{"id":177665,"date":"2025-07-02T10:48:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T09:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=177665"},"modified":"2025-07-02T11:15:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T10:15:39","slug":"life-is-like-a-porcupine-hug-painful-weird-yet-hilarious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/?p=177665","title":{"rendered":"Life Is Like a Porcupine Hug- Painful, Weird, Yet Hilarious"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c2e90d5189b1d958b23f6ac4681bd87f wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the hardest things in life, like death, illness, war, unemployment, and cultural differences, are often the ones we shy away from, difficult to explain to ourselves but even harder to discuss with others. But films have a way of slipping them into the conversation, not always through serious drama, but with humour, irony, and sometimes pure absurdity. These stories don\u2019t just show pain, they help us laugh through it, process it, and maybe even find a little peace in the chaos. It&#8217;s not just about mixing death with jokes; it\u2019s about how cinema makes space for the things we struggle to say out loud. Grief, loss, fear, they\u2019re all there, wrapped in fragile, beautiful layers that reflect the fine line between being \u201cfine\u201d and falling apart.<br \/> Find out more in <em>Life Is Like a Porcupine Hug- Painful, Weird, but Somehow Hilarious<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-71a0da40a00fd46ba5dbe6b82c7e25d7 wp-block-paragraph\">Painful, uncomfortable, and even awful to discuss, who wants to talk with others or even with strangers about painful subjects. But there is the old adage that laughter can help. And cinema can do this very well. Over the years many films have dealt with the idea of laughter through pain. Here are a few of the best and even a new one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e02e824ae730b53402e77fb68058a880 wp-block-paragraph\">Some films of the past didn&#8217;t shout out loud. Those films didn\u2019t rush to add dramatic music or fancy edits. They let the characters sit with their feelings, and in that silence, letting the weight of everything be absorbed by the viewer. There\u2019s something about old films that feels honest and raw. Maybe that\u2019s why they leave a long-lasting impression. Still, some newer films manage to capture that same feeling, proving that powerful storytelling is not just a thing of the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c8deed726a677caabd3628116c96071d wp-block-paragraph\">The Full Monty (1997)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Full Monty | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d6bjW9OwSQc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9c6ae179294f8943905d5c539fca0507 wp-block-paragraph\">In post-industrial Sheffield, where the steel mills have gone quiet and jobs are scarce, The Full Monty (1997) tells the story of a group of unemployed men trying to find meaning in the chaos. Faced with financial hardship and shaken identities, they come up with an unexpected plan: to form a strip act, not for fame, but to reclaim a sense of control and dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c9680e5552067e453b5f5f6da122acde wp-block-paragraph\">The humour isn\u2019t there to make light of their pain; it\u2019s how they survive it. Jokes become armour. Friendship becomes therapy. And slowly, they begin to feel human again. The Full Monty isn\u2019t really about taking off clothes; it\u2019s about taking back power when the world has stripped everything else away. It leaves you wondering: in moments of shame, can laughter be our way back to hope?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dfc20d4868b029809fe017cd3506ef37 wp-block-paragraph\">East is East (1999)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"East is East (1999)  | Film4 Trailer\" width=\"580\" height=\"435\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zg-zwt-XMFE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-056059c4c04a7000b51f64f2097c589f wp-block-paragraph\">This is a British comedy-drama that follows the Khan family in 1970s Salford, where cultures clash not in far-off lands, but within the four walls of a single home. At the centre is George Khan, a Pakistani father determined to raise his children according to traditional values, and Ella, his British wife, trying to hold their family together as their children navigate their own paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9422cc94af9f0094b5f4e4141d1c38cf wp-block-paragraph\">The film doesn\u2019t lecture, it laughs. It laughs at the chaos of parenting, at cultural confusion, at the way love can feel like pressure. But beneath the humour lies a deeper truth: that sometimes, families break trying to protect each other, and that growing up can mean growing away. East Is East gently asks: What does it mean to be \u2018good\u2019 in two different worlds? And who gets to decide? