Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Encyclopedia

Mafia comedy film

Film genre

Mafia comedy films are a subgenre hybrid of comedy films and crime/gangster films.

01Criteria

Mafia comedies revolve around organized crime, often specifically the Italian-American Mafia but also other mafias or mafia-like crime groups, and a comedic plot line, usually involving a chase or a complicated situation involving gangsters or organized crime. Much of the humor in such films is based upon the portrayal of gangsters as ordinary people. The perceived view of gangsters is that they are tough, serious, mysterious, and often quite evil characters; so when a film portrays a side of normality to a gangster character, it can have a humorous effect. Crime/gangster films typically involve many comedic moments, especially during witty conversations between gang members. This can be seen in such films as Goodfellas, Casino, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Pulp Fiction, and Snatch.

02Examples of mafia comedy

Watch videos about Mafia comedy filmExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Mafia comedy film, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.