Comedy is, and will always be, one of the most subjective movie genres. Sure, you have classics that are revered and modern box office smashes, but it is the one genre where one person’s favorite will be another’s most hated. There are also different types of comedy, from cartoonish slapstick to minimalist dark comedy, which exemplify how drastically the term can be attached to a production.
Pushing a bit further, some comedies aim to disturb their viewers, attempting to make them laugh at dark material or to use it to frame humorous moments and offer a reprieve from the more grim subject matter a movie touches on. Looking back at cult classics, John Waters was the first to meld disturbing, gross subject matter with comedy, achieving great cultural significance. His spirit is throughout each of these picks, even if we have not included him since he set the prototype.
These are 10 disturbing comedies that will have you in stitches and feeling aptly uncomfortable while laughing.
‘Bad Boy Bubby’ (1994)
After spending the first 35 years of his life under an abusive mother, Bubby (Nicholas Hope) is let out into the world for the first time in his life after her death. Having been told his entire life about the terrors of the outside world, Bubby navigates the world with a dark fascination. Raised under a strict, religious, and abusive system of brainwashing, Bubby’s interactions with those in the “real world” have him not understanding social cues or laws.
Setting Out into the World for the First Time at 35
A lifetime of abuse is a harrowing note to try to open up in the comedy, particularly when such themes as incest and brainwashing are uncomfortably delivered with utter bleakness. The subsequent journey out into the world, while leaning more on awkward social comedy, still comes with Bubby putting out into the world what he knew growing up. Generally, the film also has a very dirty and destitute vision of Australia, that is, until the rather idyllic ending.
‘Excision’ (2012)
Pauline’s (AnnaLynne McCord) teenage years are beyond awkward, as her macabre obsessions with death start to meld with the awkwardness of coming of age. What results is a series of psychosexual and surreal dreams that begin to push Pauline to make more and more extreme choices and further indulge in her dark curiosities. As things start to escalate, Pauline makes a drastic decision brought on by her sick sister and her interest in vivisections, excisions, and surgeries that leave the family broken.
A Messy and Violent Coming of Age
Richard Bates Jr. excels in creating uncomfortable and disturbing comedies, but his debut film, Excision, still arguably packs the biggest punch out of all of his filmography. Here, a gruesome mix of body horror and mental collapse of a young, misguided girl makes the dark comedy a disturbing experience. That said, there are some memorable comedic moments, often coming from the malicious delivery of lines from AnnaLynne McCord as she begins to embrace her inner deviant (almost has a John Waters-esque quality).
‘Trash Humpers’ (2009)
Presented as a series of home videos of elderly men (depicted by men in masks), Trash Humpers delves into dark absurdity early, with much of the film focused on the said act. Yet as the collection of films continues, the broader daily lives of the old men start to be explored, showing how their deviancy goes far beyond just grinding up against garbage bins and bags.
Cursed Home Video Collection Of Gags and Murders
Made by cult director Harmony Korine, Trash Humpers shucks any sort of traditional narrative and instead acts as a pure act of indulgence with little dialogue and random scenes of chaos. As far as comedic value goes, this is going to be highly subjective to an audience on what humor they can draw from it. Still, the many absurd scenarios and visuals do have a humorous element to them, which leaves this movie best suited for the genre. Where the film gets into disturbing territory is how it gradually transforms into pseudo-snuff, with bizarre torture and murders becoming a part of the lore behind the perverted masked men.
‘Krazy House’ (2024)
Bernie Christian (Nick Frost) lives an idyllic life, that of a ’90s sitcom family, with his wife and two children, whose most significant challenges come from science fairs and finding ways to honor their religion. When the kitchen needs repairs, Bernie hires a group of traveling repairmen, unaware that they have staked out the house for other reasons. As they force themselves into the lives of the family, moral decay takes hold. It comes down to Bernie to save his family by any means possible.
’90s Sitcom Turned Living Nightmare
Krazy House walks a fine line, as it can almost teeter into “edgelord” territory to the point where its attempt to shock comes more with an eye-roll than the intended effect. However, there is a lot of inventiveness in how Krazy Family attempts to break every taboo imaginable, bringing with it a visual flair and surreal approach that makes it an enjoyable spectacle. A hyperrealistic and cartoonish approach makes many of the movie’s gags easier to swallow. Still, there is no denying that themes of drug abuse, infanticide, and necrophilia (to name a few) are not without their inherent disturbing elements.
‘Street Trash’ (1987)
Set in a grimy and sleazy vision of New York City, Street Trash focuses on a new plague afflicting the homeless population: a cheap drink known as Tenafly Viper, which melts anyone who drinks it. Two brothers, Fred and Kevin, are trying to survive life on the streets under a ruthless warlord who rules the city’s homeless, while also facing the new terror that comes from the body-melting alcohol.
All Fun and Games Until People Start Melting
Street Trash deserves a special spot on this list, as the film also has a remake from the director of Fried Barry (two other movies that could have easily made this list) that is equally disturbing and funny. Still, focusing on the first one, there are objective elements, such as the scene playing keep-away with a “severed member” and the infamous melting at a toilet that remains disturbing decades after the film’s release.
