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The Best Dark Comedies & Satires

Laughter with teeth: the black-comedy and satire canon ranked by our composite score across 20+ lists, awards and polls.

Black comedy is the register cinema reaches for when the subject is too serious for drama: Chaplin satirized Hitler while the war was on, Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove made thermonuclear annihilation a farce, and Wilder, Altman and Network's Paddy Chayefsky kept the American institutions supplied with acid. The modern canon belongs to the Coen brothers' cosmic irony and to Bong Joon-ho, whose Parasite proved a class satire could win both the Palme d'Or and Best Picture.

Apocalypse Now (1979) leads with a composite score of 6.84. Top 100 of 118 films in our library.

Masters of the genre

  1. 1
    Apocalypse Now1979 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States · war, action, drama
    6.84

    Palme d'Or winner 1979 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #18 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #19

  2. 2
    Pulp Fiction1994 · Quentin Tarantino · United States · crime, drama, thriller
    5.76

    Palme d'Or winner 1994 · Empire 500 (2008) #9 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1994

  3. 3
    Parasite2019 · Bong Joon-ho · South Korea · comedy, drama, thriller
    5.72

    Palme d'Or winner 2019 · Oscar Best Picture winner 2019 · Film Comment year-end poll 2019 #1

  4. 4
    Dr. Strangelove1964 · Stanley Kubrick · United States / United Kingdom · comedy, war
    4.66

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1965 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #46 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1964

  5. 5
    MASH1970 · Robert Altman · United States · comedy, drama, war
    4.25

    Palme d'Or winner 1970 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1970 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1970 #5

  6. 6
    One Battle After Another2025 · Paul Thomas Anderson · United States · drama, thriller, action
    3.50

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2025 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2026 · Film Comment year-end poll 2025 #1

  7. 7
    Network1976 · Sidney Lumet · United States · comedy, drama, romance
    3.39

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1977 #2 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1976 · AFI 100 (2007) #64

  8. 8
    A Clockwork Orange1971 · Stanley Kubrick · United Kingdom / United States · drama, crime, thriller
    3.06

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1971 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #4 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #243

  9. 9
    Fargo1996 · Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · United States / United Kingdom · crime, drama, film-noir
    3.02

    Ebert's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Siskel's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1996

  10. 10
    Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri2017 · Martin McDonagh · United States / United Kingdom · drama, comedy, mystery
    3.00

    BAFTA Best Film winner 2018 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2018 #1 · TIFF People's Choice winner 2017

  11. 11
    Barton Fink1991 · Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · United States / United Kingdom · film-noir, comedy, drama
    2.98

    Palme d'Or winner 1991 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1991 #3 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1992 #5

  12. 12
    Tootsie1982 · Sydney Pollack · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    2.74

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1982 · AFI 100 (2007) #69 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1983 #8

  13. 13
    American Beauty1999 · Sam Mendes · United States · comedy, drama
    2.74

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1999 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2000 · TIFF People's Choice winner 1999

  14. 14
    The Great Dictator1940 · Charlie Chaplin · United States · comedy, drama, war
    2.46

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1960 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1940 · National Film Registry (inducted 1997)

  15. 15
    Birdman2014 · Alejandro González Iñárritu · United States · comedy, drama
    2.36

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2014 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2015 #4 · Film Comment year-end poll 2014 #8

  16. 16
    Inglourious Basterds2009 · Quentin Tarantino · Germany / United States · war, drama, adventure
    2.36

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2009 #3 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2009 · Film Comment year-end poll 2009 #7

  17. 17
    Poor Things2023 · Yorgos Lanthimos · United States / United Kingdom / Ireland · thriller, fantasy, sci-fi
    2.18

    Venice Golden Lion winner 2023 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2023 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2024 #4

  18. 18
    Once Upon a Time in Hollywood2019 · Quentin Tarantino · United States / United Kingdom · comedy, drama, crime
    2.06

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2019 #2 · Film Comment year-end poll 2019 #3 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2019

