In this special edition KBZ article, we’re going to review and list the Best Psychic Powers Comedies. Though most films in the Psychic Powers film subgenre fall within the horror and sci-fi genres, there are quite a few subgenre films that show the hilarious side to developing powers of telekinesis, pyrokinesis and even telepathy.
Some of these psychic films feature the funniest scenes in the comedy genre from a teenager using his newfound ability of telekinesis for raunchy purposes in the 80’s Sex Comedy Zapped! (1982) to Mel Gibson suddenly having the telepathic ability to hear women’s thoughts in the very funny What Women Want (2000).
Though this article will only cover films about Psychic Powers Comedies, you can check out our other lists of films by psychic ability below (including our entire list of every film listed by psychic ability):
- The Complete List of Films by Psychic Power Ability
- Best Films About Telekinesis
- Best Films About Telepathy
- Best Films About Pyrokinesis
- Best Films About ESP & Clairvoyance
- Best Films About Mediums
- Best Films About Premonitions & Precognition
- Best Psychic Powers Comedies
- The 30 Best Films Featuring Psychic Abilities
For our rankings we’re going to use some criteria to help define and refine our list. First, the film must show some form of psychic ability such as telekinesis, telepathy, pyrokinesis and more.
Second, the film must primarily be a comedy. There are a few films of the subgenre that have some comedic moments or undertones but aren’t necessarily comedies. We want this list to be laughter first with some of the more outrageous examples of psychic tomfoolery.
Third, for our rankings, we’re going to focus on the funniest scenes of a psychic power comedy vs. the quality of the film. As an example, Modern Problems (1981) is not a very good (or funny) film overall. However, it arguably features one of the most hilarious uses of telekinesis in the subgenre, so will be featured higher on our list. This won’t be a validation of the film itself, but rather how memorable and hilarious a scene is.
Fourth, though the two most popular psychic abilities in film – telekinesis and telepathy – are the basis for many of these subgenre comedies, we’re going to try and represent as many different types of psychic powers used for comedic effect.
And fifth, we had to follow our rule for all of KBZ’s film listings where we only list films that have a 4.0/10 or higher rating. We’re also only considering films released after 1970 unless they’re considered one of a few classic subgenre films made prior to that date.
Our complete list of Films About Psychic Powers features over 257+ films from 1960 – 2023 and though we don’t yet break down films by their psychic ability in our collection, you can refer to our Complete List of Films by Psychic Power Ability if you have a favorite psychic ability and the films they’re used in. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get updated as we release future articles on each psychic ability and add the latest and greatest subgenre films to our collection.
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Best Psychic Powers Comedies
Honorable Mentions: School in the Crosshairs (1981), Shadey (1985), UFOria (1985), Nice Girls Don’t Explode (1987), All for the Winner (1990), Pyrates (1991), The Butcher’s Wife (1991), Head of the Family (1996), You Lucky Dog (1996), Touchy Feely (2013), Psychokinesis (2018), What Men Want (2019), Blithe Spirit (2020), Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical (2022) and Darby and the Dead (2022).
#10
Vibes
Plot: Two psychics are hired to find the location of a lost Incan city Located somewhere in the Ecuadorian mountains, that is said to hide a great treasure.
Psychic Power: ESP & Clairvoyance
KBZ’s Take: Though this was a critical failure and box office bomb at the time, Vibes has developed a cult following over the years. Primarily an adventure film / romantic comedy involving a trance-medium (Cyndi Lauper) and a psychometrist (Jeff Goldblum), the film has a few hilarious sequences (especially involving Peter Falk) that makes it worth checking out by fans of the subgenre.
The film also includes various forms of psychic powers including mediumship, psychometry, astral projection, parapsychology and more, but the main theme of the film involves various aspects of ESP and ridiculous outcomes.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A UFO is stranded on earth and impounded by the US government. Its pilot, a cat with a collar that gives it special powers, including the ability to communicate with humans, has eluded the authorities and seeks the help of a scientist in order to reclaim and repair his ship and get back home.
