Film

Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie

A comedy mystery about an LA detective who's brilliant at solving murders but hopeless with everything else. Built on deadpan absurdism and character awkwardness, it's deliberately strange and willfully silly—for viewers who find comfort in comedies that don't explain themselves or sand down their weirdness.

TMDb rating2.7

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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang2005

A mystery-comedy that loves its own weird tone and refuses to apologize for it. Sharp, stylish, and genuinely funny about the gap between how people see themselves and reality.

But The meta-commentary and fourth-wall breaking can feel exhausting if you just want a straightforward story to unfold.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang poster

The Nice Guys2016

Two mismatched investigators stumble through LA solving a case while bickering constantly. Tonally similar—character comedy layered over actual stakes, with dialogue that makes you listen twice.

But Buddy-cop chemistry movies live or die on the actors' rapport, and if you don't buy it, the whole thing evaporates.

The Nice Guys poster

Drowning by Numbers1988

Deliberately strange, formally inventive, and funny in ways that have nothing to do with punchlines. Proof that comedies can be genuinely peculiar and still completely work.

But Greenaway's style is unmistakable and acquired; if you don't vibe with arch formalism, this will feel like work.

Drowning by Numbers poster

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Knick2014

Both use genre scaffolding (procedural, mystery) as permission to be formally weird and refuse to explain their own logic.

A prestige medical drama shot like a crime procedural, elevated by Cinemax's commitment to letting Soderbergh do absolutely whatever he wanted. Formally inventive, visually stunning, and funny in ways that sneak up on you.

But It's gruesome and unflinching about 1900s surgery; blood, gore, and suffering are front and center. The second season loses momentum.

The Knick poster
More like this (8)

The Other Guys2010

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as misfit cops investigating a crime. Absurdist comedy in the mystery structure—the plot matters less than the characters bouncing off each other.

But Relies heavily on absurdity escalation; if you need comedies rooted in character logic, you'll find it frustrating.

The Other Guys poster

Tropic Thunder2008

A mystery-adjacent action-comedy that loves being willfully strange and has zero interest in toning itself down. Everyone commits fully to the bit, which is exactly what Handsome does.

But The satirical elements landed better in 2008; some of the targets feel dated now, and the plot is deliberately nonsensical.

Tropic Thunder poster

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping2016

A comedy that knows exactly how weird it is and doesn't care. Quick, strange, and packed with the kind of character comedy that rewards people who like oddball humor.

But It's slight and has almost no emotional core—if you need stakes or character growth, look elsewhere.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping poster

Game Night2018

A mystery-comedy that's cleverly constructed and genuinely tense under the humor. It finds the sweet spot between absurdity and actual stakes that Handsome reaches for.

But Keeps bouncing between tones; if you need consistency in how silly things are, the shifts will throw you off.

Game Night poster

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil2010

A premise comedy about two harmless guys mistaken for killers. Character-driven, clever, and committed to its own logic in the way Handsome is.

But The core idea is stronger than the execution; it coasts on that one clever inversion and doesn't always find other funny places to go.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil poster

The Lobster2015

Deadpan, architecturally weird, fundamentally strange without excusing itself. If you're comfortable with comedies that operate on their own logic, this rewards that trust completely.

But It's bleak, paced deliberately, and asks you to sit with discomfort; many people find it grim rather than funny.

The Lobster poster

The Gentlemen2020

Both understand that a murder mystery doesn't need to resolve neatly to work—it's the journey through weird character moments that matters.

Guy Ritchie's return to pure style—overlapping conversations, nested narration, and a mystery that serves as an excuse for character riffing. Shamelessly entertaining and technically audacious.

But It's aggressively masculine and contains some dated attitudes; the plot is deliberately convoluted rather than satisfying. Some will find it exhausting.

The Gentlemen poster

The Guard2011

Like Handsome, it's a comedy about an investigator whose personal strangeness matters more than solving the case. Both trust that character is enough.

An Irish comedy about a small-town policeman and an FBI agent investigating a crime. Deceptively strange, gorgeously written, and funny in ways that feel earned rather than performed.

But It's quiet and character-focused; if you need plot momentum or clear comedic beats, the pace will feel slack.

The Guard poster

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