The Green Inferno (2015)
[3] I enjoyed the blend of dark humor and horror that Eli Roth brought to his first film, Cabin Fever. And even though it was pretty much torture porn, I thought Hostel had merit, too. But The Green Inferno is…
American Ultra (2015)
[7] Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart star in this edgy action comedy about a stoner convenience clerk who discovers he's a sleeper agent and deadly assassin for the CIA. Together with his devoted girlfriend, he dodges CIA operatives ordered to…
Tusk (2014)
[7] I think Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Red State) is a much more interesting filmmaker now that he's making horror films. Tusk is a controversial move for the director -- it's too silly for die-hard horror fans, but too off-putting…
Bachelorette (2012)
[3] Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, Isla Fisher, and Rebel Wilson headline this flick written and directed by Leslye Headland (based on her stage play). It's about three self-absorbed young women who somewhat reluctantly agree to be bride's maids for a…
Scrooged (1988)
[5] I thought I'd get a lot more from a dark comedy directed by Richard Donner (Superman, Lethal Weapon) and starring Bill Murray, but Scrooged is neither dark nor funny enough to leave much of a lasting impression. Murray plays…
The Dark Backward (1991)
[3]
In a dystopian world full of garbage and stained walls, an unfunny comedian (Judd Nelson) starts growing a third arm out of his back. His super-annoying friend (Bill Paxton at his worst) sees the aberration as his ticket out of hell and exploits it for all its worth. A smarmy talent agent (Wayne Newton) decides to rep them, and an even bigger agent (Rob Lowe) decides to bring them to Hollywood. But then the arm disappears and the poor unfunny comedian learns who his true friends are. Spoiler alert: he hasn’t any.
Killer Joe (2012)
[9] William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection) directs this darkly comic trailer trash ensemble piece about a family that conspires to hire a killer to whack their matriarch and collect her life insurance. Matthew McConaughey delivers a tense, frightening,…
Fight Club (1999)
[10] A profound, yes profound, pitch black satire that has become an anthem for a "generation of men raised by women". From a gender studies perspective, Fight Club speaks to the fragility of masculine identity and the disturbing lengths to…
Six Degrees of Separation (1993)
[9] Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland, and Will Smith star in this dark comedy of manners that unfolds like a mystery. The entire film is told in flashbacks and montage, with Channing and Sutherland as art dealers regaling their New York…
Death Becomes Her (1992)
[10] Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis headline this supremely dark comedy about two rival women (Streep and Hawn) who take a potion promising them youth and eternal life. But jealousy consumes them and leads to both their deaths.…