10 Most Unpredictable Comedy Movies, Ranked

Comedy can be an enigmatic form of entertainment, one that has no set structure or style that must be adhered to in order to be successful. While the formula behind many of the most successful comedy movies—be they high-brow satires or smutty and juvenile jests—can be examined and even identified on inspection, some of the greatest films the genre has seen have thrived because of their erratic and unpredictable nature.

From skewering spoofs to black comedies, genre-meshing masterpieces, and even to superb slapstick sensations, these comedy movies ensure audiences stay on the edge of their seats with both their juggling of comedy styles and the absurdity of their narratives. Wacky, wild, and whimsical, these funny flicks prove that, sometimes, comedy is at its best when at its most chaotic.

10

‘Sorry to Bother You’ (2018)

Directed by Boots Riley

A pulverizing satire that matches its outrageous absurdity with an unadulterated, socially skewering might, Sorry to Bother You is an intense comedy movie to say the least. Set in an alternate modern-day California, it follows Cassius Green (played by LaKeith Stanfield), a struggling telemarketer whose career begins to soar when he begins using his “white voice” over the phone. As his success sees him climb the corporate ladder, Green must decide whether he wants to keep rising up the ranks at the expense of his personal relationships.

A scorching analysis of stereotypes and social misconceptions armed with the typical insightful brilliance and magnitude of Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You is a thematically raw, hysterically funny, and strikingly original gem of 2010s comedy. Infused with a strong sci-fi undertone, plenty of shock value laughs, and an inconceivable character transformation, the film is a relentless showpiece of loaded unpredictability.

9

‘Bubba Ho-Tep’ (2002)

Directed by Don Corscarelli

A chaotic cacophony of comical carnage, Bubba Ho-Tep is the sort of movie that starts off in bewildering fashion and only grows more confounding as the story unfolds. Bruce Campbell stars as an elderly Elvis Presley—who didn’t die in 1977 but rather swapped places with an impersonator so he could leave the celebrity lifestyle behind—residing in a nursing home with Jack (Ossie Davis), a black senior who believes he is JFK. The two unlikely allies stand as humanity’s last defense when an Egyptian mummy starts sucking people’s souls out through their anuses.

There is certainly an erratic quality to the story that lends to the film’s unpredictability, but Bubba Ho-Tep also proves to be a twisty and surprising watch for its overt leaning into horror and its unexpected poignancy. It is uproariously funny and completely bonkers, yet it is also bitterly insightful on occasion. Complemented by two impressive and nuanced lead performances, Bubba Ho-Tep is one of the most profound and surprising comedies of the 21st century.

8

‘The Happiness of the Katakuris’ (2001)

Directed by Takashi Miike

Another genre-meshing dose of vibrant and eccentric fun from the early 2000s, The Happiness of the Katakuris combines comedy, horror, and even musical intrigue to present one of the most stupefying movies ever seen. It follows the dysfunctional and misfortunate Katakuri family as they relocate to Mount Fuji to start a new vocation as managers of a holiday inn. Their plans for a peaceful life cascade into chaos, conceit, and cover-ups when all of their guests die in bizarre accidents.

Even within the context of Takashi Miike’s prolific and profound filmography, The Happiness of the Katakuris stands out as a particularly perplexing and audacious picture. While its rapid tonal shifts sometimes exhaust more so than entertain, the film is an impressive romp of over-the-top delirium that often finds ways to leave audiences laughing out loud while entering a state of shock.

7

‘The Lobster’ (2015)

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

A pitch-black comedy that, for many audiences, served as the introduction to Yorgos Lanthimos’ unique style of humor, The Lobster has become something of a cult classic of 2010s cinema. Set in a peculiar future world, it follows David (Colin Farrell) as he is taken to a hotel where he is given 45 days to find a lover, or he will be turned into an animal of his choosing.

Marrying such a confounding, surreal, and absurd plot with a striking sense of deadpan comedy, The Lobster maintains a thrilling ambition courtesy of Lanthimos’ unusual blending of ingredients being so unique that audiences can’t possibly anticipate what direction the movie should take. While offbeat to such a degree that some may find it inaccessible, The Lobster has been celebrated as a bold and bewildering comedy hit by those willing to indulge in the director’s perplexing sensitivities.

6

‘Being John Malkovich’ (1999)

Directed by Spike Jonze

Maddeningly meta, yet masterfully realized, Being John Malkovich sees Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman weave a sharp and smart yet stupefying tale that sheds new light on the celebrity lifestyle and notions of love. Craig Schwartz (John Cusack) is an unemployed puppeteer who accepts a temporary job under the eccentric Dr. Lester (Orson Bean) to support his family. While working late one night, he discovers a mysterious portal that leads to the mind of Hollywood star John Malkovich. When he lets his co-worker Maxine (played by Catherine Keener) in on the secret, the two begin a bizarre business venture.

