Entertainment
10 Comedy Cult Classics You Need to Watch Before You Die
The definition of a cult film is by no means clear-cut or defined by any sort of strict meaning. Virtually any kind of movie can garner a following passionate and obsessive enough to qualify as a cult following, but there’s one genre that lends itself particularly well to gaining cult followings, and that’s comedies. After all, few things attract a fanbase better than pure, unadulterated laughter.
This isn’t necessarily a list of the best comedy cult classic films, however, but rather a list of the most important, the ones that have defined and influenced the cult cinema movement the most throughout the years. Whether it’s a little-known international gem like The Gods Must Be Crazy or a Hollywood classic so huge that it’s almost mainstream, like The Big Lebowski, all of these comedies should be considered essential viewing for all those interested in better understanding cult cinema.
10
‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ (1980)
One of cult cinema’s most defining qualities is the obsession with niche films that not just any Average Joe is familiar with, and as a result, many international comedies that would have otherwise flown under the radar have acquired cult followings over the years. Case in point: the South African-Batswana co-production The Gods Must Be Crazy, the first in the film series of the same title.
Proof that films that actually performed remarkably well with critics and at the box office can still qualify as cult classics.
This film is proof that films that actually performed remarkably well with critics and at the box office can still qualify as cult classics. Indeed, The Gods Must Be Crazy became a surprise word-of-mouth sensation across Africa, Europe, and North America during its theatrical run. It’s one of the most notorious must-watch cult classics from the ’80s, all thanks to its brilliantly-executed slapstick and its sharp satire of modern civilization.
9
‘Withnail and I’ (1987)
Withnail and I is yet another of the most essential cult classics of the ’80s, as well as one of the best British comedies of its era. Bruce Robinson‘s masterpiece has made Paul McGann and Richard E. Grant internationally recognized names over the years, even though it was only a modest commercial success when it originally released.
It was thanks to the rise of VHS that Withnail and I became a pop-culture phenomenon during the ’90s, contributing to keeping the late-night cult film circuit alive during a decade when it lay mostly dormant. Further boosted by the endorsement of the British magazine Loaded and the famous drinking game that it spawn off (which fans still love playing today), as well as the script’s tremendous quotability, it’s no wonder why this became one of the ’80s’ biggest cult comedies.
8
‘Harold and Maude’ (1971)
Rom-coms about May-December couples aren’t exactly abundant, but whenever they do get made, they almost always owe something to the May-December rom-com’s most defining pioneer, Hal Ashby‘s Harold and Maude. It’s one of the most universally beloved cult classics ever, the perfect “odd couple” pitch-black comedy that pairs a death-obsessed young man with a free-spirited older counterpart.
After its terrible box office performance, Harold and Maude grew its following through late-night television and screenings at college campuses and repertory theaters. This taboo-shattering rom-com broke all the rules of traditional romantic Hollywood cinema, full of subversive humor and armed with a ton of life-affirming heart to really send its message home.
7
‘Superbad’ (2007)
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The cult film movement has been thriving throughout the 21st century, and comedy cult cinema is no exception. But Greg Mottola‘s Superbad is far more than just one of the biggest cult comedies of the 21st century: It’s one of the funniest movies of the past 50 years, a true teen comedy masterpiece that’s among the most quotable films of modern times.
Almost immediately after its release, the film established itself as a modern teen cult classic through its tremendous quotability and generational staying power. But balanced with that iconicity and that raunchy, crude humor is a surprising amount of heart and an unexpected sincerity that makes it a cinematic love letter to male friendship. It doesn’t get much more perfect for a cult reception than that.
6
‘Pink Flamingos’ (1972)
Few auteurs have ever been more important or revolutionary for the cult cinema movement than John Waters. Subverting mainstream taboos, championing countercultural outcasts, and pioneering the midnight movie phenomenon, Waters earned himself the moniker of the Pope of Trash throughout the early days of his career. But all the greats have to start somewhere, and in Waters’ case, the movie that put him on the map was Pink Flamingos.
