Fall is the perfect time to really start to cozy up on the couch. Now that Labor Day is over, it’s time to think about all the shows and movies that were neglected in the summer because of time spent outdoors. People are more likely to have more commitments in the summer because of the nice weather, but now that it is transitioning to cooler temperatures, that couch is looking awfully inviting. The list of TV shows and movies that people have recommended has probably grown during the past few months, so it’s time to catch up.
Comedy movies are always a good idea when lying on the couch is the best option. Getting in some laughs helps wash away the frustration that nice weather is going away. Prime Video has a ton of options for all kinds of content, but it also has a surprisingly good list of comedy movies. Many of the recent comedy movies that are Prime Originals receive a lot of attention, but there are some overlooked comedic offerings that are worth a watch.
10
‘Ricky Stanicky’ (2024)
Three friends have blamed all of their misdeeds on a friend of theirs named Ricky Stanicky since they were kids. The problem is: Ricky Stanicky doesn’t exist. It has gotten them out of countless problems, and they’ve even written a book of all the lies that they’ve told about Ricky, in case their families have ever fact-checked them. When their latest use of Ricky’s name causes problems in one of their marriages, the friends must hire an actor to pretend to be Ricky. What happens is completely unforeseen and Ricky becomes a member of their lives, for good.
Ricky Stanicky is a starring vehicle for John Cena, who shines as the actor who picks up the eponymous title. Zac Efron, Jermaine Fowler, and Andrew Santino are the three friends who use Ricky to their advantage. The film was co-written and directed by Peter Farrelly and also features William H. Macy, Lex Scott Davis, and Anja Savcic. The jokes come quickly as Ricky refuses to leave their lives, cozying up to their girlfriends, spouses, and bosses.
9
‘My Old Ass’ (2024)
Would you talk to your future self if you could? That’s the question that My Old Ass poses. Written and directed by Megan Park, whose film The Fallout was an explosive debut and a star turn for Jenna Ortega, this film is more of a coming-of-age comedy that stars Maisy Stella as 18-year-old Elliott and Aubrey Plaza as 39-year-old Elliott. The two interact when 18-year-old Elliott sees her older self during a mushroom trip. She proves it is really her by showing her a scar and telling an intimate secret about her family.
The advice that she gives her younger self is initially met with curiosity. But as the advice is taken to heart, which affects younger Elliott from experiencing the same things older Elliott did, the two realize it might not be for the best that they communicate. It’s a funny and sweet film about what it means to grow up and how living in the present helps shape the future.
8
‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’ (2009)
The U.S. military tried to enhance soldiers enough to use psychic powers as weapons. This is a true statement and the premise for The Men Who Stare at Goats, a black comedy war film from Grant Heslov. Starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, and Kevin Spacey, the film focuses on the New Earth Army, which tried to train psychic spies. It follows McGregor as a reporter covering the Iraq War stumbling upon this story.
It seems like an absurdist tale, but one that is told in both flashbacks and present times, as it shows the previous attempts at getting the New Earth Army off the ground as well as the coverage during the Iraq War. The final scenes show the darker side of war, albeit still in a bit of a silly light. It’s a unique story and look at how war can affect people.
7
‘Bottle Shock’ (2008)
A look at the “Judgment of Paris”, Bottle Shock highlights the high society perspectives of professional wine tasting. It tells the story of the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, where, to honor the American bicentennial, a British wine merchant by the name of Steven Spurrier sets up a competition between French and American wines. The movie was co-written and directed by Randall Miller and features a great performance from Alan Rickman as Spurrier.
The film also costars Bill Pullman as Jim Barrett, the founder of Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley, whose wine gets entered in the competition and beats the French wine. The movie also features Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez, Eliza Dushku, Dennis Farina, and Bradley Whitford. The film largely tells the accurate story of the historic event and oenophiles everywhere should check it out.
6
‘Take Me Home Tonight’ (2011)
Sometimes, it’s important to just Wang Chung tonight. Not really, but the title of Take Me Home Tonight is based on the Eddie Money song released in 1986. The film is set in 1988 and features Topher Grace as a recently graduated college student who is living at home and trying to figure out what to do with his life. He runs into his high school crush, played by Teresa Palmer, and lies that he works for Goldman Sachs. She tells him to come to a party thrown by his sister’s (Anna Faris) boyfriend (Chris Pratt.)
