Fackham Hall

• Directed by Jim O’Hanlon
• December 5, 2025 (US) / December 12, 2025 (UK)

A new porter falls for the youngest daughter of a well-known family while they deal with the fallout of their oldest daughter leaving her fiancé at the altar.

I missed Fackham Hall in theaters so I was quite excited when it landed on streaming. The trailer made it look absurd in a way that is rare for film comedy. In execution it is a mix of British period drama and Agatha Christie murder mystery while also taking jabs at pop culture or aspects of British society which might go over the heads of not-British in a series of rapid-fire jokes. Present day things like Siri and Alexa get mocked with even some literalist humor such as a visual joke involving a Tailor Swift which harkens back to classic bits of animation. A few larfs are even mildly intelligent like the running gag of the Bechdel sisters or the less intelligent instances involving the Vicar (Jimmy Carr). The speed of humor can cause you to miss some but never really causes one to step on another.

There is a long lost child mystery, a murder mystery, and romance between upper and lower class people mixed with a story of the Davenport Family desperately trying to marry any of their daughters to someone so they do not get kicked out of their stately manor because they have no male heirs. In this case a legit husband turns out to be a close relative highlighting the family motto of “Incestus ad infinitum” emblazoned above the estate’s gate is Latin for “Incest to infinity.”

There are clear pokes fun at the likes of Downton Abbey and Knives Out with maybe even a few others entering into the mix. It is great to see the parody film genre return to theaters in a way that appreciates what it is getting a laugh from. Fackham Hall never really hates something but like a true fan can see why it might be absurd. All this in a movie where there are no sacred cows with that unique British style of humor. It is stupid funny but strangely tasteful.

This is a film that makes fun of several things but not in a mean way. Those behind it at least appreciate the British murder mystery or the British period drama but can see the humor in something like yet another Agatha Christie adaption. Or the necessity to insert real people in works of fiction. Here it’s J.R.R. Tolkien (Jason Done) as a delightful side character who is working on The Lord of the Rings and finds inspiration in the film.

Weirdly it is a genuine mystery-at least when it comes to the eventual murder though the location of the missing heir is obvious from the start. The romance works with the other emerging plot threads evolving from all disparate bits.

The young couple at the center are youngest daughter Rose Davenport (Thomasin McKenzie) and adult orphan Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe) who is also a master thief. I think at least twice he steals a pair of pants somebody is wearing. It is one of those romances that can never be because of social standing. Very period drama. Eric accidentally gets a job at Fackham Hall as a hall boy over a more qualified black applicant while Rose reads books like One Shade of Grey and engages in manly things like thinking. When you see the movie you will get what I and referencing.

There’s a comedic chemistry between the two leads, but that’s because they along with the rest of the cast perform the script with deadpan seriousness. It understands that humor can be derived from characters not being aware of the comedy of their lives. Strangeness abounds here but it is all just another bit of their lives. Watch the background for jokes.

Damian Lewis as Humphrey, Lord Davenport was the biggest surprise to me. I am not too familiar with his work but what I know of it makes him appear not game for the silliness of something like Fackham Hall which is very much inspired by the humor of the ZAZ. He was quite adept at the absurdity and general physical comedy necessary. Tom Felton of Harry Potter fame does a good job as straight man villain Archibald Davenport who is holding all the cards as the de facto villain.

It doesn’t overstay welcome either. It milks every bit of humor it can but never goes on too long. This is a little over 90 minutes and if they tried for anymore, it just wouldn’t have worked. There’s only so much you can do without running it all into the ground.

Joke packed and consistently funny Fackham Hall is one of the best comedies as I’ve seen in years. It’s a great time and a film that never lets you down.