Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Actor: Claudine Acs, Clotilde Hesme, Estéban, Laetitia Dosch, Mélinée Leclerc, Patrick Pineau, Pietro Sermonti
Director: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
If you’re in need of cherring up with some side-splitting hilarity, we can help. Here’s a mixed bag of the funniest movies and shows to stream right now, from dark comedies to witty satire and beyond.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Actor: Claudine Acs, Clotilde Hesme, Estéban, Laetitia Dosch, Mélinée Leclerc, Patrick Pineau, Pietro Sermonti
Director: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Genre: Drama
Actor: Aslihan Gurbuz, Cihat Süvarioğlu, Fatih Artman, Settar Tanrıöğen, Uraz Kaygılaroğlu
Director: Berkun Oya
With all the holiday-themed movies and shows that pop up on streaming at this time of year, it's incredibly refreshing to find one that manages to make a formula work simply by being excellent at its fundamentals. With an eminently likable lead in Katlego Lebogang, Yoh! Christmas (which is based on Netflix's own 2019 Norwegian series Home for Christmas) goes through all the heartbreak and the ridiculousness of app-driven dating in one's thirties with real sincerity. Even if it takes Thando a good long while to find even just a decent match, the show never harbors any resentment towards its characters—grounding everything in its protagonist's very real, complicated fears and insecurities. It's an inviting, comforting watch that moves with a spring in its step and looks fantastic doing it.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Didie Makhubane, Katlego Lebogang, Siya Sepotekele
This Fool is a half-hour, 10-part series following Julio Lopez (played by co-creator Chris Estrada) a self-proclaimed “punk-ass bitch” and pushover who’s still in the process of learning to stand up for himself. Julio works for a gang rehab center called Hugs Not Thugs, where he also helps his cousin Luis (Frankie Quiñones) get back on his feet. It's equal parts silly and sweet, but it also reflects the socio-political problems that tend to pervade Julio and Luis' Southern LA community. References to violence and inequality are as present as they'll be in stories like these, but they're injected here with surreal humor, making it an easygoing but meaningful watch.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Chris Estrada, Frankie Quiñones, Julia Vera, Laura Patalano, Michael Imperioli, Michelle Ortiz
They Cloned Tyrone is a genre-bending gem. It combines Deep State conspiracy theories with sci-fi and social commentary, all while looking like a futuristic 1970s Blaxploitation film. It’s outrageous good fun and pleasing to look at (here is a film that knows how to properly light Black actors), but there are times when it feels too far fetched. The science can get wonky and its commentary on gentrification lacking, but all is forgiven when you have such a strong trio of leads. One of the smartest things They Cloned Tyrone does is pair Boyega with Teyonah Parris, who plays the call girl Yo-yo, and Jamie Foxx, who plays the pimp Slick Charles. They have a fun-loving no-nonsense chemistry about them that makes them easy to attach to and root for. They’re also just very funny, which might be expected of Foxx but it comes as a pleasant surprise for Parris, whose popular turns in Mad Men and WandaVision prove that she’s been severely underutilized as a comic.