  19. 19
    Dog Day Afternoon1975 · Sidney Lumet · United States · crime, action, drama
    2.04

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1975 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1976 #5 · National Film Registry (inducted 2009)

  20. 20
    The Square2017 · Ruben Östlund · Sweden / Germany / France · comedy, drama
    1.73

    Palme d'Or winner 2017 · Film Comment year-end poll 2017 #20

  21. 21
    Drugstore Cowboy1989 · Gus Van Sant · United States · drama, crime, comedy
    1.61

    Ebert's annual top 10 1989 #2 · Siskel's annual top 10 1989 #3 · Hoberman's annual top 10 1989 #4

  22. 22
    Wild at Heart1990 · David Lynch · United States · crime, drama, romance
    1.61

    Palme d'Or winner 1990 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  23. 23
    The King of Comedy1982 · Martin Scorsese · United States · drama, comedy, crime
    1.53

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1983 #5 · Empire 500 (2008) #87 · Sarris's annual top 10 1983 #5

  24. 24
    A King in New York1957 · Charlie Chaplin · United Kingdom / United States · comedy, drama
    1.43

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1957 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1973 #2 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  25. 25
    Daisies1966 · Věra Chytilová, Rudolf Jaroš · Czechoslovakia · comedy, drama, romance
    1.34

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #28 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1967 #7 · Criterion Collection spine #1157

  26. 26
    This Is Spinal Tap1984 · Rob Reiner · United States · comedy, musical
    1.28

    Empire 500 (2008) #48 · National Film Registry (inducted 2002) · Ebert's annual top 10 1984 #4

  27. 27
    District 92009 · Neill Blomkamp · South Africa / United States / New Zealand · thriller, sci-fi, action
    1.25

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2010 #3 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2009 · Film Comment year-end poll 2009 #41

  28. 28
    Memories of Murder2003 · Bong Joon-ho · South Korea · thriller, crime, mystery
    1.16

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2004 #2 · Letterboxd Top 250 #53 · Criterion Collection spine #1073

  29. 29
    Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson1976 · Robert Altman · United States · western, comedy
    1.16

    Berlin Golden Bear winner 1976 · Siskel's annual top 10 1976 #8

  30. 30
    Terminator 2: Judgment Day1991 · James Cameron · United States · action, thriller, sci-fi
    1.14

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1991 #8 · Empire 500 (2008) #35 · National Film Registry (inducted 2023)

  31. 31
    Reservoir Dogs1992 · Quentin Tarantino · United States · crime, thriller, drama
    1.11

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1993 #6 · Kehr's annual top 10 1992 #3 · Empire 500 (2008) #97

  32. 32
    Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown1988 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · comedy
    1.08

    TIFF People's Choice winner 1988 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #855

  33. 33
    The Wolf of Wall Street2013 · Martin Scorsese · United States · comedy, biography, crime
    1.05

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2013 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2014 #9 · Film Comment year-end poll 2013 #37

  34. 34
    Promising Young Woman2020 · Emerald Fennell · United Kingdom / United States · drama, comedy, thriller
    0.95

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2021 #3 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2020

  35. 35
    Withnail and I1987 · Bruce Robinson · United Kingdom / Australia · comedy, drama
    0.93

    BFI Top 100 British films #29 · Empire 500 (2008) #118 · Criterion Collection spine #119

  36. 36
    The Substance2024 · Coralie Fargeat · United Kingdom / France / United States · horror, sci-fi, drama
    0.84

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2024 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2025 #5

  37. 37
    Zelig1983 · Woody Allen · United States · comedy
    0.81

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1984 #5 · Sarris's annual top 10 1983 #3 · Empire 500 (2008) #408

  38. 38
    The Banshees of Inisherin2022 · Martin McDonagh · Ireland / United Kingdom / United States · comedy, drama
    0.81

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2022 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2023 #6

  39. 39
    Monty Python’s Life of Brian1979 · Terry Jones · United Kingdom · comedy
    0.78

