Though every decade boasts offbeat and unusual additions to the comedy genre, the 2000s have some of the most bizarre comedies in history. While some have aged well and are now considered cult classics, others have not stood the test of time, not just confusing the audience but making them a little uncomfortable. However,even when these projects toe the line between offputting and terrifying, it’s interesting to revisit themand witness how writers and directors were testing the waters in the new millennium and experimenting with style and form.
Some of these are2000s comedies that barely anyone remembers, as they were critically panned at the time of their release and largely deemed unwatchable. However, just because a comedy has a negative critical reception doesn’t mean it isn’t worth remembering. There’s something exciting about watching a movie that’s unapologetically itself and doesn’t attempt to pander to the audience. The best way to watch these comedies is to expect to be confused and be willing to suspend your disbelief during the most shocking moments.
Largely panned and considered a failure at the time of its release,the darkly comic and extreme satireFreddy Got Fingeredstars the director, Tom Green.Green plays the protagonist, Gordon, who dreams of having his own cartoon TV series and is frequently put down by his overbearing father. Throughout the story,Freddy Got Fingeredsees Gordon come into contact with many outlandish characters, like his love interest, Betty (Marisa Coughlan) and isn’t afraid to make the audience cringe.
10 Most Rewatchable Comedies From The 2000s
From raunchy stoner comedies to indie teen comedies to hilarious rom-coms, the 2000s had an array of comedy movies that still hold up today.
ThoughFreddy Got Fingeredhas become no less strange with time,Green’s dedication to making an unusual and surreal piece of cinema remains impressive.The best way to engage withFreddy Got Fingeredis not to expect to laugh, see a coherent series of events, or even find a semblance of story structure. Instead,Freddy Got Fingeredshould be remembered as a project that was desperate to be unique in a sea of boilerplate comedies, and it certainly achieved that.
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Kung Pow! Enter the Fisttakes some of the campy and over-the-top aspects of the Hong Kong martial arts genre and parodies them. One of the biggest ways the movie pokes fun at these projects is through the use of exaggeratedly bad voice-over dubbing, which was a common experience for foreigners who followed Hong Kong cinema. Written, directed by, and starring Steve Oedekerk,Kung Pow! Enter the Fistmakes some missteps, but it’s clear that Oedekerk loves the genre.
Amartial arts comedy movie that doesn’t star Jackie Chan,Kung Pow! Enter the Fisthas developed into something of a cult classic, especially for contemporary fans of classic films. The excessive punchlines and extreme humor can be a little too much for audiences, but it ultimately suits the style and tone ofKung Pow! Enter the Fist.Oedekerk’s character, the Chosen One, follows all the rules and tropes typically assigned to the heroes of the martial arts genrewith some subversions, like the dubbing and inclusion of archival footage.
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Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black co-star as Rosemary and Hal inShallow Hal,a fantastical rom-com that has aged poorly. The conceit ofShallow Halis that Hal falls in love with Rosemary after being hypnotized to see only inner beauty, with the script consistently making cruel jokes about weight and body image. It’s hard to get past the disheartening core of the story, and the concept of how Hal goes on this journey doesn’t make a lot of sense to begin with.
The writers and directors ofShallow Halmight have set out to make the movie with good intentions to communicate the importance of inner beauty, but the result doesn’t come off this way.
Shallow Halisn’t one ofJack Black’s underrated comedy movies, as it’s likely for the best that this dated farce has been overwhelmingly forgotten about. The writers and directors ofShallow Halmight have set out to make the movie with good intentions to communicate the importance of inner beauty, but the result doesn’t come off this way.Shallow Haldoesn’t make up for its shortcomings with an innovative story structure, leaning into the bizarre premise to make up for the weak narrative.
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Despite being considered a cult classic and even garnering a 2015 TV reboot,Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp,Wet Hot American Summeris undeniably offbeat.Featuring an all-star cast of comedians from Molly Shannon and Amy Poehler to Ken Marino and Paul Rudd,Wet Hot American Summerworks because the actors are so committed to the absurdity of the premise. A play on the summer camp movie and teen comedy genre,Wet Hot American Summeris over-the-top and unbelievable whenever possible.
However, it’s this strangeness that has allowed the comedy to age decently well, giving it a timeless quality with elements that appeal to audiences of all generations.Wet Hot American Summerdoesn’t take itself seriously,as the whole cast and crew are aware that there are many elements of the story that make no sense. However, the point ofWet Hot American Summerisn’t to follow a cohesive narrative but to make the viewer laugh and go along for the ride of silliness.
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The semi-educational comedy animation movieOsmosis Joneshas been largely forgotten about. However, revisiting the project from the early 2000s is a reminder of these unique films that expanded upon traditional animation and comedy. The voice cast ofOsmosis Jonesis particularly notable becauseit boasts iconic actors like Chris Rock and Laurence Fishburne, with Bill Murray and Molly Shannon appearingin the live-action cast.Osmosis Jonestakes the viewer inside the body of a sick man from the perspective of his blood cells.
