The world can be a dark place, full of violence, disease, and death. However, movies can be a wonderful escape from that. Dark comedies are especially good at this, since they make light of those subjects and find the hilarious in the bleak.
Netflix is full of dark comedy films. And to help you decide what to watch, we’ve rounded up the best dark comedies on Netflix. These movies are full to the brim with gallows humor, sure to make you smile despite the serious themes.
1. The Lobster
The Lobster is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who also created the Oscar-winning film The Favourite. If you can believe it, The Lobster is even more absurd than that, though it’s just as wonderful and darkly comedic.
The film stars Colin Farrell, in a world where people are given 45 days to find true love while staying at a strange hotel. If they don’t, they are turned into an animal and released into the woods. Rachel Weisz also stars, so the two pair up and test their relationship.
If you want something more traditional, check out the best romantic comedies on Netflix.
2. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore is a dark comedy that is almost too easy to relate to. In a nutshell, it’s about anyone of us having a bad day, when you encounter just one too many annoying people.
The story revolves around the main character, who, together with a geeky neighbor, goes on a vigilante quest to retrieve her grandmother’s silverware. Follow their dark and dangerous, but also deeply hilarious, adventure featuring some amateur criminals and flying ninja stars.
3. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is a Romanian film about a man who is sent to hospital following a spout of dizziness. He’s then sent between hospitals, with each doctor diagnosing something different and lacking any sympathy for the titular star.
The film is shot naturally so that it almost seems like a documentary, which makes it even more affecting. Despite Mr. Lazarescu’s frustration and pain, and the biting commentary of the health system, it still manages to raise a morbid smile.
4. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Are you tired of seeing evil hillbillies in Halloween horror flicks on Netflix? Have you had enough of seeing the same old clichés in movies? Meet Tucker and Dale, two redneck friends who are just trying to enjoy their vacation and relax at their cabin when a group of students mistake them for psychotic killers.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil has plenty of gore in it, a ton of genuinely hilarious jokes, and even a life lesson of never prejudging a man just because he looks (or even acts) a certain way.
5. A Serious Man
A Serious Man is often overlooked when discussing films created by the Coen brothers, but it’s well worth watching. It’s set in the 1960s and follows a Jewish physics teacher whose life falls apart in every way, causing him to question the beliefs he holds dear.
Despite the low-key and small scale of the story, A Serious Man is a powerful exploration of religion. As you might imagine, that’s a topic perfect for the Coens to mine for comedic and poignant nuggets. This is a real treat of a movie.
6. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a western anthology film that features an excellent cast across six short stories. The tales include a singing cowboy, a gold-seeking prospector, and a bank robber.
Each of the vignettes is different from one another, but all of them feature themes of violence and death. Despite that, they manage to achieve a level of poignancy too. Plus, of course, you will be chuckling all the way through, despite the macabre tone.
7. Young Adult
If you liked Juno then you should also enjoy Young Adult, since it’s produced by the same creative team. Charlize Theron leads as Mavis Gary, a divorced and alcoholic ghost writer who tries to strike up a romance with her ex-boyfriend. The only problem is, he’s married and has a newborn baby.
Theron is always on top form and it’s equally true here. She superbly portrays the power and emotion of this flawed individual. Despite her depressing life, there’s still lots of laughter to be had in this great dark comedy movie.
8. Life After Beth
In Life After Beth, Zach’s world is rocked when his girlfriend, Beth, suddenly dies. Equally as shocking is when Zach discovers that Beth is actually alive. Or, at least, is partly alive, since her grave is now empty. However, she doesn’t seem to be acting like her old self.
Aubrey Plaza gives a great performance as Beth and brings some unlikely heart to this zombie dark comedy film. Though it’s not groundbreaking, Life After Beth is still enjoyable and offers something different from the usual The Walking Dead-type zombie tropes.
9. Swiss Army Man
Swiss Army Man is utterly bizarre in the best way possible. Perhaps all you need to know about this movie is that it stars Daniel Radcliffe as a farting corpse.
OK, it’s much more than that. Paul Dano plays a man who is lost and alone on an island and attempts suicide. However, a corpse washes ashore, and he soon discovers that he can manipulate the corpse to do all sorts of things—including riding it like a jet ski or using a certain male body part as a compass. Weird, wild, and immensely watchable.
10. War on Everyone
War on Everyone is a twisted buddy cop comedy, where the two cops are crooked and do everything in their power to frame criminals. However, things take a turn for the worse when they try to blackmail the wrong person, and it isn’t long before they lose control.
This movie is directed by John Michael McDonagh, who also directed the dark comedies, The Guard and Calvary. War on Everyone features debauchery, biting wit, and seriously warped police officers. What more could you want?
Keep on Laughing Through the Dark With Netflix
While it’s true that dark comedies make it easier to process the shocking events of today’s reality, in the end it all comes down to your personal taste. So, while we hope you enjoy these dark comedies, there’s no guarantee you will.
If you want some more traditional laughs, you might enjoy the best British comedies to watch on Netflix.
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