Movies like Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (2009)
The best movies like Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (2009) are Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (2003), Outlaw Comic: The Censoring of Bill Hicks (2003) and Paul Mooney: Know Your History - Jesus Is Black... So Was Cleopatra (2007). If Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy hooked you with its comedy and documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- NewestThe Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up (2022)Released 2022
Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (2003)
This documentary praises comedian Richard Pryor by showing fragments of various shows Pryor made and having famous comedians talk about the importance and greatness of Pryor. Different themes are reviewed this way. Among others, they are the use of the word nigger, the way Pryor talked about racism, the fact Pryor talked openly about his own faults on-stage and the fact he didn't mince matters.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Outlaw Comic: The Censoring of Bill Hicks (2003)
A biographical documentary on the late great comedian Bill Hicks and his career; in particular the censorship by Letterman that scarred it.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Paul Mooney: Know Your History - Jesus Is Black... So Was Cleopatra (2007)
Few comedians can stir up controversy like the legendary Paul Mooney -- writer for Richard Pryor, creator of In Living Color's Homey the Clown and featured guest on Chappelle's Show. With his characteristic brutal honesty, Mooney passionately and hysterically charges into the electrified currents of racial tension. In this magnificent standup performance at Hollywood's Laugh Factory, Mooney earns a standing ovation with his relentless no-holds-barred observations on black history, stereotypes and prejudices, living in White America, celebrity divas and much, much more!
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth (1998)
In 1948, Lenny Bruce was just another comic who couldn't get arrested. By 1961, all that would change.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Can We Take a Joke? (2016)
In the age of social media, nearly every day brings a new eruption of outrage. While people have always found something to be offended by, their ability to organize a groundswell of opposition to – and public censure of – their offender has never been more powerful. Today we're all one clumsy joke away from public ruin. Can We Take A Joke? offers a thought-provoking and wry exploration of outrage culture through the lens of stand-up comedy, with notables like Gilbert Gottfried, Penn Jillette, Lisa Lampanelli, and Adam Carolla detailing its stifling impact on comedy and the exchange of ideas. What will the future will be like if we can't learn how to take a joke?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & comedy
It Started As a Joke (2019)
This documentary chronicles the decade-long run of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival – including a final farewell show. The film celebrates Eugene’s unique brand of humor and his role in the alternative comedy movement, offers a bittersweet goodbye to an era, and reminds us of the healing properties of comedy – even in the most challenging of life’s circumstances.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & comedy
Too Soon: Comedy After 9/11 (2021)
From the immediate aftermath of 9/11 to today stand-up comedians, talk-show hosts, sketch performers, television animators and other entertainers have used often-controversial jokes to unite and heal in the face of tragedy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & comedy
The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up (2022)
In this comedy special, Jon Stewart, John Mulaney, Chelsea Handler and Dave Chappelle honor George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Robin Williams and Richard Pryor.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
The house is rockin' and the laughs are rollin' as comedians Steve Harvey (The Steve Harvey Show), D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys), Cedric The Entertainer (The Steve Harvey Show) and Bernie Mac (Life) meet in this riotously comedy summit directed by Spike Lee.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMisery Loves Comedy (2015)
Do you have to be miserable to be funny? More than sixty comedians—including stand-ups, writers, actors, and directors from the US, Canada, and abroad—take on this question, sharing anecdotes and insights with lively enthusiasm.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Am Richard Pryor (2019)
The life story of Richard Pryor (1940-2005), the legendary performer and iconic social satirist who transcended racial and social barriers with his honest, irreverent and biting humor.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
W. Kamau Bell: Semi-Prominent Negro (2016)
Comedy special featuring socio-political comedian W. Kamau Bell, who brings his characteristically biting and hilarious take on the real issues of contemporary America from gentrification to raising his family in a post-Obama nation.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983)
One of comedian Richard Pryor's later stand-up performances. As foul-mouthed as ever, Pryor touches on most of the same topics as in his previous live shows. Filmed at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRichard Pryor: Omit the Logic (2013)
Mike Epps, Richard Pryor Jr. and others recount the culture-defining influence of Richard Pryor - one of America's most brilliant, iconic comic minds.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhen Jews Were Funny (2013)
From the 1930's to the 1970's, pretty well every comedian or comic you might see on TV or the movies was Jewish. Jews came to dominate the world of western‐society comedy on radio, stage and screen alike.Why did Jews dominate comedy in this period? And why did that domination end? Were Jews just funnier back then? And if so, did that extend to your average Jew on the street? In this 90 minute documentary acclaimed director Alan Zweig will examine these questions and many others in this exploration of 20th century humour, cultural decay, and a search for a missing heritage.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show (2020)
