Nicolas Cage Descends into Self-Loathing in ‘Dream Scenario’
Nicolas Cage uses every bit of his talent to play an irredeemable, self-loathing character trapped in a nightmare scenario in Kristoffer Borgli’s Dream Scenario.
black comedy
Lenny Bruce vs. Lenny Bruce: The Real and the Imagined
There are two Lenny Bruces: 1. the real-life subject of thoughtful documentaries and biographies, and 2. the TV/movie hip mentor and accidental deity.
What ‘The White Lotus’ Conveys About the Fraudulence of Perception
Through its storytelling method of glances, we see The White Lotus‘ critique of our tendency to extrapolate that which we do not understand, and to fill gaps in our knowledge with ideologies, mythologies, learned stereotypes, and meme-logic.
The Final Season of Genre-Twisting ‘Barry’ Nails Down Its Tricky Legacy
The final season of Barry irreparably breaks the mold of the tragicomedy genre and unflinchingly severs the umbilical cord between the audience and the protagonist(s).
The Promising Black Comedy in ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’
Witty dialogue tempers the cynical take on the human condition in The Banshees of Inisherin, which promises more black comedy from filmmaker Martin McDonagh.
Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Severance’ Paints Sublime and Subversive Art
More than just corporate propaganda, the subversive artworks in Severance hold a strange place in Lumon Industries’ ideological fabric.
Why ‘Jackass’ (Still) Works
Jackass was originally for early aughts audiences. Now 20 years and multiple blows to the head, heart, and extremities later, that moment has proven to be damn near immortal.
The Guilty Pleasure of Chelsea Summers’ Monstrous ‘A Certain Hunger’
Easy to summarize but difficult to, um, flesh out, Chelsea G. Summers’ A Certain Hunger is, without a doubt, the Great American Female Serial Killer Novel.
Riley Stearns’ ‘The Art of Self-Defense’ Is a Knockout Black Comedy
If director Riley Stearns sometimes loses his thematic bearings, he never forgets to deliver large, violent doses of comedy in The Art of Self-Defense.
‘Smoking Kills’ Revels in the Many Joys to Be Found in Death
Antoine Laurain's Smoking Kills is provocative and funny, but its meditations remain consistently mature.
‘Woman at 1,000 Degrees’ Sharply Demonstrates Trauma’s Deep Roots
Woman at 1,000 Degrees relies on black comedy and tragedy to examine the generation "razed to the ground" by World War II.
Winning ‘Game Night’ Is Dumb Fun
Directors Daley and Goldstein seem to be pulling their punches a bit, but there's still enough dark comedy here to keep things interesting.