From the mind of Bill Hader and Seinfeld writer Alec Berg comes a new and refreshing comedy in Barry. This HBO series about a hitman who wants to shift his direction in life by becoming an actor hits the right notes for a dark comedy, and also elevates it with an antihero charm.
After three solid seasons, there is a lot to speculate about Barry’s mission to leave his past assassin life behind lastingly. But for loyal fans and viewers, there are several movies of its caliber that can fill that black-comedy hole.
Updated on June 6th, 2022, by Shawn S. Lealos: The third season of Barry hit in 2022 and brought more of the black comedy mixed with drama that fans of the series have grown to love. However, once the season ends, there will be at least another year before the fourth season arrives, and that leaves a lot of time to find something else to watch. While binging brand-new TV shows can be time-consuming, there are some good movies similar to Barry that should fill the gap in between the third and fourth season so fans can watch the same black comedy crime thrillers that Barry offers, some of them critically acclaimed masterpieces.
Fargo (1996)
- Streaming now on Prime Video.
Shows like Barry owe a lot to the quirky crime thrillers that the Coen Brothers specialize in. While there are several movies to choose from in their filmography, open that is easily accessible to anyone is their 1996 Oscar-nominated effort Fargo.
s McDormand won an Oscar for her role as a small-town police officer who ends up investigating a case where a man's wife was kidnapped and held for ransom. However, through all the twists and turns, only this one police officer proved trustworthy, and everyone betrayed everyone in the movie. The movie was also turned into a TV anthology series on FX.
Burn After Reading (2008)
- Streaming now on Peacock.
The Coen Brothers could fill up an entire list of black comedy crime thrillers all by themselves. However, one movie that more people should watch is the 2008 movie Burn After Reading. While not as talked about as other movies the brothers made, this hit all their high points and had some A-list stars to fill it out.
When a CIA analyst quits his job he misplaced his memoirs and a pair of clueless gym employees find the memoirs and decide to try to profit from their return, bringing in some serious heavy hitters to retrieve them. The Burn After Reading cast includes names like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, and s McDormand.
Seven Psychopaths (2012)
- Streaming now on Pluto TV.
While Martin McDonagh impressed everyone with his movie In Bruges, his follow-up slipped through the cracks, even though it deserved a bigger audience. Seven Psychopaths stars Colin Farrell as Marty, a screenwriter who decides he wants to interview actual "psychopaths" to help him write his next screenplay.
However, this goes awry when his best friend Billy kidnaps a mobster's dog in a scheme to get a reward and puts everyone's lives in danger. The similarities between McDonagh's characters and the people found in Barry are strikingly similar.
Smokin' Aces (2006)
- Streaming now on Starz.
Joe Carnahan wrote and directed the movie Smokin' Aces in 2006. The movie starred Jeremy Piven as a stage magician who ends up as the top witness in a case against an aging powerful mobster. When the mobster puts a $1 million bounty on his head, assassins converge on Tahoe and try to cash in while two FBI agents try to protect him.
The movie had an amazing cast. On top of Piven, Ryan Reynolds, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Andy Garcia, Common, Alicia Keys, Ray Liotta, Taraji P. Henson, Matthew Fox, and a pre-Star Trek Chris Pine starred in the movie.
RocknRolla (2008)
- Streaming now on Hoopla.
Guy Richie has a ton of movies about criminals like the ones seen in Barry. From the critically acclaimed Snatch to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, his list of gangsters is impressive. However, one Richie movie that really feels like it comes from the same world as Barry is the 2008 gangster movie RocknRolla.
When a devious ant betrays a London mob boss and hires a group called the Wild Bunch to steal money from him, things get dirty but when everyone starts betraying each other, it gets ridiculous. The cast includes Gerard Butler, Idris Elba and Tom Hardy as the Wild Bunch, Thandiwe Newton as the crooked ant, and Tom Wilkinson as the mob boss.
The Family (2013)
- Streaming now on Starz.
Robert De Niro stars as a former mafia boss whose family had to go into the witness protection program and relocate to a Normandy town. They had to assume new identities as the Blakes. However, their cover does not last long when the entire family, including Michelle Pfeiffer as the mother, are either exposed or failed to set their sadistic tendencies aside.
The Family comes from the mind of Luc Besson. So, expect his wheelhouse of over-the-top violence, tonal shifts, and interwoven intrigue to come into play.
The Gentlemen (2020)
- Streaming now on Netflix.
Guy Ritchie is always known for his crime sagas, black humor, ensemble cast going against type, crass dialogue, and sleek action. The Gentlemen presents a return to form for the Guy Ritchie films everyone knows. This film centers on an American drug kingpin (Matthew McConaughey) who is targeted by various gangsters aiming to take down his marijuana business.
Seeing Ritchie return to his signature style and the cast committed to their parts, including a slimeball Hugh Grant, leads to all kinds of fun and carnage.
Raising Arizona (1987)
- Streaming now on Paramount+.
One of the earliest and best efforts from the Coen brothers, Raising Arizona tells the story of partners-in-crime H.I. McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) and Ed (Holly Hunter) who kidnap a baby and aspire to live a quiet domestic life. Of course, plenty of hurdles come their way.
Instead of treading the same crime-drama saga from Blood Simple, the Coens opted for a lighter, comedic tone that brings the best of Cage’s and Hunter’s personalities. And despite their devious ways, they become more empathetic by raising Junior.
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
- Streaming now on Prime Video, Paramount+, and Epix.
Grosse Pointe Blank tells the story of a hitman named Martin (John Cusack) who is encouraged to attend his ten-year high school reunion party. However, several hitmen who oppose Martin’s pacifist attitude were sent after him.
Like Barry, this film hits vicarious notes of an assassin wanting to reform to a normal life, only to have that interfered with thanks to his workplace politics. And Cusack, who also co-wrote the screenplay, is fantastic in this part, bringing the right balance of humor and grittiness.
Game Night (2018)
- Streaming now on TNT, TBS, TruTV, and DirecTV.
What may be a generic title turns out to be an exciting comedy about three couples who are caught up in an actual criminal conspiracy. The central couple is Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams), who is very competitive in the games themselves, yet have to use their wits to solve the mystery around their crime-ridden night.
The effectiveness of Game Night comes from how it is filmed like a crime thriller, only with comedic bits. Plus, the cast is incredible, especially Jesse Plemons.
