Genre: Animation, Comedy
Actor: Carl Tart, Charlie Bushnell, J. Smith-Cameron, Mike Judge, Zach Woods
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
Actor: Carl Tart, Charlie Bushnell, J. Smith-Cameron, Mike Judge, Zach Woods
Those looking for a nature documentary or cultural deep dive into the ways that sharks really behave and have been perceived throughout human history are likely to be disappointed by this. Sharksploitation only occasionally takes a greater interest in the actual animals that have become staple movie monsters since 1975's Jaws—which makes all of the doc's numerous examples lack a greater connective tissue. But with all that said, it's rare to find what's essentially a catalog of other movies be so amusing just in how it geeks out over its subject matter. Sharksploitation is, at the end of the day, a sincere celebration of B-movies and ripoffs that sheds light on a much weirder but no less passionate side of the film industry. As easy as it is to make fun of the Sharknados of the world, there's a different kind of creativity that goes into films like this. It's a blessing that they don't take themselves so seriously.
Genre: Documentary
Actor: Carl Gottlieb, Chris Kentis, Joe Dante, Johannes Roberts, Roger Corman
Director: Stephen Scarlata
In the vein of crime spoofs like The Naked Gun and The Pink Panther, Sentinelle follows a bumbling police chief who, almost purely by error, gets closer and closer to solving a complex case. Sentinelle himself is stupidly hilarious, a narcissistic dolt who unwittingly makes himself the butt of every joke. But he’s also the only person in this film who is committed to the bit—everyone else plays straight man to his foils, unwilling to participate in the cookiness the movie seems to want to achieve. It’s almost as if Sentinelle accidentally wandered onto a different set, one that’s set to make a straightforward police thriller instead of a silly little comedy. It doesn’t help that Sentinelle’s humor is the only thing he has going for him; outside of the jokes, he’s just a sketch of a character. Besides his music, what does he live for? Besides his ego, what really hurts him? He’s the saving grace of the movie, but we don’t learn enough about him to care.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Emmanuelle Bercot, Gustave Kervern, Jonathan Cohen, Ramzy Bedia, Raphaël Quenard
Director: David Caviglioli, Hugo Benamozig
We’ve all heard of journalists digging up random things to generate headlines, but never to this extent. Obituary follows a freelance obituarist, paid per article, who generates more work through killing. It’s an interesting premise, and Siobhán Cullen excellently portrays Elvira Clancy, with a specific, but believable obsession of death that keeps her interested in her work, but concerns her dad, who pushes her to bereavement counseling. On top of it all, a cute colleague of hers is onto who’s behind the crimes. Elvira is a unique character, one that has potential, but the show’s other characters, the lack of consistency between each episode, and the way information is relayed keeps the series from being totally hilarious and emotionally resonant.
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Actor: Danielle Galligan, David Ganly, Michael Smiley, Ronan Raftery, Siobhán Cullen
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Actor: Adam Basil, Arian Nik, Bharat Mistri, Bobby Naderi, Dan Li, David Witts, Derek Siow, Don Gilet, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Enzo Cilenti, Georgia Goodman, Jason Statham, Jay Rincon, Jemma Redgrave, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Cohen, Josh Hutcherson, Kevin Golding, Kojo Attah, Martin Gordon, Megan Le, Michael Epp, Minnie Driver, Peter Brooke, Phil Hodges, Phylicia Rashād, Rebecca Hazlewood, Reza Diako, Rocci Williams, Sophia Feliciano, Sunny Dhillon, Taylor James, Valentina Novakovic
Director: David Ayer
As the first original Filipino film on Prime Video, Ten Little Mistresses can often feel stuck as an entertaining pitch for a film rather than a fully fleshed out story. Like many mystery-comedies, this is a movie that relies on its star power and its big twists over any convincing narrative or thematic ideas. But oddly enough, the sooner you accept this, the easier the film goes down. As a loud and proud example of camp comedy, even its most ridiculous and incongruous elements feel like an authentic expression of Filipino humor; it never tries to pander to a Western audience that might be expecting something more familiar to their sensibilities. And with a cast this dedicated to out-chewing the scenery from each other, it's hard not to get swept up in the insanity of it all.
Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Actor: Adrianna So, Agot Isidro, Angie Castrence, Arci Muñoz, Carmi Martin, Cherry Pie Picache, Christian Bables, Dolly Dulu, Donna Cariaga, Eugene Domingo, Iana Bernardez, John Arcilla, Kate Alejandrino, Kris Bernal, Pokwang, Sharlene San Pedro
Director: Jun Robles Lana
Suzzanna: Kliwon Friday Night is the second part of a trilogy dedicated to Indonesia’s queen of horror, billed as Suzzanna New Generation. The trilogy recreates three of Suzzanna’s iconic films, and the second installment is based on the 1986 film Malam Jumat Kliwon. The supernatural horror isn’t exactly scary– the film takes a bit too long between the scares, and there are moments that are downright hilarious. However, fans of the original scream queen would appreciate Luna Maya’s take on her demonic role, shifting the sundel bolong into a woman rightfully out for revenge.
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Actor: Achmad Megantara, Baron Hermanto, Clift Sangra, Egy Fedly, Ence Bagus, Luna Maya, Max Yanto, Sally Marcelina, Taskya Namya, Tio Pakusadewo, Yurike Prastica
Director: Guntur Soeharjanto
Miguel Wants to Fight is as straightforward as its title. It has the energy of an early 2000s hijinks teen comedy, complete with (almost) parentless scenes and hypothetical fight scenes. At times, it also feels like a nostalgic action film as it makes homages to the same era. But while those aspects work well, the film goes nowhere thematically. There's no reason to think that fighting would solve Miguel's problems, and they ultimately don't. And any discussion about why people in the neighborhood resort to violence (mistreatment of minorities, toxic masculinity, or as a rite of passage for respect) never finds its way into the script.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Christian Vunipola, Imani Lewis, Raúl Castillo, Suraj Partha, Tyler Dean Flores
Director: Oz Rodriguez
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Alan Chow, Alexandra Witek, Alexis Frias, Allison Winn, Amann Iqbal, Angourie Rice, Ari Notartomaso, Ashley Park, Auli'i Cravalho, Avantika, Bebe Wood, Ben Heineman, Ben Wang, Brian Altemus, Brooke Johnson, Busy Philipps, Calidore Robinson, Calysta R. Eachus, Camille Umoff, Christopher Briney, Colin J. McTernan, Connor D. Paul, Connor Ratliff, Daniela Cassano, Danielle K. Catalano, Ellena Eshraghi, Emely Moreno, Énola Bédard, Eric Patrick Cameron, Fernell Hogan, Francesca Castro, Gabriella Cila, Garid Garcia, Grace Slear, Grant Harrison Mateo, Ian A. Boyce, Isabella Bria Lopez, Ismael Chino, Izzy Bank, Jake Schwencke, James Jones, Janna Graham, Jaquel Spivey, Jazz Jennings, Jenna Fischer, John El-Jor, Jon Hamm, Jordan Gallimore, Jordi, Joshua M. Baer, Joshua P. Doody, Julien F. Miller, Kasey L. Ericson, Kayla LaVine, Kaylee Kaleinani, Kaylin E. DeGroff, Kelsie Daniels, Lindsay Lohan, Mahi Alam, Malachi I. McLean, Mars Avila, Matilde Heckler, Megan Thee Stallion, Meredith Dunbar, Meryem G. Oldro, Morgen McKynzie, Nahscha, Nia Sioux, Nico A. Varone, Nuri Park, Olivia C. Tona, Orlando A. Galazara, Pierson Wodzynski, Reneé Rapp, Ryan J. Horgan, Samantha R. Borsari, Sean G. Haight, Sofia Dobrushin, Soona Lee-Tolley, Stephanie Mincone, Teresa Kissel, Thomas R. Wilson, Tim Meadows, Timothy S. Fletcher, Tina Fey, Vanessa Merrell, Veronica Merrell-Burriss, Veronica S. Taylor, Victoria G. Russo
Director: Arturo Perez Jr., Samantha Jayne
Unabashedly proud of its own weirdness whether you like or not, The (Almost) Legends falls somewhere between being a surreal comedy, a Mexican banda musical, and a racing movie without really fully committing to any one of these identities. The result is a film that thrillingly plays to the beat of its own drum, but also frequently struggles to have all of its flashiness mean something coherent and insightful. Still, while the emotions it hopes to inspire—about coming to terms with grief and taking pride in one's true self—fall somewhat flat, the film's vivid colors, meticulous production direction, and sentimental heart make this kaleidoscope consistently worth keeping an eye on.
