Black Humour
"Black comedy...also known as 'black humour' or 'dark comedy', is a sub-genre of comedy and satire where topics and events that are usually treated seriously – death, mass murder, sickness, madness, terror, drug abuse, rape, war etc - are treated in a humorous or satirical manner." - Wikipedia
Good Stuff! Alice's dark comedy delights await below.
The Ladykillers (1955)
7.8/10
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Starring: Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Peter Sellers
Alec Guinness teams with Peter Sellers in this fabulous tale of a group of dumb crooks who become unhinged by a sweet old lady. An Ealing Studios gem. Read more
The Office: Series 1 (2001)
8.5/10
Director: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis
BAFTA-winning comedy about the Slough paper-merchant where life is stationery... David Brent (Ricky Gervais) is a petty, pompous boss who thinks he's... Read more
Two Hands (1999)
7.2/10
Director: Gregor Jordan
Starring: Rose Byrne, Heath Ledger, David Field, Bryan Brown
From the gripping, innovative opening credits we know that writer/director Gregor Jordan means business. A young lad-on-the-make (Heath Ledger) finds... Read more
Cabaret (1972)
7.8/10
Director: Bob Fosse
Starring: Michael York, Marisa Berenson, Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Helmut Griem
Winner of 8 Oscars, including Best Director (Bob Fosse), Best Actress (Lisa Minnelli) and Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey) and widely regarded as one... Read more
Evil Dead II (1987)
7.8/10
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Bruce Campbell
Aka "Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn". Ash (Bruce Campbell), the survivor of the first film, continues to battle demons in a cabin deep in the woods. With h... Read more
Shallow Grave (1994)
7.3/10
Director: Danny Boyle
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox, Ewan McGregor, Keith Allen
Danny Boyle's feature film debut is a compelling and darkly humourous tale of three flatmates in a predicament after finding their newly acquired four... Read more
Rushmore (1998)
7.7/10
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Seymour Cassel, Olivia Williams, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray
A rebellious teenager (Jason Schwartzman), too involved with his extracurricular activities to bother with studies, befriends a depressed, middle-aged... Read more
Buffalo 66 (1998)
7.5/10
Director: Vincent Gallo
Starring: Anjelica Huston, Ben Gazzara, Christina Ricci, Jan-Michael Vincent, Mickey Rourk...
Billy (Vincent Gallo) is released after five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Hell-bent on convincing his dysfunctional parents (Angelica... Read more
The Exterminating Angel (1962)
8.2/10
Director: Luis Bunuel
Starring: Silvia Pinal, Jacqueline Andere, Claudio Brook
Louis Bunuel's masterpiece tells the story of guests invited to a lavish dinner party who find they are unable to leave at the end of the evening. A m... Read more
The King of Comedy (1982)
7.8/10
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, Diahnne Abbott, Tony Randall, Sandra Bernhard
Robert De Niro is an obsessive stand-up comic performing in front of cardboard cut-outs in is mum's basement. Jerry Lewis is the host of a talk show t... Read more