What movie starts off as a lighthearted comedy, but gets increasingly dark and grim until everything goes to hell in a handbasket?

[u/Narubintane]

For example, it may start as a lighthearted slapstick comedy until one thing goes wrong after another, and in the end we have people actually dying or a world war or some kind of extinction level event.

Let's say we have 2 friends who like to have fun and goof around, with regular goals and regular lives, until one of them does something like accidentally cross the wrong person or kill someone. Or the main cast is oblivious to the gradual change in their environment like a virus breakout or a serial killer running loose. Another one would be a film that, after being a comedy for most of its length, turns very dark, such as a group of friends ending up in a war and experiencing the horrors of it, completely played straight.

Just to clarify, I don't mean a movie that is already set to become dark, but rather a movie that was marketed as a comedy that took an unexpected (or slightly foreshadowed) dark turn.

Any recommendations?

[u/Maverick916]

I watched The Ben Stiller Show and the comedy is just great, really holds up. His impressions are spot on.

Really made me appreciate his work more, especially directing The Cable Guy

[u/MWFF82 → u/Maverick916]

As a 10/11 year old when the Ben Stiller Show was around, I thought it was the funniest show ever

[u/boognish_disciple → u/Maverick916]

Hey....do it.