134 Best Comedy Movies to WatchBest TV-MA Movies to Watch (Page 9)

In the sea of adult animation, Captain Fall floats in on a crime-packed cruise ship under the charge of the most unqualified man, Jonathan Fall. Although there are unsavory characters, the show never goes into the childish crass humor employed by many of its contemporaries. It also doesn't shy away from grotesque violence and pokes fun at the dangerous and exploitative things rich people willingly pay for. It's not all cynical though, as we mostly follow an earnest captain who just wants his parents' love. Captain Fall is a watchable crime-comedy that balances out its cartoonish parts with the impending countdown to expose this crime ring. 

Genre: Animation, Comedy

Actor: Adam Devine, Alejandro Edda, Anthony Carrigan, Christopher Meloni, Jason Ritter

Rating: TV-MA

Life can be funny sometimes, with the way accidents can lead us to what would make the entirety of our lives. Usually, these accidents lead us to a new career, maybe the love of our life, and sometimes a new life path altogether, but for recently discharged Lee Tang in A Killer Paradox, it leads to finding that his talent is killing evildoers, accidentally or otherwise. It’s funny to see Lee accidentally getting away with murder and the way his imagination conceives of his serial killer victims, but the show also gets into intriguing thought experiments about the morality of his actions, as well as the way we try to reconcile the tragedy of a lost life, with the terrible consequences of the actions they did with their lives. It’s enjoyable, with the great cast and the unique cinematography, but the writing, structure, and thriller aspects fail to maximize what’s so interesting about A Killer Paradox.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery

Actor: Choi Woo-shik, Lee Hee-jun, Son Suk-ku

Director: Lee Chang-hee

Rating: TV-MA

With podcasts, online music services, and of course, video, radio might not have the same relevance as it did back then, but it’s still alive and changing with the times today. In The Know satirizes modern day public radio, portraying a more narcissistic fictional radio team behind the airwaves, but it does so in a charming way that makes the station feel lived in. Part of this feeling is ShadowMachine’s expressive, well-crafted stop-motion animation style, but part of it stems from how specific the humor gets to be, poking light fun at the very insecurity that drives their (and today’s) self-absorption. Being this specific, the humor hits sporadically for some viewers like myself, who would prefer to watch a show rather than listen to one, but In The Know might be entertaining enough for NPR fans and those keeping themselves up-to-date with American pop culture.

Genre: Animation, Comedy

Actor: Carl Tart, Charlie Bushnell, J. Smith-Cameron, Mike Judge, Zach Woods

Rating: TV-MA

Based on a PlayStation game of the same name, Twisted Metal has a lot of the bullet-heavy, high-speed action of the original but with a lot more characters and backstory thrown in the mix. It certainly scratches a nostalgic itch for those who played the game growing up, especially once big names like Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, and Will Arnet (or his voice at least) bring familiar characters to life. But beyond all the furtive action and winks and nods made to the video game, there is little about Twisted Metal that’s likable, much less watchable. Sure, it’s fun to see guns go boom and cars go vroom, but the core of the series never feels substantial enough to justify its existence. You might enjoy watching it, but you likely won’t remember much of it. 

Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy

Actor: Anthony Mackie, Samoa Joe, Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Haden Church, Will Arnett

Rating: TV-MA

Agent Elvis is the latest reimagining of the King, this time as a cool and collected James Bond-esque spy in a 60s neon-lit world. The adult animation series takes fun and unserious turns, in 1960s world history and also in Elvis’ life. The show turns faulty on-stage shows into recollecting spy trauma, poor film performances into body doubles that step in during his missions, and pins known financial troubles to a cartoon monkey. It’s an interesting approach from co-creators John Eddie and ex-wife Priscilla, along with some cool animated sequences. It would have been successful in reimagining Elvis at his best, if the comedy was funny enough to match.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Actor: Don Cheadle, Johnny Knoxville, Kaitlin Olson, Matthew McConaughey, Niecy Nash, Tom Kenny

Rating: TV-MA

Heist movies and TV shows as of late have been trying to experiment with form more than substance. In the case of the Italian series Everybody Loves Diamonds, we're shown the actual heist right from the beginning, as the show then moves back and forth through time to track the investigators right on the thieves' tails, as well as the delicate alliances that hang in the balance if the protagonists don't get away scot-free. There's a lightheartedness in the storytelling (complete with direct-to-camera address) that allows some of the more familiar elements to go down easily, and the more convoluted plot details to feel more like they're just part of the messiness of real life.

Unfortunately, the fact that the series doesn't innovate nearly as much with its actual story eventually catches up with it. At the end of the day, it still feels as if Everybody Loves Diamonds is counting on our being familiar with the heist formula to become invested, rather than giving us more substantial characters with motive. It doesn't help that the performances can't always get on the show's wavelength; many of the actors have trouble locating themselves between the serious and the comedic, which may be just as much a problem with the scripts, too.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Actor: Anna Foglietta, Carlotta Antonelli, Gianmarco Tognazzi, Johan Heldenbergh, Kim Rossi Stuart, Leonardo Lidi, Synnøve Macody Lund

Director: Gianluca Maria Tavarelli

Rating: TV-MA

Buddy comedies, especially those that pair up total opposites, are almost guaranteed to be fun at the beginning, just from the surprise factor of having these personalities clash. But a show needs more than that to sustain interest, and The Brothers Sun just doesn't fill out its characters enough beyond their respective archetypes within the first two episodes watched for this review. So far, this is a series that seems to be built around moments—in particular, the impressively choreographed fight scenes that communicate both peril and comedy—but without more substantial themes to prop itself up. It's definitely slickly made and has production values to show off, but it can't help but feel like it's just ticking boxes.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama

Actor: Highdee Kuan, Joon Lee, Justin Chien, Michelle Yeoh, Sam Li

Rating: TV-MA

Social media has undeniably changed the way we perceive each other, and Netflix’s South African series Miseducation understands this. The show has fun getting its characters canceled online and getting them to ridiculous antics to make up for it. The cast, including the charismatic Buntu Petse and the hilarious Prev Reddy, seems to have a great time getting into hijinks only university life offers. However, inconsistent characterizations and being unwilling to get more deep keep this show from meeting its full potential. It’s still a fun watch, if you’re into soapy teenage comedies.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Buntu Petse, Lunga Shabalala, Micaela Jade Tucker, Mpho Sebeng, Prev Reddy

Rating: TV-MA