Fits of Laughter

The Favourite (2018) by Yorgos Lanthimos

An unusual royal film which has made audiences laugh worldwide. At the court of Queen Anne, two of her servants fight for her attention and favour, which automatically leads to power at court. Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone are a devious trio.

Whatever Works (2009) by Woody Allen

Personally, I find all films by Allen funny, but this one cracked me up the most I think. Comedian Larry David (who is currently best-known for his impersonations of Bernie Sanders) plays a cranky New Yorker whose life changes when he meets a naive Southern girl. Besides Larry David, Evan Rachel Woods, Patricia Clarkson and a very young Henry Cavill co-star.

Jojo Rabbit (2019) by Taika Waititi

Making fun of Nazis is always controversial, but director Taika Waititi gets away with it with his intelligent screenplay. Being of Jewish origin, he of course also has a good reason to deal with this topic, and appease his critics. A young boy in Nazi Germany struggles with not being as brave as he would like to be, questionable training methods in his Nazi youth group and strange noises in his house. Luckily, he has an imaginary best friend who helps shim whenever he need support - who just happens to look like Hitler. Smart, hilarious and time very deep at the same. Great cast with many great actors, among them Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Alfie Allen.

The Square (2017) by Ruben Östlund

One of the smartest films in the last decade, in my opinion. Not only deeply thought-provoking, this is also a hilarious film which resulted in many tears. Set in the art world of Stockholm, this trilingual film satirises many modern conventions.  Besides Claes Bang in the leading role, Elizabeth Moss and Dominic West make this jaw-dropping spectacle more international.

Deadpool (2016) by Tim Miller

Love it or hate it, I guess. Personally, some scenes  had me on the floor (also in Deadpool 2). Ryan Reynolds plays this unusual superhero, who has a big mouth and does not play by any rules. You definitely should not believe in political correctness in cinema if you want to watch it...

Death at a Funeral (2007) by Frank Oz

A black British comedy set at a funeral - that already says everything. While the grieving son (Matthew Macfadyen) of the deceased man wants to get the funeral over with, an unexpected guest (Peter Dinklage) starts to make matters more complicated. 

The Dictator (2012) by Larry Charles

As in all films involving comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, nothing is off limits. "The Dictator" is one of his more expensive productions, with established actors such as Ben Kingsley and Anna Faris by his side. Cohen himself plays a dictator of a fictional Republic, who is in New York to speak to the UN assembly. While he is there, he encounters some unexpected problems.

Blackkklansman (2018) by Spike Lee

It's incredible that the plot of this film is actually based on true events. It tells the story of an African American police officer, who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan. This leads to absurd situations, and results in a film that is both hilarious and deeply unsettling. Visionary director Spike Lee once again created a masterpiece, and John David Washington and Adam Driver play amazingly.

Tropic Thunder (2008) by Ben Stiller

I'm not gonna lie, Ben Stiller is usually not my favourite comedy actor. This film, however, is an exception - mainly because of Robert Downey Jr., of course. A group of actors are shooting a movie on location, and all kinds of things go wrong. In many ways a typical Hollywood comedy, this film includes plenty of irony as well.

Logan Lucky (2017) by Steven Soderbergh

Director Soderbergh has experience with films about heists, since directing the Ocean's 11 series. In this film, the main difference is that all people involved as not as smart as you normally see in crews planning difficult criminal activities. This leads to many hilarious scenes, as well as the casting. Daniel Craig is amazing in a very un-Bond-like role, and Channing Tatum and Adam Driver fit perfectly as the Logan brothers.