CREDIT: WARNER BROS.
Everyone's got problems they need to talk about, even bloodthirsty crime bosses.

Crime-comedies have been given a breath of fresh air thanks to 21 Jump Street and its sequel 22 Jump Street for officially putting the genre back on the map. There’s a backlog of criminal endeavours you’ve probably missed to be seen, however. Here are some lesser known but just as funny crime comedy films.

Screwed (2000)

Boasting a cast of comedy powerhouses Norm MacDonald, Dave Chapelle, Danny DeVito and even Sarah Silverman, it’s surprising how little popularity this film has, both contemporary and cult. The story of a mistreated butler, played by MacDonald, who decides to extract revenge on his wealthy elderly boss, Miss Crock, by kidnapping her dog is a near paint-by-numbers screwball comedy. And I mean it in the best way possible. Everything that could go wrong does, and the results will keep you glued for the film’s hour and a half length.

Hera Pheri (2000)

Aside from its massive popularity in India – quoting it there is like quoting The Big Lebowski here – Hera Pheri is virtually unknown worldwide. It’s a shame too, because this comedy about three luckless idiots who get wrangled into a kidnapping plot due to getting a call from a wrong number is one of the funniest movies you’ll ever watch. It’s a bit different from standard Bollywood fare, so it should be a bit easier on those who aren’t fans.

Just avoid the sequel.

In Bruges (2006)

In Bruges is a strange film. Calling it a crime comedy seems almost criminal itself. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play two hit men laying low in Bruges, Belgium, after carrying out a botched assassination. Bouncing between existentialist drama and farcical comedy, it’s melancholic enough to make you consider things and funny enough to elicit a chuckle.

Analyze This (1999)

The late Harold Ramis, Egon Spencer of Ghostbusters, spent as much time being behind the camera as he did being in front of it. Analyze This represents one of his many directorial efforts, one that pays off immensely. The film is as much a mob flick as The Godfather, Casino or Carlito’s Way in that they’re all about Italian gangsters. That’s where the similarities end. Robert De Niro plays mob boss Paul Vitti, a role that initially seems like yet another typecast, until the revelation that the big tough mobster is suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. Who better to play his unwilling shrink than the small, fast-talking Billy Crystal? The Sopranos easily tore a couple pages from this film, you’ll see.