50 Best Dark Comedies, Ranked (2020)

"Dark comedy" refers to comedies with gloomy or disturbing elements. And the best ones excel at bringing their audiences levels of discomfort they didn't even know was possible. Dark comedies have become very popular.

Here are fifty of the best dark comedy movies and TV shows, ranked:

1. The Favourite

The dark comedy movie, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, follows Sarah, the Duchess of Marlborough, and her cousin Abigael Masham, both vying to be Queen Anne's court favorite.

• Review: 93% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.5/10 on IMDb.
• Rating: R

2. Fargo

A pregnant police chief investigates a series of homicides in Minnesota.

• Review: 94% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.1/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

3. South Park

This adventure comedy follows the story of four irreverent grade-schoolers who live in the quiet town of South Park, Colorado.

• Review: 82% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.7/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

4. Inglourious Basterds

A story of two different plans to assassinate Nazi Germany's leadership.

• Review: 89% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.3/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

5. Ghost World

The film focuses on two teenagers, Enid and Rebecca, living in an unnamed city.

• Review: 93% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.3/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

6. The Cable Guy

This movie, directed by Ben Stiller, tells a story of a lonely and mentally disturbed cable guy who wants a new friend but gets rejected.

• Review: 54% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.1/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG-13

7. Ed Wood

The 1994 movie revolved around Wood's life when he made his famous films and his relationship with Bela Lugosi, an actor.

• Review: 92% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

8. Downhill

Downhill is a 2020 movie that narrates a couple who survived a near-death encounter during a ski outing.

• Review: 38% Rotten Tomatoes. 4.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

9. O Brother Where Art Thou?

Three convicts, Pete Hogwallop, Ulysses Everett McGill, and Delmar O'Donnell escape a chain gang and try to retrieve treasure Everett buried.

• Review: 77% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.7/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG-13

10. Arsenic and Old Lace

Mortimer Brewster, a writer who denounces marriage repeatedly, falls in love with the minister's daughter, Elaine Harper.

• Review: 81% Rotten Tomatoes. 8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

11. The War of the Roses

A wealthy couple seemingly in a perfect marriage, begin to drift apart, and their wealth fires up their divorce battle.

• Review: 85% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

12. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

An insane general triggers a path to nuclear holocaust that a War Room full of politicians and generals frantically try to stop.

• Review: 98% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.4/10 IMDb.
• Rating: N/R

13. Bad Santa

Willie (Billy Bob Thornton) meets a lady with a Santa fetish, and it gets twisted and funny with every minute. Terry Zwigoff directed the film.

• Review: 78% Rotten Tomatoes. 7/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

14. Jojo Rabbit

10-year-old Jojo aspires to be Nazi and converses with an imaginary Hitler. Streaming on HBO Max.

• Review: 79% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.9/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG-13

15. The Trouble With Harry

The story revolves around how Vermont villagers react after Harry's body is found on a hillside.

• Review: 90% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.1/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG-13

16. Horrible Bosses

The film, co-starring Kevin Spacey, follows three friends who decide to murder their abusive bosses.

• Review: 69% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.9/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

17. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

This film features Frances McDonald as a Missouri woman who rents three billboards to call out on the authorities to take action following her daughter's rape and murder.

• Review: 90% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.2/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

18. Death to Smoochy

The movie centers on Rainbow, a former children's TV host who tries to ruin the career of his replacement, Rhino (Edward Norton).

• Review: 42% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.4/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

19. Adam's Apples

A gang leader is granted parole from prison who then joins a gas station robber and a kleptomaniac rapist.

• Review: 70% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG-13

20. God Bless America

A middle-aged man and girl in her teens go on a killing spree. Both hate the post 9/11 US culture.

• Review: 65% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.2/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

21. The Rules of Attraction

Three Camden College students get entangled with virgin, drug dealer, and a bisexual classmate.

• Review: 43% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.7/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

22. Pulp Fiction

The Quentin Tarantino directed black comedy film centers around several criminal stories in Los Angeles.

• Review: 91% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.9/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

23. Trainspotting

Directed by Danny Boyle, the film revolves around heroin addicts living in the economically depressed region of Edinburgh.

• Review: 91% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.2/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

24. Raising Arizona

This film, directed and produced by the Coen brothers, revolves around the relationship of store robber named "Hi" and a police officer named "Ed."

• Review: 91% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.3/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG-13

25. Welcome to the Dollhouse

Dawn, an unpopular middle schooler, pushes herself to extreme lengths to get attention and respect from other students and family.

• Review: 90% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.4/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

26. Killer Joe

After his mother, Adele, steals his cocaine money and throws him out, Chris Smith moves to his father's and step mom's house.