Genre: Action, Comedy, Mystery, Science Fiction
Actor: Adam Cronan, Al-Teron, Austin Freeman, Big Boy, Bricine Brown, Charity Jordan, David Alan Grier, David Shae, Elliott Dixon, Eric Robinson Jr., J. Alphonse Nicholson, Jamie Foxx, Jason Burkey, Jason Louder, Jessica Fontaine, John Boyega, Joshua Mikel, Juel Taylor, Justin J. Jordan, Kia Shine, Kiefer Sutherland, Leon Lamar, Marc Inniss, Mark Pettit, Megan Sousa, Michael A. Dean, Nick Arapoglou, Osahon Tongo, Patrick Fleming, Robert Tinsley, Ryan Dinning, Shariff Earp, Shinar Frazier, Suzanne C. Robertson, Swift Rice, Tamberla Perry, Tangela Large, Teyonah Parris, Trayce Malachi
Director: Juel Taylor
Genre: Comedy, Drama, History
Actor: Adrian Scarborough, Alan Bennett, Amanda Donohoe, Anthony Calf, Barry Stanton, Caroline Harker, Charlotte Curley, Clive Brunt, Colin McPhillamy, Cyril Shaps, David Leon, Dermot Keaney, Geoffrey Palmer, Helen Mirren, Iain Mitchell, Ian Holm, Janine Duvitski, Jeremy Child, Jim Carter, Joanna Hall, John Wood, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Julian Wadham, Michael Grandage, Nicholas Irons, Nicholas Selby, Nick Sampson, Nigel Hawthorne, Paul Corrigan, Peter Woodthorpe, Robert Swann, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Roger Hammond, Rupert Everett, Rupert Graves, Selina Cadell, Struan Rodger
Director: Nicholas Hytner
In The Kid Detective, Adam Brody stars as Abe Applebaum, a once-beloved child prodigy turned pathetic P.I. stuck in the glory days of his past. At 32 years old, he’s still solving petty mysteries and coasting on his parents’ money, but things start to change when he is finally dealt with a real, adult case: a murder that confounds even the local police. As Abe uncovers more details about the case, he also unwittingly finds a connection to his traumatic past and begins a long-overdue coming-of-age journey.
Released during the first year of the pandemic, The Kid Detective understandably flew under the radar when it first came out, garnering sufficient critical praise but not enough fanfare. It will no doubt find a second life among film lovers, though; it’s too smart and riveting to go unnoticed. Most impressive is how director Evan Morgan, in his feature debut, deftly balances multiple genres in a movie that often feels as if Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums, Roman Polanski's Chinatown, and modern stoner humor were somehow rolled into one. The gags consistently amuse, the drawn-out mysteries pay off, and the human element persists throughout. Adam Brody, himself a kid celebrity back in the day, expertly carries this delightful and sobering film.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Actor: Adam Brody, Alan Catlin, Alicia Brand, Amalia Williamson, Avery Esteves, Barbara Rajnovich, Bethanie Ho, Brent Skagford, Bruce McFee, Dallas Edwards, David Rosser, Deborah Tennant, Devin Myler, Giovanna Moore, Isaac Kragten, Jake Bell-Webster, Jesse Noah Gruman, Jonathan Whittaker, Kaitlyn Chalmers-Rizzato, Kaleb Horn, Kevin Hoffman, Kira Gelineau, Lisa Truong, Marcia Bennett, Marcus Zane, Marlaina Andre, Maurice Dean Wint, Peter MacNeill, Sarah Sutherland, Sharon Crandall, Sophia Webster, Sophie Nélisse, Sophie Nélisse, Steve Gagne, Tracy Rowland, Tyler Duke, Tzi Ma, Wayne St-George, Wendy Crewson
Director: Evan Morgan
Familiarity breeds contempt, and Swedish Netflix’s new horror-comedy takes this idea to the extreme. Based on the novel by Mats Strandberg, who’s known as the Swedish Stephen King, The Conference is centered around a group of employees on their company retreat. With its ensemble, the film crafts a relatable dynamic, with the exact petty back-and-forth and the same exact corporate politics many adults have to deal with. It’s no wonder one of them snaps, and takes them out one by one. The film isn’t exactly new, with the decades’ collection of slashers all over the world, but this Swedish thriller is a fun take on it, with match cut transitions, quick paced sequences, and the gruesome murders of the group most adults spend time with - their colleagues. It’s an interesting watch as the world gets back to the office.
