Just as it’s possible for people to disagree over a movie’s quality, so too is it possible for disagreements to arise surrounding what genre a movie falls into. A film that has comedic and dramatic elements may feel more like a drama to some people while feeling more like an outright comedy to other people. For another example, some may feel likeSilence of the Lambsis a horror movie, and some may feel it’s more of a crime movie.
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Ultimately, everyone’s different, and not everyone’s going to have the same emotional response to a movie. As such, even though a site like IMDb can fairly reliably designate genres to movies, it’s not always perfect or able to make decisions all will agree on. To highlight this, the following 10 movies are all examples of films that are labeled comedies on IMDb without being particularly funny, as they focus more on other tones/genres, be it drama, horror, or anything else besides comedy.
10’The Banshees of Inisherin' (2022)
Atechnically comedic film that’s so downbeatcalling it a comedy feels wrong,The Banshees of Inisherinis a movie full of despair, anger, and confusion. It details life on a tiny, miserable island in the 1920s, and centers mostly on a feud that develops between two friends after one of them decides he no longer wants to talk to the other.
There is alittle comedic relief to be foundin the film, especially in the first half, where some of the animosity between the two main characters is played for laughs. Things eventually take a much darker turn, however, with the back half of the film being relentlessly pessimistic and honestly very bleak. It’s got some funny lines and moments here and there, but feels more like a tragic drama than a comedy genre-wise.
9’A Man Called Otto' (2022)
The trailer forA Man Called Ottowill have you believe it’s a fairly light-hearted comedy with maybe a few dramatic moments, focusing on a grouchy old man who lives by himself and has difficult interactions with his neighbors. And that is more or less what some of the film’s about, but there are more tragic elements at play than may meet the eye.
The titular Otto is struggling with various tragedies that have befallen him, and the movie goes more in-depth with his anguish than would be expected. It makesA Man Called Ottoa drama with a few comedic scenes, really, rather than a proper comedy/drama hybrid, no matter what the marketing might have would-be viewers believe.
8’The King of Comedy’ (1982)
Martin Scorsesehas directed some genuinely funny comedies before (likeAfter HoursandThe Wolf of Wall Street), but despite the title,The King of Comedyreally isn’t one of them. It may revolve around one man’s dangerous quest to become a famous stand-up comedian, but it’s honestly more of a tense crime/thriller than an actually funny movie.
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Of course, maybe some will find the out-there plot (involving stalking and kidnapping) to be darkly funny, but others will likely just feel uncomfortable. That being said, it functions well as a dark thriller that feels a little like Scorsese’sTaxi Driver, minus the graphic violenceand intense adult content, and is a great film regardless of whether you might find it funny or not.
7’CODA' (2021)
A Best Picture winner at the Oscars that unfortunately had its successovershadowed by another event on Oscar Night,CODAis nevertheless a solid family drama. It centers on a young girl who’s the only member of her family who isn’t deaf, and the way she becomes torn between studying at the Berklee College of Music and caring for her family.
It’s not the heaviest drama in the world, but it certainly feels like it mostly focuses on that side of things, and only really has a few small moments of comedy. IMDb believes there’s enough humor here to make itqualify as a comedy alongside the other genresof “drama” and “music,” but viewers shouldn’t expect a laugh-a-minute comedy withCODA.
6’The Truman Show' (1998)
Jim Carreyis best known for his comedic roles to this day, but that was particularly the case back in the 1990s. He was a force to be reckoned with when it came to Hollywood comedies, and that made his involvement in films like 2004’sEternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindandThe Truman Showstand out, given they both focus on drama more than anything.
When it comes to the latter, there is some comedy to be found, given the film has a fairly outlandish premise about a man whose entire life is being televised without his knowledge. However, it ends up being a narrative that contains more pathos than humor, especially as it goes along and explores the emotional hardships that living a life like that would cause.
5’Hustle' (2022)
Similarly to Jim Carrey,Adam Sandleris an actor who dominated the comedy scene in Hollywood during the 1990s. As his career went along, Sandler also proved that he could shine in more dramatic roles, as movies likePunch Drunk Love,Uncut Gems, and - most recently -Hustlehave all demonstrated.
Hustle’s a sports drama that’s a little more light-hearted than most sports dramas, but not to the point where it ever really feels laugh-out-loud funny. It’s breezy but not particularly in-your-face when it comes to making viewers laugh, ensuring that it’s more of a casual drama centering on basketball scouting rather than a true dramedy take on the sports genre.
4’Tusk' (2014)
Kevin Smith’sname is synonymous with comedy, butTuskis a far cry from the goofy charm found in something like the originalClerksor any movie featuring Jay and Silent Bob. That’s becauseTuskis a body-horror movie about a podcaster who interviews a strange man with an unusual walrus obsession, and a desire to one day turn a person into a walrus.
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Yes, the movie can feel silly in parts, due to the out-there premise. However, many of the scenes revolving around the walrus transformation lean more towards horror than comedy, making this one horror-comedy that’s probablymore disturbing than it is actually funny.
3’Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' (2017)
Five years beforeThe Banshees of Inisherin, writer-directorMartin McDonaghmade a similarly dark dramedy that leaned more towards drama than comedy. That film wasThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and it was a tense tragicomedy that revolved around a mother’s increasingly drastic attempts to get the local police to solve her daughter’s murder.
With a story that focused on a terrible crime while also dealing with themes of justice and grief, it’s surprising thatThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missourifound any room for comedy. Indeed, it’s not exactly a comedy,despite what IMDb might say, seeing as the film is a tense and grim one (although maybe not quite as depressing asThe Banshees of Inisherinended up being).
2’Life Is Beautiful' (1997)
Life is Beautifulstands asone of the highest-rated Italian films on IMDb, but viewers should know going in that it’s a very sad movie. The first half or so doesn’t entirely give an indication where it’s going to go in the second, given it begins as a fairly light romance/comedy film with some more serious things going on in the background, but becomes a far more serious war film in its back half.
The combination of comedic and tragic elements isn’t executed flawlessly, and may rub some viewers the wrong way. It may have been better if the two halves hadn’t clashed so violently, but even though they do, it’s still ultimately the film’s dramatic elements that weigh heavier in mind after the movie’s over than the more comedic content.
WhileDead Poets Societywasn’t the first timeRobin Williamsappeared in something that wasn’t entirely a comedy, it was significant in truly showcasing his talents as a dramatic actor. In it, he plays a rebellious teacher who energizes and inspires his students by teaching them poetry and challenging the status quo at their school in the process.
It’s not a bad thing that the film is light on comedy, because even if Williams always shone in comedic roles, seeing him nail a more serious role here is equally compelling. It is strange that a movie that doesn’t often try to be funny while dealing with some fairly serious themes is labeled as a comedy on IMDb, but perhaps to some, the movie walks a satisfyingline between comedy and drama.
