Movie 43

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Movie 43 is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Kanopy right now. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. With 2,526 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Dennis Quaid is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Put it on tonight on Amazon Prime Video and see for yourself.

Movie 43 is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Movie 43 does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. A series of interconnected short films are the backdrop for a maniac screenwriter who pitches insane storylines featuring some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest. In some countries, like the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the structure differs. Instead of a pitch, the films are connected by a group of three teenagers searching for the most banned film in the world, Movie 43, which will ultimately lead to the destruction of civilization. The chemistry Dennis Quaid and Greg Kinnear bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. It was released in 2013. What keeps Movie 43 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.

Movie 43 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. Dennis Quaid is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.