Bill Hader's a pretty funny guy, as anyone who's seen the always-compelling Barry can confirm. That show might have represented his breakout performance, but even before then, he'd had a solid run as a writer and actor, rising to fame for appearing on Saturday Night Live for eight years, between 2005 and 2013. During that time, he also appeared in a number of acclaimed comedy films, including Tropic Thunder and Superbad.
On top of being a prolific writer and actor, Bill Hader also appears to be a huge movie buff. He compiled a list called "200 Essential Movies Every Comedy Writer Should See," and given his success as a comedy writer, it's safe to assume Hader can be trusted on this topic. The movies below are some of the most underrated comedies on the list, which include well-known classics (like Ghostbusters and Blazing Saddles) and various underappreciated gems from the comedy genre.
'Little Murders' (1971)
Little Murders is a truly bizarre movie, and to call it a straightforward comedy would be doing it a disservice, and it would also potentially be misleading to those who want something easily digestible. It follows a young man who faces a series of misfortunes after his new girlfriend gets shot by a sniper for seemingly unknown reasons.
It's a paranoid movie that depicts a bleak, crime-ridden world, yet uses that premise and its dark setting for black comedy instead of thrills or horror. That's not to say it can't also be a suspenseful, even horrific movie, but it plays many of its darkest moments for comedy, making it a difficult movie that's not for everyone. However, it is a more than worthy watch for comedy fans after something unique and offbeat.
'The Kentucky Fried Movie' (1977)
Sketch comedy is a difficult genre to get right on film. Most sketch comedy films involve about 80-100 minutes worth of skits, with essentially each scene being its own comedic short film. It's natural, therefore, for sketch comedy to be inconsistent when drawn out to the length of a movie, and the same can be said for The Kentucky Fried Movie.
It's a comedy overflowing with ideas, enough so that it will move to a new one every two to three minutes. Some of the individual skits are very funny, and others fall completely flat. Still, it's worth it for the good stuff (like an infomercial parody and an extended courtroom sketch), and will also appeal to fans of Airplane and The Naked Gun, given it comes from the same writers.
'The Court Jester' (1955)
A classic comedy/musical/adventure/romance movie, The Court Jester still stands as one of the most underrated comedic films from Hollywood's Golden Age. It's a farcical, medieval-set movie about a singer/performer who goes undercover as a corrupt king's court jester to aid the freedom fighters who want the king ousted.
Despite the high-stakes storyline, there are very few serious moments in The Court Jester, and it instead focuses on comedy, songs, and even some over-the-top action sequences. It all makes for a movie that's very entertaining for its entire runtime, with plenty of clever wordplay and physical comedy to keep viewers laughing throughout.
'Horse Feathers' (1932)
There are numerous Marx Brothers movies that appear on Bill Hader's List of 200 Essential Movies Every Comedy Writer Should See, with Horse Feathers being the most underrated of the lot. While it's not as well-known as Duck Soup or A Day at the Races, it's still just as funny and just as worthy of any comedy fan's time.
It's about the president of a university hiring two professional footballers to help the university win an important upcoming match. Really, though, the plot just exists as an excuse to let the Marx Brothers run rampant in a college setting, all leading up to a big, slapstick-heavy football game in the climax. It's consistently silly and fun, holding up well despite now being over 90 years old.
'The Ladykillers' (1955)
A heist movie about a group of robbers too incompetent to pull off their heist, The Ladykillers is a hilarious mix of crime and comedy. The robbers in question rent out a property from a kind old lady who unknowingly thwarts their every move. When they try to take her out, things get even worse for them, with over-the-top, comedic violence naturally following.
It's rare for a movie with such a high bodycount to be a comedy, but The Ladykillers is a textbook example of how to make a dark crime-comedy work. As such, it's easy to see why Hader included it on its list. It's perfectly written and paced, which ensures it holds up all these decades later (and is still a considerably better watch than the Coen Brothers' messier 2004 remake).
'One, Two, Three' (1961)
Like the Marx Brothers, Billy Wilder is a director who's well-represented on Bill Hader's list, with films like The Apartment and Ace in the Hole being featured. The most underrated Wilder comedy included among the 200, however, would probably be his 1961 film One, Two, Three, starring James Cagney in one of his fairly rare non-gangster roles.
Like The Apartment (which was released one year earlier), it also follows a man (named C.R. MacNamara) who's obsessed with getting a promotion, and agrees to look after his boss's rebellious daughter to increase his chances. Things get complicated when the daughter falls for a communist in Berlin, which MacNamara wants to keep from his boss at all costs, leading to plenty of farcical comedy, as well as an enlightening look at the political world of the 1960s, when the Red Scare was at its peak.
'1941' (1979)
Steven Spielberg is best known for his contributions to the sci-fi genre, action movies, and historical dramas. While 1941 technically has a historical setting (as the title implies), it's certainly not a drama, as it takes a very wacky approach to World War Two, being about a group of people in California who get swept up in a frenzy of panic after a Japanese submarine appears off the coast.
Things get chaotic quickly, turning 1941 into a slapstick comedy on an epic scale. It's got a huge cast and numerous moving pieces... arguably too many, but it still stands as a distinct and memorable entry in Spielberg's filmography. Given how impressive the action is, and seeing as much of the comedy also works, it's also quite underrated, despite its imperfections.
'Modern Romance' (1981)
Modern Romance takes a down-to-earth romantic-comedy premise that would be familiar to many people who've seen a Woody Allen film, and arguably does it better. It follows an insecure and often unlikeable film editor who breaks up with his girlfriend early in the movie, and spends the rest of the movie struggling over whether it was the right call to make.
It's a harsh and cynical look at dating and relationships, and is likely to make viewers squirm just as much as it'll make them laugh (if not more). Albert Brooks co-wrote, directed, and starred in the movie, and creates a compelling yet frustrating main character who viewers will thankfully only have to spend 93 minutes with.
'Our Hospitality' (1923)
Buster Keaton was an early master of comedy movies, starring in numerous silent films that have gone on to be recognized as early classics. Our Hospitality focuses more on being a romantic-comedy than some of Keaton's better-known action-comedies, like The General, but is still an engaging old comedy that will turn 100 in 2023.
It follows a young man and a young woman who are in love, yet their two families are feuding, which naturally creates problems. It's therefore possible to see Our Hospitality as a very light-hearted take on the core premise of Romeo and Juliet, yet with far more physical comedy than murder and tragedy, thankfully.
'¡Three Amigos!' (1986)
¡Three Amigos! has a premise you've likely seen before, given it's a comedic take on The Magnificent Seven, which itself was a Western take on Seven Samurai. It follows three entertainers who play cowboys, yet are mistaken for the real thing and hired to protect a Mexican village whose townspeople are under attack from very real bandits.
It's a fun mash-up of the Western and comedy genres, with Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase making for a strong comedic trio. It's filled with goofy humor, silly songs, and even a few classic Western shootouts, making it an enjoyable 1980s comedy that deserves its status as a cult classic.