Waking Ned
In a scenic Irish village, two longtime friends rally their neighbors to conceal a dead lottery winner and share his unexpected fortune.
Overview
A small Irish village becomes the unlikely setting for a hilarious lottery scheme that spirals out of control.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- warm
- witty
- gentle
- lazy sunday
- feel good movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a warmly observed, efficiently paced village comedy whose eccentric ensemble and satisfying comic construction outweigh its simple plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jackie, Michael, and the villagers scheme to keep Ned's lottery winnings within Tully More and preserve the benefit for the community.
The residents attempt to hide Ned's death and lottery win from officials in a small town where news travels quickly.
Ned's jackpot transforms the village's priorities and motivates the central impersonation scheme.
Tully More is presented as a picturesque, tightly connected Irish village whose small scale drives both concealment and communal participation.
Films like Waking Ned, and why
Local Hero
warm rural british-isles comedy of manners centered on eccentric community life and solidarity
The Full Monty
feel-good ensemble comedy about working-class friendship, improvised schemes, and communal resilience
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
small-town british-isles comedy blending local eccentricity, social warmth, and understated humor
The Snapper
ensemble rural comedy with affectionate character observation and a shared community predicament
Movie Details
- Director
- Kirk Jones
- Release Date
- 1998-11-20
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (359)
Cast
- Ian Bannen
- David Kelly
- Fionnula Flanagan
- Susan Lynch
- Brendan Dempsey
- James Nesbitt
- Paul Vaughan
- Maura O'Malley
- Robert Hickey
- Paddy Ward
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 Waking Ned about?
- In a scenic Irish village, two longtime friends rally their neighbors to conceal a dead lottery winner and share his unexpected fortune.
- What is Waking Ned like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Waking Ned as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Waking Ned violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Waking Ned.
- What did critics think of Waking Ned?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a warmly observed, efficiently paced village comedy whose eccentric ensemble and satisfying comic construction outweigh its simple plotting.
- Which films are like Waking Ned?
- Films with a similar feel include Local Hero, The Full Monty, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain, and The Snapper.
- How long is Waking Ned?
- Waking Ned runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Waking Ned?
- In United States, Waking Ned is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
