Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- zany
- irreverent
- uneasy
- nostalgia night
- cult movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an inept, unfunny comedy whose promising premise was undermined by poor execution, though later viewers have embraced its strange psychological edge as a cult quality.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Drop Dead Fred appears as Elizabeth's childhood friend and gives visible form to an otherwise internal source of comfort and confusion.
Fred's zany antics, gross-out jokes, and unruly playfulness are set against Elizabeth's controlling home life and emotional pain.
Elizabeth struggles against her controlling mother and womanizing husband while trying to establish an independent identity.
Elizabeth's comfort and confusion around Fred allow the fantasy to operate simultaneously as a friend and as a possible expression of her troubled inner life.
Films like Drop Dead Fred, and why
Harvey
shared imaginary-friend premise, eccentric fantasy comedy, and emotional self-discovery
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
shared unruly-childhood fantasy, slapstick humor, and family dysfunction
The Young Ones Movie
shared anarchic British-inflected comedy, grotesque physical gags, and outsider energy
Being John Malkovich
shared darkly comic treatment of emotional distress, dysfunctional relationships, and surreal personification
Movie Details
- Director
- Ate de Jong
- Release Date
- 1991-04-19
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (422)
Cast
- Phoebe Cates
- Rik Mayall
- Marsha Mason
- Tim Matheson
- Carrie Fisher
- Keith Charles
- Ashley Peldon
- Daniel Gerroll
- Ron Eldard
- Eleanor Mondale
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 Drop Dead Fred about?
- A beleaguered woman finds chaotic liberation when her unruly childhood imaginary friend returns to challenge the adults controlling her life.
- What is Drop Dead Fred like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Drop Dead Fred as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Drop Dead Fred violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Drop Dead Fred as mild.
- What did critics think of Drop Dead Fred?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an inept, unfunny comedy whose promising premise was undermined by poor execution, though later viewers have embraced its strange psychological edge as a cult quality.
- Which films are like Drop Dead Fred?
- Films with a similar feel include Harvey, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, The Young Ones Movie, and Being John Malkovich.
- How long is Drop Dead Fred?
- Drop Dead Fred runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Drop Dead Fred?
- In United States, Drop Dead Fred is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
