As Netflix Transforms into a Theater Surrogate, Where Does That Leave Comedy?

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For a platform that spent four years pouring resources into the development of major deals and production of comedy specials, there was precious little mention of it when Netflix unveiled its massive 2021 feature slate earlier this week.

The streaming service has clearly taken on a new role in the ongoing wake of the pandemic, providing a home to films and other projects displaced by the closure of movie theaters. And in a cinematic landscape that has prized franchise fodder, action films, and horror fare, the small number of comedy offerings on the full list seems to reflect the industry’s larger lack of investment in the form. That, combined with an already stated slowing of their commitment to more traditional comedy specials, means that we’ll likely be adding fewer new laughs to our queues in the year ahead.

Of the nine films classified as comedies by Netflix’s official releases, only two have scheduled debuts on the platform. Here’s a look at what we’re in for over the course of the year.

8 Rue de l’Humanité

The pandemic-era comedic drama follows seven families who have chosen to remain in Paris even as the streets empty and the city grows quiet. We see their relationships grow and shift over the three months they spend confined to their shared apartment building.

Afterlife of the Party
This (increasingly common) time loop offering starring Victoria Justice and Midori Francis (Dash and Lily, Good Boys) finds humor in a social butterfly’s repeated attempts to right her wrongs on earth after dying an untimely death during her birthday week.

Bad Trip

This Jeff Tremaine produced prank movie featuring Eric Andre, Tiffany Haddish, and Lil Rel Howery was originally slated to hit theaters last April (and briefly, accidentally dropped on Amazon in that same month), but has since found a home with Netflix. There’s no set date for its release, but we can count on lots of Andre’s signature uninhibited style when it does.

Don’t Look Up

This star-studded (well, we’re bordering on star-encrusted at this point) Adam McKay film has been filming in my figurative background of Boston for weeks, and I was today years old when I learned it was a comedy. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Chris Evans, Cate Blanchett, and many many more, the film is the story of two astronomers trying to let the world know of an impending asteroid strike—and the extinction level event it will surely cause.

Double Dad

This Brazilian, Portuguese-language comedy follows a young woman living on a commune with her mother, and her journey off the compound to find her father. As the title implies, her journey unearths two possible father figures. While Netflix hadn’t named a release date for the feature, it looks as though it’ll hit our menus on January 15th.

I Care A Lot (February 19)

The “care” mentioned in the title refers to elder care, and it’s something that frequent grifter Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) and her accomplice/lover Fran (Eiza Gonzalez) have used to their benefit for years. The comedy in question comes when they meet their match in their similarly shady charge Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest), and the trio spars as Marla and Fran fight to keep up the con.

Moxie (March 3)

After the success of her last directorial effort with Netflix, Wine Country, Amy Poehler returns with a new film for the streamer this March. Little has been shared about the film so far, but more clues hide in descriptions of the source material: Jennifer Mathieu’s novel of the same name. We can look forward to the story of a high schooler leading a feminist revolution at her Texas high school, fueled by inspiration from her mom’s riot grrrl past and flying in the face of toxic masculinity from the school’s football team.

The Last Mercenary

We know even less about this action-comedy hybrid coming to the platform sometime this year, with the highlights being that it stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and that it filmed in France. Given his prior post playing himself in Amazon’s Jean-Claude Van Johnson, there’s some precedent for him taking on comedic roles. How it’ll play out in this format is anyone’s guess.

Thunder Force

And finally, the latest Ben Falcone-Melissa McCarthy will drop on Netflix this year. Scientist Emily Stanton (Melissa McCarthy) has developed a way to give superpowers to regular people. But when she accidentally unleashes these abilities upon her estranged best friend (Octavia Spencer), they’re forced to repair their relationship and become a much-needed villain fighting duo.

What Netflix comedy offerings are you looking forward to this year?

 

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Amma Marfo

Amma Marfo is a writer, speaker, and podcaster based in Boston, MA. Her writing has appeared in Femsplain, The Good Men Project, Pacific Standard, and Talking Points Memo. Chances are good that as you're reading this, she's somewhere laughing.
Amma Marfo

Amma Marfo

Amma Marfo is a writer, speaker, and podcaster based in Boston, MA. Her writing has appeared in Femsplain, The Good Men Project, Pacific Standard, and Talking Points Memo. Chances are good that as you're reading this, she's somewhere laughing.