The Twelve Chairs

This week's easiest comedy pick is The Twelve Chairs. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. Its 6/10 TMDB score, built from 148 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Watch it for Ron Moody — stay for everyone else around them. Start it whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

There is a reason The Twelve Chairs keeps coming up in conversation. The jokes in The Twelve Chairs land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. In 1920s Soviet Russia, a fallen aristocrat, a priest and a con artist search for a treasure of jewels hidden inside one of twelve dining chairs, lost during the revolution. The chemistry Ron Moody and Frank Langella bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. The Twelve Chairs came out in 1970. What keeps The Twelve Chairs from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, The Twelve Chairs is a strong candidate. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Ron Moody's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.

The Twelve Chairs was released in 1970, directed by Mel Brooks. The full 94-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.