Some comedies are slow burners, while others start with a bang. However, most popular comedies get funnier as the plot thickens and twists revealmore impossible ways to be funny. It is incredibly important that these comedies be mindful of the pace of the unfolding events and do not end up being bloated. There are several examples of films that only get funnier and seem effortless in doing so. This entirely lies in thecomic timing between the actorsand how convincingly a story is able to shock and awe.
Sasha Baron Cohen, for example, is masterful at this, as he stretches the ends of comedy in films without breaking. Here are 10 films that only keep getting funnier and do not stop with their surprises.
10Bridesmaids
Bridesmaidsis a laughter fest starring Kristen Wiig as Annie, who is on a downward spiral in her personal and professional life as her best friend Lillian, played by Maya Rudolph, gets engaged, and her cupcake shop gets out of business. To make matters worse, the most coveted space of the maid of honor seems to have competition from Helen, played by Rose Byrne.
The film starts off as a drama, with Annie questioning her life decisions. However, as Annie meets the other bridesmaids and Helen, things turn into a laughter riot. Megan, played by Melissa McCarthy, is the highlight of the film with her physical comedy and Kristen Wiigpushes her limits to portray Annie’s envyand frustration as she hits rock bottom. The film was directed by Paul Feig, who had previously directed several episodes ofThe Office.McCarthy was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance, and Wiig along with Annie Mumolo was nominated for Best Screenplay.
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Superbadis the quintessential millennial coming-of-age film written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who named the leading characters of the film by the same name. Seth and Evan, played by Jonah Hill and Michael Cera respectively, enjoy the last few days together before they head to college and make a pact to become thelife of the party in their high schoolat least once before college.
Honestly, the film has no shortage of laughs from the opening credits. However, the wild card of the film is Fogell, played by Christopher Mintz Plasse, who is full of surprises. Things do not go as expected for Seth and Evan either, but Fogell has the time of his life with his rendezvous with two corrupt policemen played by Seth Rogen and Bill Hader. Surprisingly, Fogell is also able to win over a lady for his confidence, which no one sees coming, but the young actor is able to embody his journey with comedic finesse.
8Idiocracy
Idiocracyis lunacy on steroids as the movie takes one to the fictional future of Earth’s civilization where sanity has gone for a toss. The film stars Luke Wilson as Joe Bowers, who is an average American transported to the future with a sex worker named Rita as a part of a military experiment. However, Joe finds out that he is the brainiac in the new future, as human intelligence finds a new low. The film is directed by Mike Judge and is loud and bold in making statements about the future. Hyper-commercialization, anti-intellectualism, capitalism, consumerism, and over-population have turned humans into a sub-par specie and the film portrays the same through an idiotic president played by Terry Crews and an irrigation system powered by electrolyte. The filmleans towards stupidity and is outrageous in its claimsbut has become a cult classic in the subsequent years as the world questions capitalism and its side effects.
7The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virginis straight about its premise. If the title is not enough to make anyone laugh, Steve Carell sells the character of a middle-aged man crippled with social anxiety around women aptly. The film is directed by Judd Apatow and stars Carell as Andy, a stereotypical man who is yet to get in touch with his sexual side. However, Andy falls in love with Trish, played by Catherine Keener, and his coworkers attempt at boosting his self-confidence for his first-time experience.
The lengths Andy and his friends go to make him comfortable with the idea of human nudity and dating women keep getting better and better, with Andy almost developing an alter ego so far away from his reality. In a popular scene, Andy shaves off his chest hair cussing his masseuse which leaves the audience in splits. The film launched Carell’s successful film career and also had a ripple effect inmakingThe Officesuccessful, where Carell plays Michael Scott.
6The Hangover
The Hangovertoo has the avalanche effect when it comes to the comedic impact, which enlarges as the plot thickens. The film stars Bradley Cooper as Phil, Ed Helms as Stew, and Zach Galifianakis as Alan, who call themselves the wolf pack as they have a literal unforgettable night at their friend’s bachelor party. The film led to one of the most expensive and successful comedy franchises, wherethe three friends trace back their nightto find Doug, who is to get married the next day. The night reveals their wild side, which leads to a broken tooth, a monkey, a baby, a fake marriage, and an unfortunate night with a wanted criminal among others. Galifianakis’s portrayal of Alan becomes the focus of physical comedy in the film as the character is shown to be half-witted, clumsy, and worships Phil like his big brother.