In a more modern context, the disregard and otherism are alarming in their own right. There is no denying this one is in poor taste, but that was the point, and even decades after its release, the grim comedy of Street Trash will make many uneasy.
‘Relaxer’ (2018)
Set in a dingy apartment sometime in 1999, Relaxer places the audience alongside Abbie (Joshua Burge), who is stuck to his couch, forced into a challenge issued by his brother Cam (David Dastmalchian) to beat 256 levels of Pac-Man and reach the infamous kill screen. Forced to live off what little scraps he can get, Abbie pushes forward, even as the world outside comes tumbling down after the Y2K crisis proves real.
The Ultimate Slacker Faces The End of the World
If having to drink gallons of warm milk while glued to a couch is not disturbing to you, you need to reassess your daily routine. Slacker comedy taken to its most extreme. The content that disturbs here comes from how excessive and dirty the film is; you can almost smell the rancid milk, Cheeto powder residue across every surface, and spilled Mountain Dew. On the plus side, you also have fan favorite David Dastmalchian (Polka Dot Man and future M. Bison in Street Fighter) in what is probably his least seen performance.
‘The Comedy’ (2012)
The Comedy follows Swanson (Tim Heidecker), a wealthy, middle-aged hipster, who spends his days wandering around Brooklyn drinking, mocking strangers, and purposely aiming to figure out ways to offend or shock others with his words or actions. Devoid of emotion, his actions only continue to escalate in a desperate bid to evoke any feelings after years of feeling disconnected from humanity.
Trying To Laugh in a World Where Nothing Matters
While many may believe we are entering an age where more and more people are becoming ‘black-pilled,’ there is still always going to be a degree of discomfort when faced with true nihilism in others. This is where The Comedy establishes its disturbing element, as Swanson navigates a series of events with such utter indifference to the suffering of those around him.
The film has been somewhat contentious over whether it should be considered a comedy despite the title. Still, those who are familiar with the sort of anti-comedy approach of comedians like Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, and Gregg Turkington (all in the films as well) will understand how a purposeful absence of humor can sometimes be humorous unto itself.
‘Sightseers’ (2012)
Socially awkward Tina (Alice Lowe) finally believes she has found love in Chris (Steve Oram), and shortly after meeting, the two decide to go on a trip, touring Britain’s green and historic spaces. However, Tina soon learns that Chris is very passionate about respecting tradition, and a string of killings based on bad manners and disrespecting British landmarks has the two leaving a bloody trail wherever they go. Tina soon takes to this murderous lifestyle with too much comfort, even for Chris, and the two begin to fight.
Touring the British Countryside and Committing the Odd Murder on the Way
Movies have a way of justifying murder, whether it be through a deserved act of revenge or toward a greater societal good. What makes Sightseers comedic here is that the ideal of acceptable murder is laid pretty thin, but still somewhat understandable; not picking up dog pooh at a beloved park frequented by many is certainly a dick move. This comedic catharsis soon makes way for an escalation in acts which are utterly disturbing in nature, particularly as Tina turns from naive, awkward social shut-in to brutal murderer.
‘Invasion of the Alien Bikini’ (2011)
Young-Gun has crafted himself into a protector of the people of South Korea, with much of his power, he believes, coming from his morality and clean lifestyle, which includes abstinence. One night, he rescues a woman, Ha Monica, from a group of mysterious men. At first, thinking he has done a good deed, he soon finds himself trapped in her home, learning she is an alien who has come to Earth in desperate need of sperm. Devoted to his chastity, Young Gun must survive a night of teasing and torture.
An Alien Invasion Leads to a Night of Debauchery
As perverse as Invasion of the Alien Bikini sounds on paper, there is little real erotic content or fantasy fulfillment here. Instead, viewers get a rather absurd premise with two very bizarre characters at the center of a night of extreme cruelty. There is a constant pull between juvenile humor and violence here that there are few comedies tonally similar to Invasion of the Alien Bikini, and the film constantly delves into morally ambiguous territory. It won’t be for everyone, but it is a one-of-a-kind disturbing comedy.
‘Greasy Strangler’ (2016)
The Greasy Strangler follows Big Ronnie (Michael St. Michaels), a sleazy, eccentric disco enthusiast, and his adult son Brayden (Sky Elobar) as they run a walking tour business in Los Angeles. Their already-strained relationship spirals into chaos when Brayden starts dating Janet (Elizabeth De Razzo), triggering a bizarre rivalry that causes Ronnie to become a crazed, naked, and awkwardly greasy killer.
Death With a Healthy Helping of Human Grease
For many, The Greasy Strangler would become the definitive disturbing horror film, as Jim Hosking’s dark comedy would blend bodily grotesqueness, sexual absurdity, and graphic violence in a way tailored to garner uncomfortable laughter. Sprinkled with quotable dialogue, unforgettable imagery, and eccentric characters, the bold, unapologetic, and surreal comedy is the closest to becoming a modern classic in the realm of disturbing comedy.
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