Overlooked Gems: 5 Modern Comedies Destined to Become Genre Classics
They were all recently released.
Tastes change with generations of viewers, but some films remain as popular decades after their release, becoming cinema classics. While it's almost impossible to predict which films will live on and which will be forgotten, some simply represent their genres well – like these five modern comedies that could become iconic in the future.
Ricky Stanicky (2024, 6.2 on IMDb)
Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime
Peter Farrelly's comedy revolves around three lifelong friends, Dean, Wes and JT, who since childhood have blamed their many shortcomings on their non-existent fourth friend of the title. Now adults, their families have grown tired of the lie and are pushing the characters to come clean about their failings. Unwilling to give up, the trio hires a professional actor to pose as Ricky Stanicky, leading to many hilarious consequences.
No Hard Feelings (2023, 6.4 on IMDb)
Available on: Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime
Released almost a year ago, this adult comedy stars Jennifer Lawrence as Maddie Barker, a thirty-two-year-old native of Montauk, New York, who juggles Uber driving and bartending to make ends meet. When her car is repossessed by the bank for failing to pay the mortgage on the house she inherited from her mother, Maddie finds a gig that will give her a new vehicle. A rich couple is looking for a woman to help their freshman son come out of his shell before college.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022, 7.0 on IMDb)
Available on: Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime
Starring Nicolas Cage, this action comedy follows a fictionalized version of him as he struggles to accept the fact that his fame is fading. Intent on retiring from acting, he accepts one last gig. He is to host the birthday of an enigmatic Spanish billionaire in Mallorca. Initially skeptical of the man, Nick quickly bonds with him over their similar tastes in movies, but the idyll is shattered when the actor is approached by CIA agents who claim that his rich employer is an arms dealer and ask for his help in bringing the billionaire down.
The Fall Guy (2024, 7.0 on IMDb)
Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime
Inspired by the TV show of the same name, David Leitch's film centers on Colt Seavers, a former Hollywood stuntman who worked as a stunt double for Tom Ryder, a famous action movie star. After suffering a serious back injury, Colt was forced to quit the industry. However, he is called back to the set when Tom goes missing and Seavers is the only one who can find the star.
American Fiction (2023, 7.5 on IMDb)
Available on: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime
Adapted from Percival Everett's Erasure, this comedy-drama follows Thelonious Ellison, an African-American literature professor at an LA university, who has written a novel that pokes fun at the genre of so-called black books. Intended to ridicule the genre with all its stereotypical trappings, the novel proves a success, bringing its author fame and fortune and much frustration.