Don’t you want to be kept on your toes when you’re watching a movie? Fellow staffer Andrei Black and I decided to argue with me on what is the better movie genre, Comedy or Drama, when we all know the answer to this (Despite Black’s incorrect opinion).

Drama, the genre of all genres, provides the viewer a feeling of angst, suspense, sadness, anger, the list goes on. The emotions dramatic films can provoke are endless. Drama often plays with the viewer’s feelings. When I watched the Harry Potter series for the first time, there were moments where I found myself crying over the characters I loved.

Not only is drama entertaining, but dramas are character driven. This makes the audience feel connected to the characters in the film. Being able to resonate with the people you see on screen greatly impacts the effect of the movies; for example, the movie Ladybird depicts a stubborn teenage girl who seeks her mother’s attention. Many teens worldwide can relate to the way the character is drawn out, making this movie great for a younger teen audience.

Many Dramas make you guess where the film is going, whereas other genres need to say it instead of show it. Anyone who’s been in Mr. Hoonhout’s English 9 class may remember the catchphrase “show, don’t tell.” “Show, don’t tell” is an artistic technique used by directors to further explain plot points without directly telling the audience. “Show, don’t tell” is often used to add dramatic elements to a film. Dramas use images that resonate with the audience, making them ponder what they see and further analyze the images shown to them. Many of these are nuanced images that communicate to the reader that the movie shots may have a deeper meaning. When viewers can analyze these images correctly, they receive a sense of validation, indicating they have enough analytical skills to understand the film fully.

Comedy often uses harsh language and offensive humor to make the movie entertaining. But why would you want to watch something tasteless? Comedy hardly ever has meaning, and that’s one of the things that makes dramas so interesting. Drama uses things such as symbolism to send messages about the film’s themes and ideas to the viewers. Many dramas act as a puzzle to the audience, making it well-suited for people who think outside the box

An example of a Drama that exemplifies my belief that drama is superior to comedy is Parasite. Parasite is a Golden Globe-winning film. The movie is about a poor family (The Kims) that infiltrate a family of high class (the Parks). The movie shows how their lives intertwine. The Kims trick the Parks into employing them, but once employed the Parks treat the Kims as if they were less than. The Parks display how the higher class often views the poor. Parasite is accredited as a masterpiece because every viewer is left with the question, Who is at fault? The Kims or the Parks? Most dramas are like this, they have interesting and intense plots that need analytical thinking in order to understand the deeper meaning.

Many movies mainly comedies influence younger audiences poorly by glorifying things such as drug use, whereas drama often teaches lessons about the effects of drug abuse and how it could be extremely detrimental to your life; for example, Beautiful Boy starring Timothy Chalamet and Steve Carell depicts a young boy who gets exposed to drugs at a very young age, this causes his life to go into a downward spiral. This makes the audience see the reality of what drugs can do to you or your loved ones.

Many think that laughter is the best way to distract yourself from a hard and stressful day, but this isn’t necessarily true. Watching something intense and interesting keeps you more engaged and entertained. When watching a comedy the plot doesn’t always consist of complete humor, this would mean in between the funny scenes you’d think about those same stressful feelings.

Drama can also be relaxing, instead of having to focus on your own problems and the drama in your life. You can sit back and relax and watch something so interesting and in depth, you’ll eventually forget everything that’s bothering you at that moment. So yeah– in the end I’m choosing drama!