Alert the media! New comedy makes people laugh. Groundbreaking! You cry. What next? A horror that makes you scream! Actually, that would be good. ‘Four Lions’ gives your abs a workout to rival anything Danoz sells.

To summarise, the story follows five epic dopes (there are four lions and a cub, from what I can gather, though I’m no zoology graduate like the director) who think that blowing themselves up is a really good idea. The thing is – their brains are doughier than Homer Simpson’s belly so you’ll probably agree with their chosen fates. These Muslim men’s extreme incompetence means they have trouble killing themselves, let alone others as well. Terrorist bombing usually strikes fear into the hearts of many, so although it is an unexpected backdrop for a chuckle fest, the resulting scenarios are pure comedy. The ‘lions’ are exposed as clueless, bumbling idiots for whom the act of jihad has little to do with a religion they don’t pay much attention to. They are greedy, capitalist creatures who simultaneously want a spot in heaven, a fast track to the ‘rubber dinghy rapids’ and think that becoming martyrs is the way to do this.

Usually, this kind of ‘laugh at the retards’ humour is in such poor taste that you feel sorry for those subject to ridicule but ‘Four Lions’ creates no such empathy. The characters painted as almost sub-human, apart from Omar and his family life, which is so ‘normal’ as to heighten the absurdity of his desires. The actor embodying this contradictory character is Riz Ahmed, who looks like a Middle Eastern version of Elijah Wood. Apart from the radical concept of the story, the writers’ collaborative genius is showcased in Omar’s insults which are even more inventive than the ones on Skins. A new marketing angle for Visit Britain?

Although the general gist of the film isn’t meant to be taken as a comment on Islam, there are moments where some legitimate commentary is made. This usually comes in the form of Omar’s brother who is a devout Muslim, opposed to violence of any kind but whose treatment of women is criticised by Omar’s contrastingly liberated wife. These issues are played out in a water pistol fight that takes on new significance.

After a long history in radio and TV, Chris Morris has created a daring and pertinent feature film cementing him a place as a filmmaker to be reckoned with. Playing on society’s collective anxieties is rarely this enjoyable.