Begin Again

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Begin Again is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Philo and The CW right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 4,025 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Mark Ruffalo's performance alone is worth the time investment. Start it on Amazon Prime Video whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Begin Again is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Begin Again does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Gretta, a budding songwriter, finds herself alone after her boyfriend Dave ditches her. Her life gains purpose when Dan, a record label executive, notices her talent. The chemistry Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. It was released in 2014. What keeps Begin Again from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Begin Again. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Mark Ruffalo is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.