Overview
A young woman takes on the chaos of a dysfunctional family farm, determined to bring order to the madness.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- lazy sunday
- comfort viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a witty, restrained literary sendup powered by an infectious first-rate ensemble.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Flora's practical modernity and the farm's melodramatic inhabitants parody the conventions of high-minded English rural fiction.
Flora arrives at Cold Comfort Farm determined to reorganize the Starkadder household and resolve its entrenched problems.
The gloomy Sussex farm is populated by bizarre relatives whose habits and beliefs create a comic form of rural gothic.
Flora's urban sophistication and limited income contrast sharply with the Starkadders' archaic customs and fatalistic worldview.
Films like Cold Comfort Farm, and why
The Importance of Being Earnest
shared period setting, literary satire, eccentric relatives, and witty romantic comedy
Gosford Park
shared English period comedy, social observation, romance, and ensemble of eccentric characters
Pride and Prejudice
shared literary adaptation, country-house eccentricity, dry wit, and romantic entanglements
A Private Function
shared irreverent period farce, theatrical ensemble energy, and comic dismantling of social conventions
Movie Details
- Director
- John Schlesinger
- Release Date
- 1995-01-01
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (80)
Cast
- Eileen Atkins
- Kate Beckinsale
- Sheila Burrell
- Stephen Fry
- Freddie Jones
- Joanna Lumley
- Ian McKellen
- Miriam Margolyes
- Rufus Sewell
- Ivan Kaye
Where to watch in United States
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Cold Comfort Farm about?
- A resourceful young orphan brings brisk modern sense and romantic possibility to a gloriously dysfunctional English farm family.
- What is Cold Comfort Farm like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cold Comfort Farm as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Cold Comfort Farm violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Cold Comfort Farm.
- What did critics think of Cold Comfort Farm?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a witty, restrained literary sendup powered by an infectious first-rate ensemble.
- Which films are like Cold Comfort Farm?
- Films with a similar feel include The Importance of Being Earnest, Gosford Park, Pride and Prejudice, and A Private Function.
- How long is Cold Comfort Farm?
- Cold Comfort Farm runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cold Comfort Farm?
- In United States, Cold Comfort Farm is available to rent or buy from Fandango At Home.
