A dark comedy is only as successful as its bleakest jokes. Exploitation is not inherently funny, and there’s a vast difference between a movie that earns your laughter and one that expects a certain reaction. For a film to be funny without losing its edge — or worse, feeling intentionally edgy — a punchline has to be both smart and unexpected. The audience should be taken by surprise and realize, in the middle of their laughter, just how truly clever the joke is, causing them to laugh even harder.
There’s one such joke in “The Drama” I can’t stop thinking about, a perfectly timed and shrewdly written gag that has made me laugh out loud every time I’ve thought about it over the last 10 days. Like the film’s central narrative diversion, it occurs early in the movie, but could be considered a spoiler for those still trying to avoid pivotal details before seeing the film themselves. (If that’s you, bookmark this for later.)
