Taika Waititi has once again knocked it out of the park with Jojo Rabbit, yet another film showcasing his unique directorial and writing talents. His most recent work tackles a more sensitive subject for many - Nazi Germany - and is only one in a long line of comedies to satirize hate groups and tyrannical governments.
The following list will detail ten other satires to watch if you liked Jojo Rabbit. Some are more directly related to Waititi’s new work than others, but they all use comedy to tackle uncomfortable subjects and poke fun at either evil governments, the worst aspects of modern powerful nations, or racism.
The Great Dictator (1940)
Charlie Chaplin remains one of the most renowned filmmakers of all time almost one hundred years after his first feature films started coming out. The Great Dictator was made before the United States entered the war and sees Chaplin playing both a Jewish barber and an analog of Adolf Hitler. I
ts staunch anti hate message and condemnation of fascism made it a hit at the time, though Chaplin would later state that he would not have made the movie if he knew the true atrocities the regime was committing before and during World War II.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
This one does not take a stab at governments, instead putting all of its energy towards poking fun at racism and the racial tension in the United States. A railroad tycoon convinces a governor to appoint a black sheriff to a town thinking it will cause chaos and make it easy for him to swoop in and take the town for himself to build tracks through it.
While he was right about the townspeople not welcoming Bart with open arms, the protagonist eventually wins their trust and fights back while Mel Brooks’ trademark humor makes its way through every moment of the run time.
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Originally meant to be a gripping drama, Stanley Kubrick eventually realized a screwball comedy would be a more effective way to convey the ridiculousness behind Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The movie also jokes about the extreme and irrational fears perpetuated by certain politicians. Among the cast are dramatic actors like George C. Scott along with legendary comedic performers like Peter Sellers, who plays three roles. Even though the Cold War has long since passed, the film remains as poignant and entertaining as ever.
The Day Shall Come (2019)
The Day Shall Come, from legendary British satirist Chris Morris, follows a leader of a small commune as he is groomed and entrapped by the FBI into committing an act of terrorism.
While not directly based on a true story, it is inspired by operations the Bureau has done in a similar vein, the most notable being the Liberty City Seven. In order to make themselves look good as agents, the characters working for the FBI make the protagonist out to look like he is in the midst of planning a large scale terrorist attack while he is ultimately none the wiser and is of a questionable mental state.
The Death Of Stalin (2017)
One knows their satire is doing something right when it gets banned in several countries. The Death of Stalin, for example, was banned in Russia for its perceived anti-soviet messages.
One wonders why this would bother them so much if the old government has been gone for almost thirty years, but the mockery of the once powerful union probably made it popular with certain people in other post-Soviet nations. Helping tell the comic story regarding the power struggle following Joseph Stalin’s death is a legendary cast including Steve Buscemi, Jason Isaacs, and Olga Kurylenko.
Starship Troopers (1997)
Paul Verhoeven knows how to create an engrossing sci-fi world and uses his talents to great effect in Starship Troopers. On the surface, it is a cheesy, albeit brutally gory, B movie about an Earth army fighting giant bugs.
Dig a little deeper, however, to find its many layers satirizing and criticizing militarism. Like all great allegories, the movie works even if one isn’t aware of its subtext and just takes it as entertaining action movie. It is more impactful once one sees the deeper picture, though.
The Interview (2014)
This movie was all set for a theatrical release before Sony pulled virtually all of its screenings for reasons still entirely unclear, leaving its theatrical run to a small handful of arthouse theaters.
Seth Rogen and James Franco’s film sees a journalist tasked with assassinating Kim Jong-un after the North Korean dictator invites him to the country for a one on one interview. Because it is on this list, one can assume it takes every opportunity to lampoon the leader.
Sorry To Bother You (2018)
Instead of setting its sights on a particular government or organization, Sorry to Bother You is a scathing indictment of capitalism its exploitation of the working class. One would expect nothing more from the directorial debut of Boots Riley, a member of the hip-hop group The Coup.
The movie’s familiar, yet off kilter world draws favorable comparisons to Repo Man. It starts off with the protagonist rising through the telemarketing ranks utilizing his “white voice” and gets wilder from there as he must choose between his job opportunities and his friends, most of whom are activists.
Four Lions (2010)
Another Chris Morris romp, Four Lions focuses on aspiring terrorists as they fumble their way towards Jihad.
Along with bringing up thoughtful discourse on the act of religious violence, it also shines a light on the ignorance and racism behind the war on terror. While terrorism is still a touchy subject for many, using comedy to talk frankly about it is arguably less exploitative than the array of thrillers and war movies using it as a plot device to strike fear and tension into audiences.
To Be Or Not To Be (1942)
Jack Benny stars in this 1942 comedy involving a group of Polish actors using their thespian skills to fool the occupying Nazi forces during World War II.
Given its release year, some considered it insensitive to make a comedy based on a war still happening, but the final product is a masterpiece by all accounts and one of the only feature films of which Jack Benny was proud. It also is notable for being Carole Lombard’s final film performance. The actress passed in a tragic plane crash just a month before the film’s release.
Next: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Making Of Jojo Rabbit