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1466c4436aad42519ae03dff7f7d761f wp-block-paragraph\">The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Death of Mr. Lazarescu - trailer - IFFR 2006\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TyUkn1aMMDs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2408e0fb5f393a18002ee693be7918d9 wp-block-paragraph\">The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is a Romanian film that follows one elderly man\u2019s long night through the public healthcare system in Bucharest. What begins as a headache turns into a quiet, unsettling journey across hospitals, revealing not just his worsening condition, but the slow, bureaucratic indifference of those meant to care for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c9e6d7fa0d65a7b4610723613e0d0d74 wp-block-paragraph\">It says something quietly powerful about how society treats the vulnerable, not with cruelty, but with indifference. The humour isn\u2019t there to lighten the mood; it\u2019s there to remind us how surreal it is that such a universal part of life is met with such a cold routine. In the end, the film asks a simple, haunting question: When your time comes, will anyone be paying attention? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-93f119f7f9ea7596f39646b2373c21fe wp-block-paragraph\">Little Miss Sunshine (2006)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bQ7BZTMLImA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fa4ffefa5a00b27431628198bb347f6d wp-block-paragraph\">Little Miss Sunshine is a funny and touching story about a family that doesn\u2019t seem to have it all together. They all pile into a small, old van to take their daughter Olive to a <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/category\/beauty-fragrance\/\">beauty<\/a> pageant, hoping she can win. But the trip is full of problems, family fights, embarrassing moments, and personal struggles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-bdbd8aab8ca0734b2e59e0a2f93488df wp-block-paragraph\">Each member is dealing with their issues: the dad is chasing success but keeps failing, the brother has sworn off talking, the grandpa struggles with addiction, and the mom tries to keep everyone calm. Despite all the chaos, the family stays together and supports Olive in her dream. The film shows how life is often messy and far from perfect, but that doesn\u2019t mean we give up on each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-136b704cd848d1f08e9651da80997915 wp-block-paragraph\">Its main message is about the meaning of success; it\u2019s not about trophies or winning, but about showing up and being there for the people you love. Little Miss Sunshine uses humour and real emotions to remind us that even when life breaks down, sticking together and accepting each other\u2019s flaws is what really matters.<br \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a91dfd7260e2530d641bffcdbca76844 wp-block-paragraph\">The Farewell (2019) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Farewell | Official Trailer HD | A24\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RofpAjqwMa8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dd373f09b01f04585813d2fa47a962a5 wp-block-paragraph\">This film tells the story of a Chinese-American family who come together under the guise of a fake wedding to quietly say goodbye to their beloved grandmother, who doesn\u2019t know she has only weeks to live. It\u2019s not just a film about dying, but about how people cope when faced with loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-24940174a3e776955ed00bac0bb4c0ba wp-block-paragraph\">The Farewell isn\u2019t really about dying; it\u2019s about how we deal with it when it\u2019s staring us in the face. It explores the messy, emotional politics of love, grief, and the lies we tell to protect the people we can\u2019t bear to lose. This film gently peels back the layers of cultural contrast, asking if truth is always the kindest option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2f900f623a59d83663cf8a90a7800a23 wp-block-paragraph\">With a tender, ironic tone, it shows how families often grieve through laughter, food, and pretending everything\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/our-monthly-theme-for-may-check\/\">fine<\/a>. You\u2019ll find more truth in the awkward silences and dumpling-making than in any dramatic hospital scene. The Farewell leaves you quietly reflecting: Is love more about honesty, or about holding someone gently in the dark? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2df3c060e91ef393be5d32e5acc65ae7 wp-block-paragraph\">Jojo Rabbit (2019)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"JOJO RABBIT Trailer (2019)\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TxJt02r91L4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6d6867a5411d6c0983961f4329128ebf wp-block-paragraph\">Jojo Rabbit is a film that uses humour to shine a light on one of the darkest chapters of war history. Through the eyes of a young boy in Nazi Germany, it explores the absurdity and cruelty of conflict while showing how innocence struggles to survive amid chaos. The film doesn\u2019t shy away from the horrors of war, but it wraps them in satire and warmth, reminding us how human connection can bloom even in the bleakest times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-feaef4a8762a7b94f7fc64961e9bd1ea wp-block-paragraph\">It challenges the blind hatred and propaganda that fuel conflict, using comedy to break down barriers and reveal the tragic impact war has on families and individuals. By balancing laughter with heartbreak, Jojo Rabbit highlights the madness of war and the resilience of the human spirit, showing that even during destruction, hope and compassion can find a way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fd25c423e88cd08a7da59b31e3b84f18 wp-block-paragraph\">Dying (2024) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"DYING (2024) | Trailer | Matthias Glasner | Lars Eidinger | Corinna Harfouch | Lilith Stangenberg\" width=\"580\" height=\"326\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kagVqEfPxFw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cec959296a68c09c5b204e5230e42880 