Film

Being Frank

Name: Being Frank
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2019
Cast: Jim Gaffigan, Logan Miller, Anna Gunn, Samantha Mathis, Alex Karpovsky

Jim Gaffigan plays a suburban dad living a double life with two families when his teenage son discovers the truth and uses it as leverage. It's a dark comedy that finds humor in family dysfunction and moral compromise, pitched somewhere between indie dramedy and sitcom sensibility. For people who like their comedy uncomfortable and their characters flawed.

TMDb rating

3.3

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy comedies built on moral squirming, where a sharp teenager's scheming and a father's unravelling make the awkwardness the joke.

Skip it if you want big laughs or a light touch, since it runs on discomfort and a fairly deadpan, sour streak that rarely lets anyone off the hook.

What it asks of you: It runs just under two hours and asks you to sit with its awkwardness, letting scenes stretch past the point where a sitcom would cut away.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Arrested Development2003

Brilliantly constructed comedy about a dysfunctional family held together by secrets and bad decisions, with layered jokes that reward close attention and repeat viewing.

But The humor is often arch and referential; some seasons lost their way, and the tone can feel sitcom-broad.

Little Miss Sunshine2006

A family road trip becomes a vehicle for exploring dysfunction, shame, and love without ever turning cruel. Funny and genuinely moving, with an ensemble cast firing on all cylinders.

But The quirky indie tone and dysfunctional-family-as-character-study setup feel familiar now; it's been imitated extensively.

Succession2018

Ruthless family drama where power games, betrayal, and emotional warfare generate dark comedy. Characters lie constantly and nobody wins—it's compelling in ways that feel almost reckless.

But Much darker and more brutal than Being Frank; each episode demands your full attention and leaves you wrung out.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Being Frank

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Happiness1998

Both mine comedy from ordinary people's hidden shames and moral failures; both suggest that family dysfunction is banal and universal, not exceptional.

Todd Solondz's masterpiece is a darkly comic mosaic of suburban misery—depression, pedophilia, infidelity, loneliness—treated with unflinching clarity and black humor. Shocking and genuinely insightful about what people hide.

But Genuinely disturbing and bleak; the subject matter is heavy enough that 'comedy' doesn't feel like the right word, and some scenes are hard to sit with.

The Righteous Gemstones2019

A preacher's family conceals crime and vice behind a megachurch facade. Hilarious and grotesque in equal measure, with real affection for its characters despite their awfulness.

But Intensely profane and blasphemous; the tone lurches between slapstick and sudden violence in ways some find jarring.

Weeds2005

A suburban mom becomes a drug dealer to support her family, spinning lies that grow increasingly elaborate. Darkly funny and full of moral compromise played for comedy and real consequences.

But Starts strong but seasons 4 onward decline sharply; the premise eventually exhausts itself.

You Can Count on Me2000

A tight-knit sibling relationship fractures under pressure, balancing humor, hurt, and genuine love. Character-driven and intimate, with Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo absolutely present in every scene.

But Deliberately paced indie drama; if you want plot momentum this will feel static.

Lovesick2014

A man with an STI calls past partners, revealing how messy, complicated, and funny real lives are. Irreverent and tender, finding pathos in everyday human failure.

But The title alone will put some people off; it's raunchy in ways that feel immature to some viewers.

The Good Place2016

A woman cons her way into the afterlife and must navigate ethics, friendship, and what it means to be good. Clever writing that earns its emotional beats through genuine character growth.

But Some find the philosophy lectures overbearing; the final season divides opinion sharply.

Liberal Arts2012

Josh Radnor directs and stars as a college professor who returns to his alma mater and must reckon with nostalgia and arrested development. Warm and funny about growing up and letting go.

But Self-indulgent in places and occasionally precious; some find the indie affectation grating.

Boyhood2014

Both are about the gap between who people pretend to be and who they actually are, revealed slowly through domestic life; both refuse easy judgment or catharsis.

Linklater filmed the same boy for twelve years, capturing ordinary life with such patience and detail that trivial moments become profound. Watching time itself move across a person's face and personality is extraordinary.

But Three hours of 'nothing happens'—intentionally. If you want plot or high stakes, you will be bored and resentful.

The Killing2011

Both build their tension from the discovery of what someone is hiding within their family; both treat secrets as the true driver of human drama, not action or plot.

A Danish crime series where a murder investigation slowly peels back the facades of an ordinary family. Glacial pacing, grey Copenhagen winter, and the understanding that everyone is hiding something; obsessively watchable.

But Bleak to the point of grimness; resolution is not satisfying; the famous third season is widely considered a betrayal of the first two.