Viewer discretion advised: Check out these adult comedies on Netflix after hours
If there’s one thing we need besides universal healthcare, it’s a good late-night comedy.
Whether you are searching for a way to beat your existential dread or just having a group of friends over for a movie night, Netflix has a multitude of raunchy comedies in the form of movies, TV shows or stand-up specials that will have you in stitches.
"Arrested Development" is a classic 2000s comedy show with an irreverent vibe that makes it the best sitcom rewatch available on Netflix.
The show follows the Bluths, a wealthy Southern Californian family whose patriarch gets arrested in the first episode for fraud and theft. It turns out he and Jordan Belfort had a lot in common.
The government freezes all of the Bluth family's assets except for a partially finished luxury development complex in Orange County. Oh, and a banana stand. The family then moves into a house in the development and works full time in the banana stand to avoid falling into complete ruin.
This show's hilarity is in large part because of its cast, which includes the incomparable talents of Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Will Arnett and Portia de Rossi — not to mention the mere fact that every episode features Cera's character working at the banana stand while he simultaneously falls in love with his cousin.
If you're looking for a binge-able comedy, you can't go wrong with "Arrested Development."
"Don’t Look Up" is the only Netflix original on this list because, despite the immense production budgets, Netflix original movies tend to be questionable at best. But this apocalyptic comedy defied the odds and is one of the best available on the streamer.
This film follows astronomers from Michigan State, played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, who discover a comet heading toward Earth. With little time to lose and the entirety of Earth’s humanity at stake, the astronomers head on a tour, begging world leaders and civilians alike to take them seriously.
The main comedic conflict comes into play when the president of the U.S., played by none other than Meryl Streep, starts an opposition group called "Don’t Look Up," which encourages Americans not to look up at the sky and see the comet because she believes it to be fake news.
While some may say this movie is too on the nose, I think that’s precisely what makes it great. It’s a profound look at the modern threat of climate change and global politics while hitting all the right comedy points.
If you’re having a movie night with a small group of friends or family, this is the perfect film for both dark comedy and reflection.
"Ali Wong: Baby Cobra" or "Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife"
There are myriad Netflix comedy specials to choose from, a genre that Netflix actually excels in creating. Still, Wong’s comedy specials "Ali Wong: Baby Cobra" and "Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife" are superior to all.
Wong is an American comic from San Francisco whose stand-up comedy sets draw on her Asian heritage, her marriage to a Harvard University graduate and her pregnancies — in fact, she was heavily pregnant in both of her specials.
She’s a feminist whose jokes are told with unflinching honesty and conviction. Wong is also incredibly relatable as she talks about the restraints of monogamy, the horrors of college debt and acts out the deterioration of her cervix during childbirth.
Wong is a comedic savant, able to say any word or perform any move in the most comical way. These specials are best watched in chronological order, with "Ali Wong: Baby Cobra" coming first.
"Key & Peele" is a sketch show, originally from Comedy Central, and was the first step in comedy legends Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key’s rise to fame.
There’s rarely a situation where "Key & Peele" would be inappropriate to put on. Are you having friends over for a pregame? Then turn on the show for background noise and laughs. Watching TV with your roommates after dinner? Any episode will do. Hanging out with your cousins who you haven't seen in five years? "Key & Peele" will be a definite crowd-pleaser.
Each episode is approximately 30 minutes and features multiple skits revolving around the same subject. Both Key and Peele are half Black, and much of their comedy is inspired by their identities and current events.
The writing is sharp, the performances are groundbreaking and each skit is funnier than the next. "Key & Peele" is the best of its kind, and it would be a crime to miss it.
Netflix is well known for the comedies it's acquired (and a few it's made) over the years. Whether it’s stand-up, a sketch show or more of a narrative-focused piece you’re looking for, Netflix has you covered.
But instead of spending more time searching for something than actually watching it, use this as your guide next time you’re in the mood for an adult comedy.
