Overview
A darkly comedic tale of murder and family ties unfolds in a quaint English town.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- surreal
- grotesque
- arthouse film night
- dark comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics were mostly favorable, praising the film's beautifully photographed landscapes and distinctive dark humor while some found its surreal formalism opaque.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Numbers spoken and displayed in the imagery count progressively from one to one hundred.
The Colpitts women repeatedly drown their husbands while the coroner responds with reluctant procedural complicity.
The Suffolk landscapes are prominently and carefully photographed, while surreal imagery and numerical details organize the frame.
The mother, daughter, and granddaughter pursue similar relationship solutions and involve the same coroner in their murders.
Films like Drowning by Numbers, and why
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
Shared darkly comic treatment of murder, dysfunctional relationships, and stylized formal experimentation.
A Zed & Two Noughts
Shared British absurdist humor, eccentric characters, theatrical compositions, and grotesque crime elements.
The Lobster
Shared deadpan crime comedy, symbolic visual design, and formally unconventional storytelling.
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Greenaway
- Release Date
- 1988-09-02
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (201)
Cast
- Joan Plowright
- Juliet Stevenson
- Joely Richardson
- Bernard Hill
- Jason Edwards
- Bryan Pringle
- Trevor Cooper
- David Morrissey
- John Rogan
- Paul Mooney
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, FlixFling, Eternal Family, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Bloodstream
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Bloodstream
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Drowning by Numbers about?
- A numerically orchestrated British black comedy follows three generations of women whose marital dissatisfaction escalates into ritualized murder with a reluctant coroner in tow.
- What is Drowning by Numbers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Drowning by Numbers as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Drowning by Numbers violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Drowning by Numbers as moderate.
- What did critics think of Drowning by Numbers?
- Critics were mostly favorable, praising the film's beautifully photographed landscapes and distinctive dark humor while some found its surreal formalism opaque.
- Which films are like Drowning by Numbers?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, A Zed & Two Noughts, and The Lobster.
- How long is Drowning by Numbers?
- Drowning by Numbers runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch Drowning by Numbers?
- In United States, Drowning by Numbers streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Night Flight Plus, Fandor Amazon Channel, FlixFling, Eternal Family, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
