Meet Bill

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Meet Bill is available in the US on Hoopla right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 359 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Aaron Eckhart is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Hoopla.

Meet Bill arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Meet Bill gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. A mild-mannered bank executive mentors a teenage con artist and tries to make a career change as a doughnut merchant. Aaron Eckhart and Jessica Alba lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2007. Meet Bill earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Meet Bill respects your intelligence. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Aaron Eckhart's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.