Where some films hide their politics in the narrative, others display it as clear as day, and when it comes to comedies, it’s an almost impossible task to perfect. As making movies is a business, and a film has to appeal to as many people as possible, political comedies’ reach is extremely limited, as nothing divides people more than politics.
And that might explain why so few political comedies are highly rated on IMDb, as even the highest movies don’t have the scores that most people would think. However, whether it’s a vile, offensive movie made with puppets, a sci-fi comedy that scarily predicts the future, or a picture that revises history in the most absurd ways, there are political comedies that every movie fan can love.
Idiocracy (2006) - 6.6
Being possibly the only political movie to take place in the future, Idiocracy is wholly unique. The movie is essentially a political sci-fi comedy, as it follows a guy with an average IQ's travel to the future where everybody’s brains have turned to mush from too much entertainment, junk food, and too little exercise.
Because his IQ is so much higher than everyone else’s, people mistake him for being a genius, and he is forced to work for the president of the United States. Though it was a box-office bomb, it was really well received by critics, and it’s one of the most underrated comedies of the 21st century.
Dave (1993) - 6.8
Being one of the most absurd and outright comedic political movies ever made, Dave follows the titular character who makes a living out of impersonating the current president, Bill Mitchell.
The character is eventually hired by the Secret Services to appear at rallies and events as the president while the real Bill Mitchell is having an extramarital affair. Though the movie has an OK score on IMDb, it’s beloved by critics, and it has a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Candidate (1972) - 7.0
With The Candidate being something of a passion project of Robert Redford’s, the movie ended up being the best political comedy of the 1970s, and it even won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay. The movie follows a speechwriter who works for Senator Eugene J. McCarthy during the run for president in 1968.
The Candidate is sharply witty but it has a sense of documentary realism at the same time, and upon its release, there had never been an American movie quite like it.
The Death Of Stalin (2017) - 7.2
Being directed by political comedy genius Armando Iannucci, who created the BBC series The Thick Of It and its American adaptation VEEP, The Death of Stalin is similarly hysterical in the way that it depicts real-life events in the political sphere.
However, the movie isn’t as beloved as his other works, and given that it's about one of the evilest dictators of all time, The Death of Stalin is expectedly darker in tone. And on top of that, the directing choice to have American and British actors portray Russian characters while at the same time keeping their natural accents received mixed feelings.
Wag The Dog (1997) - 7.2
As the term ‘wag the dog’ is a political phrase that is uttered when politicians create a diversion from a real problematic issue, the movie of the same name explores exactly that. Wag the Dog follows a movie producer and a spin doctor who fabricate a war to cover up a sex scandal involving the president of the United States.
The movie is hilarious, as the producer role is based on Robert Evans, the real-life movie producer known for The Godfather and for being a notorious Hollywood bad boy.
Election (1999) - 7.2
Election is a different breed of politics, as it’s essentially the same as what would be seen behind closed doors of the White House, but it takes place in a high school.
The film follows high school student Tracy, who is attempting to become the student body president, followed by gaining a career in Washington DC, and she’s one of the most intelligent politicians even in her early years. The battle between her and a male teacher trying to stop her from winning is one of the funniest big-screen representations of politics ever.
In The Loop (2009) - 7.4
Being somewhat of a sequel but also an adaptation of the BBC series The Thick Of It, as the movie keeps some of the same characters but replaces others, In The Loop is a brilliant satire and an honest and authentic look at politics today.
The movie follows the evil spin doctor Malcolm Tucker as he manipulates politicians and has them fight against each other, and in the end, he starts a war just to cover his own back. There are few movies that hold no punches like In The Loop, as the movie features the most offensive insults of not just any political movie, but of any movie, period.
Team America: World Police (2004) - 7.4
Though it wasn’t outright political, South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut featured political elements and in a lot of ways, it laid the foundation for the success of Team America: World Police.
The movie, while hilariously political in the way it depicts world leaders’ approaches to war, which is one of the ways it aged perfectly, was an extension of South Park’s grotesque humor and creative animation. There wasn’t a movie like it, and there’s nothing like it that has come since.
The Great Dictator (1940) - 8.4
Amazingly enough, with all of the cinematic advancements in the past 80 years, The Great Dictator, the very first political comedy ever made, still remains one of the very best. The movie marked a first for Charlie Chaplin, as it was his first movie to feature sound after all of his silent projects.
The iconic comedian plays both main roles in the movie, Adolf Hitler and a Jewish Barber, and being the most important work of satire in film history, it condemns the atrocities of the Nazis in the most hilarious ways imaginable.
Dr. Strangelove (1964) - 8.4
Being Stanley Kubrick’s only comedy, Dr. Strangelove is a black comedy that satirizes the Cold War, and it’s one of the most fascinating movies of all time for many different reasons. Peter Sellers plays every major role, whether it’s the president of the United States, an RAF exchange officer, or the titular character himself, who is a former Nazi and nuclear war expert.
There were even plans for Kubrick to make a sequel, which unfortunately didn’t pan out, but Dr. Strangelove remains one of the greatest movies of all time.