The Best British Comedies For When You're Tired Of Judd Apatow

Sure, Brits and Americans speak the same language, but different things make us laugh.

In the States, we make The Hangover, a raunchy buddy comedy about a bachelor party gone awry in Vegas. The British, on the other hand, make Withnail & I, a macabre comedy about two withering actors getting drunk in the damp English countryside.

In the States, we have Magic Mike, a flashy film in which Channing Tatum plays a male stripper. Compare this to one of Britain’s most famous films, The Full Monty, in which a group of schlubby factory workers commit to becoming a nude dancing troupe to raise funds.

See what I mean? British humor is characterized by certain distinct elements. For one, no topic is off-limits in comedy, as you'll see from the film Four Lions. Many comedies are propelled by irony, wit, and self-deprecation; others run on sheer absurdity. No matter the mood, one element all of the comedies on this list have in common is intelligence.

These British comedies are the antidotes to blockbuster humor.