Psychic Power: Telepathy
KBZ’s Take: This is one of the underrated Disney films from the 1970’s that has been forgotten over time. Disney had a few other films of the decade involving psychic powers including Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), but The Cat from Outer Space is fun family film featuring some amusing sequences involving a horse and billiard table with telekinesis that children will enjoy.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#8
Second Sight
Plot: Wills (John Larroquette) is an ex-cop who pairs up with Bobby (Bronson Pinchot), a wacky psychic, to form the “Second Sight Detective Agency.” Bobby’s clairvoyant abilities come in handy during their investigations. When a nun (Bess Armstrong) recruits them for a case involving car theft, they suddenly find themselves dealing with the abduction of a prominent cardinal (William Prince) who has a chance of becoming the next Pope. Bobby’s psychic powers go haywire as they pursue the case.
Psychic Power: ESP & Clairvoyance
KBZ’s Take: Another film on our list that was a critical failure and box office bomb at the time that has developed a cult following over the years. However, there is a very divided opinion of this film where people either love it or hate it.
While it’s not one of the better comedies of the 80’s, it is one of the better comedies of this subgenre. There’s a good chance that if you enjoyed John Larroquette’s Dan Fielding character from the Night Court TV series and Bronson Pinchot’s Balki Bartokoumous character from the Perfect Strangers TV series, you’ll enjoy this film. They’re basically recreations of the actors’ popular roles for this film with an added dose of dark psychic comedy.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A 12-year-old boy develops a telepathic connection with his dog after a middle-school science experiment goes awry.
Psychic Power: Telepathy
KBZ’s Take: This is another film on our list that will mostly appeal to kids under the age of 14. It features a telepathic bond between a boy and a dog and many of the resulting sequences feature slapstick comedy and slight gross-out humor.
Adults might not enjoy the low-brow, childish comedy in the film, but it is a film you can make it through as an adult. There are some admittedly funny sequences involving what a dog would telepathically say to a human that fans of the subgenre will enjoy.
Where to Stream / Buy: Netflix
#6
Super Fuzz
Plot: While delivering a parking ticket to a small village in the Florida everglades, Officer Dave Speed finds himself in the middle of a radiation experiment conducted by the American government and NASA, where a detonated nuclear missile gives him a multitude of superpowers.
Psychic Power: Telekinesis
KBZ’s Take: Terence Hill was a star of Spaghetti Westerns in the 1950’s and 1960’s and developed his comedic talents in the successful Western Comedy, They Call Me Trinity (1970). Super Fuzz was one of his most popular international films in the late 1970’s as it featured slapstick humor involving a variety of psychic powers like telekinesis, precognition and more.
The film has developed a cult following over the years as it was a childhood favorite of most Gen X kids growing up in the 70’s. And though the film is dated, it’s very funny psychic powers sequences and juvenile humor helped pave the way for later subgenre comedies in Zapped! (1982) and Modern Problems (1981).
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Wilder and Wallace are brothers and pyrokinetics. Ever since childhood they’ve been able to start fires with their minds but following a tragedy in which they accidentally killed a man, the brothers have grown up very differently. Wilder has become a regular 9-5 workaday joe but Wallace performs his feats with a traveling circus. When the circus comes to Wilder’s hometown Wallace starts coming on strong to Wilder’s wife, Vida who, ironically, is a slight pyromaniac.
Psychic Power: Pyrokinesis
KBZ’s Take: Wilder Napalm often gets grouped together with Pyrates (1991) as Romantic Comedies involving pyrokinesis. While both films are technically about pyrokinesis, Wilder Napalm’s entire plot revolves around two brothers and their ability to start fires with their minds, while Pyrates only has a few subtle references to spontaneous combustion.
