Fackham Hall

When the orphaned “Eric” (Ben Radcliffe) is sent by his nuns to deliver a message to “Lord Davenport” (Damian Lewis) at his stately pile, he is barely through the door before he is mistaken for a job applicant and employed as a hall-boy. He’s quite a savvy young man who can think on his feet, so before too long he is heading up the hierarchy behind the green baize door and even flirting with the daughter of the house. Now he’d already had a bit of an altercation with “Rose” (Thomasin McKenzie) on his way up the drive on arrival, so she’s feeling a little guilty and she’s also quite taken by the glint in his eye. Daddy, though, needs her to marry the wealthy “Archie” (Tom Felton) else they whole family could be turfed out on their ear - and boy, are they unequipped for that! The determined “Rose”, though, is having none of that arranged marriage malarkey and the pair even plan to elope before - yep, you’ve guessed it, there’s a body found and so curly moustachioed police inspector “Watt” (Tom Woodman-Hill) is sent to investigate this most curious of crimes. With no absence of suspects or motive, the policeman naturally alights on the handsome but poverty stricken young stranger who hopes to marry into into the family. Surely it cannot be him? Though this does have it’s moments, it reminded me too much of Dawn French’s far superior “Murder Most Horrid” (1991) with some additional bits from "Downton Abbey” and a “Knives Out” mystery thrown in for good measure. It takes a pop at the vagaries of rustic England and it’s landed gentry, their attitudes and pursuits but hardly originally and the likes of Sue Johnston (doing her best Dame Maggie Smith), Anna Maxwell Martin (think Phyllis Logan does “Supergran”) and the underused Hayley Mills don’t really have enough to work with to make anything like enough impact on a plot that does have one thing very much in common with Agatha Christie. It’s denouement comes from left field and answers questions we didn’t know to ask about people we didn't even know were in the cauldron. It’s not really a whodunnit that we can join in with, so we watch in hope that the humour will do more of the entertaining, and for me a vicar in a pulpit misreading bible verse in a sort of “phnaa phnaa” bishop and choir boy fashion just wasn’t enough. Lewis looks like he is trying to enjoy himself, but even he seems a bit bemused as to why this is funny as it began to fall away and the puerility started to take over. Of course it’s meant to be a satire, maybe even a satire of a satire, but I just didn’t really find it funny, sorry.

I wouldn't have watched this but the name. It's better than Meet the Fockers. I didn't watch that because I thought the name was stupid. This is subtle. I watched it.

After, I spent a few moments figuring out if this was released by the same company that did the Naked Gun remake. But maybe it's like Tornado or that twin film of Dante's Peak. This is funnier. At least two funny things:

I struggle to define walls, too. He was just a child

It does drag but I got dragged back from my phone a few times to laugh. I did get a little high. Used the choke of my pipe as a roach clip, actually. Pretty proud of that.

A refreshingly great comedy with hints from Monty Python and Benny Hill. It's simple humor. I smiled and laughed throughout the first 1/2 of the movie.

My interest was kept up until about 3/4 of the movie but it then became obvious how the script would end. I hoped for some unpredictable humor.

A light british comedy that is almost contnuously entertaining and so easy to watch.

RATING: 7.5/10

**FACKHAM HALL** is the surprise comedy hit of 2026\*—tapping into a niche ripe for modern satire: the distinctly British social structure of aristocracy obsessed with peerage and prestige.

Fans of **DOWNTON ABBEY** and **THE CROWN** will relish its comedic send-up of all things upper-crust, from the stately Fackham Hall -- with its coat of arms "***Incestus ad Infinitum***" -- a joke that in and of itself lampoons centuries of inbreeding within royal families scattered across Europe since the Middle Ages, to a hapless Vicar (Jimmy Carr) whose ill-timed pauses at the rostrum during service result in some of the funniest innuendos heard outside of a **NAKED GUN** or **AIRPLANE!** film.

With great performances from Damian Lewis, Katherine Waterston, Thomasin McKenzie, and Ben Radcliffe -- the biggest surprise is from Tom Felton, as the would-be groom marrying into the esteemed Davenport family dynasty by hook or crook in a comedic turn that I hope results in more comedy performances.

With nonstop sight gags, a hilarious Bechdel Test joke, a brilliant reference to Snoop Dog and Drake, **FACKHAM HALL** is proof that comedies are making a long overdue comeback at the cinema -- and I couldn't be happier.

Directed by Jim O'Hanlon, and written by Steve Dawson, Andrew Dawson, and Tim Inman, **FACKHAM HALL** is now streaming on HBO -- and highly recommended.

\*released December 2025