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The Comedy

Play trailer Poster for The Comedy 2012 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 36 Reviews 55% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
A guy in Williamsburg ignores the notion of inheriting his father's estate while he plays games with his friends.
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The Comedy

The Comedy

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Critics Consensus

Tim Heidecker's misanthropic role proves him capable as a dramatic performer, yet The Comedy's study of privilege unchecked is never as illuminating nor engaging as it should be.

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Critics Reviews

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Monica Castillo Dig Boston For something titled The Comedy, this movie isn't funny. Or charming, likable, enjoyable, or any other adjectives you would find splashed on a poster. Apr 13, 2016 Full Review Nicolas Rapold Film Comment Magazine While this could have been the perfect portrait of a certain kind of idiot, the baroque cruelties and tonal monotony go too far. Jun 28, 2013 Full Review David Ehrlich Boxoffice Magazine An essential portrait of a generation of people laughing so hard that they've forgotten the joke is on them. Rated: 5/5 Apr 1, 2013 Full Review Justin Micallef Vague Visages Rick Alverson’s The Comedy takes this type of person, with all of their privilege, vapidity, evil and, yes, humanity to explode their universe onto the screen... Feb 6, 2024 Full Review James Slaymaker Vague Visages A piercing critique of millennial amorality, The Comedy takes as its subject one of the most off-putting lead characters to grace contemporary American film. Jun 15, 2023 Full Review C.J. Prince Way Too Indie After spending 90 minutes with characters like Swanson and his friends, no one will want to resemble them in any way whatsoever. That alone makes The Comedy a success. Rated: 7.8/10 Jun 29, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Eddie M 5 bags of popcorn, and two little miniature boat figurines I remember feeling something different than I've ever felt from a movie after this one. Give it a watch, but don't expect it to be funny, not in a classical sense. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/26/22 Full Review Audience Member The storyline is more of a rolling portrait of privileged trust-funded, twenty-somethings. When I first saw it, I was waiting for the punchline. Months later, I realized how many times I replayed scenes in my mind. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Not funny or ironic. Mean spirited and hateful. The dialogue is moronic, may be humorous to rich white teenagers. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/20/21 Full Review Audience Member Hysterically dark, immensely funny, and moving at the same time. I think (spoiler alert) where anyone might struggle in enjoying this film, is confusing needing to like a character, to like a film. If going to the movies (let's be honest, no one "goes" to the movies anymore -- such a shame) is about learning about yourself through the stories of others, about healing your pain, unmasking your shame, growing and being free, then this is the exact type of movie that must be made and must be seen. Don't listen to the fucking idiots who don't get it. They are most likely sleeping outside for three weeks, desperately hoping to be in the first grouping to see the new Star Wars or X-Men or whatever the current trash is. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Don't go into this movie thinking you're going to be in for a bunch of laughs. Don't go into it thinking it's anything more than what the cover art of Tim Heidecker's emotionless, dead-eyed stare suggests. It is as dead pan as comedy...let me rephrase that. Its is as dead pan as acting gets..and I think that's the meaning behind it. Tim and Eric, for those who know...annoy the shit out of me, but this movie suits their style perfectly. The rating system on this site is nonsense. I give it 3.5 stars, with a hint of 5 star "so fresh". Ignore the 55% audience score...25% of them are clearly idiots. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member I feel as though I've met people like Swanson before. The movie feels boring and directionless because Swanson's bored and directionless. Alverson captures this well and I can appreciate that truth about his condition--the people in his shoes. However, the film would be stronger had there been at least one serious consequence for his degeneracy. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A guy in Williamsburg ignores the notion of inheriting his father's estate while he plays games with his friends.
Director
Rick Alverson
Producer
Brent Kunkle, Mike S. Ryan
Screenwriter
Rick Alverson, Robert Donne, Colm O'Leary
Production Co
Glass Eye Pix, Rough House Pictures
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 23, 2013
Runtime
1h 30m
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