ParaNorman

ParaNorman has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in the UK on ITVX Premium. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 2,811 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Kodi Smit-McPhee sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Available now on ITVX Premium — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

There is a reason ParaNorman keeps coming up in conversation. ParaNorman does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock can speak to the dead, but no one other than his eccentric new friend believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's eccentric uncle tells him of a ritual he must perform to protect the town from a curse cast by a witch centuries ago. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Tucker Albrizzi lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It hit screens in 2012. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and ParaNorman 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.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in ParaNorman. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Kodi Smit-McPhee sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.