The 20 Most Underrated Dark Comedy Movies, Ranked

Comedy is one genre that doesn’t get enough credit. It can lift spirits and bring about a much-needed laugh during tough times. Sometimes, because of the lightheartedness in comedy, it can go to places that would otherwise seem unimaginable. That’s where dark comedies find their footing, emphasizing biting satire and bold choices far from the usual jokes.

Dark comedy movies connect for a variety of reasons. They’re not bound by just one genre, and often reach into others for the ideal cinematic recipe. Some may have drawn praise but failed to find an audience. Others just don’t get enough credit for their success in making unique material work. These are the 20 most underrated comedy movies you may have missed, ranked.

20 Serious Moonlight (2009)

A married couple needs a new start after finding themselves growing apart. The wife, Louise, thinks an unannounced visit to their secluded vacation spot will make things better. She couldn’t be more wrong as her husband, Ian, has other plans in mind. His affair leads Louise to take matters into her own hands. It gets even more complicated thanks to one expected visitor and one very unwelcome guest.

What Makes Serious Moonlight Great

The film finds its heart thanks to a well-crafted screenplay by Adrienne Shelly. The talented writer, director, and actress met with tragedy before Serious Moonlight’s filming began. Instead, Cheryl Hines, better known for her role on Curb Your Enthusiasm, took on directorial duties. Her debut showed a welcome confidence that worked well with stars Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton.

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19 Deadstream (2022)

Deadstream gives social media stars and influencers the horror comedy treatment. The film follows a former star whose luck seems to have run out. He attempts a comeback that promises to be a trending topic. Unfortunately, he chooses a house that isn’t welcoming to human guests. He’s soon fighting for survival while creating a bloody internet sensation.

What Makes Deadstream Great

The film makes its mark as social commentary, challenging the fascination with social media personalities. It also finds satire in the growing popularity of celebrities in the paranormal sector. Joseph and Vanessa Winter make the most of the well-timed jump scares and creepy atmosphere in this compelling project.

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18 Scare Package (2019)

A video store is home to an anthology of dark comedy and terror in Scare Package. This film centers around Chad, better known as Rad Chad. His store’s selection offers the backdrop for various genre vignettes. Meanwhile, viewers begin to wonder what is really going on with the curious leading man.

Related:10 Black Comedy Movies with Extremely Dark Endings

What Makes Scare Package Great

The film isn’t a big-budget entry; writer and director Aaron B. Koontz embraces the limited funds but doesn’t skimp on what matters. Koontz, along with the talented cast, show off their love of the genre with clever stories. Horror fans were quick to embrace the project. It was followed by the dark comedic sequel Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge.

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17 Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Horror personality Elvira transitions from TV to the big screen in this aptly titled film. The comedy sees her inherit a home far from LA. She sets out to transform not only the home but the uptight community around her. It doesn’t hurt that the inheritance includes a bit of magic.

What Makes Elvira: Mistress of the Dark Great

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is simply a fun movie. Cassandra Peterson gives her famous character the star treatment. Elvira is bold, unafraid, and full of wisecracks that will enthrall viewers. The film especially lives up to its potential with a not-so-innocent town picnic that descends into hilarious chaos.

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16 After Hours (1985)

Paul Hackett’s life is far from normal, even if he hoped it would be. One night in the man’s life reveals a myriad of strange events. It’s a memorable couple of hours that challenges the mild-mannered figure’s concept of New York City, as he desperately wants to get back to a familiar place.

What Makes After Hours Great

After Hours ranks as one of Martin Scorsese’s lesser-known films. The director embraces a dark comedic aspect that is rarely highlighted by film fans. One thing that is instantly recognizable is the aesthetic, which firmly places New York City as a central figure. It leans towards realism while allowing various levels of peculiarity.

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15 Election (1999)

School elections provide fertile ground for dark comedy in Election. The Alexander Payne film sees teacher Jim McAllister going to war against overly ambitious student Tracy Flick. The possibility of Flick becoming school president is more than McAllister can bear. His plans to stop her once and for all, including finding the perfect opposition.

What Makes Election Great

Election may have been met with low box office numbers, but it eventually made its way into cult film discussions. Alexander Payne proves his abilities with the dark comedy genre, something that would pay off later with dramedies like Sideways and The Holdovers. It also shows Reese Witherspoon is more than capable of playing multi-layered characters.

