Overview
A gang of thieves meets their match in an unsuspecting old lady who thinks they're musicians.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- macabre
- witty
- eccentric
- classic film night
- british comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a brilliantly macabre, slow-burning comedy distinguished by quirky characters and performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Professor Marcus's gang encounters one complication after another while attempting to carry out the robbery and eliminate Mrs Wilberforce.
The criminals operate from Mrs Wilberforce's home, turning an apparently respectable residence into the headquarters for a murderous scheme.
Marcus, Major Courtney, Louis, Harry, and One-Round are sharply differentiated gang members whose clashing temperaments fuel the comedy.
Mrs Wilberforce's presence, assumptions, and responses repeatedly destabilize the gang's plans despite their attempts to control the situation.
Films like The Ladykillers, and why
Kind Hearts and Coronets
macabre british comedy, eccentric ensemble, and criminal farce
The Wrong Arm of the Law
quirky british crime comedy built around hapless criminals and escalating complications
The Trouble with Harry
darkly comic ensemble plotting, eccentric characters, and morally crooked schemes
A Fish Called Wanda
stylized heist comedy driven by mismatched criminals and sharp comic timing
Movie Details
- Director
- Alexander Mackendrick
- Release Date
- 1955-12-08
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (577)
Cast
- Alec Guinness
- Cecil Parker
- Herbert Lom
- Peter Sellers
- Danny Green
- Katie Johnson
- Jack Warner
- Philip Stainton
- Frankie Howerd
- Madge Brindley
Common questions
- What is The Ladykillers about?
- A meticulously planned robbery collapses into macabre British farce when a gang of thieves must share their hideout with an unsuspecting landlady.
- What is The Ladykillers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Ladykillers as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Ladykillers violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Ladykillers as mild.
- What did critics think of The Ladykillers?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a brilliantly macabre, slow-burning comedy distinguished by quirky characters and performances.
- Which films are like The Ladykillers?
- Films with a similar feel include Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Wrong Arm of the Law, The Trouble with Harry, and A Fish Called Wanda.
- How long is The Ladykillers?
- The Ladykillers runs 91 minutes.
