Skin Deep

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Skin Deep is available in the US on Amazon Prime Video right now. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. With 92 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Watch it for John Ritter — stay for everyone else around them. Put it on tonight on Amazon Prime Video and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Skin Deep earns its spot. Skin Deep gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Hard-drinking novelist Zach Hutton spirals out of control after his wife and mistress both leave him. Alone and crippled by a bad case of writer's block, Zach slips in and out of casual relationships and one-night stands, while his drinking becomes more and more severe. With the help of a bartender and his therapist, Zach confronts his demons — women and alcohol. John Ritter and Vincent Gardenia lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1989. The timing in Skin Deep is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Comedy fans looking for a reliably funny watch will find it in Skin Deep. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. John Ritter's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.