“Four Lions” is a British comedy that was released in the UK in 2010 and was the first movie Drafthouse Films picked up for distribution here in the U.S.

 

It’s unlike most comedies usually seen in U.S. theaters, and it likely would not have ever received funding here because “Four Lions” is a comedy about Jihadists.

Of course, the movie wouldn’t be funny if these weren’t completely inept Jihadists.

 

The film opens with its four titular protagonists filming their first terrorist threat, but poor Waj (Kayvan Novak) can’t even manage to sit in a position that looks menacing enough to please the ever-furious Barry (Nigel Lindsay).

 

To top it all off, his replica machine gun is far too small.

 

“Not too small, brother,” Waj assures his friend. “Big hands!”

While the story follows all four Lions, its primary focus is on Omar (Riz Ahmed) and his attempts to train himself and his friends to be proper Jihadists while struggling with the question of whether or not what they’re doing is right.

“Four Lions” is one of the most laugh-out-loud hilarious movies released in years.

 

Though that’s not to say the film is for everyone. It is definitely a dark comedy, which can be assumed given its subject matter, such as one scene when Barry first meets Hassan (Arsher Ali) in the middle of a public event, where he reveals he’s strapped with bombs.

 

He lays down a rap, yells “Allahu Akbar,” and detonates his bombs, releasing party streamers and confetti onto the audience.

 

“What?” he asks them, “Just cause I’m Muslim, you thought it was real?”

Even with its pitch-black humor, the film does eventually reach an emotional climax that I won’t spoil here, but it’s a credit to writer-director Chris Morris that he was able to glean such poignancy from a movie like this.

To put it simply, “Four Lions” is likely the funniest terrorist comedy you’ll ever watch.