Underrated or overlooked Dark comedies

__________________
A hundred percent death proof.

Tomato Necromancy - now with Vitamin R!
https://www.movieforums.com/communit...ad.php?t=65140

Heavy Trip - I hesitate to call this Finnish movie dark - it's about a death metal band and some dark stuff happens in it - but I'm recommending it anyway because I love it so much. The band is an up-and-coming one that goes on a ridiculous journey to Norway to perform at a festival.
Kontroll - A Hungarian movie about ticket inspectors in the Budapest subway system. Strange, atmospheric and with an excellent soundtrack. Hopefully this isn't a spoiler, but David Fincher fans would like it.
Little Evil - A riff on The Omen about with Adam Scott and Bridget Everett, which is on Netflix. It didn't get great reviews, but I found it very funny and sweet.
Little Otik - A Czech movie about a couple who've been trying for years to have a baby get their wish granted...in the worst way.
Save the Green Planet! - A South Korean movie about a conspiracy theorist who holds a man hostage that he thinks is an alien. It's shocking, disturbing and disgusting, but in the best ways.

Does Parasite (2019) count?

I don't possibly see how it could, at least judging it on the curve of what the typical level of success for a "foreign language film" looks like in America.

It's had some success, but whenever I mention the movie to anyone I know, they never even heard of it though, so it is underrated or overlooked in that sense, that I cannot find one person where I am who has heard of it?

Since it won best picture and has nearly 700k votes on IMDb, I wouldn't call it underrated.

__________________
IMDb
Letterboxd

First time poster. Good topic.


The first film that popped into my head was Martin Scorcese's 80s film "After Hours." Definitely a comedy, certainly dark and was never a big hit. Great ensemble cast behind the beleaguered Griffin Dunn: Roseanna Arquette, Linda Fiorentino, Terri Garr, Catherine O'Hara, Will Patton and Cheech and Chong float in and out of the film.



A more current thought is "The Lobster." Certainly dark, and absurd, but is it a comedy?


I like the choice of Belushi and Akroyd's "Neighbors" from the early 80s. Despite the dark elements, this is much more of a redemption movie. So maybe not so dark? I do think "Neighbors" qualifies as a dark comedy.


The suggestion of Polanski's "Carnage" is an interesting suggestion. There are overtly laughable moments in the film, but is it a comedy? Where do we draw the line between a film with comedic elements to a true comedy?



In my mind a comedy is 'dark' when we are intentionally made to laugh at something but question whether or not we should. Maybe the most iconic example of a dark comedy is "Fargo." The story and characters are absurd. We laugh, but we also squirm. Other mainstream dark comedies might include: "Pulp Fiction," "Boogie Nights," "Trainspotting."


But, what about some fringy movies that push the definition of a "dark comedy?"


"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?" In the same category as "Carnage." Is it a drama, a sort of horror flick, or just a black as pitch comedy?


"Terms of Endearment" Comedic characters placed in a situation of tragic loss. Does the comedy and tragedy cancel each other out to give us a strait drama or is it a comedy at its core?


"Forrest Gump" Forrest's love for Jenny comes off like a Greek Tragedy. Is it funny at all? Is it too silly to be dark?



"Garden State." Can a redemption story be a dark comedy? Same for "The Royal Tannenbaums," Is it dark enough to be dark?



"The Exorcist." In my mind, one of the most earnestly presented and morosely serious of all films. Yet, some howl in laughter at this film. Is anything dark a comedy?