The Great Race

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, The Great Race is available in Australia on HBO Max, and in the US on Kanopy right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 375 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Jack Lemmon is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Start it on HBO Max whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

There is a reason The Great Race keeps coming up in conversation. The jokes in The Great Race land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Professional daredevil and white-suited hero, The Great Leslie, convinces turn-of-the-century auto makers that a race from New York to Paris (westward across America, the Bering Straight and Russia) will help to promote automobile sales. Leslie's arch-rival, the mustached and black-attired Professor Fate vows to beat Leslie to the finish line in a car of Fate's own invention. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 1965. The Great Race earns its laughs from character rather than situation, which is why it does not wear thin the way pure farce tends to. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

The Great Race is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Jack Lemmon 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.