Crimewave

Right now you can watch Crimewave in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and fuboTV — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 170 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Reed Birney's performance alone is worth the time investment. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Crimewave arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. The jokes in Crimewave land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. A pair of whacked-out cartoon-like exterminator/hitmen kill the owner of a burglar-alarm company, and stalk the partner who hired them, his wife, and a nerd framed for the murder, who tells the story in flashback from the electric chair. Reed Birney and Louise Lasser lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1985. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Crimewave holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Crimewave is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Reed Birney is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.