Ned Rifle
A young man hunts the father who shattered his family, only to be diverted by a provocative woman tied to the past he wants to destroy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- sardonic
- irreverent
- arthouse movie night
- hal hartley retrospective
What critics said
Critics generally found it a satisfying conclusion to Hal Hartley's Henry Fool trilogy and one of his stronger late-period works.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film explicitly functions as the third and final chapter of the Henry Fool trilogy, bringing Ned, Fay, and Henry's long-running conflicts to a concluding stage.
Ned sets out to find and kill his father, Henry Fool, for destroying his mother's life.
The plot combines murder, religion, politics, art, and family trauma with troublesome, sexy, and hilarious character interactions.
The trilogy is framed as both a Grim family saga and an illustration of America grappling with ideas, art, politics, and religion over two decades.
Films like Ned Rifle, and why
Henry Fool
deadpan tragicomedy, eccentric characters, philosophical dialogue, and independent American sensibility
Fay Grim
shared family saga, offbeat humor, political and religious ideas, and Hal Hartley's stylized dialogue
The Squid and the Whale
quirky character-driven drama, sardonic humor, and emotionally fractured family relationships
The Ice Storm
independent tragicomedy centered on family dysfunction, moral conflict, and idiosyncratic personalities
Movie Details
- Director
- Hal Hartley
- Release Date
- 2015-04-01
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (58)
Cast
- Aubrey Plaza
- Parker Posey
- Liam Aiken
- Robert John Burke
- Martin Donovan
- Karen Sillas
- James Urbaniak
- Bill Sage
- Jefferson Mays
- Lloyd Kaufman
Common questions
- What is Ned Rifle about?
- A young man hunts the father who shattered his family, only to be diverted by a provocative woman tied to the past he wants to destroy.
- What is Ned Rifle like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ned Rifle as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ned Rifle violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Ned Rifle as moderate.
- What did critics think of Ned Rifle?
- Critics generally found it a satisfying conclusion to Hal Hartley's Henry Fool trilogy and one of his stronger late-period works.
- Which films are like Ned Rifle?
- Films with a similar feel include Henry Fool, Fay Grim, The Squid and the Whale, and The Ice Storm.
- How long is Ned Rifle?
- Ned Rifle runs 85 minutes.
