Whether you’re heading to the cinema or chilling at home in front of Netflix, it’s hard to beat a good comedy (and some snacks).
But although a funny film can lift the mood, there are some which offer a little bit more. Thought-provoking, shocking, or downright controversial, here are five comedy films that push boundaries in different ways.
Team America: World Police
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the creative minds behind South Park, but they’ve also let their imaginations loose on other projects, including Team America: World Police.
A film that is entirely based on puppets, it’s an all-action plot that’s deeply satirical and jingoistic. Poking fun at the political landscape, it manages to be incredibly vulgar (puppet orgy anyone?!) while daring you to look away.
Sausage Party
With a title that sounds distinctly saucy, Sausage Party is about a group of food items that are all sentient. Believing humans to be gods, they are shocked to discover the truth and plot an escape plan to avoid their inevitable fate.
A parody of Pixar and Disney, the film captured the public's imagination and critics alike, with Blueprint Gaming releasing the hilarious Sausage Party slot machine.
Creator Seth Rogen said that it took him eight years to bring this film to fruition, which was originally created from the thought of “what would it be like if food had feelings?” In the modern era, where veganism is on the rise, it's a provocative thought.
Monty Python's Life of Brian
The Monty Python crew never shied away from tackling taboo subjects, but their Life of Brian film was one that caused real offence. A parody of the story of Christ, the script was considered to be so controversial that it was turned down by production studio EMI.
In the end, ex-Beatle George Harrison provided funding for the films, which was to become a cult hit. The original critics missed that Life of Brian isn't mocking Christ, but the absurdities surrounding religious fanaticism.
Four Lions
And on the subject of fanaticism: enter Four Lions. A film about radicalization and terrorism doesn't seem like the most obvious topic for humor, but this film manages the impossible. With a bumbling gang of wannabe terrorists, the audience ends up feeling sorry for the extremists, despite their violent intent.
Created by well-known satirist Chris Morris, Four Lions provides genuine commentary on the horror of extremism while somehow offering a genuinely hilarious film in the most British of ways.
Borat
Responsible for creating a whole host of cringeworthy characters over the years, Sacha Baron Cohen is a comedic genius.
Reinventing himself as Borat, Cohen created a film that was often unscripted and designed to expose the most outrageous parts of modern society. Alternately shocking and side-splitting, in his role as Borat, Cohen pranks numerous people into thinking that the misogynistic and racist views he holds really are genuine.