wp-block-paragraph\">Dying is a German film that doesn\u2019t just bring tears; it holds up a mirror. It tells a story about the parts of life we often avoid: illness, grief, family, and endings. Yet, amid this heaviness, the film quietly slips in humour, not the loud kind that demands attention, but the gentle, surprising jokes that catch you off guard and ask, \u201cHave you ever thought about how absurd all of this is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d72f5613802bf39e4efc08b099a991fc wp-block-paragraph\">This isn\u2019t a silly comedy set in a hospital. It\u2019s more subtle, the way a father tries to control what\u2019s uncontrollable, the way a daughter laughs so she doesn\u2019t unravel. It is the comedy of human contradiction: planning life while packing for the end. And in those contradictions, Dying feels alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-262844c14efa9522007c01d0a045ba4e wp-block-paragraph\">While films continue to explore serious themes with a mix of humour, new plays like The Statesman are also stepping in to show how laughter can be used to reflect on silence, control, and what lies beneath the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6bd79e4f2144396eb95e58b70f40c7d3 wp-block-paragraph\">The Statesman by Joel Marlin<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-01-125652.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"581\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-01-125652.jpg?resize=580%2C581&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"the statesman\" class=\"wp-image-178586\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-01-125652.jpg?w=678&amp;ssl=1 678w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-01-125652.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Screenshot-2025-07-01-125652.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a6e9ef51c451c57a976a24bd19beedcc wp-block-paragraph\">One such story is The Statesman, an absurdist comedy written by Joel Marlin and produced by Metal Rabbit Productions. The play is about a quiet village where laughter has been banned for generations. When a boy is punished for laughing, the event is noticed by the Queen and a representative is sent to investigate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ba2b746ff3f292b988bd914b88cc5677 wp-block-paragraph\">There, an old man is found who has whose job is to teach comedy, even though no one has laughed in years. Through sharp humour and unusual moments, the play shows how laughter can be used to challenge silence and control. Just like many films that deal with grief and fear through irony, The Statesman reminds us that even when people say they are \u201cfine\u201d, humour can reveal what\u2019s being felt underneath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2acb7e7bd908033d0ce0098cd602772f wp-block-paragraph\">You can experience Dying on the big screen when it releases in UK and Irish cinemas from Friday, 25th July 2025. Sometimes, the best way to face the hardest truths is to sit in the dark, with strangers, with laughter, and with a story that sees us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cb8af71ebb3d1e29dd26910008869c4b wp-block-paragraph\">Find more information about The Statesman at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatrotechnis.com\/whatson\/the-statesman\">Theatro Technis.com<\/a>, which is from 10th September to 27 September, with shows at 7:30\u202fpm, 2:30\u202fpm. Don\u2019t miss this clever, funny play. Go and enjoy a night of absurd comedy and sharp storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-92a5a960eeb7489442959ab10bef6f47 wp-block-paragraph\">If you enjoyed reading&nbsp;<em>Life Is Like a Porcupine Hug- Painful, Weird, Yet Hilarious<\/em>, then why not read <a href=\"https:\/\/staging.centmagazine.co.uk\/jil-sanders-beautiful-and-conceptual-scent-bottled-to-perfection\/\"><em>Jil Sander&#8217;s Beautiful and Conceptual Scent, Bottled to Perfection<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-64ded14dedfcc03dc31a9194cacb97f7 wp-block-paragraph\">.Cent London.&nbsp;<strong>Be Inspired;&nbsp;Get Involved<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9ab710cf8c468622e0769e4dc7d6d8ac wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9ab710cf8c468622e0769e4dc7d6d8ac wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9ab710cf8c468622e0769e4dc7d6d8ac wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some of the hardest things in life, like death, illness, war, unemployment, and cultural differences, are often the ones we&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":324,"featured_media":178610,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15924],"tags":[1574,2416],"features_issues":[],"featured_themes":[16947],"ppma_author":[16931],"class_list":["post-177665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-film","tag-theatre","featured_themes-fine"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Life Is Like a Porcupine Hug- Painful, Weird, Yet Hilarious | Cent Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Life is like a porcupine hug- painful, weird, yet hilarious. This article explores the humour, challenges and life\u2019s awkward moments.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Life Is Like a Porcupine Hug- Painful, Weird, Yet Hilarious | Cent Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Life is like a porcupine hug- painful, weird, yet hilarious. 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