It’s far and away one of the most tasteless movies of all time, but very intentionally so. It’s the ultimate cinematic rebellion, cinema’s quintessential celebration of bad taste, and an extravaganza built entirely on camp, anarchy, and queer liberation. The film became an underground sensation pretty much immediately following its premiere at the Baltimore Film Festival in 1972, turning it into one of the original champions of the midnight screening circuit.
5
‘Clerks’ (1994)
The ’90s were a particularly good time for independent cinema throughout the entire world, but Hollywood in particular saw a real boom in low-budget filmmaking like Clerks. Directed by Kevin Smith when he was only 22 years old, the movie was shot on a micro-budget of less than $50 million dollars, turning it into the kind of underdog filmmaking success story that the ’90s had so many of.
The film’s instant connection with the apathetic, pop-culture-obsessed spirit of Gen X during the ’90s made it a cult hit almost immediately following its theatrical release, though it was the VHS market that really turned it into a pop culture sensation. Built on endlessly quotable dialogue and a relatable understanding of the monotony of dead-end retail jobs, it’s a film that still feels universally timely all these many years later.
4
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ (1984)
It’s not often that filmmakers completely re-invent a genre with their debut feature, but that was just the kind of immense talent that Rob Reiner was. This Is Spinal Tap wasn’t the first mockumentary in film history, but it sure made the genre mainstream and set a set of brand-new rules for it. Until this day, you’d still be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t consider it one of the best satire movies of the last 75 years.
Though the movie was a critical success upon release, its box office gross were rather modest, largely because many viewers mistakenly thought that the fictional titular band was a real group and were thus uninterested. It was in the VHS market that Spinal Tap began to find its cult following—and what a loyal following it has remained through the decades. Satirizing and parodying the music industry and rockumentaries in ways that still feel clever and fresh, it became a word-of-mouth sensation that completely re-defined modern comedy. The entire mockumentary genre would simply not be the same without it.
3
‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ (1975)
The midnight film circuit is one of the most important pillars of the cult cinema movement, and there is no midnight cult classic more important, iconic, or enduring than The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It’s one of the best horror masterpieces of the ’70s, a musical comedy extravaganza fueled by pure camp, queer sensuality, and taboo-breaking humor.
The film was both a critical and commercial flop when it came out, but just one year after its release, the Waverly Theater in New York City started running midnight screenings of it. This way, what had once been a failure became the defining work of participatory cult cinema, transforming the movement into an immersive, interactive social ritual. To this day, watching a midnight screening of Rocky Horror in a packed theater should be on every cinephile’s bucket list.
2
‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ (1975)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of the most admirable works of low-budget fantasy filmmaking in history, a film that takes full advantage of its shoestring budget and uses it as a way to elevate, not limit, its humor. It’s one of the most genre-defining comedy movies in history, and further proof that huge commercial and critical successes can also be considered cult classics.
The film grew its cult following through late-night television broadcasts, college campus screenings, and the booming VHS market—and big-screen comedy has never been the same since. Absurdist comedy, quotable dialogue, smart satire, and creative workaraounds around budget limitations are always big factors that contribute to a film becoming a cult classic, and they certainly turned this into one of the most iconic comedy masterpieces in movie history.
1
‘The Big Lebowski’ (1998)
There are plenty of box office bombs that are now considered masterpieces, but as far as comedies go, none are more notorious than the Coen brothers‘ The Big Lebowski. Despite its initial cold reception, the film found new life in the VHS and DVD market in the years following its release. With the launch of Lebowski Fest in Louisville, Kentucky in 2002, the deal was sealed: The world was in the face of the biggest cult classic in the history of comedy cinema.
What, if not the biggest cult comedy in history, could spawn the emergence of an actual religion and life philosophy? Indeed, the mere existence of Dudeism should be proof enough that few cult classics have ever reached the level of iconicity of The Big Lebowski. The movie has become so beloved and so widely celebrated that today, it’s nothing short of a mainstream classic. Quotable, funny, weird in all the right ways, and fueled by an anti-establishment ethos that virtually every cult cinema fan should be able to vibe with, it’s a testament to the cultural power of the cult cinema movement.
The Big Lebowski
- Release Date
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March 6, 1998
- Runtime
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117 minutes
- Director
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Joel Coen
- Writers
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Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
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