Comedy Movies try to make the audience laugh. Usually, the main character wants to be successful and struggles to do so. If you are writing the screenplay for a Comedy Movie, you need a particularly strong screenplay structure. If the want of your character is strong enough, you can hang the jokes on it like on a clothesline and keep the reader engaged throughout the whole script.
The main Comedy subgenres.
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What makes Comedy movies funny
Whereas in Drama the higher they are the further they fall, in comedy the character stumbles and falls over and over again – for every burst of laughter. This can be done in three different ways: you reduce the character either to an animal, a child or a machine. For example, you show how the main character acts out of pure animalistic needs or how they behave childishly or react stoically in a situation – when someone normally wouldn’t.
The key to a great Comedy Movie lies in your main character’s needs, because you have to make them fit to tell jokes in the first place. With any comic character, the need has something to do with how the character sees themselves and who they really are. The comedy places a strong focus on character types. A Know-it-all, for example, pretends that they know everything when in fact they have no clue (see STROMBERG: THE MOVIE).
Comedy Movie Subgenres
Before you start writing, ask yourself what kind of comedy you want to write, because there are a number of subgenres, and they all function very differently. Here you’ll find the most important genres with film examples.
The Adventure Comedy
The main character is on a journey. A special subcategory is the road movie.
- VINCENT WILL MEER
- LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
- BORN TO BE WILD
- DUMB AND DUMBER
The Action Comedy
The main character has to face a battle.
- KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR
- LETHAL WEAPON
- BAD BOYS
- RUSH HOUR
The Romantic Comedy
The main characters are looking for love.
- KEINOHRHASEN
- FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL
- HARRY AND SALLY
- THE WEDDING CRASHERS
The Crime Comedy
The character has to solve a mystery.
- DAMPFNUDELBLUES
- PINK PANTHER
- FLETCH
- HANGOVER
The Parody
One or more genre structures and/or genre conventions are made fun of.
- (T)RAUMSCHIFF SURPRISE – PERIODE 1
- GALAXY QUEST
- THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
- GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
The Satire
A combination of drama and comedy: False belief systems take center stage.
- SCHTONK
- I THINK I’M STANDING IN THE FOREST
- SENSE AND SENSUALITY
- THE URBAN EUROTICIAN
The Black Comedy
Another combination of drama and comedy: Destructive systems take center stage.
- BANG BOOM BANG
- GOODFELLAS
- THE TIME AFTER MIDNIGHT
- NETWORK
Top Comedy Movies 2022
Maybe you’ve already seen one or the other.
CHIP AND CHAP: KNIGHTS OF LAW
THE MAN FROM TORONTO
THE PERFECT BOSS
A few words about me: As a Writer-Director, I write my own stories. I wrote the eBook The Ultimate Reading Guide for students as a learning aid. I also give Writing Seminars and Film Workshops.