The Comedy

Get Showtimes + Tickets

  • Opened November 9, 2012 (LA; 11/16 NY)
  • 1 hr 34 min
  • NR
  • On the cusp of inheriting his father's estate, Swanson (Tim Heidecker) is a man with unlimited options. An aging hipster in Brooklyn, he spends his days in aimless recreation with like-minded friends (Eric Wareheim, James Murphy and Gregg Turkington) in games of comic irreverence and mock sincerity. As Swanson grows restless of the safety a sheltered life offers him, he tests the limits of acceptable behavior, pushing the envelope in every way he can. Heidecker’s deadpan delivery cleverly masks a deep desire for connection and sense in the modern world. The Comedy wears its name on its sleeve, but director Rick Alverson's powerful and provocative character study touches a darkness behind the humor that resonates with viewers long after the story ends. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Kate Lyn Sheil, Alexia Rasmussen, Gregg Turkington
  • Director: Rick Alverson
  • Genres: Psychological Drama, Drama

What's the Buzz?

No
Fans say No
170 fans
Read fan reviews
So-so
Critics say So-So
46 out of 100
Read critic reviews

Fan Reviews

Oh No!
Don't waste your time or money

by bdr2go

A complete piece of garbage!...

Go
Review title (optional)

by

Review body (optional)...

Read more fan reviews

Critic Reviews

88
Slant Magazine
| Joseph Jon Lanthier

Tim Heidecker's Swanson does not amuse us in spite of the pity he inspires but because of it. Read full review

63
New York Post
| Kyle Smith

Picture "Raging Bull" with a sleazy prep from the Brooklyn hipsteropolis of Williamsburg, and you'll get the idea of The Comedy, a character study that tries to make the revolting compelling. Read full review

63
Boston Globe
| Wesley Morris

At some point, he finds himself drifting around a swimming pool, and it's tempting to think of Dustin Hoffman sinking to the bottom of the deep end in "The Graduate." But there's a difference. Swanson's pool is empty. Read full review

50
The Hollywood Reporter
|

The anomie of entitlement pushed to poisonous extremes is the basis of this provocation, which is as frustrating as it is intriguing. Read full review

Read more critic reviews

Offers

Photos

Tim Heidecker in "The Comedy."