Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Connecting with someone is an inexact science. Whether it’s a first date, meeting the in-laws, or that bane of every nine-to-fiver’s existence known as elevator smalltalk, we’re forced into making micro and macro connections on a daily basis. One way to leapfrog over the monotony of “Where ya from?” and “How many times have you visited a zoo this month?” — you know, normal icebreakers — and catapult into “Did we just become best friends?” mode is to discover common interests.
A secret handshake movie is a film you personally love that you can also use as a stealthy way to gauge if an individual’s pop culture proclivities match your own. For example, say you’re on a first date and you happen to mention how much you enjoy Dave Chappelle in Half Baked. You can tell a lot about a person from their reaction. If they respond, “Me too! Have you ever seen Norm MacDonald’s Dirty Work?” Order another drink! If they respond, “I’ve never seen it. The only movie I’ve ever watched is Alicia Silverstone’s 1997 action-comedy Excess Baggage,” you may want to grab the check.
This list of secret handshake films consists of an eclectic array of comedy movies. Some are well known films that haven’t received enough mainstream acclaim for their seminal nature, while others are just beloved��by comedy nerds.
Which movies made our list? Let’s find out!
'Grosse Pointe Blank'
Grosse Pointe Blank is peak John Cusack. “What? Surely you jest,” you might retort. I jest NOT. I enjoy the Sack Attack holding a boombox above his head or pontificating about the intersection between music and misery as much as the next guy, but Grosse Pointe Blank is a flawless film. Superbly written, an engaging story, interesting characters, GPB truly is a Swiss Army Knife movie, meaning you can watch and enjoy it regardless of occasion or mood.
'Hot Rod'
Hot Rod is an ideal comedy litmus test. Some love it, while others hate it. Written and directed by The Lonely Island, the film underperformed at the box office while receiving, at best, mixed reviews. But you know what else has received mixed reviews? Life. That’s right. The 1999 film starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.
Hot Rod is a uniquely funny treat that just so happens to feature Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Isla Fisher, and Will Arnett. Surely those people have done enough to earn 88 minutes of your time.
Still on the fence about streaming Hot Rod? Your enjoyment of this scene (or lack thereof) will help you decide.
'Sleepwalk With Me'
There isn’t a more earnest storyteller than Mike Birbiglia. Before gifting audiences with his evocative indie film Don’t Think Twice, Birbiglia scored with his one-man show turned book turned movie Sleepwalk With Me. Based on a true story, Birbiglia toggles between narrator and actor as he opens up about his past struggles with relationships, comedy, and, yes, sleepwalking.
“Cleverness is overrated, and heart is underrated,” Birbiglia recently said in a New York Times column. This particular ethos is prevalent throughout all of his work.
'Office Space'
“I don’t like my job, and I don’t think I’m gonna go anymore.”
We’ve all been Ron Livingston’s Peter Gibbons from Office Space. Mike Judge’s cinematic lament against the monotony of the nine to five struck a cord in an audience tired of their vocational status quo. We may never launch a full sail attack on a fax machine or use plot points from Superman 3 to defraud our company, but we’ve all had the displeasure of having a Bill Lumbergh in our life.
Office Space’s immensely relatable premise and relaxed humor help elevate this film to essential viewing.
'Wet Hot American Summer'
Before Wet Hot American Summer’s recent renaissance, this magnificently ludicrous summer camp hijinx-fest was resigned to cult status. While the film was critically derided after its initial 2001 release, strong word of mouth helped to eventually elevate this magical, silly movie to the mainstream.
The fact that David Wain and Michael Showalter’s film persevered through the initial torrent of bad press is as miraculous as it is wonderful.
'Kingpin'
Bowling? Hustling? Prosthetic hands? Former Weird Science (USA series not movie) actress Vanessa Angel? On the surface, this comedy should not stand the test of time. But through some sort of cinematic sorcery, the Farrelly brothers created the uproarious movie Kingpin.
While Farrelly brother favorites like Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary receive more critical acclaim, Kingpin is a comedy strike with charm to spare.
'Best in Show'
Directed by Christopher Guest, Best in Show is revered in the comedy world. Set in the high-stakes world of dog shows (pronounced in my head as DOG SHOW), this heavily improvised mockumentary is a highly quotable cure for a lousy day.
Not to be lost in the well-deserved praise is the character names concocted by Guest and Eugene Levy. Harlan Pepper, Hamilton Swan, Cookie Fleck? Great names but incredible computer passwords.
I could talk (or not talk) forever about the comedic virtues of Best in Show.
'What About Bob?'
Honestly, this entire list could just be a screenshot of Bill Murray’s IMDB page with the word “wowza” under most (sorry, Garfield) of his films. When you consider Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Stripes, Meatballs, and Caddyshack, it’s possible that What About Bob? doesn’t crack your own personal Bill Murray top five list, and, hey, that’s okay. There’s no wrong way to Bill Murray.
What About Bob? is a delightfully weird, surprisingly dark movie that is enhanced by the magnetic chemistry between Murray and Richard Dreyfuss.
Bonus Bill Murray secret handshake movie: Rushmore.
'Super Troopers'
When giant alien bugs attempt to conquer the human race, there’s only one man brave enough to thwart their dastardly attacks: Casper Van Dien!
Wait, no. I’m sorry. That’s Starship Troopers.
Super Troopers is the literal laugh out loud funny comedy starring the Broken Lizard comedy group. From Car Ram-rod to a classic bit centering around something as simple yet hilarious as the word meow, Super Troopers’ enduring legacy finally spawned a sequel (better 16 years late than never) due to hit theaters in 2017.
'Easy A'
Easy A is a comedy gem hiding in plain sight. While on its surface the film looks like your typical teen comedy, this underappreciated Emma Stone flick isn’t just for the under eighteen crowd. Easy A is as offbeat and self-assured as Stone’s Olive Penderghast as it exudes an abundance of charm and intelligence.
Partially inspired by Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the film boasts a talented ensemble that includes Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, and Fred Armisen.
