May it never be said
That humor is dead
While the people of Britain
Have yet to be smitten.
_________________

MPA rating: R (mainly for language)

I have a soft spot for the zany, joke-a-minute parodies of the 1970s-80s, the likes of The Naked Gun, Young Frankenstein, and Spaceballs. It’s not as if the genre died since, but they generally became more crass and less funny with every attempt. It takes skill to make a spoof that works as a member of the genre it’s satirizing, and Fackham Hall manages to hit that sweet spot of both fondness for and ridicule of period drama.

Set in Depression-era England, the film focuses on the Davenport family of the titular estate. Lord Humphrey (Damian Lewis) and his wife Prudence (Katherine Waterston) are eager to marry off at least one of their daughters to cousin Archibald (Tom Felton) so as to keep Fackham Hall in the family, much to the chagrin of one such daughter Rose (Thomasin McKenzie). Meanwhile, a sneaky pickpocket named Eric (Ben Radcliffe) gets hired as a hall boy, falling in love with Rose and becoming one of many suspects when Lord Davenport is discovered killed, dead, and yes, murdered even.

While it’s an obvious send-up of the likes of Downton Abbey (which I admittedly have not seen) and various murder mysteries, Fackham Hall has wit to spare, thanks to the comedy chops of writers the Dawson Brother, Patrick Carr, and Jimmy Carr, the latter of whom plays a riotous vicar who can’t seem to notice periods in the sermons he reads. Rarely did a minute pass without multiple giggles, whether it be the family referring to their butler Cyril as “Cyri” (a la the AI assistant) or recreating “Who’s on First?”-style confusion with an inspector named Watt. And the sight gags were outstanding, whether it be Rose reading the scandalous One Shade of Grey, an only half-printed newspaper about a national ink shortage, or Eric literally dodging the title card on his bike.

Between Fackham Hall and the latest Naked Gun, it’s been nice seeing the resurgence of good parody flicks. The film also serves as proof that Thomasin McKenzie can do comedy just as well as her past dramatic roles, and even now, I can’t help but chuckle at the plethora of wordplay or one hilarious death scene in particular. While it has its fair share of off-color or low-brow humor (as evidenced by the euphemistic title), I consider Fackham Hall a modern comedy classic.

Best lines: (the Inspector, upon his arrival) “Inspector Robert Watt. I’m here regarding the murder of Lord Davenport.” (Cyril) “I’m afraid you’re too late. Someone’s already done it.”
and
(Archibald) “Ah, Rose, how did you sleep?” (Rose) “By lying on my bed and closing my eyes.”

Rank: List-Worthy

© 2026 S.G. Liput
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