First Sunday

First Sunday has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel and ALLBLK, and in the UK on Netflix. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 269 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Ice Cube leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight on Starz Apple TV Channel and see for yourself.

First Sunday is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. First Sunday does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Durell and LeeJohn are best friends and bumbling petty criminals. When told they have one week to pay a $17,000 debt or Durell will lose his son, they come up with a desperate scheme to rob their neighborhood church. Instead, they end up spending the night in the presence of the Lord and are forced to deal with much more than they bargained for. Ice Cube and Katt Williams lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2008. What keeps First Sunday from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

First Sunday is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Ice Cube's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.