    BFI Top 100 British films #28 · Empire 500 (2008) #203 · Criterion Collection spine #61

  40. 40
    F for Fake1973 · Orson Welles · France / Germany / United States
    0.77

    Kehr's annual top 10 1977 #1 · Criterion Collection spine #288 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  41. 41
    A New Leaf1971 · Elaine May · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    0.76

    Siskel's annual top 10 1971 #2 · National Film Registry (inducted 2019) · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  42. 42
    Family Plot1976 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · crime, mystery, comedy
    0.76

    Kehr's annual top 10 1976 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1976 #9 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  43. 43
    The Young Poisoner's Handbook1995 · Benjamin Ross · France / United Kingdom / Germany · comedy
    0.75

    Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner 1995

  44. 44
    Harold and Maude1971 · Hal Ashby · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    0.75

    Empire 500 (2008) #65 · National Film Registry (inducted 1997) · Criterion Collection spine #608

  45. 45
    Blazing Saddles1974 · Mel Brooks · United States · comedy, western
    0.72

    National Film Registry (inducted 2006) · Empire 500 (2008) #115 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  46. 46
    Love and Death1975 · Woody Allen · United States · comedy
    0.71

    Siskel's annual top 10 1975 #3 · Empire 500 (2008) #301 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  47. 47
    Simon of the Desert1965 · Luis Buñuel · Mexico · comedy
    0.70

    Sarris's annual top 10 1969 #4 · Siskel's annual top 10 1969 #4 · Criterion Collection spine #460

  48. 48
    Airplane!1980 · Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker · United States · comedy, romance
    0.68

    National Film Registry (inducted 2010) · Empire 500 (2008) #368 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  49. 49
    Borat2006 · Larry Charles · United States / United Kingdom · comedy
    0.67

    Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #6 · Hoberman's annual top 10 2006 #2

  50. 50
    Young Frankenstein1974 · Mel Brooks · United States · horror, comedy, sci-fi
    0.66

    National Film Registry (inducted 2003) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Sarris's annual top 10 1974 #8

  51. 51
    Taiyō o Nusunda Otoko1979 · Kazuhiko Hasegawa · Japan · comedy
    0.63

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1979 #2

  52. 52
    Death Proof2007 · Quentin Tarantino · United States · horror, action, drama
    0.63

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2007 #2

  53. 53
    Naked1993 · Mike Leigh · United Kingdom · drama, comedy
    0.62

    Hoberman's annual top 10 1993 #6 · Kehr's annual top 10 1993 #7 · Criterion Collection spine #307

  54. 54
    A Fish Called Wanda1988 · Charles Crichton, John Cleese · United States / United Kingdom · crime, comedy
    0.57

    BFI Top 100 British films #39 · Ebert's annual top 10 1988 #6 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  55. 55
    Raising Arizona1987 · Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · United States · comedy, action, crime
    0.50

    Empire 500 (2008) #101 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  56. 56
    Don't Look Up2021 · Adam McKay · United States · comedy, sci-fi, drama
    0.45

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2021

  57. 57
    Barbie2023 · Greta Gerwig · United States / United Kingdom · comedy, romance, adventure
    0.45

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 2023

  58. 58
    The Ruling Class1972 · Peter Medak · United Kingdom · comedy, drama
    0.44

    NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #132 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  59. 59
    Evil Dead II1987 · Sam Raimi · United States · horror, comedy
    0.38

    Empire 500 (2008) #49 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  60. 60
    Kung Fu Hustle2004 · Stephen Chow · China / Hong Kong, China · comedy, action
    0.38

    Film Comment year-end poll 2005 #23 · Kehr's annual top 10 2005 #8

  61. 61
    Irina Palm2007 · Sam Garbarski · Belgium / United Kingdom / France · drama, comedy
    0.36

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2007 #6

  62. 62
    David Holzman's Diary1967 · Jim McBride · United States
    0.34

    National Film Registry (inducted 1991) · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  63. 63
    Natural Born Killers1994 · Oliver Stone · United States · crime, mystery, drama
    0.33