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Actor: Adam Lundgren, Amed Bozan, Bahar Pars, Cecilia Nilsson, Christoffer Nordenrot, Claes Hartelius, Eva Melander, Jimmy Lindström, Katia Winter, Lola Zackow, Maria Sid, Marie Agerhäll, Martin Lagos, Robert Follin
Director: Patrik Eklund
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Steve Martin
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Ann Wedgeworth, Bibi Besch, Bill McCutcheon, Carol Sutton, Daryl Hannah, Dolly Parton, Dylan McDermott, James Wlcek, Janine Turner, Jonathan Ward, Julia Roberts, Kevin J. O'Connor, Knowl Johnson, Nancy Parsons, Olympia Dukakis, Rick Hurst, Robert Harling, Sally Field, Sam Shepard, Shirley MacLaine, Tom Hodges, Tom Skerritt
Director: Herbert Ross
Reporting for Duty is a delightfully chaotic workplace comedy that seeks nothing more than to entertain, and it fulfills this mission by packing each of its 30-minute episodes with lovable characters and silly plotlines. This alone makes it worth the watch, but it has layers to it that give it more heart and nuance than you’d initially expect. For instance, both the show and the precinct are led by the soft-hearted Suzano (Leandro Hassum), who proves to his team that you don’t always have to be tough and violent to get results. His presence also inspires the precinct to adopt a wider perspective and appreciate life outside the grind-and-hustle culture expected of them. To be sure, Reporting for Duty is a breezy, lighthearted watch, but I appreciate the underlying ideas that fortify its comedy.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Digão Ribeiro, Jefferson Schroeder, Leandro Hassum, Luciana Paes, Taumaturgo Ferreira
There’s a classic male character trope of stoic guys that don’t seem to be fazed by anything. Play It Cool, Guys has an ensemble cast of four of these cool characters, but they aren’t quite put together as others might think. While on the outside, they seemingly handle setbacks easily, the show’s short vignettes and corresponding internal monologues reveal their relatable day-to-day clumsiness. The contrast makes these characters feel so endearing, more so as they get to know each other. As the show progresses with their friendship, the series feels like kind reassurance for all clumsy people out there.
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Actor: Chiaki Kobayashi, Haruka Shiraishi, Kazuyuki Okitsu, Kengo Takanashi, Kohei Amasaki, Koki Uchiyama, Satomi Sato, Seiichiro Yamashita, Shoya Chiba, Taku Yashiro, You Taichi, Yuuichirou Umehara
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Adam Nathan, Bob Koherr, Cam Brainard, John Bolger, Kathy Kinney, Michael Medeiros, Nicholas Hill, Patrick Tull, Richard Ganoung, Steve Buscemi, Victor Rivers, Yolande Bavan
Director: Bill Sherwood
Going to sleep is something we do every day, though, when we were kids, it certainly wasn’t easy. With family-friendly source material and a new (and adorable!) sleepytime ensemble, Orion and the Dark plays with this fact of childhood, but screenwriter Charlie Kaufman transforms it into something more as the title characters journey into literal midnight dreams, tell stories-within-stories, and return back home with a poetic repetition. It still has some of his existential despair– after all, the overly imaginative Orion literally contemplates the possibility of death through his many, many anxieties– but it doesn’t just play with the classic childhood fear. Kaufman transforms the bedtime story, and the act of storytelling itself, as co-creation and connection between generations of filmmakers and viewers, with this film’s surprisingly layered writing.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Actor: Aliki Theofilopoulos, Amy Hill, Angela Bassett, Aparna Nancherla, Carla Gugino, Colin Hanks, Golda Rosheuvel, Hira Ambrosino, Ike Barinholtz, Jack Fisher, Jacob Tremblay, Matt Dellapina, Nat Faxon, Natasia Demetriou, Nick Kishiyama, Paul Walter Hauser, Ren Hanami, Sean Charmatz, Shannon Chan-Kent, Sky Alexis, Toru Uchikado, Walt Dohrn, Werner Herzog
Director: Sean Charmatz
Mythic Quest is a workplace sitcom following the fictional video game studio Mythic Quest HQ. Created by the people behind It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the series is equal parts sentimental and funny, and with each episode running at more or less 30 minutes, it’s also a breeze to watch. This isn't to say that Mythic Quest doesn't have substance; on the contrary, one of its many strengths is its ability to parody the gaming industry. The show is laced with the kind of sharp wit that's found in the smartest of satires.
Gaming enthusiasts will surely find an instant liking to the series, but even those who aren’t familiar with the technicals won’t have any trouble connecting to the show’s sweet center.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Ashly Burch, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, David Hornsby, Imani Hakim, Jessie Ennis, Rob McElhenney