As Aesop, the ancient Greek narrator and philosopher once said, “We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great to public office.” Whether it’s a testament to its clairvoyance, or simply the fact that humanity has always failed to separate the fraudsters from the upright, that statement still sounds disturbingly true today. From Trump and Putin to Bush Jr. and Boris Johnson, world leaders have taken the meme “hold my beer” to truly catastrophic heights. So much so, that there simply aren’t enough limbs in the world to bear the weight of their gazillion gallons of unused beer.
As divisive, controversial and controversial as political figures can be, they often arm filmmakers with a war chest of inspiration, which is partly why there is an abundance of excruciatingly funny political satires. Aside from voting and protesting (if you’re lucky enough to live in a country where those things actually exist), one of the few things people can do in the face of cunning politicians is mock them. Fortunately, there are great movies like this that do just that…
7 In the loop
Armando Iannucci started practicing his political satire long before his hit show Veepof the everyday and the wonderfully profane The thick of itwhich led to the 2009 loose spin-off film In the loop. The film features many of that show’s original cast, including Peter Capaldi as the ruthless, no-nonsense enforcer Malcolm Tucker and the ministers of the fictional Ministry of Social Affairs.
The film also benefits from bringing its outspoken British political satire into the realm of American politics aided by the great acquisition of the respected sopranos legend James Gandolfini in a hilarious role. The Oscar-nominated film remains a modern classic of political stupidity.
6 The Death of Stalin
Speaking of Iannucci, if you fancy a lighter Russian flavor compared to the current Kremlin goings-on and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the satirist’s film The Death of Stalin can certainly meet those needs. The extremely dark comedy starring Steve Buscemi, Jason Isaacs and Michael Palin follows the final days of Stalin’s reign as Russian Prime Minister and the immediate aftermath of his death. After Stalin falls dead, Russia’s key political figures gather at Stalin’s dacha, keeping an eye on the now vacant role of head of state. It’s hugely comical in a very dry way, and provides a tantalizing insight into the terror that Stalin had inflicted on power-hungry Russian dignitaries.
5 The campaign
Jay Roach’s 2012 Movie The campaign, starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis of comic supremo, puts a satirical twist on congressional campaigns. The film seemed rather disturbingly foreshadowed by the state of American politics under the Trump administration (not to mention anticipating the extremely political turn the producer, Adam McKay, would take with the following films The Big Short, Vice, and don’t look up).
Cam Brady (Ferrell) and Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) go head to head in this gripping comedy. Cam, a man who epitomizes the capitalist conservatism of the Republican Party, has an uncontrollable tongue that seems to get him into endless trouble as he tries to hold on to his seat in Congress. Brady has been unopposed for several terms and faces competition in the form of Marty, a gentle family man who is used as a pawn by two corporate businessmen to further their own political, personal and corporate agendas.
4 don’t look up
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Last year, director Adam McKay brought us the division don’t look up, a film that essentially mocks climate change deniers, and those in government who refuse to take the climate crisis seriously. Loved as a sensational satire by some and lamented as a lame misfire by others, don’t look up tells the story of two scientists, Dr. Randall (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his student Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) as they unsuccessfully attempt to warn the world of the imminent threat of an asteroid hurtling toward Earth and likely to wipe out humanity.
By using irrefutable evidence to prove the coming apocalypse to the disbelieving public, the indifferent media (including Tyler Perry and a phenomenal Cate Blanchett), and the unwitting president (Meryl Streep), all those in power fail to take their grave concerns seriously. and are left with egg on their faces when the inevitable happens. A searing indictment of the willfully ignorant, don’t look up is a depressingly accurate reflection of the world’s current political dilemma.
3 Wagging the dog
Barry Levinson’s film features a great cast including Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Harrelson, Kirsten Dunst and the late the great Anne Heche. Wagging the dog is another example of political satire somewhat alarmingly reminiscent of real life events, depicting a president’s struggle to cover up a sex scandal, as he and his aide rush to capture the prying eyes of the public by waging a fake war against Albania. Released for the Clinton-Lewinski scandal, Wagging the dog was a very witty prophecy of the nascent world of postmodern political spin.
2 The Great Dictator
Charlie Chaplin plays two roles in The Great Dictator, a Jewish hairdresser and the Nazi monster Adolf Hitler (or ‘Adenoid Hynkel’, as this film calls him), resulting in not only one of the greatest political comedies of all time, but also one of the best comedy films in general. Released during the early stages of World War II, the film follows the hairdresser, who suffers amnesia after a plane crash in World War I. Years later, when Hynkel comes to power, the barber begins to refocus and resist the tyrannical regime. The Great Dictator is one of the earliest masterpieces in the political comedy genre, treating Hitler and the Nazis as they should be treated — with disdain for their malice and hilarious mockery of their stupidity.
1 dr. Strangelove
Stanley Kubrick’s Movie (Officially Titled dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) has practically transcended film history and become a cultural touchstone, with the iconic image of Dr. Peter Sellers’ Strangelove, with its blackout shades, curly hair and menacing gaze, became a pop culture reference point for many.
Co-written by Kubrick, Terry Southern and Peter George, the film expertly denounces the Cold War and laughs at the realistic threat of mutually assured nuclear destruction. While America and the Soviet Union hold their hands over the red buttons that would send the world into nuclear abyss, the film is unafraid to be relentlessly dark in its chronicle of military miscommunication as a rogue US brigade takes it upon itself. to deploy an American bomber to attack Russia.