Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- absurdist
- deadpan
- indie movie night
- offbeat thriller night
What critics said
Critics found the film's farcical espionage premise inventive but judged its convoluted story insufficiently coherent or involving.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Fay is coerced by Agent Fulbright into locating her fugitive ex-husband's notebooks despite being an ordinary civilian.
The CIA mission, compromised U.S. security, and search for the notebooks are presented through farcical espionage logic.
The notebooks belonging to William Grim function as the central intelligence object and drive Fay's international search.
Hal Hartley's continuation of the Henry Fool world centers idiosyncratic characters and a deliberately heightened premise rather than naturalistic espionage.
Films like Fay Grim, and why
Henry Fool
shares deadpan absurdism, eccentric characters, and an intentionally convoluted spy-adventure structure
The Tailor of Panama
shares offbeat espionage, comic paranoia, and stylized independent filmmaking
Burn After Reading
shares farcical spy plotting, unreliable information, and darkly comic political intrigue
The American Friend
shares an idiosyncratic protagonist navigating international intrigue through a quirky comic lens
Movie Details
- Director
- Hal Hartley
- Release Date
- 2007-05-18
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (88)
Cast
- Parker Posey
- Liam Aiken
- James Urbaniak
- Jeff Goldblum
- D.J. Mendel
- Megan Gay
- Jasmin Tabatabai
- Chuck Montgomery
- John Keogh
- Claudia Michelsen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Fay Grim about?
- A coerced suburban mother plunges into an eccentric transatlantic spy hunt for her fugitive ex-husband’s dangerous notebooks.
- What is Fay Grim like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Fay Grim as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Fay Grim violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Fay Grim as mild.
- What did critics think of Fay Grim?
- Critics found the film's farcical espionage premise inventive but judged its convoluted story insufficiently coherent or involving.
- Which films are like Fay Grim?
- Films with a similar feel include Henry Fool, The Tailor of Panama, Burn After Reading, and The American Friend.
- How long is Fay Grim?
- Fay Grim runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Fay Grim?
- In United States, Fay Grim streams on Philo, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Warriors and Gangsters Amazon Channel.
