Clockwise
A rigidly punctual English headmaster races toward a crucial conference while travel failures and mounting embarrassment turn his carefully ordered day into farce.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- witty
- frantic
- awkward
- lazy sunday
- comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised John Cleese's sustained comic performance and the originality of the escalating farce, while noting that the sketch-like structure loses momentum near the climax.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Brian Stimpson's obsessive punctuality and formal self-command gradually give way to increasingly frantic behavior as his journey goes wrong.
Stimpson's headmaster role and the Headmasters' Conference provide the setting for pointed observations about public and private education.
The important speech at the annual Headmasters' Conference gives Stimpson's increasingly chaotic trip its urgent objective.
Train travel, public telephones, school authority, and conference etiquette repeatedly frustrate Stimpson's expectation that systems should function properly.
Films like Clockwise, and why
A Fish Called Wanda
shared british farce, escalating everyday chaos, and a tightly wound protagonist unraveling under social pressure
The Class Divide
shared workplace satire, awkward authority figures, and escalating comic disorder in a distinctly british setting
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
shared farcical structure, frantic logistical problems, and comedy driven by an increasingly desperate central character
The History Boys
shared british institutional satire, eccentric adults, and discomforting but affectionate comic observation
Movie Details
- Director
- Christopher Morahan
- Release Date
- 1986-03-01
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (225)
Cast
- John Cleese
- Penelope Wilton
- Alison Steadman
- Stephen Moore
- Joan Hickson
- Benjamin Whitrow
- Geoffrey Palmer
- Michael Aldridge
- Sharon Maiden
- Penny Leatherbarrow
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- 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 Clockwise about?
- A rigidly punctual English headmaster races toward a crucial conference while travel failures and mounting embarrassment turn his carefully ordered day into farce.
- What is Clockwise like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Clockwise as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Clockwise violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Clockwise.
- What did critics think of Clockwise?
- Critics broadly praised John Cleese's sustained comic performance and the originality of the escalating farce, while noting that the sketch-like structure loses momentum near the climax.
- Which films are like Clockwise?
- Films with a similar feel include A Fish Called Wanda, The Class Divide, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and The History Boys.
- How long is Clockwise?
- Clockwise runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Clockwise?
- In United States, Clockwise is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