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14 Serial Mom (1994)

A seemingly perfect housewife, Beverly, lives up to all the usual stereotypes. Her gentle demeanor is put to the test thanks to a less-than-flattering teacher. Becoming a murderer is easier than Beverly anticipated, a decision that sets off the once unassuming woman and leaves everyone in danger. A high-profile arrest and subsequent trial may be the best (or worst) thing that’s ever happened to her.

What Makes Serial Mom Great

Writer and director John Waters once again challenges the conventions of suburbia. While his other efforts get more praise and attention, Serial Mom feels like an instant cult classic from the Pope of Trash. It’s all the more intriguing thanks to Kathleen Turner’s masterful performance.

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13 The World’s End (2013)

Middle-aged friends reunite after missing their old days partying together. The unlikely group decide to complete a famous pub crawl, hoping to wind up at a bar called World’s End. Everything doesn’t go as planned, as they face an unexpected and sudden threat of androids posing as humans, while learning surprising details about one another. What follows is a fight to survive in classic Simon Pegg style.

What Makes The World’s End Great

The World’s End marks the end of the beloved Cornetto Trilogy. The trilogy’s previous entries, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, both seem to have found their fanbases. World’s End feels like it has been left behind and could use a cinematic renaissance. It’s a deeply satisfying film that takes chances, especially in the third act.

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12 Frankenhooker (1990)

Wannabe scientist Jeffrey feels like his life is finally complete. His upcoming marriage should be a blissful time, but a surprising incident leads to tragedy. The death of his fiancé sends the man’s life into disarray. He soon concocts a plan to bring her back to life. But it isn’t an easy task, and the modern-day Dr. Frankenstein goes in search of a new body for his lost love.

What Makes Frankenhooker Great

Director Frank Henenlotter seems at home in the horror comedy genre, also helming Basket Case and Brain Damage. His eye for the urban macabre is on display with those titles as well as Frankenhooker. The latter represents an even deeper dive into the grit and grime of late ’80s and early ’90s New York.

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11 Eating Raoul (1982)

Apartment dwellers can have very different lifestyles, something that causes an interesting problem. A couple finds themselves facing neighbors with contrasting opinions and views on sexuality. The clash of personalities comes to an abrupt halt thanks to a deadly resolution. It also gives a man and his wife the restaurant they never thought possible.

What Makes Eating Raoul Great

Eating Raoul explores the perceptions between what is perversion and what is pleasure. It’s a darkly comedic story that isn’t afraid to challenge conventions. Critics readily embraced the film, but it has become a hidden gem in the decades since its release.

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10 Dead Alive (1992)

Lionel is trying to make a life of his own, but his mother, Vera, isn’t interested. Her control is threatened after Lionel meets a woman and Vera undergoes a savage animal bite. Soon, Lionel is facing an undead mother who is spreading the disease throughout the community. What seemed like a chance at a normal life becomes a fight for survival as the zombie outbreak grows.

What Makes Dead Alive Great

Peter Jackson is beloved for his Lord of the Rings films, but his background in horror has its cult fans. Dead Alive (also known as Braindead) doesn’t hold back in its gore, and is not for the faint of heart. The film finds satisfying humor among the bloody, oozing mess of events. A party scene, complete with a lawnmower grinding through guests, is a brutal highlight.

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9 Rubber (2010)

Horror history is full of the usual slashers, but none of them are quite like Rubber. This film within a film sees a sentient tire go on a killing spree, murdering various people it encounters. Rubber‘s initial narrator returns at the end of the film to bring the entire story full circle.

What Makes Rubber Great

Rubber is a great example of relying on practical effects. This absurd exploration of nothingness utilizes a host of tricks to make the tire come to life. Having an actual item on site gives the film a sense of realism that would otherwise seem completely impossible.

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8 Barton Fink (1991)

A writer in the ’40s finds his dream job writing screenplays. Barton Fink’s dream soon becomes a nightmare as he faces deadlines and a serious case of writer’s block. The new job is just one of the character’s headaches, as the world around him becomes stranger and stranger.

What Makes Barton Fink Great

The Coen brothers teamed up for this early project, a hybrid of several genres. This time, director Joel Coen takes on a script co-written with his brother Ethan. Barton Fink also features a great performance by John Turturro as the title character.

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7 American Splendor (2003)

The story of Harvey Pekar’s life is explored in American Splendor. This biopic looks at the comic book creator and writer as he goes about making his art. The film balances excellent performances with moments featuring the real Pekar and his wife, Joyce. Some portions of the film also rely on comic book-style animation to tell the full story.

