While successful comedy movies need to make audiences laugh, that doesn't mean that they can't also take them by surprise. Mystery movies might but the genre most known for delivering unforgettable twists, but there are comedies that have also shocked audiences with the unexpected.
In many cases, these twists can be played for laughs while also serving as an interesting new direction for the story. In the end, it is always fun to have a movie that can make the viewers laugh out loud as well as elicit some surprised gasps for good measure.
Summer And Tom Don't End Up Together - (500) Days Of Summer (2009)
The romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer opens on the 500th day in the relationship between Summer and Tom. They are seen smiling at each other and holding hands as Summer wears a wedding ring. The movie then goes back to revisit how the relationship led to this moment.
The romance ends up being much more complicated than that first happy moment alluded to, with various fights and breakups. In the end, it is revealed the 500th day was actually where the relationship ended as Summer is marrying someone else and they were never meant to be together.
There Is No Kidnapping - The Big Lebowski (1998)
The comedy classic The Big Lebowski still holds up today with its endlessly quotable lines and wacky characters. It is such a funny movie that most fans forget that the central mystery of the story doesn't really matter.
After a stoner known as The Dude is hired by a wealthy man to find his kidnapped wife, it sets in motion the strange story. But in the end, it is revealed that the wife simply went on a trip without telling her husband and the kidnapping was just a ruse by her friends to make some quick money.
The Mystery Is Revealed In The First Act - Knives Out (2019)
Rian Johnson's hugely entertaining movie Knives Out takes a lot of cues from other great murder mystery stories. However, he also throws the genre on its head very early on when he seems to reveal what really happened with the central mystery.
Before the investigation even really begins, a flashback shows Harlan Thrombey's nurse, Marta, accidentally giving him the wrong medication. In order to save Marta from any implication, Harlan attempts to stage his death as a suicide. Not only is this a clever way to begin a murder mystery, but there are many twists that follow.
Dom Is Mary's Ex - There's Something About Mary (1998)
There's Something About Mary is mostly remembered as a raunchy comedy with lots of gross-out humor. But it also has a very fun and interesting premise as it follows Ted, who hires a private investigator to find the girl he had a crush on in high school.
The joke of the movie is that Mary is so beautiful and charming that everyone falls in love with her, including the private eye. But the final twist comes when it is revealed that Ted's best friend is actually Mary's obsessive ex who just used Ted to reconnect with Mary.
The Party Boat Explodes - Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga (2020)
The Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest surprised a lot of people by being a hilarious and charming comedy. It stars Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as two aspiring Icelandic singers who attempt to make it into the international singing competition.
It is a bit of a surprise that, in the first act of the movie, the heroes fail in their initial auditions and miss out on their dreams. However, the party boat carrying all of the contest participants explodes, leaving Ferrell and McAdams as the default winners. It is a surprisingly dark and hilarious turn of events.
Gary Planned Most Of It - Game Night (2018)
The clever comedy Game Night sets itself up as a mystery thriller with a funny edge to it. It follows a group of friends whose game night murder mystery turns real when one of them is kidnapped by dangerous criminals.
But as with many complex mystery movies, there are several twists within the twists. It is revealed in the third act that, Gary, the creepy neighbor who was no longer invited to game nights, set up the whole thing to get back at them. However, it is also revealed that some of the danger is still very much real.
Fiona Is An Ogre - Shrek (2001)
The animated comedy Shrek is a very clever subversion of fairy tale stories with the titular ogre forced to play the role of a brave knight in order to get his swamp back. He is sent on a mission to save Princess Fiona from a dragon then return her to her fiancé.
But while Fiona appears to be a typical Disney animated princess, it is revealed that she is actually an ogre as well. This leads to Shrek and Fiona falling in love and learning a valuable lesson about what beauty really is.
Rupert's Comedy Set Is Good - The King Of Comedy (1982)
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro's collaborations are usually not known to be funny, but The King of Comedy is an excellent comedy that fits their darker aesthetics. De Niro plays Rupert Pupkin, an unsuccessful comic who dreams of making it big. In order to make those dreams a reality, he kidnaps a famed talk show host, demanding a guest spot on his show.
Eventually, the bold ransom plan works as Rupert is allowed to perform on the show. After all the build-up with Rupert's awkwardness and disillusion fans are expecting a disaster. However, Rupert is revealed to be an incredibly gifted comedian.
Del Lost His Wife - Plains, Trains And Automobiles (1987)
Steve Martin and John Candy star in the beloved road-trip comedy Plains, Trains and Automobiles. Martin plays a stressed family man trying to return home for the holidays while Candy plays a friendly yet obnoxious salesman.
The two men travel across the country together until they go their separate ways only for Candy to reveal he doesn't have a home and his wife has been dead for years. Martin then invites Candy to spend the holidays with his family.
Hannah Is Cal's Daughter - Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
Steve Carell stars in Crazy, Stupid, Love as Cal, a newly divorced man who is taught about the world of dating by a playboy named Jacob. The two become friends who pick up women together in bars until Cal realizes he wants to return to his wife while Jacob falls for a girl named Hannah.
But as Cal goes to win back his wife at their house, they are visited by Hannah, who turns out to be Cal's daughter. When Hannah introduces her parents to her new boyfriend Jacob, confusion turns into chaos in the hilariously unexpected scene.