'The White Lotus' to 'After Life': Must-watch dark comedy shows
The genre of dark comedy has carved a unique niche in the digital world blending humor with grim, grief, and absurd. Over the years, this genre has gained an immense fan following. For some, it's a way of life. With these shows, delve into some of the most intriguing, subversive, and hilariously twisted dark comedy series on OTT this weekend.
'The White Lotus' (2021- )
HBO's award-winning series The White Lotus will take you on a satirical journey through the lives of vacationers at various luxurious resorts. With a stellar ensemble cast and biting social commentary, the show explores privilege, entitlement, grief, and the human capacity for self-delusion. The series has earned critical acclaim and 10 Primetime Emmy Awards, among several other accolades.
'After Life' (2019-2022)
Starring Ricky Gervais, who also directed and produced the series, After Life is a poignant heartbreaking exploration of loss, resilience, and finding meaning in life's absurdity. It follows the life of Tony Johnson (Gervais), a man grappling with profound grief after the death of his wife who faces the challenges of losing and healing through humor and a little help from the town residents.
'Dead to Me' (2019-2022)
Netflix's Dead To Me explores the unlikely friendship between Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), two women brought together by grief support groups. Beneath the veneer of humor and camaraderie, lies a web of secrets, mysteries, and hidden motives that will have you hooked. Through a fine balance between humor and suspense, the series explores friendship, loss, and deception.
'Fleabag' (2016-2019)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Amazon Prime Video series Fleabag offers a brutally honest and often hilarious look at the human condition. With sharp wit and unconventional storytelling, the show follows the titular character, who realizes she doesn't fit society's "conventional" mold of women and tries to turn her life around every day and make lesser self-destructive life choices. It has won six Primetime Emmy Awards.
'BoJack Horseman' (2014-2020)
BoJack Horseman is an animated adult black comedy series streaming on Netflix. It delves into the life of a washed-up, anthropomorphic horse actor, BoJack Horseman. Set in a satirical world where humans and animals coexist, the show brilliantly and wisely blends humor with dark social issues like addiction, mental health, existential crises, trauma, teen pregnancy, sexism, self-destruction, racism, fame, and sexuality.
