Dark political comedy is an underrated genre, as it enables us to see both the horror and the humor in a given political situation. Politicians often behave in ridiculous ways, but because of their incredible power, their actions have serious real-world consequences. When dark comedy is done well, as in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece Dr. Strangelove, it can become a cultural touchstone that helps us name the things that ail our political class.
Aside from Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, In the Loop, The Death of Stalin, and Veep), the contemporary writer who has consistently tried his hand at dark political comedy is Adam McKay, with movies like The Big Short, Vice, and Don’t Look Up. Yet because McKay reduces all problems in politics to “The people I don’t like are stupid or evil,” his satire more often than not falls flat.
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