5 Dark Comedies That Make You Laugh and Panic at the Same Time
While a traditional comedy will put you in a good mood, some dark comedies might ruin your day. Dark comedies will make you laugh, but they’ll also shock, horrify, offend, and disgust you along the way. Here are five comedies with humor guaranteed to make you squirm in your seat.
‘Dr. Strangelove’ (1964)
Dr. Strangelove, also known as Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, began as a serious drama. While working on the screenplay, though, Stanley Kubrick found the idea of mutually assured destruction with nuclear weapons so outrageous that it was inherently comedic.
In Dr. Strangelove, a US Air Force general orders a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. Over the course of the film, characters played by George C. Scott and Peter Sellers (in three separate roles) scramble to stop the B-52 from starting an all-out nuclear war.
The film features unforgettable comedic performances, but still conveys the stomach-churning unease of the Cold War Era. It set the standard for dark comedies.
‘Adaptation’ (2002)
While attempting to adapt a screenplay based on Susan Orleans’ nonfiction book The Orchid Thief, writer Charlie Kaufman struggled with writer’s block. He was eventually able to do it by folding Orleans’ story into one about his writer’s block, and inventing a twin brother along the way.
In Adaptation, Nicholas Cage plays Kaufman, a frumpy screenwriter well past his deadline on a film script. He turns to his twin brother Donald (also played by Cage) for help and is dismayed when Donald’s own contrived script is successful. Meanwhile, Orleans (Meryl Streep) enters into a secret romance with an orchid thief.
The film is a twisting romp that features jealousy, looming deadlines, public embarrassment, and a deadly chase through a swamp.
‘Triangle of Sadness’ (2022)
Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness follows a model named Carl and his influencer girlfriend, Yaya, on a luxury cruise. While their journey begins in moneyed splendor, it takes a violent turn, leaving passengers stranded on an island.
Triangle of Sadness is a satire of the rich and powerful that is just as funny as it is violent and disgusting. It won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and received nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
‘In Bruges’ (2008)
Martin McDonagh’s In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as Irish hitmen hiding out in Bruges, Belgium. Farrell’s character has accidentally killed a young altar boy, and, unbeknownst to him, Gleeson’s character has been ordered to kill him for it.
In the film’s production notes, McDonagh explained that the idea for the film came to him while walking around the picturesque city of Bruges. As a result, the city becomes a character in the film, with its darker elements coming through as the story progresses. The film is thrilling and full of pitch black comedy. It also brought Farrell and Gleeson together on screen for the first time; they’d reunite years later in The Banshees of Inisherin.
‘Parasite’ (2019)
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite became the first non-English-speaking film to win Best Picture at the Oscars for good reason. The film follows a financially struggling family in Seoul who infiltrate the lives of the wealthy family that employs them.
Parasite is a comedic, nerve-jangling, and at times horrific look at the chasm between the rich and poor. It’s nearly impossible to anticipate the direction the story will take, and it’s sure to stick with viewers long after the credits roll.
