13 Black Comedies That Prove Dark Humor Is Hillarious

It may not be for everyone, but those that love it swear by dark humor. These 13 black comedies are some of the best in the business and well worth watching.

1. After Hours (1985)

Paul experiences a series of unfortunate events one night on his way home from SoHo. He meets a woman named Marcy in a Manhattan cafe, and they hit it off very well. However, later that night, in a cab on his way to Marcy’s apartment, Paul loses his cab fare, so he can’t pay for his ride, symbolizing how his bizarre day is about to get weirder.

2. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

The film stars Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood, David Yow, Jane Levy, and Devon Graye. It follows a depressed nursing home attendant whose house is robbed. Afterward, she goes on a mission to find the perpetrator but soon finds herself in a new world after following a trail of breadcrumbs back to her belongings and a crazy world of crime.”

3. Harold and Maude (1971)

A 20-year-old Harold is a disillusioned deadpan in a taboo relationship with an eccentric fun-loving septuagenarian name Maude. In this American romantic black comedy- drama, Harold is fixated on suicide and intrigued by death, and Maude teaches him how to live life to the fullest. Their relationship thrives, but things don’t work out for everyone.

4. Blazing Saddles (1974)

Blazing Saddles is a satirical western parody of the western film genre. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Mel Brooks, Andrew Bergman, and Richard Pryor. In Rock Ridge, a savvy railroad worker becomes the frontier town’s black sheriff. But things aren’t what they appear to be, and a sinister plan is in motion.

In 2006, Blazing Saddles was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

5. Fargo (1996)

A black comedy crime film written, produced, and directed by the Cohen Brothers. Fargo stars William Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, and Peter Stormare. Marge Gunderson is quite pregnant during the snowy season in Minnesota. She is also a very persistent police chief. Her persistence leads in the right direction time and time again.

This time it leads her to solve a highway roadside murder.

6. The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Big Lebowski is a black comedy neo-noir crime film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as the titular main character. Considered to be a World Class slacker, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski is mistaken for a millionaire of the same name. As a result, hired thugs attempt to collect a debt from The Dude.

Now on the path for retribution for one ruined rug, The Dude takes a one-time high-paying job that leads him down a road of money, lies, intrigue, and of course, White Russians.

7. The Kid Detective (2020)

The Kid Detective is a Canadian mystery comedy-drama starring Adam Brody as “kid detective” Abe. Abe became a child celebrity by solving minor mysteries and crimes for the town’s residents. Now an adult, a once-celebrated kid detective, Abe operates a detective agency. At 32, Abe tries to prove himself by taking on his very first murder investigation.

8. Intermission (2003)

Starring Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy, Colm Meany, and Kelly MacDonald, Intermission is an Irish black comedy crime film. In Dublin, John has a trial break-up with his girlfriend, Deirdre. She starts to date a banker, and he can’t handle that. By chance, john meets a small-time crook, and they seek revenge against Deirdre’s new boyfriend. But, with the pressure mounting, it seems their plan may begin to unravel.

9. Four Lions (2010)

Focused around four incompetent British Terrorists, Four Lions is a British political satire black comedy. It stars Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak, and Benedict Cumberbatch. It follows their failed attempt at joining an al-Qaeda-affiliated training camp in Pakistan. But unfortunately, their hijinks don’t end well for these four wannabe terrorists. 

10. The Death of Stalin (2017)

The Death of Stalin is a political satire black comedy starring Steve Buscemi, John Isaacs, and Olga Kurylenko. It depicts the internal power struggle among the Council of Ministers following the death of Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin in 1953. The band of bumbling back-stabbing parasites that makes up Stalin’s Council of Ministers is left scrambling to fill the power vacuum.

11. The Cable Guy

The 90s comedy featuring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick isn’t what many expected upon release. It may not be a traditional Carrey comedy, but it’s an excellent example as one of the best movies to feature dark humor

12. Borat

Some might not view the Sacha Baron Cohen film as dark humor, but one fan offers a unique take: “it highlights the daily bigotry we all see but choose to ignore. Both use comedy to highlight the dark side of society, so I would consider them dark or subversive of dark.”

13. Very Bad Things

The 1998 black comedy has an all-star cast featuring Christian Slater, Jon Favreau, Cameron Diaz, and Jeremy Piven. As one fan puts it, “very bad things happen in an ever-escalating dance of the macabre.”

A thread inspired this list of dark comedies.

This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

Featured Image Credit: Working Title Films.