Best of Political Satire Films

Since the results of the 2010 midterm elections Tuesday, campaigning for the 2012 presidential election is sure to begin very shortly. Keeping that in mind, try renting the following political satire movies to help you prepare yourself for the upcoming barrage of political propaganda and sophisticated mudslinging.

1.     Swing Vote(2008) – In an alternate universe, the votes in the election for the office of the American president have been perfectly split between two very different candidates, and the final vote is to be cast by a man (Kevin Costner) completely disinterested in politics. This film is a great social commentary on American voting behavior, as the man significantly represents a great amount of the general American public that does not bother to exercise their right to vote, especially in the major elections.

2.     Election(1999) – Darker than most high school comedies from this time period, especially as compared to the more light-hearted films like 10 Things I Hate About You and Never Been Kissed, Election stars Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick, a vindictive, manipulative overachiever who wants to run for the school's student body president. Matthew Broderick plays Jim McAllister, a history and civics teacher who adamantly and actively opposes Tracy's running for student body president. This film perfectly demonstrates the shadier, scheming natures that tend to come out in a political race.

3.     Thank You For Smoking (2006) – Though not based around an election, Thank You for Smoking follows the life of a powerful tobacco lobbyist, Nick Naylor played by Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight) from the acme of his success to the nadir of his downfall. Eckhart is able to rise above his disgrace through cunning maneuvers, using his ability to persuade others to escalate once again to the top. If there is one thing to learn from this film, it's that a strong sense of influence over others will facilitate the manipulation of situations and others in general to your own benefit.

When it comes to political satire, there are many aspects that the media pokes fun at, whether it be the complete lack of apathy on the part of the American public, the dark nature of politics or even the importance of persuasion. The three aforementioned movies each perfectly capture one of these aspects, and they keep the audience engaged and laughing. So it makes one wonder, does the comedic aspect come from the well-done production of the films themselves or does it lie in the fact that the issues are actually problems that American society faces? Regardless of the reason, all three of the aforementioned films are highly entertaining and will, without a doubt, prepare you for the impending onslaught of political campaigning.