Photo: Universal Studios/Focus Features
For one too many times have you spluttered out a brilliant comedic line at a family gathering and caused a dead silence not to notice that your sense of humor differs from the norm. Yes, what you find funny a lot of people get offended or disgusted by, but who cares about those oversensitive babies? Definitely not these filmmakers who blessed us with best movies to watch if you enjoy dark humor in it.
These movies are mostly not comedies primarily, but they are full of comedic moments, which is perhaps the best way to induce laughs on the big screen.
In Bruges (2008)
The mother of all movies with dark comedy in it, as nobody does it better than this crime drama set in the Belgium’s fairytale-like city of Bruges. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, In Bruges doesn’t become campy or cartoonish in its dark humor like so many films do. Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell make sure that the movie stays realistic and believable no matter how the story gets wild.
Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Somewhat forgotten movie even though it was highly regarded and boasts an impressive cast of Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman, Ben Kingsley, and Bruce Willis. A crime mystery about a case of mistaken identity in the world of street war and hired assassins, Lucky Number Slevin is as wacky as the name suggests and it’s a lush story for inconsiderate jokes.
Photo: Miramax Films
Combine heroin usage with Scotland and you have dark and you have comedy. A Danny Boyle cult classic might be regarded as a drama, but it causes maniac laughs that would put pure comedies to shame. Perfectly cast and effortlessly acted out, Trainspotting is one of the best movies of the decade, remaining relevant throughout the years. Although it’s definitely not the perfect movie to watch while high. While the sequel does the original justice, it still has a lighter tone, so it’s not included on this list, but e it does have some great dark humor.
Wag the Dog (1997)
As immoral premise as it can get, since a movie producer gets to cover up the president’s sex scandal before the election by making up a war. Dustin Hoffman plays the producer and Robert De Niro takes the role of a spin-doctor tasked with cover up, resulting in a movie that calls out the complete indecency and opportunism of modern politics. So with politics and war, things get dark but outrageous from the start and it’s not just one of the best movies to watch for dark humor fans but to have a glimpse on the real actions of politicians. 1997 was truly a great year for movies.
7 Psychopaths (2012)
It makes sense for a movie with this title to be a fertile ground for dark humor, and since it’s another Martin McDonagh’s complete product the expectations for it was high. The English filmmaker delivered on his quickly gained reputation and while the movie is also a crime comedy like In Bruges, it has a totally different vibe to it. The ensemble cast is unparalleled in the specific sub-genre, and the success of 7 Psychopaths makes us eagerly anticipate McDonagh’s next movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
Check out other upcoming comedy movies of the year.
