American Ultra

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, American Ultra is available in Australia on Stan, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 2,981 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Jesse Eisenberg leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight on Stan and see for yourself.

American Ultra arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. American Ultra gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Mike is an unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe, is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to him, Mike is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent. In the blink of an eye, as his secret past comes back to haunt him, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly government operation and is forced to summon his inner action-hero in order to survive. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2015. What keeps American Ultra from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, American Ultra is a strong candidate. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Jesse Eisenberg is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.