Summary
British humor has always been perfectly suited to dark comedies, and many of the funniest British movies of all time are about death, pain and suffering. Dark humor has historically provided a respite for people who otherwise wouldn’t discuss taboo topics, so it’s no surprise that it has taken hold in British society, which has gone through periods of social conservatism embodied by the national ideal of keeping a stiff upper lip.
Many of Britain’s funniest filmmakers tend to explore dark subjects. Monty Python, Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris have all used humor to explore Britain’s attitude toward death, political corruption, religious zealotry and other topics which aren’t openly discussed as often as they should be. Britain has always had a dark sense of humor, and this is reflected in some of the country’s favorite comedy movies.
10 Most Controversial Comedy Movies Of All Time
Comedy movies can easily cross the line between funny and offensive, with many ending up being too controversial for different reasons.
15The Double (2013)
Jesse Eisenberg Plays Against Himself
Richard Ayoade is a British actor, TV presenter and author, but he has also proven himself to be a great director when given the chance. After his coming-of-age comedy-dramaSubmarine,Ayoade’s second movie adapted a lesser-known novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.The Doublestars Jesse Eisenberg as a sheepish man stuck in a bleak office job whose small life gets usurped by his doppelgänger.Ayoade uses the grim, dispassionate industrial landscape as the setting for plenty of dark humor about identity and fate.Fortunately, Ayoade is now making his long-awaited return to directing with an adaptation of a George Saunders story.
Death at a Funeraltracks the chaos that unfolds as a dysfunctional family are reunited following the death of their patriarch.Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen is the middle child tasked with keeping everything together while his extended family accidentally drug one another, and he is blackmailed by his father’s former lover, played by Peter Dinklage.Death at a Funeralis a slapstick farce about the ways that people, particularly British people, grieve for their loved ones. The funeral is a social minefield, not allowing the family a moment’s rest.
In the Loopbridges the gap between Armando Iannucci’s two greatest political satires,The Thick of ItandVeep.Peter Capaldi’s Malcolm Tucker is suddenly faced with an assortment of American “allies” for him to contend with as Britain and the USA weigh up the pros and cons of military intervention in the Middle East. The story skewers the build-up to the Iraq War, but the politicians remain focused on their own public image and their stature more than the possible effects of the war itself. James Gandolfini is outstanding as a brash American general.
Guy Ritchie’s best moviesare mostly crime capers, although he has had success in other genres.Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelswas Ritchie’s debut, and he immediately established his confident style. The heist comedy features a complex web of unsavory characters colliding and colluding with one another on the mean streets of Ritchie’s London. Funny nicknames and creative profanity abound, butLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrelssaves its most tragicomic image for last, as one particularly hapless criminal is left hanging over the edge of a bridge, about to inadvertently dispose of the most valuable prize he has come across.
The second movie inEdgar Wright’s Cornetto trilogytakes a step away from the horror genre, but there is just as much death and gore.Hot Fuzzlifts the lid on quaint English pastoral life to reveal a violent cult running their small village like a criminal empire. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are always a joy to watch, but formerJames Bondstar Timothy Dalton is just as hilarious as a devilish supermarket baron.Hot Fuzzlovingly pokes fun at overblown action movies likeBad BoysandLethal Weapon,contrasting the American fantasy of hero cops with Britain’s more ordinary police.
American audiences mostly know Alex Guinness as Ben Kenobi in the originalStar Warsmovie, but he had a long and illustrious career in British cinema before becoming a Jedi.Guinness excelled in both dramatic and comedic roles, andThe Ladykillersis one of his most popular Ealing comedies.He plays the leader of a gang of thieves who realize they must reluctantly kill an elderly woman before she rats them out to the police. They draw lots to decide who should be burdened with the task, but these are not honorable men, and they quickly turn against one another in a frantic power struggle.
Chris Morris has been one of Britain’s sharpest satirists since lampooning the sensationalist urges of news media in the 1990s withThe Day TodayandBrass Eye. Four Lionsis his directorial debut, and it attracted the kind of controversy that Morris must be accustomed to by now.Four Lionsfollows a group of dim-witted wannabe terrorists as they undergo training and plan an attack on a marathon. The premise seems to revel in bad taste, but in practice,Four Lionsis a full-hearted takedown of the backward logic of fanaticism. Riz Ahmed is superb throughout, andBenedict Cumberbatch has an unforgettable role as a useless hostage negotiator.
Armando Iannucci’sThe Death of Stalintells the true story of the petty infighting among Joseph Stalin’s closest advisers and allies immediately after his death. However, the dialogue sounds decidedly contemporary, and the actors each use their natural accents. The idea is that there are plenty of parallels to be seen between the absurd bureaucracy of the Soviet Union and the modern political machine in both the UK and the USA.The various scheming politicians are played by brilliant comedic actors from both sides of the Atlantic, but Jason Isaacs delivers the most surprising performance as the bullish leader of the army.
Trainspottingfollows a group of heroin addicts living in poverty in Edinburgh. When one of them has the opportunity to achieve something better with their life, either by sobering up or getting a job, the others invariably drag them back into their old habits.Trainspottingis as dark as dark comedy gets, with characters glossing over the dire circumstances of their lives and the endless procession of tragedies which befall their small, run-down community. When it matters,Trainspottingalso manages to deliver a devastating emotional finale.
Withnail & Itells the story of the worst holiday imaginable, as two struggling actors take a break from London to stay in a cottage in England’s Lake District. The weather is awful, they get in fights with the locals, and one of them only narrowly avoids being sexually assaulted.Withnail & Ihas earned cult classic statusfor its endlessly quotable dialogue and its grim comedic tone. Richard E. Grant’s Withnail is now a beloved British character, as the alcoholic actor embodies hedonism and self-indulgence without restraint.
