Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- sardonic
- irreverent
- bleak
- arthouse movie night
- challenging cinema night
What critics said
Critics were divided between praising the film's incisive critique of entitlement and finding its irony self-indulgent, pretentious, and unfunny.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Swanson turns games of mock sincerity and irreverent behavior into a recurring barrier against intimacy and accountability.
Swanson is indifferent to inheriting his father's estate while moving through a world of leisure, entitlement, and emotional disconnection.
The protagonist's games, insults, and social performances make the viewer confront the limits of irony and the cruelty beneath casual irreverence.
The film is identified with metamodernism and balances ironic detachment against an implied desire for authentic connection.
Films like The Comedy, and why
La Dolce Vita
shared alienated privilege, deadpan provocation, and critique of affluent social performance
The Idiots
shared transgressive social discomfort, ironic detachment, and experimental dramatic tone
Listen Up Philip
shared abrasive male privilege, nihilistic comedy, and observational discomfort
Funny Ha Ha
shared indie cringe humor, emotional evasiveness, and critique of privileged bohemian culture
Movie Details
- Director
- Rick Alverson
- Release Date
- 2012-11-16
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (73)
Cast
- Tim Heidecker
- Eric Wareheim
- James Murphy
- Kate Lyn Sheil
- Adam Scarimbolo
- Gregg Turkington
- Alexia Rasmussen
- Grace Rex
- Liza Kate
- Rock Kohli
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Comedy about?
- An affluent New Yorker turns ironic games and casual cruelty into a shield against inheritance, intimacy, and the emptiness of his privileged life.
- What is The Comedy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Comedy as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Comedy violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Comedy.
- What did critics think of The Comedy?
- Critics were divided between praising the film's incisive critique of entitlement and finding its irony self-indulgent, pretentious, and unfunny.
- Which films are like The Comedy?
- Films with a similar feel include La Dolce Vita, The Idiots, Listen Up Philip, and Funny Ha Ha.
- How long is The Comedy?
- The Comedy runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Comedy?
- In United States, The Comedy is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
