The weirdest comedy of the year is here – and it’s no surprise it’s by Sam Campbell

Make That Movie ★★★★

Have you ever watched a heartwarming surprise renovation show or Queer Eye and thought, “Oh, but if only such a program existed for cinema”? No, of course you haven’t.

No one has ever thought anything close to that. Except for Sam Campbell, one of Australia’s biggest oddball exports evidently given carte blanche by UK’s Channel 4 for Make That Movie – his first TV show, featuring his kindred awkward-spirit Aaron Chen.

A strong contender for 2026’s most absurd and inventive comedy, Make That Movie is probably best described in three words: “Let Campbell cook”. (Or, more accurately, Campbell and co-writer and director Joe Pelling, of cult surreal-comedy Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared.)

It’s Backyard Blitz meets Werner Herzog losing his mind in the Amazon rainforest, presented with the hokiness of a local network show, complete with dated opening credits over a pan-flute theme. And the convoluted, fever-dream premise? A lifestyle-reality show following an eccentric Fab 5 of filmmaking who travel the country in matching purple jumpsuits, making feature-lengths in three days, based on ideas pitched by the public.

At the centre is Campbell as himself – albeit in an alternate reality where he’s a fading, insecure Hollywood director running low on ideas, rather than a stand-up with a slightly disconcerting presence. That awkwardness works well, especially as he tries to rule over sets of amateur actors, retirees and Sebastian – a morose punching bag played by Chen, who is only tolerated as he’s bankrolling their movies.

And the films? With one per episode, they range from Snake Swap – a romance where a couple are cursed to be snakes but never at the same time – to an animated children’s film about a war between feet and hands, created for barefoot enthusiasts trapped in a mine.

Maybe it’s beginning to sound a little too quirky. The ever-escalating irreverence isn’t for everyone, naturally. It’s unlikely to win you over if Campbell’s comedy hasn’t already.

And even as a fan of left-field comedy, I don’t always connect with a surreal style outside of sketch shows (see: former Saturday Night Live writer Julio Torres’ admirable-but-alienating HBO show Los Espookys, or Tim Robinson’s too-excruciating cringe-comedy The Chair Company).

But Campbell’s made a career out of continually surprising and confusing audiences, first in Australia before moving to the UK in 2022. There, he’s broken big in part by repeatedly breaking conventions of British quiz and game shows such as Taskmaster, QI and Last One Laughing with surreal PowerPoint presentations and deadpan jokes about mole people.

Make That Movie continually subverts its own formula, and even, shockingly, offers up grounded character developments along the way. Call it movie magic.

Make that Movie streams on HBO Max from May 29.

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