The Royal Tenenbaums

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, The Royal Tenenbaums is available in Australia on Netflix and Disney Plus, and in the UK on Netflix and Disney Plus right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 5,067 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Gene Hackman leads a cast with real comic timing. Start it on Netflix whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, The Royal Tenenbaums is worth clearing space for. The jokes in The Royal Tenenbaums land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary --- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure, and disaster. Between them, Gene Hackman and Anjelica Huston carry the comedy without ever forcing it. It was released in 2001. What keeps The Royal Tenenbaums from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

The Royal Tenenbaums is the kind of thing you put on in the background and end up fully watching. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Gene Hackman's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.