Dark comedy, or black comedy, is a genre of film, television, and literature that takes satire and dark humour to subjects that are depressing, frightening, unpleasant, or taboo. The best dark comedies together entertain and expose the complexities of the human condition that make the audience uncomfortable. Films in this subgenre of comedy create catharsis by increasing the absurdity and irony of painful subjects, connecting them.
A great dark comedy approaches its subject matter with truthfulness, and the best comedy offers absurdity based in reality. No matter how uncomfortable your subject, emotional honesty is necessary if you want the story to resonate.
Twisted Humor: Dark comedies often feature humour that arises from uncomfortable, taboo, or morbid situations. The humour can be ironic, satirical, or absurd, challenging societal norms and expectations.
Sinister subjects and gallows humor make for a memorable genre film, and you can write dark comedy within the realms of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror and still maintain a sense of authenticity.
Black comedy is about the absurdities and pitfalls of human nature. Think Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” or “The Office.” The most common setting for black comedy is in films, but it can also be used to make fun of situations in our own lives.
Black comedy has the social impact of strengthening the spirits of the oppressed and also undermines the morale of the oppressors. According to Wylie Sypher, “being able to laugh at evil and error suggests that we have actually overcome them.” Black comedy is a natural human impulse and examples of it can be found in the histories of the classical era.