Factotum
A hard-drinking drifter rejects respectable employment while chasing the freedom to write, love, gamble, and self-destruct on his own terms.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- sardonic
- melancholic
- deadpan
- late night viewing
- literary film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the adaptation engaging and largely positive, especially for its performances and darkly comic Bukowskian atmosphere, though some felt it was less convincing and less necessary than Barfly.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Chinaski repeatedly chooses jobs according to whether they leave time and energy for writing.
Alcoholism, gambling, unstable work, and casual sex are presented through Chinaski's sardonic, emotionally muted perspective.
Henry Chinaski is explicitly presented as the fictional alter ego of Charles Bukowski and carries the author's marginal writer identity into the film.
The plot tracks Chinaski moving among jobs, horse races, bars, and romantic encounters while pursuing writing.
Films like Factotum, and why
Barfly
literary antihero, alcoholism, self-destructive bohemian life, and darkly comic realism
Leaving Las Vegas
writer protagonist, alcohol-soaked artistic struggle, and sardonic existential drama
Naked
working-class alienation, deadpan humor, and emotionally abrasive male antihero
Inside Llewyn Davis
bohemian marginality, artistic ambition, and melancholic comedy around unstable relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Bent Hamer
- Release Date
- 2005-04-25
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (232)
Cast
- Matt Dillon
- Lili Taylor
- Marisa Tomei
- Fisher Stevens
- Didier Flamand
- Adrienne Shelly
- Karen Young
- Thomas Lyons
- Dean Brewington
- James Cada
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Factotum about?
- A hard-drinking drifter rejects respectable employment while chasing the freedom to write, love, gamble, and self-destruct on his own terms.
- What is Factotum like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Factotum as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Factotum violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Factotum.
- What did critics think of Factotum?
- Critics broadly found the adaptation engaging and largely positive, especially for its performances and darkly comic Bukowskian atmosphere, though some felt it was less convincing and less necessary than Barfly.
- Which films are like Factotum?
- Films with a similar feel include Barfly, Leaving Las Vegas, Naked, and Inside Llewyn Davis.
- How long is Factotum?
- Factotum runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Factotum?
- In United States, Factotum is available to rent or buy from Fandango At Home.
