While viewers come to comedy films to escape the horrors of the world and have a good laugh, some films can't help but unexpectedly go to dark places. Whether it's a children's comedy that suddenly presents a shockingly dark piece of information or fun films that become increasingly sinister as the runtime progresses, comedy films can sometimes be surprisingly disarming. While a certain amount of darkness has its place in all genres, the results can be unnerving when the audience doesn't realize it will happen.
Some of the best light comedy films of all time have sinister subtexts that make the film unexpectedly dark. Although wacky characters may initially seem like fun personalities, the existential nightmare they often make up The comedy film's premises can't help but feel bleak as the story approaches its grand conclusion. While the goal of a good comedy is to make viewers laugh, there is no light without darkness, and sometimes it's important to balance the two in unexpected ways.
10
Gremlins (1984)
Kate's father's accident while dressed as Santa Claus was unexpectedly dark for a PG film
The horror comedy Gremlins It seemed on the surface like a cute and cuddly movie about adorable little creatures. However, this unusual Christmas film was unexpectedly dark and was actually a major factor in creating the PG-13 rating (via Hollywood Reporter), which accounted for films that were not extreme enough to be rated R but too dark to be rated. allow small children. to watch. Although there was a lot of surprising violence in Gremlinsone character's monologue made the film even darker than one might expect.
That's when Phoebe Cates' character, Kate Beringer, told the story of how her father disappeared on Christmas Eve and was found dead days later in his fireplace dressed as Santa Claus. Kate told this shocking story while eerie music played in the background and described the post-traumatic stress she suffered when her father slipped and broke his neck trying to surprise his family for Christmas.
9
The Cable Guy (1996)
Jim Carrey's character goes from eccentrically strange to completely unhinged
The cable guy was one of Jim Carrey's defining films, as it signaled his shift from conventional comedic roles to stranger, more psychologically intriguing characters. The midpoint between these two styles was The cable guya comedy that must have come as a great shock to those who expected more Ace Ventura or Idiot and more idiotstyle antics. Although Carrey's character, Chip Douglas, seemed like more of a wacky personality to add to the comedian's hilarious resume, things got increasingly darker as The cable guy continued.
With Matthew Broderick as everyman Steven, The cable guy had a simple premise about a strange cable installer who tries to befriend his client after giving him the movie channels for free. Although Chip was quite unusual, it all seemed harmless until he revealed himself to be completely obsessive and a deranged stalker to the point where Steven feared for his life. At the end of The cable guythe film was less a conventional comedy and closer to a horror film about the shocking consequences of rejecting a disturbed man's plea for friendship.
8
Click (2006)
Michael Newman's Universal Remote Control started out as light-hearted fun, but soon sped him through life
More than any other comedian, audiences feel like they know what they're going to get from an Adam Sandler comedy film, although every couple of years he takes on a role that truly surprises viewers. While films like Drunk love or Rough gems were clear demonstrations of Sandler's dramatic talent, Click at first it seemed like it would happen with the same kind of crazy, over-the-top energy that Happy Gilmore or The wedding singer. However, this light-hearted story about a man controlling his life with a universal remote soon turned incredibly dark.
As the story of a workaholic family man named Michael Newman (Sandler) who happily accepted the opportunity to skip the boring parts of life with the click of a button, Click I saw him advancing quickly through life's little inconveniences. But that story took a turn when Michael went on autopilot and the remote started learning his preferences. Before long, Michael has fast-forwarded through the years of his life, ruined his marriage, and been forced to face the grim realization that life is made up of little things, and when you miss them, they're gone forever.
7
Jojo Coelho (2019)
This light-hearted World War II satire takes a dark turn that illuminates the horrors of the Holocaust
Although the premise of Jojo Coelho doesn't sound very light-hearted on paper, the way writer-director Taika Waititi put together this World War II satire meant it had a light-hearted style at first. Following the story of a ten-year-old member of the Hitler Youth named Jojo, who idolizes Hitler to the point of making him his imaginary friend, it becomes clear that this child does not have the political awareness to understand the truly horrific realities of fascism. With many moments of laughter, like Waititi portrayed a buffoonish version of Hitler, Jojo Coelho managed to mask his serious side through comedy.
However, this early comedy was simply an effective way of disarming the audience, as Jojo Coelho It soon went dark when it was revealed that Jojo's mother (Scarlett Johansson) was hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in her attic to protect her from the horrors of the Holocaust. Although Jojo was a victim of groupthink and radicalization, the dark reality of the society he lived in set in and Jojo realized the inhumanity of the Nazi regime. Jojo Coelho had a profound point to make about thinking for yourself, and the way it combined comedy and drama made it even more effective.
6
The Truman Show (1998)
The circumstances of Truman's life were funny at first, but grim reality soon set in.
The psychological comedy The Truman Show was so effective that it has a rave named after it, where real people believe their lives are a staged reality show (via Psychological Center.) Although this rarely happened except on genuine secret TV shows like The Joe Schmo Show or Jury dutyin The Truman ShowTruman Burbank's (Jim Carrey) life was an elaborately constructed lie where everyone in his life was a paid actor participating in a long-running, 24/7 reality show. .
