12 Best Black Comedy Movies Of All Time
It's a fine line between clever content and shock value.
Comics and writers across the world revel in the underbelly of what is offensive and what might cause controversy. For instance, one person's black humor might be another person's cheap attempt at trying to make you laugh. The beauty of this is that every movie gets a different reaction. Some people love it, some people hate it, but that doesn't stop it from being there.
Of course, there are occasions where writers might go over the limit, pushing the boundaries that then go on to offend millions of people all in the name of "art". But isn't that just a reflection of the world that we live in? After all, the human race prides itself on freedom of speech. Black comedies aren't successful simply because they are offensive - their appeal runs way deeper than that: they skewer acceptability, playing with offense but never seeking to offer empty provocative.
Sometimes, that outrageousness proves too much for mainstream audiences, but the lack of box office isn't always an indication of a lack of quality. Because there have been some seriously good black comedies over the years.
12. Bad Santa (2003)
The Christmas period is as sickly sweet as it is sour. A time for family, even though we probably hate half of them, a time for appreciation, even though we constantly compare ourselves to other people, and a time for gift-giving, even though we are made guilty for not buying enough. It's supposed to be a time to relax but in reality, it's an angst-ridden mess that leaves you a few pounds heavier yet with empty pockets.
So what's with all the schmaltzy Christmas movies pretending otherwise?
Thankfully, Bad Santa goes against the grain, telling the world what we really think of the month of December. It's both outrageous and appalling with the loathsome Billy Bob Thornton putting in a shameless shift as a corrupt counterfeit drunken Santa Claus by day and a corrupt counterfeit drunken Santa Claus by night, only without the kids.
By far the best thing about this movie is the number of unsuspecting parents who all sat their kids down in front of the television to watch what they believed to be just another nice magical Christmas movie... oh how wrong they were.
Bad Santa, bad taste. That's why we love it.