Overview
A chaotic funeral spirals into absurdity as family secrets and mishaps collide.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- awkward
- group movie night
- dark comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an energetic, well-cast British farce whose escalating slapstick and dark humor outweigh predictable or overextended material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The funeral's expectation of dignity repeatedly collides with botched preparations, embarrassing revelations, drug-related behavior, and unruly relatives.
Daniel's funeral duties, Peter's secret, Justin's drug predicament, Martha's engagement, and the mourners' conflicts collide across the same morning.
The solemnity of a father's funeral is repeatedly undermined by bodily mishaps, illicit revelations, sexual embarrassment, and grotesque practical problems.
Daniel's relationship with his deceased father and selfish brother shapes the sincere emotional thread beneath the farcical gathering.
Films like Death at a Funeral, and why
The Party
shares escalating farce, eccentric ensemble dynamics, dark humor, and tightly interwoven comic storylines
Little Miss Sunshine
shares a family gathering disrupted by embarrassment, conflict, and sharply observed ensemble comedy
The Full Monty
shares British farce, social discomfort, escalating misbehavior, and comedy built from overlapping crises
Snatch
shares irreverent ensemble humor, criminally chaotic misunderstandings, and rapid convergence of multiple plotlines
Movie Details
- Director
- Frank Oz
- Release Date
- 2007-08-17
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (1987)
Cast
- Matthew Macfadyen
- Peter Dinklage
- Ewen Bremner
- Keeley Hawes
- Andy Nyman
- Daisy Donovan
- Alan Tudyk
- Jane Asher
- Kris Marshall
- Rupert Graves
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Death at a Funeral about?
- A grieving son struggles to preserve funeral decorum as a parade of relatives, secrets, drugs, and mishaps turns his father’s farewell into anarchic British farce.
- What is Death at a Funeral like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Death at a Funeral as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Death at a Funeral violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Death at a Funeral as mild.
- What did critics think of Death at a Funeral?
- Critics broadly found the film an energetic, well-cast British farce whose escalating slapstick and dark humor outweigh predictable or overextended material.
- Which films are like Death at a Funeral?
- Films with a similar feel include The Party, Little Miss Sunshine, The Full Monty, and Snatch.
- How long is Death at a Funeral?
- Death at a Funeral runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Death at a Funeral?
- In United States, Death at a Funeral is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
