Penelope

Right now you can watch Penelope in the US on Amazon Prime Video and Kanopy — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. With 1,490 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Christina Ricci is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Available now on Amazon Prime Video — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Penelope arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Penelope gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Forlorn heiress Penelope Wilhern is cursed, and the only way out is to fall in love with someone of suitable stock. But how can she find her soulmate when she's sequestered inside her family's estate with only her parents to keep her company? This untraditional fairy tale is about a girl who bucks convention to create her own happy ending. Christina Ricci and James McAvoy lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2007. Penelope earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, Penelope is a strong candidate. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Christina Ricci anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.