2017 Fall Comedy Movies Preview: It’s Been a Rough Year, But Fall Brings Hope

With many of 2017’s weak comedy offerings behind us, we look forward to the Fall releases.

2017 hasn’t been very kind to comedies. There has been a good number released throughout the year, but without counting animated fare like Despicable Me 3 and The Boss Baby, it has been a woefully bad year. The biggest success by far is that of Girls Trip, a film that wildly outpaced its budget and pleased audiences and critics alike. Then there were the disappointments like Baywatch and Girls Night, movies that barely justified being made at all.

The fall looks to rebound nicely from the disappointments earlier in the year. There are some marquee titles that have already been screened for critics and look to be good to outstanding films in their genre. There are also some quick sequels that are cashing in on wildly successful originals.

Below are some of the movies that will bring the laughs this fall. Some of these films are untraditionally comedies, but they certainly know how to get their audience to laugh.

Brad’s Status

Often when you go into a Ben Stiller movie you know exactly what to expect. There will be a lot of uncomfortable humor, a little bit of heart, and plenty of laughs. He is mostly known for his obnoxious characters from movies like Zoolander, Meet the Parents, and There’s Something About Mary. Brad’s Status looks to be something more akin to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a comedy with a bit of drama mixed into it. The story has Stiller as an anxious father sending his child off to college. The college selection process isn’t just difficult for children but for parents too, what with the finances and distance the child could be traveling.  Yet, that isn’t the only thing troubling Brad. Brad’s kid is Harvard level smart and has his entire future in front of him, whereas Brad is kind of wondering what happened to his life. There is sure to be a plentiful mixture of drama and comedy, Brad’s Status is the type of movie that looks perfectly suited to Stiller’s talents.

See it: 9/22

Battle of the Sexes

Emma Stone and Steve Carell star in a biopic about an extremely famous tennis match. In 1973, during the rise of the sexual revolution and women’s movements, Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) declared that he could defeat any woman’s tennis player. Women’s world champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) took him up on the offer and it became one of the most watched sports events of all time. As exciting as the events that would unfold on the tennis court, the rivalry between Riggs and King that would be publicised ad nauseam before the big match. The movie takes the opportunity to look at both of their lives; King and her relationship with Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough) and Riggs with his own troublesome background. Perhaps not the laugh out loud comedy we are used to seeing from Carell, he looks to use his comedic timing to mold the character of Riggs to his needs. With Carell and Stone playing off each other, this is one I’ve been waiting to see for some time. The icing on the cake is that Battle of the Sexes comes from the directors of Little Miss Sunshine.

See it: 9/22

The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, and Dustin Hoffman star in a movie about siblings rivalries and fading legacies. Sandler, Stiller, and Elizabeth Marvel are the Meyerowitz siblings. Their father Harold Meyerowitz (Hoffman) has created sculptures that could one day stand the test of time. If you like stories of dysfunctional families this one looks to be a winner. Director Noah Baumbach brought the film to the Cannes Film Festival where it was quickly acquired by Netflix. One could argue that Netflix wants to be the exclusive home of Adam Sandler, but perhaps there was more at play here. From early reviews out of Cannes, this is certainly not Sandy Wexler or The Ridiculous Six. It would seem to have more in common with Punch Drunk Love, another one of Sandler’s greatest acting performances. The comparison is justified because Sandler got some of the best reviews of his career for The Meyerowitz Stories. The format of the movie fits Netflix as well since Baumbach has apparently separated the movie in chapters. Streaming audiences will feel right at home with this new Sandler film, it just will be a little different than they are expecting. Thank goodness for that.

Stream it: 10/13

The Square

The Square is not a typical comedy. This is a comedy of the most uncomfortable nature. Director Ruben Östlund revels in the quirks of human behavior. The Square asks questions of the audience; How would you react if your possessions were stolen? Would you stop if someone was asking for help? How do you define art? In these questions, Östlund creates wild situations that there seemingly can be no positive outcome. Featuring Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, and Terry Notary The Square will make laughing the only escape from some of the most uncomfortable moments. There is a reason the film won the signature award from the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d’Or. It’s because these questions affect everyone one of us daily and there can be some wonderful comedy brought out from these events.

See it: 10/27

A Bad Mom’s Christmas

There are successful movies and then there is Bad Moms. The original film was a massive success for STX Entertainment making over $100m on a $20m budget. That kind of money meant it was sequel time and fast. So the three moms are set to return, this time while dealing with the toughest season of the year, Christmas. In A Bad Mom’s Christmas, not only do Amy (Mila Kunis), Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) have to deal with the expectations of Christmas from their immediate families, but when their mothers visit during the holidays there are a whole new set of standards to live up to. This just feels like a speedy follow-up to a wildly successful movie. Whether or not you enjoyed the antics of the first film will largely dictate if you are interested here.

See it: 11/3

Daddy’s Home 2

Where there is a mom movie there has to be a dad movie. This seems to have the exact premise of Bad Moms (original films characters have to contend with their parents for the holidays). This time in Daddy’s Home 2, it is Brad (Will Ferrell) and Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) who will have to entertain their fathers (Mel Gibson & John Lithgow). This was another surprisingly successful film with a rushed sequel. Will Ferrell always brings in some good laughs, but the original didn’t do much for me and I’m not sure this one will either.

See it or Don’t: 11/10

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

From the director of In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths comes a film about Frances McDormand and how she’s not going to take your shit anymore. That’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in a nut shell. McDormand plays Mildred Hayes, a mother who wants answers about the death of her daughter. When the police fail to act, she takes matters into her own hands with three billboards that directly ask the police what is going on with the investigation. The supporting cast for this looks tremendous with Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Peter Dinklage, and Abbie Cornish on board. Director Martin McDonagh liked to mix heavy dark comedy with his stories and this looks to be no different. This will be one not to miss. 

See it: 11/10

Lady Bird

Actor turned director Greta Gerwig has mightily impressed critics with her debut effort, Lady Bird. Lady Bird follows 17-year old Christine ‘Lady Bird’ McPherson, who is having a lot of firsts in senior year of high school. The Sacramento coming-of-story has a lot laughs, mostly coming from the situations Saoirse Ronan’s ‘Lady Bird’ finds herself in. Not to mention that she will pave her own way at whatever cost, even if that means eating pavement by jumping out of her mother’s car. Laurie Metcalf plays Ronan’s stern but loving mother, which contributes to many of the films’ best moments. The film is supposed to be a remembrance of Gerwig’s time in Sacramento and she explores plenty of wild adventures through Lady Bird.

See it: 11/10

Related Topics: Comedy

News Writer/Columnist for Film School Rejects. It’s the Pictures Co-host. Bylines Playboy, ZAM, Paste Magazine and more.