The Addams Family

Right now you can watch The Addams Family in Australia on Stan, and in the US on Paramount Plus Premium and Kanopy — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Raúl Juliá sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Start it on Stan whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

The Addams Family is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate The Addams Family from the crowd. When a man claiming to be long-lost Uncle Fester reappears after 25 years lost, the family plans a celebration to wake the dead. But the kids barely have time to warm up the electric chair before Morticia begins to suspect Fester is fraud when he can't recall any of the details of Fester's life. The chemistry Raúl Juliá and Anjelica Huston bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. The Addams Family came out in 1991. What keeps The Addams Family 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.

The Addams Family is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Raúl Juliá's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.