There’s really no doubt that these are stressful, unprecedented times we’re facing at the moment. With so much going on, sometimes it’s good to just log off for a few hours and enjoy the gentle distraction of a comedy. We’ve compiled a list of 11 films you can stream right now, for free, on SBS On Demand, to hopefully give you a little reprieve from the chaos of the outside world.
The Parisian Bitch (Belgium, English language)
Meet Camilla. She’s 30 years old, and she’s absolutely had it with her position in life. A self-confessed “born bitch”, Camilla knows she deserves better than everyone else, and she won’t accept anything less than what she deserves: she will become a Royal Highness.
Small Town Killers (Denmark, Danish language)
Ib and Edward are tradies who’ve decided that marriage is boring and it’s their time to live the high life. When they both get into fights with their wives, they decide enough is enough, and like any reasonable people, hire a Russian hitman to take out their spouses. Unfortunately for them, their wives are not to be underestimated...
What We Did On Our Holiday (UK, English language)
With a stellar cast that includes Rosamund Pike, David Tennant and the one and only Billy Connolly, this comedy from the creators of the BBC’s "Outnumbered" will lift the whole fam’s mood.
Slut In A Good Way (Canada, French language)
Charlotte is 17 and fresh off a break up. Discovering that her local toy store employs some cute guys, she and her friends apply for part-time jobs and find themselves enjoying their sexual awakening with the boys; that is, until Charlotte discovers that she’s been given a ‘perfect score’ in a game created by her male co-workers. Addressing the double standards imposed on girls, this is a coming of age film about friendship and teenage girls’ sexual desires.
The Wackness (USA, English language)
It’s important for you to know (in my opinion) that Mary-Kate Olsen is in this briefly, playing a girl who loves weed and 90210. Set in 1994 against the rise of New York hip-hop, Luke Shapiro is spending his last summer before uni making money selling weed. A lonely guy, he trades weed for therapy from his psychotherapist (played by Ben Kingsley), whose stepdaughter he’s crushing on.
Life of Crime (USA, English language)
Is there anything more comforting in this world than Jennifer Aniston? How about Jennifer Aniston AND Isla Fisher? Life of Crime has both, as well as Tim Robbins, so we’re off to a good start. White collar criminal Frank has been embezzling millions. When career criminals catch wind of this, they figure they’ll score big by holding his wife Mickey for ransom. Only problem? Frank’s also been cheating, and he doesn’t want his wife back. Oops!
Safety Not Guaranteed (USA, English language)
Technically, this film is about a disaffected magazine intern who befriends a strange man looking for a partner to accompany him on a trip back through time. More accurately, this is a chance to watch the cast of Parks and Recreation, The New Girl and The League all on the same screen at once, and let's face it, the more of that energy we can get, the better.
A Date For Mad Mary (Ireland, English language)
‘Mad’ Mary has just gotten out of prison, and wants to move on with her life, but when she returns home to Drogheda, she quickly finds that everything has changed. In an effort to fit into the new version of her old life, Mary is put to test trying to find a date for her best friend’s wedding.
Boy (New Zealand, English language)
After stomping the award season trail for Jojo Rabbit earlier this year, now’s a great time to revisit some of Taika Waititi’s earlier work. Boy follows Boy, an 11-year-old who lives on a farm with his gran, a goat, and his younger brother. While his gran is away for a week, Boy’s dad turns up out of the blue, and Boy is excited at the prospect of having a father figure to look up to. Unfortunately, his dad’s an incompetent hoodlum who’s only there to find a bag of money.
The Breaker-Upperers (New Zealand, English language)
Mel and Jen are business women, who will dump your boo for cash -- a business idea that blossomed when they realised they were being two-timed by the same guy. Cynical about love, the women live their platonic friendship as a codependent couple, and never get romantically involved with anyone -- that us, until one day, when they run into an old dumpee.
Election (USA, English language)
If a black comedy is what you need, then look no further than Election. One of Reese Witherspoon’s most loved performances, this cult hit satirises both politics and high school. Reese plays Tracy Flick, an overachiever who puts every Type-A person to shame. Tracy is running for student government president, but her teacher, Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) low-key hates her, so he sets out to sabotage her.