    Empire 500 (2008) #364 · Ebert's annual top 10 1994 #8

  64. 64
    An American Werewolf in London1981 · John Landis · United Kingdom / United States / Australia · horror, comedy
    0.33

    Empire 500 (2008) #107 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  65. 65
    Mars Attacks!1996 · Tim Burton · United States · comedy, sci-fi
    0.32

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1997 #8

  66. 66
    The Good Girl2002 · Miguel Arteta · Germany / United States / Netherlands · comedy, drama, romance
    0.32

    Sarris's annual top 10 2002 #2

  67. 67
    The Other Side of the Wind2018 · Orson Welles · United States
    0.32

    Film Comment year-end poll 2018 #8

  68. 68
    The Freshman1990 · Andrew Bergman · United States · comedy, crime
    0.31

    Kehr's annual top 10 1990 #8 · Siskel's annual top 10 1990 #9

  69. 69
    Monty Python and the Holy Grail1975 · Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones · United Kingdom · fantasy, adventure, drama
    0.29

    Empire 500 (2008) #381 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  70. 70
    The Trouble with Harry1955 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · mystery, comedy, thriller
    0.28

    NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  71. 71
    Catch-221970 · Mike Nichols · United States · comedy, drama, war
    0.28

    NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  72. 72
    Real Life1979 · Albert Brooks · United States
    0.27

    Criterion Collection spine #1231 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  73. 73
    Bernie2011 · Richard Linklater · United States · crime, biography, comedy
    0.26

    Film Comment year-end poll 2012 #13

  74. 74
    Bulworth1998 · Warren Beatty · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    0.26

    Hoberman's annual top 10 1998 #null · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  75. 75
    The Ballad of Buster Scruggs2018 · Ethan Coen, Joel Coen · United States · western, comedy, drama
    0.26

    Film Comment year-end poll 2018 #14

  76. 76
    The Man with Two Brains1983 · Carl Reiner · United States · comedy, sci-fi, horror
    0.25

    Sarris's annual top 10 1983 #12 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

  77. 77
    In the Loop2009 · Armando Iannucci · United Kingdom · comedy
    0.24

    Film Comment year-end poll 2009 #17

  78. 78
    On Becoming a Guinea Fowl2024 · Rungano Nyoni · United Kingdom / Ireland / United States · comedy, drama
    0.23

    Film Comment year-end poll 2025 #20

  79. 79
    Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein1948 · Charles Barton · United States · comedy, horror
    0.23

    National Film Registry (inducted 2001)

  80. 80
    Carry On... Up the Khyber1968 · Gerald Thomas · United Kingdom · comedy, war
    0.23

    BFI Top 100 British films #99

  81. 81
    Uptown Saturday Night1974 · Sidney Poitier · United States · comedy
    0.23

    National Film Registry (inducted 2024)

  82. 82
    Martin1978 · George A. Romero · United States · horror, drama, crime
    0.22

    Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

  83. 83
    Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie2025 · Matt Johnson · Canada · adventure
    0.20

    Letterboxd Top 250 #200

  84. 84
    Shaun of the Dead2004 · Edgar Wright · United Kingdom / France · comedy, romance, horror
    0.19

    Empire 500 (2008) #231

  85. 85
    Marcel the Shell with Shoes On2021 · Dean Fleischer Camp · United States · comedy, animation
    0.19

    Letterboxd Top 250 #241

  86. 86
    Oh! What a Lovely War1969 · Richard Attenborough · United Kingdom · musical, war, comedy
    0.18

    Siskel's annual top 10 1969 #6

  87. 87
    Hot Fuzz2007 · Edgar Wright · United Kingdom / France · crime, action, comedy
    0.18

    Empire 500 (2008) #374

  88. 88
    American Psycho2000 · Mary Harron · United States / Canada · crime, horror, comedy
    0.17

