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Comedy Thriller

A hybrid of the thriller and comedy genres, this type of film blends the suspense, threat and action of the thriller genre with comedic elements. Straight thrillers, with their focus on death, violence and crime, paint dark representations of society, and usually the crucial convention of the genre is the withholding of evidence or knowledge from the audience, thus heightening the suspense and fear. The difference with comedy thrillers is that though the danger still lurks, a tongue-in-cheek approach is used for comic relief, making the effect one of lighthearted entertainment rather than pure fear. Usually, these films utilize more action-oriented conventions such as chases and large action set-pieces rather than atmosphere, mood, and extreme graphic violence. Alfred Hitchcock essentially created the prototype for these kinds of films with his Hollywood output in the ‘40s and ‘50s. This brand of filmmaking has also been used as an approach attached to other, larger genres such as detective films (Fargo), hit men flicks (Grosse Point Blank), and buddy movies (48 Hours).

Major Works
Rating
Year
 Title
 
 Director
  9 Stars 1934 The Thin Man   W.S. Van Dyke
  8 Stars 1980 The Stunt Man   Richard Rush
  8 Stars 1964 A Shot in the Dark   Blake Edwards
  7 Stars 1955 The Trouble with Harry   Alfred Hitchcock
  7 Stars 1944 The Thin Man Goes Home   Richard Thorpe
  7 Stars 1947 Song of the Thin Man   Edward N. Buzzell
  7 Stars 1970 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes   Billy Wilder
  7 Stars 1985 Moonlighting   Robert Butler
  7 Stars 1993 Manhattan Murder Mystery   Woody Allen
  7 Stars 1977 The Late Show   Robert Benton
  7 Stars 1938 The Lady Vanishes   Alfred Hitchcock
  7 Stars 1963 Charade   Stanley Donen
  6 Stars 1998 Zero Effect   Jake Kasdan
  6 Stars 1997 Grosse Pointe Blank   George Armitage
  6 Stars 1991 A Rage in Harlem   Bill Duke
  6 Stars 1968 No Way to Treat a Lady   Jack Smight
  6 Stars 1978 Foul Play   Colin Higgins
  6 Stars 1953 Beat the Devil   John Huston
    5 Stars 1997 Budbringeren   Pal Sletaune
  5 Stars 1997 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag   Tom Schulman
    5 Stars 1995 Savage Hearts   Mark Ezra
    5 Stars 1991 Life Is Cheap... But Toilet Paper Is Expensive   Spencer Nakasako
    5 Stars 1985 Hold-Up   Alexandre Arcady
    5 Stars 1939 This Man Is News   David MacDonald
    5 Stars 1979 Flic ou Voyou   Georges Lautner
    5 Stars 1964 Fantômas   André Hunebelle
  5 Stars 1939 The Cat and the Canary   Elliott Nugent
    5 Stars 1966 Our Man in Marrakesh   Don Sharp
  5 Stars 1987 Stakeout   John Badham
  5 Stars 1992 Sneakers   Phil Alden Robinson
  5 Stars 1940 Slightly Honorable   Tay Garnett
  5 Stars 1932 Number 17   Alfred Hitchcock
  5 Stars 1976 Family Plot   Alfred Hitchcock
    5 Stars 1992 The Double O Kid   Duncan McLachlan
  5 Stars 1966 Cul-de-Sac   Roman Polanski
  5 Stars 1985 Clue   Jonathan Lynn
    5 Stars 1978 The Big Fix   Jeremy Kagan
  5 Stars 1969 The Assassination Bureau   Basil Dearden
    4 Stars 1973 La Valise   Georges Lautner
    4 Stars 1972 Il était une fois un Flic   Georges Lautner
    4 Stars 1995 The Life of Harry Dare    
    4 Stars 1934 Die Welt ohne Maske   Harry Piel
    4 Stars 1946 The Specter of the Rose   Ben Hecht
  4 Stars 1973 Shamus   Buzz Kulik
  4 Stars 1941 Shadow of the Thin Man   W.S. Van Dyke
  4 Stars 1987 Nadine   Robert Benton
  4 Stars 1986 Legal Eagles   Ivan Reitman
    4 Stars 1982 House of the Long Shadows   Pete Walker
  4 Stars 1971 Gumshoe   Stephen Frears
    4 Stars 1977 Tendre Poulet   Philippe de Broca
  4 Stars 1939 Another Thin Man   W.S. Van Dyke
  4 Stars 1936 After the Thin Man   W.S. Van Dyke
    3 Stars 1956 Find the Lady   Charles Sanders
  3 Stars 1991 Shadows and Fog   Woody Allen
  3 Stars 1982 Hanky Panky   Sidney Poitier
    3 Stars 1990 Blood & Concrete: A Love Story   Jeffrey Reiner
 
 
 
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