In an effort to impress her, he goes along and brings his best friend (Dan Fogler). A raunchy night of drugs and alcohol set in the 1980s is exactly what audiences expected from the film and that’s what they get. There’s a wild scene inside a steel ball that needs to be seen. Fogler steals the show in the film and is worth the price of admission. It’s a silly ’80s-set romp.
5
‘Snack Shack’ (2024)
Another coming-of-age film is Snack Shack, which was released in 2024 and written and directed by Adam Carter Rehmeier. It’s set in 1991 and follows two teenagers (Conor Sherry and Gabriel LaBelle) working at their local pool snack shack in Nebraska. The two decide to run the shack themselves and put money down from one of their college savings. The duo vow to make the money back to pay back the parents.
But the new lifeguard played by Mika Abdalla throws the two friends for a loop as they wrestle with their feelings for her, as well as test the strength of their friendship. The movie costars David Costabile, Nick Robinson, and Gillian Vigman. It’s a semi-autobiographical tale by Rehmeier that was met with good reviews from critics.
4
‘Brittany Runs a Marathon’ (2019)
Jillian Bell stars in Brittany Runs a Marathon, a 2019 comedy written and directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo. In it, she plays Brittany, a woman living in New York who is kind of coasting through life, working as an off-Broadway theater greeter and failing in her love life. She goes to the doctor to get an Adderall prescription, but is shaken when the doctor tells her she needs to change her attitude and lose weight. She decides to commit to running in the New York City Marathon.
Bell provides an unbelievable ray of light in the film, adding immense depth to her performance while also landing all the jokes about Brittany fumbling her way to getting in shape. The film costars Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Lil Rel Howery. The movie provides an earnest look at someone trying to better themselves and the hilarity of what can happen when that occurs.
3
‘Bernie’ (2011)
Richard Linklater is no stranger to shooting unique films. A Scanner Darkly and Boyhood immediately come to mind. Bernie is another that should, as it tells the story of a murder investigation of an octogenarian, told in a true-crime documentary style. Two comedic icons, Jack Black and Shirley MacLaine, are the main stars, as MacLaine plays the mean-spirited Marjorie Nugent and Black plays her 39-year-old partner Bernie Tiede.
Based on a true story, the movie follows Nugent and Tiede’s relationship and his eventual murder of her as well as the following court proceedings, where Matthew McConaughey stars as the District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson. The movie features interviews with unnamed townspeople to give it a realistic view of a documentary. The main actors all put forth strong performances to help this Linklater vehicle land.
2
’21 & Over’ (2013)
Highlighting the exciting time in anyone’s life when they turn 21 and can legally drink, 21& Over is a raunchy comedy from 2013. It stars Miles Teller, Skylar Astin, and Justin Chon as three friends who go out to celebrate one of their 21st birthdays. Teller and Astin’s characters pressure Chon to celebrate, despite him having a medical school interview the next day. Of course, the friends are able to coax him out for a drink and all chaos ensues.
It follows a similar pattern to films like The Hangover, Superbad, and even Take Me Home Tonight from above in films that follow one fateful drunken night. The movie is raunchy and full of drunk mishaps. It’s funny enough to kill time with and the three stars all show their star qualities. Chon has gone on to become a successful director.
1
‘Queenpins’ (2021)
Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste star as queen couponers in Queenpins, a 2021 comedy based on a true story. Written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film follows Bell and Howell-Baptiste as they realize they can get free coupons from complaining about issues at their grocery store. They collect a number of coupons and then set up a website to sell those coupons for profit. This attracts the attention of a company loss prevention officer played by Paul Walter Hauser and a U.S. postal officer played by Vince Vaughn.
The movie follows the investigation into the two “business owners” and how the two men try to catch them. As expected, Hauser and Vaughn teamed up together is comedic gold and Bell and Howell-Baptiste provide hilarity as they try to outrun the investigation. The film also features Joel McHale and Bebe Rexha.
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