    Empire 500 (2008) #435

  89. 89
    The Butcher Boy1997 · Neil Jordan · Ireland · comedy, drama
    0.17

    NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  90. 90
    Looney Tunes: Back in Action2003 · Joe Dante · United States / Germany · sci-fi, thriller, comedy
    0.17

    Kehr's annual top 10 2003 #7

  91. 91
    Hollywood Shuffle1987 · Robert Townsend · United States · comedy
    0.16

    Criterion Collection spine #1173

  92. 92
    Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!1989 · Pedro Almodóvar · Spain · comedy, crime, romance
    0.16

    Criterion Collection spine #722

  93. 93
    Shallow Grave1994 · Danny Boyle · United Kingdom · crime, thriller, comedy
    0.16

    Criterion Collection spine #616

  94. 94
    To Die For1995 · Gus Van Sant · United Kingdom / United States · comedy, drama, crime
    0.16

    Criterion Collection spine #1213

  95. 95
    Fear and Trembling2003 · Alain Corneau · France · comedy, drama
    0.16

    Sarris's annual top 10 2004 #8

  96. 96
    Silent Movie1976 · Mel Brooks · United States · comedy, silent
    0.15

    Ebert's annual top 10 1976 #9

  97. 97
    Death Becomes Her1992 · Robert Zemeckis · United States · fantasy, horror, comedy
    0.15

    Kehr's annual top 10 1992 #9

  98. 98
    Tito and Me1992 · Goran Marković · Federal Republic of Yugoslavia / Yugoslavia / France · drama, comedy
    0.15

    Sarris's annual top 10 1993 #9

  99. 99
    Allegro non troppo1976 · Bruno Bozzetto, Maurizio Nichetti · Italy · comedy, action, animation
    0.14

    Kehr's annual top 10 1976 #10

  100. 100
    Beat the Devil1953 · John Huston · United States / Italy / United Kingdom · adventure, comedy, action
    0.13

    Roger Ebert's Great Movies

Dark comedy is the genre that walks a wire over an open grave. Its bargain is that the more unbearable the subject, the more precisely a joke can be aimed at it — and the surrealist André Breton, who coined "humour noir" in 1935 while reading Jonathan Swift, understood the trick long before cinema learned to pull it. The list above is not a register of things that merely made people laugh; it is a ledger of films that made an audience laugh at exactly the thing it was most afraid of.

The tonal tightrope

What every film here shares is a refusal to pick a lane. Stanley Kubrick built Dr. Strangelove (1964) as pure farce about the end of the world, and the joke only lands because the machinery of annihilation is rendered with documentary sobriety. Charlie Chaplin took the harder dare in The Great Dictator (1940), mocking a living tyrant at the peak of his power. The register is the one Breton named — laughter aimed at the subjects, death chief among them, that drama normally handles with a lowered voice. Robert Altman's MASH (1970) and Sidney Lumet's Network (1976) simply moved the target from war to the American institutions that profit from it.

How to read our list

The ranking is our composite score across 20+ lists, awards and polls, and here it breaks decisively with the textbooks. The genre's most-cited monument, Dr. Strangelove, sits only at #27 (score 4.66) — behind Bong Joon-ho's Parasite (2019), which sits at #12 in the entire library (score 5.72). That is the composite arguing that the definitive dark comedy may no longer be a Cold War farce but a Korean film about a basement, class rage sharpened to a scalpel. Apocalypse Now (1979) at #5 and Pulp Fiction (1994) at #11 rank higher still, two films rarely shelved under "comedy" at all — a reminder that the tag here is the register, not the marketing.

Membership and its edges

The page is assembled by genre tag, not by editorial taste: every film whose Wikidata-derived genre data folds into the dark-comedy bucket is admitted, then re-ranked by score — we never borrow an outside list's order. That method is generous, which is why the Coens' Fargo (1996) and Barton Fink (1991), Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Quentin Tarantino's catalogue all surface beside the obvious satires. It also lets a director own the form twice: Bong appears again far down the list with Memories of Murder (2003), the composite quietly confirming that the genre's center of gravity has moved east.