• Review: 79% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.7/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

27. Evil Dead II

This comedy horror film follows Ash Williams and his girlfriend in a remote cabin. He discovers and recites ancient texts from a book, and demons possess him.

• Review: 97% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

28. Grosse Pointe Blank

An assassin, Martin Blank, returns to his hometown Grose Pointe to attend a ten-year high school reunion.

• Review: 80% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.3/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

29. Big Nothing

Big Nothing, starring Simon Pegg, is set in a small Oregon town and focuses on a serial killer known as "Oregon Undertaker" who murders and mutilates young women.

• Review: 46% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

30. Shakes the Clown

A depressed and alcoholic birthday clown, performed by Bobcat Goldthwait, is framed for murder.

• Review: 41% Rotten Tomatoes. 5.6/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

31. Burn After Reading

The film co-starring Brad Pitt follows the story of a jobless CIA analyst whose misplaced memoirs land on the hands of gym employees.

• Review: 78% Rotten Tomatoes. 7/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

32. Harold and Maude

Harold Chasen is intrigued by death. He falls in love with Maude, who teaches him about living life to the fullest.

• Review: 84% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.9/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG

33. Happiness

Directed by Todd Solondz, the dark comedy movie portrays the three sisters, their families, and friends.

• Review: 81% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.7/10 IMDb.
• Rating: NR

34. Throw Momma from the Train

Novelist Larry Donner develops resentment towards his ex-wife, Margaret, after taking credit for his manuscript.

• Review: 63% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.3/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG-13

35. Fight Club

An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soapmaker form an underground fight club that evolves into something much.

• Review: 79% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

36. World's Greatest Dad

A single father and a high school teacher, Lance Clayton, is afraid of ending up alone someday. He dreams of becoming a famous writer.

• Review: 80% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.9/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

37. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

The story parodies on the legendary King Arthur on his quest for the Holy Grail.

• Review: 97% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.2/10 IMDb.
• Rating: PG

38. The Royal Tenenbaums

The black comedy film follows on the lives of three talented siblings who experience great success as youths, but greater disappointment and failure in adulthood.

• Review: 80% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.6/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

39. The Death of Stalin

This satirical black comedy narrates the power struggle in the Soviet leader's aftermath, Joseph Stalin's death.

• Review: 95% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.2/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

40. Snatch

A boxing promoter finds himself on the mercy of a ruthless gangster whose subordinates are ready to carry out violent and sadistic acts.

• Review: 73% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.3/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

41. In Bruges

Two Irish hitmen, Ray (Collin Farrell) and Ken Daley (Brendan Gleeson) are hiding with their boss.

• Review: 84% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.9/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

42. Pink Flamingos

The film, directed by John Waters, revolves around the drag queen Divine, a criminal and a proud to be "the filthiest person alive."

• Review: 80% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.1/10 IMDb.
• Rating: NC17

43. A Clockwork Orange

Alex is an antisocial who loves classical music, committing theft, rape, and "ultra-violence." He leads a gang of thugs.

• Review: 87% Rotten Tomatoes. 8.3/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

44. Kind Hearts and Coronets

The story follows on Louis Mazzini, whose mother was disowned for marrying out of her social class. He decides to take revenge after his mother's death.

• Review: 100% Rotten Tomatoes. 8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: NR

45. Hot Fuzz

Two police officers, Nicholas Angel and Constable Danny Butterman, investigate a series of mysterious deaths in a village in West Country.

• Review: 91% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

46. Shaun of the Dead

Directed by Edgar Wright, the comedy horror movie centers around Shaun, who is surprised by the zombie apocalypse.

• Review: 92% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.9/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

47. The Voices

Jerry lives at a bathtub factory with his dog, Bosco, and cat, Mr. Whiskers. He experiences hallucinations that make it appear like his pets are talking to him.

• Review: 74% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.4/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

48. Used Cars

Ruddy Russo is a devious salesman who works for a used car dealer Luke Fuchs whose brother runs another car dealership. Ruddy is put in the middle of Luke Fuchs and Roy Fuchs's rivalry.

• Review: 77% Rotten Tomatoes. 6.8/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

49. Seven Psychopaths

Marty is struggling writers dreaming of finishing his screenplay. His best friend, Billy, kidnaps dogs for a living.

• Review: 83% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.2/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R

50. The Brand New Testament

God lives in Brussels with his wife and a 10-year-old daughter whom he emotionally abuses. He's a sadist who created humankind to torment humans.

• Review: 82% Rotten Tomatoes. 7.1/10 IMDb.
• Rating: R