Wilder Napalm has been lost to time, but it is one of the hidden gems of the early 1990’s. It has a unique plot, some very funny sequences involving pyrokinesis and stars Debra Winger, Arliss Howard and Dennis Quaid who were all still at the peak of their careers.
Fans of the subgenre will enjoy this film and it’s also an obscure film that will make an interesting date night movie.
Additional Lists: Best Films About Pyrokinesis #7
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#4
Matilda
Plot: An extraordinarily intelligent young girl from a cruel and uncaring family discovers she possesses telekinetic powers and is sent off to a school headed by a tyrannical principal.
Psychic Power: Telekinesis
KBZ’s Take: If you’re not familiar with Roald Dahl, he was a British writer who created popular children’s novels – many of which have been adapted for film. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been adapted into Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), The Witches for The Witches (1990) and Roald Dahl’s The Witches (2020) and Matilda was the source novel for this film and a recent musical.
Like most of Dahl’s works they tend to have darker themes for children and Matilda is no exception. The film and novel are centered around Matilda’s growing telekinetic powers and the often-humorous ways she uses them. But, while the film is great for families, its darker undertones might not be suitable for very young children.
Even as a film that was primarily made for children, it’s one that any fan of telekinesis films shouldn’t miss.
Additional Lists: Top Films About Telekinesis #8
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Jealous, harried air traffic controller Max Fielder, recently dumped by his girlfriend, comes into contact with nuclear waste and is granted the power of telekinesis, which he uses to not only win her back, but to gain a little revenge.
Psychic Power: Telekinesis
KBZ’s Take: This isn’t one of Chevy Chase’s best comedies and the humor in the film misses more than it hits. But when it hits, and it often does when Chase uses his newfound telekinetic powers, they are classic scenes of the subgenre.
The ballet scene alone is arguably the funniest use of telekinetic powers in the subgenre and it’s a must see for any fan of telekinesis movies.
Additional Lists: Best Films About Telekinesis #7
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#2
Zapped!
Plot: Peyton and Barney are fun loving high school students working on a science project with white mice. When one of the mice begins to move food toward itself without touching it, Barney finds he has accidentally discovered a formula for telekinetic powers. Now, how much trouble can a high school boy who can move things with just his mind get into?
Psychic Power: Telekinesis
KBZ’s Take: Unless you grew up during the early 80’s Sex Comedy craze, you likely are not aware of this film. Though it sits firmly in the B-tier of Sex Comedies during this period, its unique storyline and telekinesis ‘moments’ helped give the film an infamous reputation amongst early 80’s teens.
Current generations of viewers might find the film tame in comparison to more notorious Sex Comedy fare like Porky’s (1981), but for any film lovers that want the full 80’s Sex Comedy experience (with a unique telekinetic twist), Zapped! should definitely be included on your viewing list.
Additional Lists: Best Films About Telekinesis #4, The Best 1980’s Sex Comedies #7
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Advertising executive Nick Marshall is as cocky as they come, but what happens to a chauvinistic guy when he can suddenly hear what women are thinking? Nick gets passed over for a promotion, but after an accident enables him to hear women’s thoughts, he puts his newfound talent to work against Darcy, his new boss, who seems to be infatuated with him.
Psychic Power: Telepathy
KBZ’s Take: Most comedies about psychic powers often use telekinesis resulting in physical or slapstick comedy situations. What Women Want is one of the few comedies that utilizes telepathy as its comedic theme and it’s arguably the funniest Psychic Powers Comedy.
In a role seemed tailor-made for Mel Gibson (as Nick Marshall), the film uses the theme of telepathy to explore the age-old conundrum of how men and women think differently and can’t relate to each other…with often hilarious results.
Though it’s pseudo-sequel, What Men Want (2019), reverses the gender roles, it can’t quite live up to its predecessor’s level of comedy and chemistry between Gibson and Helen Hunt.
Additional Lists: Best Films About Telepathy #5
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
