium.
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29:01Number 1. Dr. Strangelove
29:04And finally, we come to the granddaddy of all black comedies.
29:07Stanley Kubrick's seminal masterpiece, Dr. Strangelove,
29:11or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
29:34How soon did you say the planes would penetrate Russian radar cover?
29:37About 18 minutes from now.
29:39Kubrick made many iconic films throughout his illustrious career,
29:42but none was as funny or as fiercely sardonic as Dr. Strangelove.
29:46Released just 15 months after the Cuban Missile Crisis,
29:49this movie lampoons many aspects of the Cold War, including the missile gap,
29:53elaborate fallout shelter networks, and mutually assured destruction.
29:57It's certainly a product of its time, but like most pieces of art,
30:00this supreme satire can be enjoyed at any time by anyone.
30:05Hey, what about Major Kong?
30:10How many of these dark comedies have you seen? Let us know in the comments.
30:14Having trouble with a livid? You tired of having your host buddy violated?
30:17You want to get rid of that pesky livid critter once and for all?
30:20Well, come on down and see me, folks, because I'm the outcast leading by all exorcism.
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