Genre: Comedy, Music
Actor: Benny Emmanuel, Dagoberto Gama, Harold Azuara, Nora Velázquez, Silverio Palacios
Director: Ricardo Castro Velázquez
Neon's story of young millennials hustling to make their dreams come true can feel familiar, and it might approach some of its conflicts too lightly for its own good (at least in the first couple episodes watched for this review). But even if it isn't exactly raucously funny yet, it's got a cool, confident foundation of charming characters and fun music to make the episodes go down smooth. Much of the comedy here comes from these people faking it till they hopefully make it, until it becomes plainly obvious that entire industries really do operate on lots of coordinated luck and loophole exploitation. Again, it might not be the most novel insight, but it's delivered here in a stylish way.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Alycia Pascual-Peña, Emma Ferreira, Génesis Rodríguez, Jordan Mendoza, Jordana Brewster, Santiago Cabrera, Tyler Dean Flores
Whodunnits are the cornerstone of murder mysteries, and their occasional resurgence is usually a reprieve from films with more complicated structures and twists. See How They Run gives the Agatha Christie mystery spoof a go, dissecting the cozy mystery conventions anew. With quirky British humor, solid acting, and good period-piece visuals, the familiarity and predictability culminate into an easy, well-paced watch. With no desire to reinvent the genre, the film seems to implore its audience to indulge in self-indulgence. Enjoy watching a piece of cinema for the sake of it.
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Actor: Adrien Brody, Angus Wright, Ania Marson, Charlie Cooper, David Oyelowo, Gregory Cox, Harris Dickinson, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Lucian Msamati, Maggie McCarthy, Paul Chahidi, Pearl Chanda, Philip Desmeules, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Reece Shearsmith, Ruth Wilson, Sam Rockwell, Saoirse Ronan, Shirley Henderson, Sian Clifford, Tim Key, Tolu Ogunmefun
Director: Tom George
Proof that even the most tired tropes (which the holiday genre is arguably entirely made up of at this point) can still be warm and enjoyable with above-average craft and a fun cast, Candy Cane Lane avoids the monotony that tends to plague other Christmas movies. Which isn't to say that the film is a new classic—it still concludes too easily and doesn't give its more emotional side the space to breathe. But with an entertaining fantasy premise (specifically, a sort of scavenger hunt based on The Twelve Days of Christmas) bolstered by strong visual effects and supporting actors who have been given free rein to improvise, the movie stays dynamic and lightly humorous, if a little lacking in substance.
Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Actor: Aidan Kennedy, Ali Astin, Amanda Schoonover, Amy Johnston, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Catherine Dent, Chris Redd, D.C. Young Fly, Danielle Pinnock, David Alan Grier, Eddie Murphy, Genneya Walton, Iman Benson, James DuMont, Jenly Crespo, Jillian Bell, Kelly Younger, Ken Marino, Kevin Olusola, Kimberly Christian, Kirstin Maldonado, Lombardo Boyar, Madison Thomas, Matthew Sallee, Mitch Grassi, Nick Offerman, Preston Galli, Reginald Hudlin, Riki Lindhome, Robin Thede, Scott Hoying, Stephen Tobolowsky, Tallie Brinson, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Tiago Roberts, Timothy Simons, Tracee Ellis Ross, Trevante Rhodes
Director: Reginald Hudlin
As much as the Alabama-bred stand-up comic doesn't fit into the stereotype of someone with an online presence, Dusty Slay's comedy special can't help but feel like you're scrolling through the Twitter feed of someone's funny but incoherent (and most likely high) thoughts. There isn't much connective tissue to be found in Workin' Man, which doesn't necessarily weaken his jokes—many of which are actually these amusing, absurd observations on everyday life—but definitely makes all the little silences feel much longer, and leaves you looking for some sort of primary theme to really bring the show home. Still, the fact that a self-proclaimed stoner is actually this normal and unassuming (as opposed to a few other comics who can get dark and aggressive with their drug-related content) is pretty refreshing, all things considered.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Dusty Slay
Sengoku Youko isn’t bad. With a historical setting, fantastic powers, decent action, and teenagers out to save the world despite societal differences, the anime has teen-friendly entertainment that anyone can enjoy. So far, the show is a better adaptation than mangaka Satoshi Mizukami’s other work Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer, so fans of the artist would appreciate the dedication in adapting this story. However, with early 2024’s slate of boundary-pushing fantasy anime, the show doesn’t really stand out with its dated 2010s tropes and slightly derivative character designs. For viewers seeking for more fantasy, Sengoku Youko isn’t a bad watch, but there’s far better series currently available right now.
Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Aina Suzuki, Aki Toyosaki, Ayahi Takagaki, Hiroki Nanami, Hiroki Touchi, Kazuki Miyagi, Kenji Nomura, Kenjiro Tsuda, Maaya Uchida, Ryohei Kimura, Soma Saito, Tetsu Inada, Tomoyo Kurosawa, Yuuki Takada