70 Dark Comedy Movies for People With a Messed Up Sense of Humor

Sometimes, the funniest things we come across are things we shouldn't necessarily be laughing at. Maybe we're laughing, deep down, at the absurdity of a moment or idea, or the outrageousness of a situation that we simply cannot believe. But that's why movies that either incorporate or fully embrace dark comedy can be some of the very best—it allows viewers a way to recognize, understand, and unilaterally agree that some of these things are bad and shouldn't be funny, but that by golly the filmmaker has figured out a way.

When we recognize that the people presenting jokes to us are, in fact, in on the joke, the entire context changes. Rather than feeling obligated to condemn behavior that is unacceptable, we can recognize the outlandishness of the actions, behaviors, or happenings, and laugh at them.

Some instances of dark humor are naturally going to go further than others. For example, it's fair to argue that Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat character is dark comedy at its core; this character uses an audience that knows he's not sincere to expose a number of darknesses in the world. Other examples could get more violent, like someone "accidentally" getting shot in the face in a crime movie, or someone removing their belt to tie a noose only for their pants to fall to the ground. There are different layers and different levels to dark comedy, but in any manner, you're going to need some thick skin to appreciate it.

And for that matter, we've done the research. Sure, romantic comedies can be nice and sometimes funny, and there are many other subgenres you can just watch and feel good about. But for the purposes of this list, we're looking at comedy that gets dark. Comedy that makes light of the worst of humanity—and makes viewers' lives better for the whole laughing thing.