Its outrageous premise thrives with Kaufman and Jonze’s insightful screenplay and Jonze’s deft handling of the idea as director, leading to a carefully conceived surrealist fantasy that, even when at its most confounding, finds ways to make the audience laugh. The 112-minute runtime breezes by, jam-packed with ideas and contemplative nuance that help deliver one of the most unique and unpredictable viewing experiences cinema has ever seen.

5

‘Delicatessen’ (1991)

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro

Post-apocalyptic sci-fi horror meets absurdist black comedy in Delicatessen, a visually arresting and somewhat unsettling French film that is the embodiment of the experimental might and high-concept ideas that define much of 1990s cinema. Clapet (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) is a former circus clown who, desperate for lodging in the wasteland that is post-apocalyptic France, winds up in a run-down apartment building operated by a butcher who routinely kills new inhabitants for food. His plans to carve up Clapet grow complicated when his daughter falls in love with the complex’s latest tenant.

Juggling cannibalistic horror, fairy tale awe, and romantic comedy all while serving as an excessively stylized metaphor for French society during times of war, Delicatessen is often nightmarish, satirical, sweet, and hilarious all at once. Complemented by a stellar cast and a note-perfect approach from directors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, it thrives as one of the most whimsical and audacious comedy movies international cinema has ever seen.

4

‘Duck Soup’ (1933)

Directed by Leo McCarey

In terms of unpredictability, there are few cinematic comics as energetic and sporadic as the Marx Brothers, with their 1933 film Duck Soup standing not only as their best outing, but as their most frenzied and chaotic as well. Incorporating everything from slapstick silliness to searing social commentary, absurdly timed musical numbers, and witty wordplay courtesy of Groucho Marx’s famous motormouth mania, the film keeps audiences on their toes throughout, delivering multiple gags per minute to be a non-stop display of laugh and lunacy.

It transpires in the fictional country of Freedonia, where Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) becomes the new president as the nation reaches the depths of its economic woes. When news of Freedonia’s crisis reaches the ambassador of the neighboring Sylvania, he sends two spies into Freedonia to monitor Firefly as he plans to annex the country. While it was initially released to mixed reception from critics, Duck Soup has endured as one of comedy cinema’s most important and eccentric masterpieces.

3

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

An exuberant action-comedy hit that became a word-of-mouth sensation upon release, Everything Everywhere All at Once enchanted millions around the world with its genre-bending story of family drama, its utilization of a multiverse premise, and its hilarious incorporation of comedy. It follows Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a Chinese immigrant working in a laundromat who is whisked away on an interdimensional adventure where she must connect with alternate versions of herself from other realities and use their skills to prevent the destruction of the multiverse.

Bouncing wildly from obscene physical gags to incredible action sequences and even to poignant meditations of family connection, the film is impossible to predict from one scene to another let alone in the grand scope of its story. However, it never feels aimless or untethered, something that is a testament to the nous and control of directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. It went on to win Best Picture as one of seven Academy Awards it received from 11 nominations.

2

‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ (1975)

Directed by Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones

After making a name for themselves on television, 1975 saw the famed Monty Python comedy troupe make their cinematic debut with the hilarious riff on the Arthurian legend, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Featuring everything from referential parody to social satire, physical comedy, and even just outrageous absurdity, the movie has become one of the most beloved comedy films of all time, as well as one of the most erratic and unpredictable.

Having been visited by God, King Arthur (Graham Chapman) and his loyal knights of the round table set out to retrieve the Holy Grail. In their conquest, they must face rude French castle guards, the resilient Black Knight, and even mystical foes like the Rabbit of Caerbannog and the Legendary Black Beast. It is ridiculous humor at its absolute best, making for a work of pure comic genius that is as vibrant and chaotic today as it was 50 years ago.

1

‘Airplane!’ (1980)

Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker

The greatest of all the spoof movies, and one of the most unrelenting comedy films of all time as well, Airplane! is nothing short of a divine masterpiece of humorous excess. A parody of the disaster movies of its time, it follows a commercial flight that is plunged into chaos when a severe bout of food poisoning sweeps through those on board and leaves the pilots incapacitated. It falls to a traumatized fighter pilot to land the plane safely while an eccentric doctor tries to look after the sick.

Ranging from the frantically absurd to the ridiculous wordplay, and even to the odd physical gag as well, Airplane! leaves no stone unturned in its manic pursuit of laugh-out-loud moments. It seems juvenile and stupid at first, but through its sheer relentlessness and its mastery of so many different forms of comedy, Airplane! can only be considered a masterwork of the genre and one of the most outrageously unpredictable movies of all time.

NEXT: The Best Comedies of All Time, Ranked