Subscribe to Prime Video? In the mood for a rib-tickler? Critic Luke Buckmaster has scoured the platform and retrieved the funniest films—from recent hits to decades-old classics.
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American Fiction (2023)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOJeffrey Wright’s character in American Fiction—the haughty novelist Thelonious “Monk” Ellison—will go down as an all-timer in the actor’s oeuvre. He’s never been better as this sharp, eviscerating, biterly amusing character, who launches an act of rebellion against the literary establishment by writing a book poking fun at clichés expected from Black writers—only for it to become a smash-hit.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThere are many familiar story elements in Kelly Fremon Craig’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic coming-of-age novel, which pivots around the titular 12-year-old (Abby Ryder Fortson) as she moves into a new neighbourhood, makes friends, and offers periodic prayers to the big dude upstairs. But this film feels delightfully fresh, very effectively capturing the desperation teenagers have to become adults, and the inevitable awkwardness this entails. Abby Ryder Fortson is wonderful in the lead role.
Bad Boy Bubby (1993)
Watch on Prime VideoRolf de Heer’s notorious cult classic about a tortured soul (Nicholas Hope) who spent his first 35 years locked in a grubby apartment still, after all these years, almost defies description, laced with boundary-pushing scenes discussed only in hushed tones. Bubby’s venture into wider society provides social critique, an unflinching portrait of mental illness and much more.
Back to the Future 2 (1989)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO“Great Scott, MMaaarrtrrtttyyy!” There’s too many great moments to name in the all-time best and most enjoyable time travel movie. The chemistry between Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd snaps and crackles—fabulously contrasting the mad scientist with the clean-cut teen—and the script is coyly written. I love that playfully paradoxical title, too.
The Big Short (2015)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOThe core challenge in Adam McKay’s satire about Wall Street sharks who saw the GFC coming and conspired to profit from it is to make a dry subject broadly accessible. The writer/director’s everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach deploys narration, fourth wall-breaking and endless analogies, including the following sage words from Steve Carrell: “So mortgage bonds are dog shit wrapped in cat shit?” It’s structurally messy, but it works.
The Birdcage (1996)
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“We are family! I got all my sisters and me!” I’ll always associate Sister Sledge’s song with this fabulous remake of the French farce La Cage aux Folles. Val Goldman (Dan Futterman) and Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) nervously introduce their future inlaws, Val asking his gay father and partner (Robin Williams and Nathan Lane) to pretend to be straight to appease Barbara’s conservative parents (Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest). The performances are pitch-perfect and the film carries a timeless message about acceptance.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
Watch on Prime VideoThe sick shimmer of the original Borat movie lost some of its freakshow appeal, but Sacha Baron Cohen’s grotesquely entertaining Kazakh journalist maintained a higher purpose—exposing American prejudice—as well as his capacity to entertain. Returning to the USA to present a gift to “Premier McDonald Trump,” Borat’s second round of rambunctious misadventures exposes right wing ignorance and bigotry, with characteristically shocking zeal.
Catherine Called Birdy (2022)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOLena Dunham’s high-spirited coming-of-age movie, based in 13th century England, has a pace and humour well tuned to the peppy personality of its young protagonist. Fourteen-year-old Lady Catherine (a very entertaining Bella Ramsey) knows she’s supposed to be married off—preferably to a wealthy blue blood—but wishes for a different life and rebels against the patriarchy. Dunham never takes the audience’s attention for granted, fussily filling her adaptation of Karen Cushman’s novel with all sorts of stylistic details.
Cosi (1996)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOYou’ve never seen a film about a theatre production quite like this one—starring Ben Mendelsohn as an unemployed actor hired to direct a community production of Mozart’s opera Così fan tutte. And here comes the twist: all the actors are patients of a Sydney psychiatric facility. The interplay between the characters is sometimes very funny and the cast is great—including Barry Otto, Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Jacki Weaver, Colin Friels, David Wenham and Pamela Rabe.
Heathers (1988)
Watch on Prime VideoA comedy so dark the prefix “black” barely begins to cut it. Michael Lehmann’s cult movie is up there with Election and Mean Girls as one of the great high school-set comedies—but with a more potent air of irreverence. Winona Ryder joins a clique of students called the Heathers while Christian Slater plays the demon on her shoulder, encouraging her to do dastardly deeds.
His Girl Friday (1940)
Watch on Prime VideoOne of the great comedies of the 1940s, Howard Hawks’ classic is remembered less for what it says than how it says it—streams of frantically paced verbal ping pong bouncing between its zinger-delivering characters. Cary Grant’s newspaper editor tries to win back his wife, Rosalind Russell’s hotshot journalist, by forcing her to work with him on a big murder story. Witty carnage and rolled gold repartee ensue.
Kenny (2006)
Watch on Prime VideoPacked to the hilt with true blue turns of phrase and centered around Shane Jacobson’s adorably fair dinkum, dunny-cleaning protagonist, this well-loved film is a very bloody ‘strayan mockumentary. Despite the titular character’s profession, which famously involves confronting smells that outlast religion, the film never indulges in gross-out gags—wisely leaving yucky stuff to the viewer’s imagination.
Lady Bird (2017)
Watch on Prime VideoGreta Gerwig’s beautifully constructed dramedy opens with a Joan Didion quote: “Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento.” This big-hearted and sensitively drawn film, charting the chaotic coming-of-age of Christine aka Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan), is full of small acts of defiance. It’s about commanding respect when you don’t deserve any, and asking others to believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself.
Liar Liar (1997)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOStruck by a birthday wish that came true, made by his crestfallen son, Jim Carrey’s scrupleless lawyer protagonist finds himself unable to lie or withhold the truth. Carrey is in very fine form, bellowing like a madman and stretching his body every which-way. Armed with this human special effect, director Tom Shadyac delivers the funnies—including riotous courtroom spectacle and the classic “the pen is blue” scene.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEOMy favourite Coen brothers film is a singular experience: a delightfully funny and witty musical celebration of American folklore, by way of ancient Greek literature (loosely adapting Homer’s The Odyssey). George Clooney leads a trio of nitwit escaped convicts across rural Mississippi circa the Great Depression, tricking them into helping him locate his estrange wife. Farce, folly, and thigh slappin’ tunes abound.
Palm Springs (2020)
WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO“Today, tomorrow, yesterday—it’s all the same.” So says Andy Samberg’s protagonist Nyles as he floats on an inflatable banana lounge, sounding a lot like Bill Murray from Groundhog Dog. Max Barbakow’s tremendously entertaining time loop movie owes much to the 90s classic, reworking its premise to have the curse of temporal repetition affecting two potential lovers: Nyles and Cristin Milioti’s Sarah. The pace is snappy, the writing shrewd.
The Player (1992)
Rightly regarded as one of the finest Hollywood comedies about Hollywood, Robert Altman’s zippy satire has a punchy script full of industry talk, with writers pitching all sorts of twisted plotlines. The story of the film itself follows film producer Griffin Mill (Robin Williams) as he tries to figure out who is sending him death threats. Altman brings a crisp meta energy and some visual aplomb, including an audacious eight minute opening shot journeying through a studio lot.
They’re a Weird Mob (1966)
Acclimatizing to life Down Under can be played for horror or laughs. Michael Powell’s 1966 classic presents a reverse Crocodile Dundee: a fish-out-water comedy about a good-natured Italian (Walter Chiari) who relocates to Sydney and figures out how to “do” Australia, including earning a crust and pursuing romance. The film is funny, warming, and optimistic. In the words of its narrator: “a bewt sort.”
