Hulu's Self Reliance, directed by Jake Johnson and starring Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick, portrays the dangerous life of Tommy, who agrees to join a reality show where others will try to kill him whenever he is alone. But, due to the rules of the game, Tommy is safe whenever he is with other people. So, to survive the thirty days he has to get through the game, Tommy joins forces with Maddy, a woman who is also participating in the show. The duo's collaboration encourages them to step out of their comfort zone of being okay being alone and has them see the fun and benefits of participating in the world around them.
Self Reliance's identity as a comedy thriller allows it to lean into the bizarre elements of the life-threatening adventure. The Hulu original movie is one of the latest in the exciting subgenre that offers an action-adventure thriller that still offers humor and extra layers of personality to the characters rather than portraying more serious and dramatic performances.
While plenty of these films can rely on slapstick comedy, there are others that balance severity and humor with sarcasm and witty dialogue that helps develop the world, and maybe even allows the characters to feel more relatable when they are reacting to the ridiculous scenario that has unfolded.
Stream on Hulu
10 The Adam Project (2022)
When a young Adam (Walker Scobell) meets his adult older self (Ryan Reynolds), it kick-starts a time travel adventure that offers both iterations of Adam the adventure or closure they need to handle the messy lives they are undergoing. Both iterations of Adam still feel the grief of losing their father, Louis (Mark Ruffalo), while Adam's mother, Ellie (Jennifer Garner), does her best to raise her son without Louis. However, adult Adam has another goal in mind, following his estranged wife Laura (Zoe Saldaña).
A Time Travel Comedy That Understands its Emotional Implications
The story itself is far from funny. An adult Adam has arrived from a dangerous dystopian future searching for his wife after he has lost everyone he loves. However, The Adam Project understands that people are not necessarily serious all the time, and even in the most dangerous of times, can still be sarcastic and witty as they go through the day.
The comedy never prevents the emotional points in this movie from happening, such as the grief and awe that surrounds Adam when he gets the chance to reunite with his father after believing he will never see him again. The movie's ending, which shows how significant the film's adventure has been, shows Adam and Laura, having undergone massively different experiences growing up in the new timeline, meeting once again.
Stream on Netflix
9 Murder Mystery (2019)
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston bring their witty dynamic to Netflix in a film that surrounds them as a married couple stepping up as detectives on a who-dun-it murder mystery case. Nick and Audrey never would have thought that their time spent on a billionaire's yacht would lead to trying to uncover a murderer, but, of course, they are quick to try and determine who the true killer is.
A Quirky Mystery Embraces Jokes in a Serious Time
Given the topic of conversation is murder, it would have been more traditional for this to be a serious drama film. But, allowing it to embrace the quirks of comedy following the aspiring detectives gives this movie a chance to breathe with a different sort of duo in the driver's seat. Unsurprisingly, Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston are witty and funny together as they try to survive their attempt to uncover a killer.
In a break from serious detectives, Murder Mystery understands its audience's desire to laugh while trying to pin what could have been a slightly more realistic approach for the average person trying to solve a murder.
Stream on Netflix
8 Palm Springs (2020)
Palm Springs
- Release Date
- July 10, 2020
- Director
- Max Barbakow
- Runtime
- 87
A destination wedding is only fun when you do not end up in a time loop, forced to undergo the entire day over and over again as if you were the main character in Groundhog's Day. Yet, unfortunately for Nyles, that is exactly what his life has become. But, he ends up a little less alone when Sarah joins him in a cave after Nyles gets attacked.
A Fun Movie With a Dark Twisted Way Out
As Nyles explains the rules to Sarah, which basically surround that it does not matter what they do after a while, because literally every day they experience will be the same, she questions if that means they are capable of dying in the time loop. Eventually, Palm Springs shows that dying will only trigger a reset of their day. But, blowing themselves up in the cave does, somehow, allow them to finally escape the time loop. Simultaneously, Palm Springs plays as a romantic comedy between Nyles and Sarah as they grow to care for each other while trying to escape the never-ending time loop.
Stream on Hulu
7 Knives Out (2019)
Knives Out
- Release Date
- November 27, 2019
- Runtime
- 130
When the patriarch of the family, Harlan Thrombey, dies under mysterious circumstances during his 85th birthday party, it raises questions about the truth of his passing. While Harlan's family fights amongst each other when they discover that Harlan had left everything of value to his nurse, Marta, it is up to Detective Benoit Blanc to uncover the truth about who killed Harlan Thrombey, why he was killed, and how.
A Greedy Family Focuses More on the Will Than a Death
The Thrombey family, as a whole, is disgustingly selfish, as they all lose their minds when they realize that none of them are getting what they expected of Harlan Thrombey's fortune. Ransom is the only member of the family to not go after Marta in a mob, only for the film to flip the script and reveal that Ransom was the only one who had known the truth all along.
To make it more tragic, Ransom's murder attempt on Harlan had failed, even though Marta still believed she had accidentally killed an innocent man. Harlan's decision to commit suicide was unnecessary, as he was never actually poisoned. This movie is actually filled with a horrifying main story. But, the decision to exaggerate the surrounding world with comedy adds an amusing extra layer to the main plot and characters.
