Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is available in Australia on Foxtel Now and Stan, and in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel and YouTube TV right now. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 1,928 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Will Ferrell leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight on Foxtel Now and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby earns its spot. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. The fastest man on four wheels, Ricky Bobby, is one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. A big, hairy American winning machine, Ricky has everything a dimwitted daredevil could want, a luxurious mansion, a smokin' hot wife, and all the fast food he can eat. But Ricky's turbo-charged lifestyle hits an unexpected speed bump when he's bested by flamboyant Euro-idiot Jean Girard and reduced to a fear-ridden wreck. Between them, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It hit screens in 2006. The timing in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby 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. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Will Ferrell 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.