发布时间: 12/5/2025
There exists a genre of film that never serves up cheap gags; instead, it delights in peeling away the sugary facade of life, making you chuckle involuntarily as you witness human folly, social absurdity, and the whims of fate. This is the allure of black comedy—it leaves you pondering long after the laughter fades. Below, we’ve curated a list of 10 classic black comedy films. Do you have any other favorites? Feel free to share them in the comments section.
1. The Hijacking of Flight 375 (2025)
Douban Rating: 7.7
Number of Reviews: 18,000
A recent Netflix release, this film is adapted from Japan’s 1970 Yodo-go Hijacking Incident. A group of hijackers seize a Japan Airlines passenger plane, and in their scramble for credit, intelligence agencies from Japan and South Korea fabricate a scene framing North Korea for the hijacking—setting off an absurd power struggle among various factions. Blending comedy, thriller, and crime elements, the entire narrative is hilariously absurd and full of drama, though its ending is also sharply satirical.
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Douban Rating: 8.9
Number of Reviews: 940,000
An early masterpiece by Quentin Tarantino, this film catapulted him to true fame. Not only did it achieve impressive box office results, but it also won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. The plot consists of three interwoven stories—“Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace’s Wife,” “The Gold Watch,” and “The Bonnie Situation”—each seemingly standalone yet interconnected, showcasing Tarantino’s signature style of black humor and violent aesthetics.
3. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Douban Rating:9.1
Number of Reviews:667,000
The directorial debut of British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, this film made an immediate splash. Told through six parallel storylines, it follows a hilarious crime caper with tightly interwoven plot threads. Its unique brand of black humor and multi-narrative structure have since become a benchmark for similar films.
##4. You Shoot, I Shoot (2001)
Douban Rating:8.2
Number of Reviews:156,000
The directorial debut of Pang Ho-cheung, this film also took audiences by storm. It tells the absurd story of Bart, a professional hitman, who teams up with a assistant director to form a “hitman-director duo” to survive—they accept client requests to film their killings for higher pay. Through absurd plotlines and a unique narrative style, it portrays the struggles and dreams of small-time characters, delivering constant laughs while being deeply satirical.
##5. In Bruges (2008)
Douban Rating:8.1
Number of Reviews:165,000
A British crime comedy. Two British hitmen, Ken and Ray, are sent to Bruges by their boss Harry after a mission goes wrong to wait for further instructions. Ray, wracked with guilt over accidentally killing a boy, falls into a dilemma of redemption and struggle. Beyond its absurd plot, the film’s portrayal of human nature is deeply moving—even hitmen are “ordinary people” at heart.
##6. Going by the Book (2007)
Douban Rating:8.2
Number of Reviews:82,000
A low-budget Korean comedy. To restore his image, a newly appointed police chief plans a simulated bank robbery drill—but things spiral out of control when he assigns the “rigid” patrol officer Jung Do-man to play the robber. What follows is a series of hilarious incidents between Jung, the police, and the hostages. From the lighthearted start of the drill to the tense middle and absurd ending, the film keeps audiences laughing while offering the unique satirical reflection typical of Korean cinema.
##7. A Cool Fish (2018)
Douban Rating:8.0
Number of Reviews:1.08 million
A well-received Chinese comedy in recent years. A down-and-out former auxiliary cop working as a security guard, a sharp-tongued paraplegic woman, and two “foolish” robbers—their lives intersect around a lost old gun, unfolding an absurd story. Combining parallel and cross-cutting montages, the film is full of dramatic tension and memorable lines, letting audiences feel the absurdity of fate through laughter mixed with tears.
##8. Trainspotting (1996)
Douban Rating:8.6
Number of Reviews:430,000
The breakthrough film of Danny Boyle, director of *Slumdog Millionaire*. Centered on a group of drug-addicted young people, it uses absurdity and black humor to depict their degenerate lives, offering a profound look at the living conditions and dilemmas of Britain’s younger generation. The title “Trainspotting” refers both to the game Scottish youth play to pass time by guessing train schedules and to the protagonists’ confusion and alienation from their future.
##9. Fargo (1996)
Douban Rating:8.0
Number of Reviews:115,000
A classic crime film by the Coen Brothers. Starting with car salesman Jerry’s plan to kidnap his wife to extort money from his father-in-law, the film follows the accidental killings by kidnappers Carl and Gaear and the investigation by police officer Marge, unfolding an absurd crime story. It deeply dissects human greed and the mockery of fate, showcasing the Coen Brothers’ unique narrative style.
##10. Parasite (2019)
Douban Rating:8.8
Number of Reviews:1.53 million
A history-making film. It is not only the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes but also took home four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director—a rare feat for an Asian film. It tells the story of a poor, unemployed family that “parasitizes” the home of a wealthy IT company CEO, leading to a series of unexpected events due to class differences. Through extreme wealth disparity and a black-humored narrative, the film deeply exposes class contradictions, making its success well-deserved.
End of Article.