Courtesy of Paramount & Warner Bros. Pictures.
It’s hard to escape what today is: Election Day. This day comes at the end of what has been a rather intense political season - though to be fair, most have been in recent years. We understand how tense this can make all of us, and perhaps you’ll be looking for the perfect opportunity to escape what we’re going through and experience something a bit more fictionalized.
Political satire has been a thing for over a century. As comedy is a way to poke fun at the harsh realities of life, politics is no exception. Given the way in which politics have evolved, it seems as if there’s never been a shortage for good material to pull from. A good political comedy makes a strong statement about what we’re going through, and manages to make us laugh in the process. Obviously, that’s no small feat.
In honor of Election Day, we’re taking a look back at some of our favorite political satire films of all time. Despite the vast range of films in both style and age, there seems to be something relatable that you can take away from all of these titles.
Election
Alexander Payne has a knack for telling stories with a slightly darker edge to them. Election is no exception, and in fact, may rank among his darkest. The film follows Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) who has a personal deep-rooted vendetta against Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), your typical A+ apple polisher who is running for student body president unopposed. So McAllister decides to convince the school’s jock (Chris Klein) to run against her, in a biting satire that mirrors something you’d be more likely to see in actual politics than your local high school.
This is a rare film where everyone involved is firing on all cylinders, and remains among the best political films of all time, not just comedies. Every note is perfectly hit, and it’s the type of story that sticks in your head long after you’re done watching it.
How to watch: streaming now on Paramount+!
Duck Soup
By and large, The Marx Brothers are regarded as one of the most iconic comedy teams of the 20th century, and even beyond. Their reach has far outlived the brothers themselves, and their films still manage to hold up today, nearly a century after they were made. While some may debate their best films, fans will agree that it is most likely Duck Soup.
In the film, Groucho Marx plays Rufus T. Firefly. At the behest of the wealthy Mrs. Teasdale, Firefly is named as the dictator of a fictional country, Freedonia, that is currently bankrupt. After Firefly and Trentino - the dictator of the neighboring country Sylvania - both try to woo Teasdale and create a rift between the two, war is declared. The film’s sharp writing and comedic irreverence is still highly regarded today, and have influenced countless political satires that have followed, from such voices as Woody Allen and Sacha Baron Cohen.
How to watch: available to rent on YouTube!
The Campaign
In 2012, you couldn’t get much bigger than having Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis starring in your comedy film. With an accomplished comedy director like Jay Roach - the man behind Austin Powers and Meet the Parents - at the helm, throw in some comedy heavyweights like Jason Sudeikis, Dan Aykroyd, and John Goodman, and it would surely be a slam dunk.
The film follows Cam Brady (Ferrell) - a congressman who is in the midst of a scandal. Two billionaire lobbyists then run the son of a well-known Republican, Marty Huggins (Galifianakis). What we see is a campaign that manages to get dirtier and dirtier as the film goes on, with Brady stopping at nothing in order to crush Huggins. The film is obviously comedic and over-the-top, but the notion of stopping at nothing to win is not unlike what you’d find in actual politics, unfortunately. The film only slightly exaggerates that.
How to watch: available to rent on Prime Video!
Long Shot
Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron may not seem like the perfect recipe for a romantic political comedy on paper. But what’s interesting is when all of those elements come together, the end result is something that is far superior than what you may have been expecting. That result is Long Shot.
The film revolves around Fred Flarksy, who is a free spirit of a journalist, and isn’t afraid to call it as he sees it. After he resigns from his job at a newspaper because he disagrees with who bought them, he unexpectedly runs into Charolette Field, his old babysitter who happens to be a powerful political figure who is about to run for President. After this chance encounter, Field brings Flarksy on board to her team. As one imagines, working within the system isn’t so easy for him. The film works on a variety of levels: that of a goofy comedy, a love story, and a pretty decent political satire.
How to watch: streaming now on Hulu!
Idiocracy
In popular culture, there are a few films that have been heralded as having “predicted the future.” While it’s obviously impossible to know precisely what is going to happen, some things just get it closer than others. One such project that has been given that distinction is Mike Judge’s Idiocracy, which was his follow-up to Office Space.
In the film, Corporal Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) - a completely average guy - is hand-picked by the government for a secret hibernation project that would keep the subjects frozen until they’re needed. Joe is forgotten about after the project is abandoned, and only wakes up 500 years later. After he wakes up to discover how dumb society now is, he takes an IQ test after being arrested that determines him to be the smartest man alive. The film makes a lot of strong arguments, and while it wasn’t that well-received upon release, it’s gone onto develop a strong cult following.
How to watch: streaming now on Hulu!
