Top 10 Comedies That Are Actually Depressing

The third installment in Edgar Wright’s loose “Cornetto trilogy,” “The World’s End” follows a group of friends who reunite in their hometown for a pub crawl, only to slowly discover an alien infiltration. While there’s plenty of fun comedy and action to be had, the film also has some very real things to say about growing apart from friends, alcoholism, and the disappointment that often comes with growing up. Plus, the gang’s attempts to save the world arguably serve to make things worse – for most people.

Writer/director Martin McDonagh isn’t exactly known for upbeat material, and his film “In Bruges” is no exception. A pitch black comedy about two hitmen hiding out in the titular city, the film sees the duo involved in a variety of hilarious and profane misadventures, but the reason for their stay is absolutely heartbreaking, as one of them, Ray, accidentally shot a child; leaving him feeling suicidal. The bloody final confrontation with their high-strung boss has a rather high body count, ending the film on a real down note.

Ostensibly a funny family dog film about the titular dog and his owners, John and Jenny, “Marley and Me” deals with some surprisingly sad emotional issues. John struggles with finding meaning in his work throughout the film, while he and Jenny also struggle with losing a child through miscarriage. Though they do have a boy, Jenny then suffers from postpartum depression. The biggest blow comes at the film’s end though, when the aging Marley suffers several gastric attacks and is euthanized. Fun for the whole family, right?

This dramedy is about a man named Adam who discovers he has a malignant tumor on his spine, and while it is treatable, his odds of survival give the movie its title. The specter of death hangs over much of the film, and Adam’s struggle with it, particularly when one of his fellow cancer patients dies, provides plenty of sad and bleak moments. “50/50” also deals with the effects his illness has on his friends and family, depicting their varying reactions to it and how they treat Adam. Cancer seems like a premise doomed to be depressing, yet “50/50” still manages quite a few laughs.

A movie about the eponymous television show that follows one man’s life in a completely controlled environment, “The Truman Show” is a heavily satirical look at reality TV taken to the nth degree. Truman’s whole world starts to unravel as he begins to realize the circumstances he lives in. While certain aspects of the plot are rather funny, such as the product placement and the fact that Truman has a catchphrase, what’s been done to him is monstrous and horrifying to contemplate. The concept of no privacy and having your every decision influenced by someone else is one that stays with you, even after the credits roll.

A recluse entering into a loving “relationship” with a “real doll” seems ripe with comedic possibilities, but while there’s definitely some lighthearted fun to be had with “Lars and the Real Girl,” the film is primarily geared towards exploring its character. Lars’ underlying mental illness, which causes his delusion, and the social phobias that he experiences, which are the result of his childhood experiences, are no laughing matter. In addition, the “death” of Lars’ real doll girlfriend, Bianca, manages to be surprisingly emotional for the death of an inanimate object.

This brightly named film follows a dysfunctional family on a road trip to get their daughter to the fictional talent pageant that gives the movie its name. Despite the happy title and the sunny nature of the daughter, many of the family members struggle with feelings of inadequacy and failure; with one recovering from a suicide attempt and another dying along the way. Even the competition ends up something of a wash. However, the message of “Little Miss Sunshine” is one of persistence in the face of failure, rejection, or depression, which is ultimately uplifting.

When you hear “Young Adult” is about a YA novelist returning to her hometown to win back an old flame, you almost immediately assume that it’s going to be a romantic comedy, right? The problem is that the heroine, Mavis, is an abrasive, emotionally stunted woman, likely suffering from mental illness, whose ex is a happily married new father. While Mavis’ bad behavior can be funny, it’s pretty clear that she’s deeply unhappy and struggling to cope with depression, alcoholism and the disappointments and traumas of her past.

Perhaps the definitive road comedy, “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” sees two men thrown together on a series of desperate attempts to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving. Neal is uptight, while Del is relentlessly outgoing; making for an entertaining odd couple. Though all the crap they go through would be awful to experience in real life, what really hits us in the feels is the realization that Del, who never shuts up about his wife…is a widower, and that his aggressive friendliness is only a desperate need for companionship to stave off his grief.





Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:



“The Kid” (1921)





“Patch Adams” (1998)





“Funny People” (2009)

Adam Sandler has made a career out of juvenile comedy, but with “Click”, he went straight for our heartstrings. Following Michael Newman, a man granted a universal remote capable of affecting reality, “Click” features lots of funny antics that result from the device, but its more depressing consequences are shown too, as Michael skips through large portions of his life, missing out on the important things and becoming distant from his family, before dying. Though it does all turn out to be a dream given to him by the angel of death, the experience is still shockingly affecting for Michael and the audience, who likely went into it expecting a much lighter affair.