5The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowskiis hard to capture in a sentence, as the film is more about the essence of dry humor than what really makes it funny. This Coen brothers’ directorial is about the Dude’s life going haywire when he least expects it.Jeff Bridges plays Jeff Lebowski, aka the Dude, who has a live-and-let-life policy and wants to remain passive in life. However, Lebowski finds himself in the middle of chaos as he is mistaken to be another person who shares the same name as his. Crime, chaos, and danger follow Lebowski as he struggles to keep up with the entanglement he finds himself if. To add to his miseries are his good-for-nothing amigos played by John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, who take pleasure in loud words and empty efforts. The film gets funnier with the Dude being forced to protect his life when he philosophically believed in staying away from the serious matters of life.
4Meet The Fockers
Meet The Fockersis directed by Jay Roach and stars dramatic veterans like Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Barbra Streisand in comic roles. The film is a sequel toMeet The Parentswhere Greg, played by Ben Stiller, tries hard to please his fiancé’s parents, mostly her father Jack Byrnes, played by Robert De Niro. In the sequel, it is time for the Byrnes to meet Greg’s parents, the Fockers. The film is a laughter riot from the beginning, with the fair and square Byrnes meeting the lively and extroverted Fockers.
Bernie Focker,played by Dustin Hoffman, shares a physically affectionate relationship with his wife Roz Focker, played by Streisand, which is in contrast to the Byrnes who are restrained and disciplinarian. The scenes where the two families try to bond are peak hilarity as Greg’s embarrassing childhood gets public. However, the worse is yet to happen when Jack finds a young boy who is a look-alike of Greg and assumes to be his estranged son. As Jack takes the matter into his own hands, he is in for surprises and so is the audience.
3The Dictator
The Dictatoris Sacha Baron Cohen at his peak with a ridiculous story about a dictator named Aladeen who runs his country Wadiya by his stupid impulses. The film is directed by Larry Charles and has several jaw-dropping moments topping each other as the plot progresses. The film starts with establishing how Aladeen runs Wadiya, creating utter chaos in the country. Women have no rights, his government is barely functioning, and he is more concerned with sleeping with celebrities in his big castle. However, after he gets backstabbed by his right-hand man and uncle Tamir,played by Ben Kingsley, Aladeen is forced out of Wadiya and his replaced by a look-alike shepherd who works as a puppet under Tamir.
As Aladeen is forced into democracy in America, the film takes a new spin, with the dictator adjusting to civilian life in a way more progressive America. Then the unthinkable happens when he realizes the civilians he had executed in Wadiya are living happy lives in America. Thus, the film keeps pushing the boundaries of its humor till its last moment, which makes the film a laugh-out-loud experience.
2Tropic Thunder
Tropic Thunderis a satirical take on Hollywood and its fetishization of war films in order to portray its moral superiority. The film follows Tugg Speedman, played by Ben Stiller, who is tired of doing repetitive commercial films and wants to finally do a film that would prove his chops as a dramatic actor. To achieve this, he decides to shoot a film in Vietnam with a group of actors who are buffoons. One of them is Kirk Lazarus,played by Robert Downey Jr., who is a method actor and undergoes skin pigmentation to play a black actor in the film.
The film takes an ugly turn when the Speedman is abducted by gunmen in the forests of Vietnam, and it reaches new heights in politically incorrect humor. The film also stars Tom Cruise in a cameo as Les Grossman, who plays a foul-mouthed studio executive who gets colorful while blasting off at the actors stranded in the forest. The film isstill considered controversial for taking it too farat times, which makes it a special film for taking risks in satirizing its own tribe of filmmakers.
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Due Dateis another film that follows a string of events that ends with a crescendo. The film was directed by Todd Philips who had previously directedThe Hangoverand re-collaborates with Zach Galifianakis who is seen in a similar avatar inDue Date.The film also stars Robert Downey Jr, who plays Peter, an expected father tricked by a struggling actor named Ethan,played by Galifianakis, to accompany him while he completes the last rites after his father’s demise. Along with the heartfelt story lies a sinister motive and a road full of life-threatening accidents. Peter has no choice but to stick with Ethan, which makes it funnier. Galifianakis plays a version of Alan fromThe Hangoverin a parallel universe where he is a struggling actor who confuses Shakespeare with a pirate names Shakes Beard. Some might find it repetitive, and others would not get enough of Ethan’s self-destructive humour.
