The 8 Most Underrated Dramedies Of The Past 10 Years
Want a good drama with adequate intensity and weighty themes? How about something that also has humor that's often dark, cynical, or deadpan? That's where the dramedy comes in. The subgenre is the perfect middle ground for those of us who crave deep-meaning stories that will leave you pondering but not necessarily in tears.
While films like Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and (500) Days of Summer (2009) remain longstanding, well-loved titles in this category, more recent movies have also left their mark. The issue, of course, that comes with streaming is that the sheer amount of content means deserving movies and shows often get overlooked. So, here are eight underrated dramedies released in the past 10 years. Find them on streamers like Netflix, HBO Max, and more.
Us The Lord of the Rings fans welcome any movie featuring Viggo Mortensen, and Captain Fantastic is no different. This quirky dramedy puts him in the starring role as Ben Cash, the father of six children who live quite the unconventional lifestyle. Isolated from the modern world, Ben raises his kids as left-wing anarchists who live close to nature and study survival skills rather than the traditional subjects taught in American schools.
It's an interesting story with plenty of humor as we watch Ben and his children navigate the modern world. However, at the same time, Captain Fantastic doesn't shy away from difficult topics, like grief and the consequences—both good and bad—of unconventional parenting. If you like a good fish-out-of-water story, then Captain Fantastic is a strong option for your next movie night.
Despite names like Zach Galifianakis and Louie Anderson, Baskets is far too underrated if you ask me—and as far as dramedies go, it fits the description to a tee. Galifianakis plays dual roles. One is our main POV character, Chip Baskets, whose sole aspiration in life is to be a rodeo clown. The other is Chip's more successful twin brother, Dale. And honestly, that's really all you need to know going in.
Baskets excels at weird, deadpan humor (Martha Kelly's character is the queen of this), but it also delivers surprisingly emotional episodes that explore family dysfunction. The tone is utterly unique, which makes comparing Baskets to anything else exceptionally hard. While everyone in the cast is undeniably great, ask anyone who knows Baskets, and they'll tell you the true heart of the series is Louie Anderson, who plays Chip and Dale Baskets' mom, Christine, with a career-best performance.
As a Netflix mainstay, Dead to Me might be one of the less obscure dramedies on this list. However, if you happened to overlook the three-season series starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, then consider rectifying that immediately. As a warning, grief is a central topic in the show. (Applegate and Cardellini's characters literally meet at a grief support group.) It can be heavy at times, but like any good dramedy, Dead to Me plays well in the darkness and seriousness of death.
That said, this series isn't just a standard drama. It's got plenty of twists and mystery to keep fans of that genre entertained while also sprinkling in enough laughs so things don't get too cryptic. Applegate and Cardellini have solid charisma, and both their characters are hard not to love, even if they're riddled with flaws.
Is it just me, but does everybody love Bill Hader? If you're eagerly nodding your head "yes," then make sure you add Barry to your watch-list, if you haven't already. Hader stars as the titular Barry Berkman, who joins an acting class to cope with the depression and apathy he's been feeling as a career hitman. Similar to other HBO Max titles like The Righteous Gemstones (2019), Barry excels at combining crime, existential drama, and comedy into a bingeable four-season series.
Yes, Barry has the critical acclaim to back it up as a worthy dramedy, but it remains far too underrated for people without HBO Max at their fingertips. The themes can be heavy: psychological trauma, morality, and inward questions about self. However, its comedy helps balance it out. Barry Berkman is an antihero you'll quickly fall in love with… at least in the beginning.
I hardly see people talking about Living With Yourself, and that's a darn shame. Not only is it conveniently available on Netflix, but it also stars everyone's favorite actor, Paul Rudd… in dual roles. Rudd's character, Miles Elliot, undergoes a bizarre "treatment" that promises a happier, better life. However, it really just creates a seemingly more optimistic clone of himself that he now has to live with.
Living With Yourself has a little bit of everything: drama, comedy, sci-fi, and a layer of surrealness that blankets the whole thing. The series only has one season, but it's really all it needs to tell a compelling story, although, selfishly, I'd love Season 2. If you're doomscrolling through Netflix's endless catalog, give Living With Yourself a valid try because it's seriously underrated.
Palm Springs labels itself a sci-fi romantic comedy, but its focus on existential dread and the general hardship of figuring out who you are places it in the dramedy category, too. It follows two strangers, Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti), who meet at a wedding, only to find themselves stuck in a time loop with seemingly no way out. Anyone familiar with movies like Groundhog Day (1993) knows it's a fun concept, especially when romance gets thrown in the mix.
However, even if rom-coms aren't your usual cup of tea (they certainly aren't mine), Palm Springs' dark humor and apathetic characters never let anything get too ooey-gooey. You'll still be satisfied at the conclusion (there's a happy ending), but not at the expense of giving you second-hand embarrassment.
Listen, somebody has to talk up Lamb, and I guess that person is going to be me. As one of A24's more unusual folk horror movies, it's likely non-genre fans overlooked this one. However, beneath Lamb's bizarre concept is a somber family drama about parents longing for a child when the universal cards weren't necessarily in store for them. (So, yes, trigger warning for fertility.)
In short, the movie follows a rural couple who decide to raise a strange but oddly cute half-human, half-sheep creature. If you watch Lamb's trailer, you might expect it to turn into a gonzo comedy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The film stays surprisingly grounded. This half-sheep child is never made into a joke, but rather a metaphorical symbol.
The Holdovers is one of my favorite dramedies of the last five years. So much of that has to do with the relationship and chemistry between its two main characters, Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) and Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa). When Angus is "held over" at Barton Academy, he's forced to spend Christmas break with his unpopular teacher, Paul. And, of course, the two go from butting heads to developing a deeper understanding of each other, which might even make you cry.
In that respect, The Holdovers is very much a character-driven drama, with elements of cynical humor and rock-solid banter between Paul and Angus. The ending is bittersweet but somehow satisfying, and the film doesn't hesitate to delve into the very personal human emotions of loneliness, failure, and being misunderstood. The Holdovers might have a Christmas setting, but I argue that it's the perfect watch all year round because of its universal themes.
