Political Satire Movies | Riklis Humor Blog

Apr 05

The saying ‘Life is better when you’re laughing’ is perhaps the truest when watching political satire movies. The genre of political satire is an ancient one; it has existed as long as there were politics. This way of expression does not carry an agenda; it is merely shedding light on the ridiculous and the senseless, aiming to entertain.

While under certain regimes the satire had and still has to be subtle and under-covered, in others it is blatant. That brings us to the first movie on the list of 10 best.

Best Political Satire Movies To Watch

The Dictator

This 2012 British-American production was co-written by and starred Sasha Baron Cohen.

An oppressor Admiral General Aladeen, sponsor of terror, sexist and backward in any aspect of western culture, comes to New York to talk to the UN Council. He meets Zoey and begins to work in her shop; their political and social views couldn’t be more different.

This movie is dangerously funny and as moronic as the views it is satirizing.

Wag The Dog

Funnily enough, this 1997 movie was released a month before the Lewinsky scandal came to light.

Following presidential advances on an underage girl a month before elections, a distraction plot is been devised for the media to focus on instead.

This is an intelligent and sharp movie where you reflect as much as you laugh.

The Great Dictator

This 1940 film was written, produced and directed by Charlie Chaplin, who also stars in it. It was first Chaplin’s
talkie. A truly daring movie at the time.

The year is 1918; a Jewish barber saves the life of a German pilot, Schultz, while losing his own memory. Twenty years down the road Schultz has become an important figure and goes out of his way to save the Jewish barber.

Both the barber and the dictator are portrayed by Chaplin.

Bulworth

This is an American 1997 film, co-written-produced, directed by and starring Warren Beatty.

A Democratic Senator, whose personal life is a mess, is unfavorable by the voters and has to run for re-elections. He orders self-assassination and while adopting a carefree attitude, inadvertently becomes the darling of public. His advice to the nation is “everybody should f*** everybody”, so they become “all the same color”.

The movie was released almost without any previous publicity and did extremely well at the box office.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

This is a 1999 adult animation following a successful series of South Park. It addresses themes of bad parenting and censorship while parodying and satirizing different shows and organizations.

Four boys are being exposed to R-rated movie featuring Canadians. Following that, they begin cursing unstoppably. Their parents demand that the U.S. government take action against Canada for youth corruption.

Ironically enough, the movie has been rated R, thus becoming the highest- grossing R-rated animation movie of all times.

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming

Based on the novel “The Off-Islanders” by Nathaniel Benchley, this 1966 film tackles the Cold War relationships.

A Russian submarine is spying on the shore of a busy touristic spot of a fictional American island. With the news coming, the chaos and confusion are rising.

It was a rare film at the time to portray the Russians in a positive light.

Being There

This is a touching American film from 1979. In 2015, it was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry. It stars Peter Sellers.

A gardener named Chance, who has lived a very non-modern life, is forced to come out of his shell. As he is facing the real world, everybody mistakes his ultra-simplicity for superb wisdom. Inadvertently, he is rising up to a presidential role.

The final quote of this movie, as well as the possible statement, is “Life is a state of mind.”

Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb

This 1964 film brings forward the fears of nuclear conflict between U.S.A. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was directed, co-written and produced by Stanley Kubrick, starring Sellers, who plays multiple roles.

An insane air force general issues an order for a nuclear attack on the Russians; the American government is trying to prevent the disaster.

The movie finishes on an ironically positive note: atomic bomb explosion plus the song “We’ll meet again”.

In The Loop

British film from 2009. The movie discusses Anglo-American modern politics and the Iraq invasion.

The war in the Middle East is about to become a real thing thanks to direct intervention of U.S. and Britain. This movie was basically an expansion of the British TV series “The Thick of It’.

Bananas

This is a 1971 Woody Allen’s film. He also stars in it. The movie is partially based on the story of Don Quixote.

Fielding Mellish is an awkward working man on a mission of impressing a woman, Nancy the social activist. Mellish becomes heavily involved in the revolution in Latin Americas. He is as clumsy as Woody Allen’s talent allows.

There is no blood in the movie, even in the harshest scenes, because Allen wished to keep it a light comedy.