This unique concept was hilarious at first, as the audience saw how Truman lived his life, oblivious to the fact that he was being watched by millions of viewers around the world. However, this comedy took a dark turn when Truman began to question the truth of existence and despite trying to break free from the prison he was placed in, he was continually stopped by the all-seeing TV producer known as Christof (Ed Harris). The Truman Show It started out as a comedy, but in the end it was a tense thriller, as Truman almost died at sea trying to discover the truth.
5
Groundhog Day (1993)
Phil Connors' Hilarious Time Loop Turned Into an Existential Nightmare
Groundhog Day was such an iconic film that the name of the film itself became shorthand for monotonous or repetitive life situations. As one of Bill Murray's greatest films, his comedic charisma and on-screen charm were enough to distract audiences from how relentlessly dark the story is and how truly terrifying the circumstances meteorologist Phil Connors found himself in were. Like a movie about a man forced to live the same day over and over again with no end in sight, Groundhog Day It was really funny, but also incredibly dark..
While it was hilarious to see how Phil learned how to turn the repeated everyday life of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to his own benefit, as time went on, he soon began to feel like there was no way out. Groundhog Day took a truly dark turn when the existential nightmare of Phil's time loop existence became unbearable, and he attempted to take his own life. When, even after a suicide attempt, Phil still woke up to the sound of his alarm clock playing “I Got You Babe,” it became clear that not even death would set him free.
4
Observe and Report (2009)
A mall cop's light-hearted antics turn dark as mental health issues come to light
Although many comparisons can be made between Kevin James' film Paul Blart: Mall Cop and the release of Seth Rogen Observe and reportFor all their similarities, they had one striking difference. That was it Observe and report got incredibly dark, and instead of telling a light-hearted story about a lowly mall cop, it leaned into his character's severe mental instability in a truly shocking twist. With Rogen as aspiring cop turned mall security officer Ronnie Barnhardt, this initially light-hearted comedy became progressively darker over the course of its runtime.
Instead of following the rules and calling a real cop, in a dark situation, Barnhardt decided to go full vigilante. Observe and report. With delusions of grandeur, the audience watched in utter shock Barnhardt violently attacked those he felt had broken the rules and has even been seen actively participating in recreational drug use. Observe and report went into much darker territory than its initial premise suggested and featured plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and pure excess throughout.
3
Heathers (1988)
What could have been a lighthearted high school comedy turned into a dark satire
From the styles of John Hughes The Breakfast Club to the cult classic appeal of Fast times at Ridgemont HighThe 1980s were a great time for high school comedies. One of the best of this era was Heathersthe story of three girls with the same name who rule the school as a popular but feared clique. While Heathers had all the tenets of a classic, feel-good high school comedy At first, this dark satire soon showed its cynical worldview as it tackled themes of alienated youth and the horrors of high school.
As one of the greatest coming-of-age stories ever told on film, part of the appeal of Heathers it was his willingness to go dark when addressing bullying, suicide and homophobia. The clever satirical tone of Heathers it became more extreme with the arrival of JD (Christian Slater), whose fascination with death sowed the seeds for the suicide pacts staged in his story. Like a comedy that almost bordered on a horror film Heathers took an expectedly dark turn in its narrative.
2
There's Something About Mary (1998)
Tucker's lies to Mary were truly manipulative
While There's something about Mary Is best remembered today for the gross-yet-hilarious moments like the hair gel scene, this feel-good comedy about a woman every man seems to fall in love with had her dark side. With a cast of men vying for Mary's (Cameron Diaz) attention, some of these suitors were more honest than others in their attempt to win her heart. One truly manipulative character who turned a light-hearted comedy surprisingly dark was Tucker (Lee Evans).
As a humble pizza delivery man, Tucker became obsessed with Mary when he delivered her food one night and soon devised a cunning plan to infiltrate her life. This stalking behavior seemed more like something out of a thriller than a comedy, as Tucker pretended to be disabled so that Mary would pay attention to him. While Tucker's deceptive behavior was finally discoveredthe way he used the genuine difficulties of people with disabilities to gain sympathy and bad mouth the other men in his life was truly sinister.
1
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
What started as a horror parody soon began offering genuine scares
Shaun of the Dead was perhaps the definitive comedy horror film as it paid homage to George A. Romero's film Night of the Living Dead franchise with true reverence and love for the cinematic zombie story. With Simon Pegg as the titular Shaun on a mission to get to the pub in the middle of a zombie outbreak, this light-hearted comedy was the start of the acclaimed Cornetto Three Flavors trilogy by director Edgar Wright. With a unique sense of humor and a serious style, Shaun of the Dead mocked the ridiculousness of zombies in its first scenes.
However, as Shaun of the Dead progressed, leaning more and more into the true horror of zombies as the full extent of their societal collapse was on full display. With a high-stakes narrative and fully developed characters whose lives were in genuine danger, Shaun of the Dead went far beyond the average parody film in portraying the horror of its premise. With a real depth that embodied current anxieties after 9/11, Shaun of the Dead it reflected the society in which it was produced and was much more thought-provoking than it initially seemed.
Source: Psychological Center