Film

SuperBob

Name: SuperBob
Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance
Released: 2015
Cast: Brett Goldstein, Catherine Tate, Natalia Tena, Laura Haddock, Ruth Sheen

Urban fantasy
Light-hearted

A British comedy where Brett Goldstein plays the world's only superhero, desperate for a romantic life that keeps getting interrupted by actual emergencies. It's charming and intimate rather than spectacle-driven—more interested in the absurdity of trying to date when you have to save London every other Tuesday. For anyone who likes their superhero stories grounded, funny, and surprisingly tender.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy scrappy British comedies where a ridiculous premise is played completely straight, with the cosy, slightly bruised charm of a sitcom stretched to feature length.

Skip it if you want slick, big-budget superhero spectacle; the effects are modest and the fights are played for laughs, so the action will feel homespun rather than thrilling.

What it asks of you: About eighty-odd minutes, with a loose, ambling rhythm, and it wants you to go along with its deadpan mundanity rather than chase any sharp plot turns.

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

If you liked this

Kick-Ass2010

A teenager becomes a homemade superhero and discovers the reality is messier, bloodier, and funnier than the fantasy. It shares SuperBob's willingness to find comedy in the gap between superhero mythology and actual human life.

But The violence is graphic and sustained in a way that undercuts the humour for some viewers. Tone whiplash between brutal and silly can feel jarring.

The Tick2016

A genuinely funny Amazon series about a nigh-invulnerable superhero and the mundane reality of superhero work. Shares the British sensibility and the comedy-first approach to the genre without needing explosions to land jokes.

But Only ran for two seasons before cancellation. Some episodes drag, and the romance subplot takes a back seat to ensemble shenanigans.

Defendor2009

Woody Harrelson plays a delusional man fighting crime in a homemade costume. Tender and funny in the same way SuperBob is—it's fundamentally about loneliness and the human need to matter, wrapped in superhero comedy.

But The tone is deliberately subdued and melancholic underneath the comedy. If you want action or spectacle, this will disappoint you.

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

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Lars and the Real Girl2007

Both films treat their central character's loneliness with complete seriousness and kindness, refusing to mock them even as the premise is inherently ridiculous. They find genuine pathos in romantic desperation.

A man falls in love with a sex doll and his small town rallies around him with genuine kindness. It's profoundly weird but astonishingly tender—the same willingness to take an absurd premise seriously and mine it for real emotion about loneliness and connection.

But The premise is genuinely uncomfortable for many viewers, and the pacing is deliberately slow. It's a character study masquerading as whimsy, which can feel self-indulgent.

Mystery Men1999

A superhero team of misfits with ridiculous, useless powers. It's absurdist, warmly funny, and oddly touching about people trying to find purpose and belonging in a world that doesn't make space for them.

But Some comedy feels dated. The plot is thin and exists mainly as an excuse for character moments, which won't satisfy plot-driven viewers.

Thor: Ragnarok2017

Taika Waititi's Marvel film that proves superhero movies can prioritize laughs and character chemistry over action spectacle. It's fast, funny, and genuinely charming in a way that feels close to SuperBob's energy.

But It's still a massive-budget blockbuster with all the CGI scale that distance it from SuperBob's scrappy intimacy. Requires knowing the wider MCU.

Fleabag2016

British comedy about someone navigating romance and self-sabotage while their life spirals. Different genre entirely, but it has SuperBob's tonal warmth and the same brilliant ability to find genuine emotion in comedy.

But Only four seasons, and the humour is less accessible—relies heavily on character and relationship nuance rather than laugh-out-loud moments.

Special2019

Ryan O'Connell's semi-autobiographical comedy about a man learning to live independently and find romance. Tender, funny, and completely uninterested in spectacle—all character and genuine heart.

But Only two seasons. Small-scale and dialogue-heavy, which means it won't appeal to anyone wanting action or visual excitement.

The Losers2010

A fun action-comedy about a team of special forces operatives. It's breezy, doesn't take itself seriously, and actually cares about its characters enjoying themselves—similar lightness of touch.

But The plot is utterly disposable. If you're watching for story coherence, you'll be frustrated by how little it matters.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil2010

A hillbilly horror-comedy that subverts expectations and finds warmth in unlikely characters. It's clever about genre without being cynical, much like SuperBob's approach to superhero tropes.

But The horror elements, even played for laughs, won't land for everyone. Some gore jokes fall flat on repeat viewings.

The Adam Project2022

Both films feature a supposedly-powered protagonist who discovers that their real problem isn't external—it's learning how to be vulnerable and emotionally available to another person. The superhero/sci-fi wrapper is just scaffolding for a romance story.

A slick sci-fi action film where Ryan Reynolds plays a time-traveling pilot trying to reconnect with his younger self. Packaged as spectacle, but it's fundamentally about a man confronting his own emotional damage and learning how to be present in relationships.

But Heavy on CGI action that overshadows the character work. The emotional core can get buried under blockbuster mechanics, leaving it feeling uneven.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind2004

Both films are fundamentally about the terror and necessity of trying to sustain love—one through the practical obstacles of saving the world, one through the metaphysical obstacle of memory. Both refuse easy resolutions or cynicism about romance.

Jim Carrey in a dreamy, melancholic sci-fi film about two people trying to salvage a relationship by literally erasing their memories of each other. It's formally inventive, deeply romantic, and treats its central romance with quiet desperation.

But The narrative structure is deliberately confusing and non-linear. If you're not engaged by the puzzle, the pacing feels oblique and slow. Not a comfort watch.