Satire backdrop

Satire movies

Sharp comedy that targets society, politics, media, or workplace culture with irony and pointed exaggeration.

Good Fortune

31. Good Fortune

Comedy Fantasy Satire Supernatural Fantasy
6.5

20251h 37min

United States

Director: Aziz Ansari

A well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker and a wealthy capitalist.

Themes

Class inequality, Labor precarity, Role reversal, Unionization effort, Wealth versus purpose, Authenticity and belonging

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Heroic Losers

32. Heroic Losers

Comedy Thriller Satire Political Thriller
7.2

20191h 56min

Argentina, Spain

Director: Sebastián Borensztein

In a town in the Northwest of the province of Buenos Aires, a group of neighbors is organized to recover the economy of the area, but when the corralito is implemented in the country and they suffer a fraud, their hopes disappear. Now, they will unite to recover the lost money and give the blow of their lives to their greatest enemy.

Themes

Trust and betrayal dynamics, Deception within institutions, Collective action under pressure, Risk and improvisation under crime, Economic precarity under crisis, Recovery through collective effort

Available on

Apple TV
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Pride

33. Pride

Drama Comedy Political Drama Satire
7.8

20142h

France, United Kingdom

Director: Matthew Warchus

In 1984, a group of LGBT activists decide to raise money to support the National Union of Mineworkers during their lengthy strike. There is only one problem: the Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.

Themes

Miners' strike solidarity, Public exposure of bias, Harassment of unions, Activist community alliance, Police power scrutiny, Health and stigma

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Duke

34. The Duke

Comedy Drama History Historical Drama Satire
6.9

20211h 36min

France, United Kingdom

Director: Roger Michell

In 1961, a 60-year-old taxi driver stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. What happened next became the stuff of legend.

Themes

Class inequality, Family loyalty under pressure, Working-class activism, Protest through spectacle, Pensioner rights and licensing, Media pressure and publicity

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Distinguished Citizen

35. The Distinguished Citizen

Comedy Drama Satire Relationship Drama
7.5

20161h 58min

Argentina, Spain

Director: Gastón Duprat

After refusing big and prestigious awards all over the world, Mr. Mantovani, Literature Nobel Prize winner, accepts an invitation to visit his hometown in Argentina, which has been the inspiration for all of his books. It turns out that accepting this invitation is the worst idea of his life. Expect the unexpected when you have used real people as characters in your novels!

Themes

Belonging and alienation, Prestige and local life, Public recognition and scrutiny, Hometown expectations, Cultural contrast, Homecoming tension

Available on

Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Amazon Prime Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Rose Island

36. Rose Island

Comedy Adventure Satire Maritime Adventure
7.0

20202h

Italy

Director: Sydney Sibilia

In 1968, engineer Giorgio Rosa established the independent state called "The Isle of Roses" off the coast of Rimini, built on a platform outside the territorial waters, with Esperanto as the official language. The Italian authorities did not take it well because the micronation was seen as an expedient to not pay taxes on the revenues obtained thanks to the arrival of numerous tourists and curious people.

Themes

Pursuit of recognition, Government pressure, Political independence, Seasteading experiments, Tourism as leverage, Unofficial sovereignty

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

37. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Drama Comedy Entertainment Industry Drama Satire
7.7

20142h

United States

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

A fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.

Themes

Midlife crisis, Public scrutiny, Fading fame, Artistic integrity vs commercial success, Creative collaboration tension, Parental reconciliation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

38. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Western Comedy Drama Music Mystery
7.2

20182h 12min

United States

Director: Joel Coen

Vignettes weaving together the stories of six individuals in the old West at the end of the Civil War. Following the tales of a sharp-shooting songster, a wannabe bank robber, two weary traveling performers, a lone gold prospector, a woman traveling the West to an uncertain future, and a motley crew of strangers undertaking a carriage ride.

Themes

Economic precarity, Frontier precariousness, Loyalty and debt, Spectacle for profit, Mass entertainment ethics, Fate and chance

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Vice

39. Vice

Drama Comedy Political Drama Satire
7.2

20182h 12min

United States

Director: Adam McKay

George W. Bush picks Dick Cheney, the CEO of Halliburton Co., to be his Republican running mate in the 2000 presidential election. No stranger to politics, Cheney's impressive résumé includes stints as White House chief of staff, House Minority Whip and Defense Secretary. When Bush wins by a narrow margin, Cheney begins to use his newfound power to help reshape the country and the world.

Themes

Political ascent under pressure, War on terror power, Unitary executive theory influence, White house power, Iraq war policy control, Gulf war diplomacy, Plame affair exposure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

40. BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

Comedy Drama Psychological Drama Satire
6.7

20222h 39min

Mexico, United States

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

A renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker living in Los Angeles, after being named the recipient of a prestigious international award, is compelled to return to his native country, unaware that this simple trip will push him to an existential limit.

Themes

Memory and legacy, Public vs private life, Existential crisis under pressure, Media scrutiny and self, Artifice of docufiction, Family duty vs mobility

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.