The titular Osmosis Jones, voiced by Rock, is a white blood cell on a mission to find the root cause of a deadly illness, voiced by Fishburne.
The titular Osmosis Jones, voiced by Rock, is a white blood cell on a mission to find the root cause of a deadly illness, voiced by Fishburne. Though it’s not uncommon for an animated project to anthropomorphize inanimate objects, few have taken the route ofOsmosis Jonesand used the human body as the setting for an adventure story.Osmosis Jonesdoesn’t end up being very educational, and some of the humor might go over the heads of its intended audience. However, its premise is unlike any other animated comedy.
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The early 2000s boast some of the best additions to the romantic comedy genre, and thoughDown With Loveis a little different, it’s worth remembering. Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor play the leads inDown With Love, who are modeled after archetypes of the 1960s sex-comedy genre.Heavily stylized and otherworldly,Down With Lovemight not immediately appeal to audiences unfamiliar with its references,but that doesn’t stop the film from being unapologetically itself.
On the surface, it might seem likeDown With Loveis just another satirical rom-com, but the film is secretly much more subversive than it originally got credit for. Zellweger and McGregor are hilarious in their roles as Barbara and Catcher. ThoughDown With Lovetakes the premise of the farce pretty far,resulting in some unexpected plot twists, the performances keepDown With Loveaccessible, if absurd. However,Down With Loveaims to be absurd in all aspects of the plot, becoming a cult classic in recent years.
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Adam Sandler is well known for starring in some of the most confusing and critically panned comedies of the early 2000s.Clickis an interesting addition to his filmography that gets pretty dark by the end of the film. ThoughClickhas an ultimately uplifting ending,it’s a stark warning about how precious time is and holds an ominous morality tale at the heart of the story. Sandler’s character, Michael, gets access to a remote control that can alter time and reality and starts to miss out on his life.
ThoughClickisn’t the first comedy to grapple with themes of regret and alternate timelines, it isn’t grounded in reality, which makes the narrative hard to grasp.
ThroughoutClick, it doesn’t take long for Michael to accidentally start missing the big moments and lose his family altogether in a terrifying alternate timeline full of pitfalls and devastation. It’s slightly shocking thatClickgets as morbid and intense as it does, ensuring that the audience never forgets this family comedy. ThoughClickisn’t the first comedy to grapple with themes of regret and alternate timelines, it isn’t grounded in reality, which makes the narrative hard to grasp.
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The incomparable Anna Faris played opposite a trio of would-be time travelers inFrequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, a comedic send-up of the well-worn genre. Movies that blend science fiction and comedy are expected to be a little weird and offbeat. The audience enters these worlds with the intention of suspending their disbelief. Following the three men as they’re caught in a time leak that keeps changing their reality,FAQ About Time Travelrevels in its plot, making it hard to predict.
One of thebest time travel comedy movies,Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel, doesn’t have clear-cut rules about how time travel works and the rules of the universe, allowing the movie to run wild. The movie pokes fun at the overly complex narratives of time travel films, getting more intricate and confusing with each loop. Full of fun one-liners and snappy jokes,Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travelis just innovative enough to justify its premise.
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The star-studded teen comedy satireNot Another Teen Moviecame out during a period when film pastiches were being made mainstream. Other sendups of typical genre fare, likeScary Movie, were growing in popularity, andNot Another Teen Moviepokes fun at the pitfalls of the classic teen rom-com. However,the film is memorable because of its highly raunchy subject matter and sense of humor and the over-the-top performancesfrom the ensemble cast.
Not Another Teen Movie: Every Easter Egg & Movie Reference Explained
Here’s a breakdown and explanation of every teen comedy film reference and Easter egg in the 2001 comedy parody movie Not Another Teen Movie.
Iconic actors like Chris Evans, Chyler Leigh, and Jaime Pressly staras characters who embody the stereotypical archetypes that audiences have come to expect from the adolescent rom-com. Though it’s an interesting idea, and there are some witty, funny moments,Not Another Teen Moviegoes from satirical to strange pretty quickly. In order to let the audience know how much of a joke the story is,Not Another Teen Moviehits you over the head with its references and takes some of the stories too far.
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The 2003 adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s beloved children’s book is a very loose take on the narrative. Off-putting and borderline terrifying at times,The Cat in the Hatstars Mike Myers as the titular cat, who brings magic and mischief to the lives of Conrad and Sally, the young children who serve as protagonists. Though the original book is a fantastical tale full of magical adventures,The Cat in the Hatis a darker, screwball version of the story.
Part of the reasonThe Cat in the Hatis so strange is its stylization and visual language, which border on surrealism, taking the viewer out of the narrative. The emotional core ofThe Cat in the Hatis about Conrad and Sally reconnecting with their absent mother, and it turns out the Cat’s hijinx is a method to bring the family together. Despite this touching message,The Cat in the Hatis a little too whacky to take seriously and too otherworldly to be pure comedy.
The Cat in the Hat (2003)
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