Stream on Tubi
6 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery only keeps one character, Benoit Blanc, in the Netflix sequel. This time, seeing as Benoit Blanc is the only familiar character of the group, he is the main character that the audience follows in the ensemble cast. When Miles Bron invites his friends to a murder mystery party at his mansion in Greece, it results in Duke's death, it is once again up to Benoit Blanc to uncover what is really going on. But, this time, there is more to the gambit.
Glass Onion Showcases Unexpected Teamwork
In this case, rather than Benoit Blanc being entirely alone trying to solve the case of the strange family, he is there at someone's request. Flashbacks reveal the seriousness behind the movie's comical approach. Helen had approached Benoit following her sister Andi's death. While on Miles' island, part of Benoit and Helen's scheme is to unite and uncover what really happened to Andi. The thriller genre of the movie is very present here, and the mystery and layers to the friend group's history help contemplate the messiness that Helen and Benoit Blanc find themselves in.
Stream on Netflix
5 The Hustle (2019)
Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star as two con women, Josephine and Penny, whose initial cold meeting turns into an opportunity to team up for larger prizes. The unlikely duo's collaboration means chaos and big wins for them. But, no scheme is without complications, and Josephine and Penny eventually realize that while they may be good con women individually, they are excellent together.
A Film That Has You Rooting for the Felons
Plenty of movies encourage audiences to root for the villain of the story. Sometimes, it is more fun to root for someone pulling off the bigger scheme. Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson bring out some of each other's best comedy, as Anne Hathaway helps ground Rebel Wilson's raunchier jokes while simultaneously brilliantly playing into them. Along the way, of course, there is a romantic undertone to the story between Penny and Thomas, a wealthy man whom Penny and Josephine initially intend to steal from. But, while this film may be fun for audiences, it was ultimately not loved as much by critics. The Hustle received a 13% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rent on Apple TV+
4 Red Notice (2021)
Red Notice
- Release Date
- November 12, 2021
- Runtime
- 1hr 58min
Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, and Dwayne Johnson bring out their charisma and wit in Red Notice, another film that encourages the audience to be amused by thieves. Initially, John teams up with Nolan, and the duo searches for an Egyptian egg. But, John's behavior is just a front in preparation for him to betray Nolan for Sarah, his partner.
This Trio of Thieves Makes an Enjoyable Film
Red Notice knows how to throw in a plot twist while relying on the comical stylings of its three main cast members. However, Red Notice does not allow its central characters to walk away separately. Instead, the film recognizes the magic of the three and makes them a thieving trio as the film comes to an end. Red Notice has plenty of action and thrills, and the comedy, while very present, never prevents the rest of the story from taking place. The comical moments are not a distraction from the rest of the plot, and rather fit well into the overall story.
Stream on Netflix
3 Totally Killer (2023)
Totally Killer
- Release Date
- October 6, 2023
- Director
- Nahnatchka Khan
- Runtime
- 1hr 46min
Kiernan Shipka and Olivia Holt play a mother-daughter duo in this horror movie that shows what Back To The Future could have been like had it been a horror movie. When Jamie is being attacked by the Sweet 16 Killer, a murderer who has not been seen in decades, she suddenly finds herself back in the 1980s after accidentally triggering her best friend's time machine.
Totally Killer Calls Out Problematic Behavior of the Past
Jamie is a doorway into calling out problematic behavior that occurred in 1980s movies, or things that were problematic but simply ignored in the 1980s in general. She shouts out against being touched without consent. She, calmly and annoyed, calls out the racism of her high school. Jamie even comically calls out frustrating tropes in other horror movies, such as going alone to a cabin in the woods while a killer is on the loose. Totally Killer is a joyful ride that, while there are plenty of horror elements, is just as much a fun comedy.
Stream on Prime Video
2 Bullet Train (2022)
In a major motion picture where all the main characters only go by code name, Bullet Train tells the story of Ladybug, a man whose goal is to keep a highly important briefcase away from the various people who wish to steal it. However, unlike his enemies, while Ladybug can fight, he has also started a life of meditation and pacifism, so maybe he was not the right choice for such a violent mission.
Brad Pitt Brings Out the Comedy
Other than a few sarcastic lines here and there, most of Brad Pitt's work tends to be more between action, adventure, or drama. So, it was a breath of unexpected fresh air to see him tackle such a comedy-heavy role. He is not alone either, filled with a solid ensemble cast, including mostly voiceover work by Sandra Bullock and cameos from Channing Tatum and Ryan Reynolds, whose additions, while not long, still add an enjoyable amount of fun to the film. Bullet Train's addition of its use of Japanese society allows it to feel unique to other mainstream film projects in a world of reboots, remakes, sequels, and superhero movies.
Stream on Netflix
1 Central Intelligence (2016)
Bob Stone had once been made fun of for most of his high school career. But, years later, as an adult, things have drastically changed, and he is now a CIA agent. Meanwhile, Calvin, who had once been the hotshot in high school, is more than surprised at how a reunion with his former classmate would result in such a dangerous adventure.
This Is One of Many Buddy Comedies Between Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart
Central Intelligence marks one of several movies this comedy duo has worked on together, and shows the chemistry and friendship that help elevate their performances. Bob and Calvin's dynamic has Calvin frantically undergoing life events he never thought he would ever face. But, undergoing such danger brings out an excitement and thrill in his life that he never anticipated, and realized he actually wanted to have. The duo's work was rewarded with a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart's dynamic can also be enjoyed in films such as Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level.
Stream on MAX
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