Everyone loves a good comedy, but it’s easy to get stuck watching the same few popular ones, which is a shame because there are many hidden gems out there just waiting to make you laugh. Here are the funniest comedies you’ve never heard of.
Cedar Rapids
The script for Cedar Rapids appeared on The Black List, a collection of the most liked screenplays that have not yet been produced. After being picked up, it became a raunchy comedy with some surprisingly heartwarming moments that made it a critical success. Unfortunately, it never made it commercial but was shown at the Sundance Film Festival.
Quick Change
Directed by Howard Franklin and Bill Murray in his only directorial credit, Quick Change is a crime comedy movie about what happens after the heist, with the trio of thieves struggling to evade the police. After numerous run-ins with a cast of hilarious characters, they finally escape from right under the nose of the Police Chief.
Hamlet 2
Failed actor Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan) is now a drama teacher, writing his own plays based on Hollywood hits. When he finds out his drama program is to be scrapped, he starts writing an original play as a sequel to Hamlet, adding time travel so the characters can attempt to fix the first play. The offbeat humor took this movie up a notch and made it a cult favorite.
Saving Grace
The British comedy movie Saving Grace stars Brenda Blethyn as Grace Trevethyn, a middle-aged woman faced with financial ruin after the death of her husband leaves her with several unpaid debts. Encouraged by her gardener, Matthew Stewart (Craig Ferguson), she turns to growing cannabis to pay the bills. Moving and charming, it won the World Cinema award at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.
Wristcutters: A Love Story
Set in a surreal afterlife for suicide victims, Wristcutters: A Love Story is a dark comedy based on the short story Kneller’s Happy Campers by Etgar Keret. The movie received positive reviews and has since gained a cult following despite only ever having a limited release.
Dope
The 2015 movie Dope cleverly blends multiple genres, from comedy and romance to coming-of-age and drama. It stars Shameik Moore as Malcolm Adekanbi, a high school student desperate to go to Harvard. An unexpected invite to a wild underground party goes wrong when he finds drugs and a gun stashed in his bag, sending Malcolm and his friends on a mission to get rid of the drugs and keep their records clean.
What We Do in the Shadows
The horror comedy movie What We Do in the Shadows is a critically acclaimed mockumentary about four vampire housemates and their struggles to keep up with the modern world. After a feeding session goes wrong, humans discover them, with Nick (Cori Gonzalez-Macuer) also being turned into a vampire. A New Zealand production, this movie was later adapted into an American TV series, which was also positively received.
In the Loop
In the Loop is a satirical political comedy that lampoons governments’ decisions to go to war. A spin-off of the British comedy-drama TV series The Thick of It, In the Loop moves the focus to British-American politics. It was popular with critics and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
The Castle
An Australian production, The Castle, is a comedy about a family trying to save their home from developers attempting a compulsory acquisition to expand the airport. Despite their home being less than ideal and the family struggling financially, the charm of this movie comes from the eccentric but loving characters.
Four Lions
The British black comedy Four Lions focuses on a group of would-be terrorists planning a series of bombs at the London Marathon. The controversial subject is surprisingly well-handled, resulting in a smart yet realistic comedy. Critical reception was mostly positive, with reviewers praising the screenplay, direction, risky theme, and humor.
Monkey Business
An American screwball comedy from the Golden Age of Hollywood, Monkey Business stars Cary Grant as Dr. Barnaby Fulton, a man seeking to develop his own elixir of youth. After an escaped chimpanzee pours a mix of chemicals into the water cooler, Barnaby is surprised to find himself living a second childhood, with his wife Edwina (Ginger Rogers) quickly following suit.
The Dish
A massive success in its home country of Australia, The Dish tells the story of a remote community with a satellite dish crucial to receiving a signal from the Apollo 11 crew. Loosely based on true events, this feel-good movie effortlessly adds a touch of humor to history.
Stuck on You
Stuck on You stars Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twins Bob and Walt Tenor, who have very different outlooks on life and ambitions. When Walt wants to go to Hollywood to become an actor, Bob is reluctant but goes along anyway, ultimately leading to the two opting for risky surgery to allow them to go their separate ways.
Death at a Funeral
The black comedy Death at a Funeral focuses on a family that wants the patriarch’s funeral to go smoothly. Unfortunately, almost everything that could go wrong does, with one mourner accidentally taking a hallucinogen, the coffin toppling, and the arrival of an unwelcome one-night stand. It was successful enough in the UK that an American remake was made in 2010.
Top Secret!
An action comedy created by the same team that made Airplane, Top Secret! parodies numerous genres. This also extended to musicals, with an original score and six unique songs. It never became the massive success Airplane was, but it remains popular with comedy fans.
Get Crazy
Get Crazy is a musical comedy about trying to save a theater before it is sold to a shady concert promoter. With spoofs of rock stars and plenty of jokes throughout, this is a hilarious trip into theater life. Despite only getting mixed reviews on release, it has attracted a cult following of rock fans.
Frank
The indie comedy-drama Frank is a bizarre movie about wannabe musician Jon Burroughs (Domhnall Gleeson), who joins an eccentric band led by Frank (Michael Fassbender), a man who never removes his giant papier-mâché head. After premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Frank received highly positive reviews from critics.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
A parody of the slasher genre, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is a horror comedy focusing on a pair of hillbillies who accidentally scare a group of teenagers into thinking they’re serial killers. A series of coincidences reinforce this impression as they befriend Allison (Katrina Bowden) but further enrage Chad (Jesse Moss). Critical reception was positive, with reviewers praising its scares and humor.