For one week in February 1968, Johnny Carson gave up his chair to Harry Belafonte, the first time an African-American had hosted a late night TV show for a whole week.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Uncle Tom (2020)
In a collection of intimate interviews with some of America's most provocative black conservative thinkers, Uncle Tom takes a different look at being black in America.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & comedy
Don Rickles: One Night Only (2014)
Comedy has never seen a night like this. The biggest superstars in the world gather to honor the one who inspired them all, Don Rickles. With David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, Robert De Niro, Jon Stewart, Martin Scorcese and more.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Bill Hicks: It's Just a Ride (1994)
Short documentary / tribute to the late, truly great American stand-up comedian Bill Hicks, included as an extra in several box sets. Bill Hicks passed away in 1994, taken tragically young aged only 32. His legend and reputation, however, continue to grow. "It's Just a Ride" is a celebration of his life and work, featuring numerous clips of Bill's many recorded stand-up performances, along with trbutes from Sean Hughes, Eric Bogosian, David Letterman and Eddie Izzard, amongst others.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
I Am Comic (2010)
Through unprecedented backstage access and candid interviews, the film weaves through the absurd world of the working comedian and reveals a crazy and hilarious psychological profile of its practitioners. We also follow retired comic Ritch Shydner's attempt to climb back on stage after a thirteen-year hiatus. At the top of his game in the 1980's, Shydner had HBO specials, shot five pilot TV shows, and numerous late night appearances (Carson, Letterman, Leno, etc.) but the big time eluded him. Equipped with the collective wisdom and nutty musings of over 80 of his peers, he gives it another shot. Does Ritch have what it takes to connect with today's young crowds and still get the laughs?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & comedy
The Aristocrats (2005)
One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Huey P. Newton Story (2001)
The story of how the radical Huey P. Newton developed the Black Panther Party based on his 10-point program for social reform.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & comedy
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970)
A presentation of key events in the life of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. Beginning with the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, MLK is followed through major steps in his struggle to promote racial equality. Including footage of King's stirring speeches, it is a fitting tribute to his legacy, and features clips narrated by a wide range of celebrities, including Harry Belafonte, Paul Newman Charlton Heston, Ruby Dee, Burt Lancaster, Anthony Quinn, Walter Matthau, Ben Gazzara, Clarence Williams III, Joanne Woodward, and James Earl Jones.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
American: The Bill Hicks Story (2010)
American: The Bill Hicks Story is a biographical documentary film on the life of comedian Bill Hicks.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJerry Before Seinfeld (2017)
Jerry Seinfeld returns to the club that gave him his start in the 1970s, mixing iconic jokes with stories from his childhood and early days in comedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKevin Hart: Irresponsible (2019)
Stand-up comedian Kevin Hart talks about his family, travel and a year full of reckless behavior in front of a live sold-out crowd in London.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKevin Hart: Seriously Funny (2010)
Fresh off the heels of appearing in movies like Superhero Movie and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, fast-talking comedian Kevin Hart stars in his second live stand-up performance in Cleveland, Ohio, where he makes fun of everything and everybody - especially himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAn Evening with Kevin Smith (2002)
Kevin Smith interacts in Q&A sessions throughout various college stops in the USA.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDaniel Tosh: Happy Thoughts (2011)
Daniel Tosh performs in front of a live San Francisco audience in this stand-up special for Comedy Central, and touches on topics ranging from sports and pop culture, to religion and politics.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmerican Pie: Revealed (2004)
Documentary about the making of American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003).
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy?
The closest matches to Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy are Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (2003), Outlaw Comic: The Censoring of Bill Hicks (2003) and Paul Mooney: Know Your History - Jesus Is Black... So Was Cleopatra (2007). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy?
People who watched Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy most often go on to Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (2003), Outlaw Comic: The Censoring of Bill Hicks (2003) and Paul Mooney: Know Your History - Jesus Is Black... So Was Cleopatra (2007).
What is the newest movie like Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy?
The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy?
Yes: Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (2003), Outlaw Comic: The Censoring of Bill Hicks (2003) and Paul Mooney: Know Your History - Jesus Is Black... So Was Cleopatra (2007).
How are movies similar to Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.