The Bright Side of Life

It was right around last year at this time that I discovered the character of Philomena Cunk, by way of the mockumentary TV series Cunk on Earth. One year later, she's back with a movie-length follow-up, Cunk on Life.

Played to the hilt by Diane Morgan, Cunk is the result of a collaboration between Morgan and Charlie Brooker (the creator behind Dark Mirror, indulging his comedic side). Philomena Cunk is a dim-witted, self-serious interviewer looking for answers to the biggest questions imaginable. Here, as the title suggests, she's taking on nothing less than life itself. It's how she goes about this that makes it fun.

Every type of humor is "in bounds" for Cunk mockumentary. The most cliched Dad joke lives right alongside the most clever wordplay, and both right next to a sly gag dependent on how a British accent makes particular words sound. One moment, you're watching serious scientists attempt to give thoughtful answers to the most stupid questions. In the next, those on-the-spot moments are contrasted with elaborately planned re-enactments. It's an utter saturation of jokes. No matter what makes you laugh, Philomena Cunk will find it.

Though this is repeating something I said of Cunk on Earth, it bears repeating: the whole thing works thanks to Diane Morgan's portrayal. Her ability to deliver a deadpan joke without a trace of a smile has few equals. And her clear ability to think on her feet during a live interview brings even more humor to the edit suite. Once again, Morgan is brilliant as this character.

If anything, I would say that the jokes of Cunk on Life are even sharper and funnier than in the previous Cunk on Earth. But I'd also say that the shorter form of half-hour episodes is probably the better forum for the character. This new movie clocks in at under an hour and a half, yet by the last 15-or-so minutes, I admit I was starting to tire just a bit.

Yet I think I'd average it all out to about the same B+ I gave Cunk on Earth last year. And since we have swtiched from a "TV season" to what could be considered a "movie," I have to give thought to whether Cunk on Life deserves a spot on my Top 10 List. Since the bottom half of that list remains a bit soft as I continue to watch 2024 releases, I feel the answer is "yes." I'm sliding it into the #7 slot -- for now, at least, the best pure comedy from last year I've seen.