What Makes American Splendor Great

American Splendor was well-received among critics and found somewhat of a following in the years since its release. It deserves a revisit thanks in part to the outstanding work of Paul Giamatti. The award-winning actor doesn’t simply mimic Pekar, instead giving the role a sense of realism and depth. Hope Davis offers a perfect complement to his performance, embodying much of what makes Joyce more than just a supportive wife.

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6 The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz

A child struggles with the concepts of gender and sexuality. His governess confronts him after seeing his gender-based experimentation and is killed shortly afterward. To the boy, his wishes for her demise lead to the brutal event. As an adult, he carries these feelings about women to another level.

What Makes The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz Great

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz subverts what many think about this period in film history. Its bold look at the issues surrounding sexuality and the topic’s influence on the lead character is fascinating. Many will see obvious thematic connections to the films of Alfred Hitchcock.The film is also full of memorable shots, owing a great deal to Agustín Jiménez’s cinematography.

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5 Mars Attacks! (1996)

Martians make their way to Earth and surprise a cast of quirky characters. It’s not long before the film lives up to its name, and they attempt a takeover of the planet. Humanity finds itself facing total extermination at the hands of this retro-loving alien race. Set in various locations, the film’s most memorable moments take place in Nevada.

What Makes Mars Attacks! Great

Director Tim Burton brings his unique style to Mars Attacks! This adaptation of a trading card series features a creative aesthetic that is hard to match, and takes its cues from ’50s sci-fi films. Unconventional characters as well as interesting cameos make this one worth discovering.

Mars Attacks! fans, ever a cult following, seem to be growing — Spirit Halloween stores added a full-size alien animatronic to their 2023 lineup.

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4 The Cable Guy (1996)

Jim Carrey stars as Chip Douglas, a cable employee who attempts to insert himself into the life of Steven Kovacs. The latter isn’t interested in being Douglas’s acquaintance, much less his friend. The more Kovacs rebuffs Douglas, the more frightening he becomes.

Related: 20 Dark Comedy Movies That Are More Disturbing Than Funny

What Makes The Cable Guy Great

The Cable Guy was a misunderstood film upon release. Director Ben Stiller, who has since skillfully helmed episodes of Severance, presented a disturbing vision beyond the usual comedic sensibilities. His attention to the darker aspects of Carrey’s character was spot on and deserved far more credit.

It was also key for Carrey to break away from the standard fare he had been known for, establishing himself as a capable dramatic actor — even though the role is still quite absurd.

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3 The Player (1992)

Director Robert Altman’s satire shines a light on Hollywood egos and the unrelenting quest for success. The Player sees a major power player, Griffin Mill, face a screenwriter who might be behind recent threats he received. A series of events leads to Mill becoming a murderer. His best production may be the one that sees him get away with the crime.

What Makes The Player Great

The Player is the perfect Hollywood satire. Altman, whose filmography is full of classics, creates a modern noir wrapped in the package of a dark comedy. Tim Robbins doesn’t fall into the usual traps with this type of character. The actor instead keeps the character’s demeanor at perfect levels of conceitedness.

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2 Death at a Funeral (2007)

A man’s death leaves a British family reeling in Death at a Funeral. Their plans for a simple and respectful funeral are thwarted thanks to several disastrous events. One soon-to-be in-law mistakenly gets high after taking medication.

Another guest’s mystery turns out to be a shocking twist for the deceased’s straight-laced adult children. The film was remade in 2007 with Peter Dinklage reprising his original role.

What Makes Death at a Funeral Great

It doesn’t sound like a comedy based on grief would work, but this film is packed with hilarious moments and surprises. Director Frank Oz doesn’t waste a scene, instead packing each one with plot points that pay off throughout the film. Death at a Funeral includes great performances by Dinklage, Matthew Macfadyen, Rupert Graves, and Alan Tudyk.

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1 Birdman (2014)

Birdman, also known as Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), tells the story of an actor searching for redemption. Riggan Thomson hopes to put his past blockbusters behind him as he mounts an ambitious Broadway run.

The show itself is plagued with issues, and Thomson manages frayed personal connections with an ex-wife and daughter. Making matters worse, he’s finding competition in a last-minute cast addition and scorn from a respected theater critic.

What Makes Birdman Great

The film may have won the Academy Award for Best Picture, but many viewers are still in the dark about this modern classic. Director Alejandro González Iñárritu, along with visionary cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, put together an enthralling cinematic magic trick that makes the film look like it is all one take, though the 16 takes it actually consists of is still very impressive — it requires more than one viewing to fully appreciate.

Michael Keaton turns in a career-defining performance that touches on his past role as Batman, and still resonates to this day. It was more than deserving of a Best Actor Oscar.

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