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Death at a Funeral Review

Release Date: Apr 16, 2010
Rated: for language, drug content and some sexual humor.
Runtime: 1 hr. 32 min.
Genres: Comedy
Director:Neil LaBute
Cast:Keith David, Loretta Devine, Peter Dinklage, Ron Glass, Danny Glover. Full cast + crew

Movies.com Critics

2.0

Dave White Profile <h3>Dave White</h3> <p><strong>Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex</strong></p> <br /> <p>Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/dave-white">Read full profile</a></p>

Not quite good grief. Read full review

3.0

Jen Yamato Profile <h3>Jen Yamato</h3> <p><strong>A movie fiend on a mission</strong></p> <br /> <p>Jen Yamato is a walking, popcorn-eating contradiction: she loves all kinds of cinema, from art films to schlocky B-movies...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/jen-yamato">Read full profile</a></p>

Funnier on film than in real life! Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

3.0

51

out of 100

Metascore^®
Mixed or average reviews
based on a weighted average of all
critic review scores.
50

out of 100

USA Today Claudia Puig
The only death at this funeral was that of a good movie.

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50

out of 100

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
But nothing taps his own particular talents to unsettle audiences with truly edgy material. Funeral gets no more edgy than a potty joke and a corpse tumbling out of a coffin. This is nothing more than juvenile slapstick.

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75

out of 100

ReelViews James Berardinelli
Death at a Funeral does what a good comedy is supposed to do: generate laughter. The humor gradient is lopsided - the second half, which builds comedic momentum, is significantly funnier than the first half, which is mostly set-up. Still, any such unevenness aside, the overall impression is one of enjoyability.

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83

out of 100

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
Reveling in mess and homegrown multiracial mayhem, Death at a Funeral finds a new lease on life.

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88

out of 100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
I laughed all the way through, in fact. This is the best comedy since "The Hangover," and although it's almost a scene-by-scene remake of a 2007 British movie with the same title, it's funnier than the original.

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See all Death at a Funeral reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Pause for kids 16 & under

Over-the-top funeral comedy digs into sex and potty humor.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this remake of a 2007 British comedy leaves no subject untouched in its quest to make its audiences laugh, including death, deception, and drugs. The humor's pretty adult, including a secret about a relative's sexuality, although the film has a fair helping of potty humor (thanks to Tracy Morgan) as well. There's plenty of swearing (including "s--t," "f--k" and "asshole"), and some of the movie's most pointed humor comes from the consequences of popping hallucinogenic pills. Though all played for laughs, the sibling rivalry, blackmail, and insults don't make for the best humor for impressionable kids.

Families can talk about why gatherings such as funerals, births, and holidays bring out the best and worst in families. What is it about these moments that drive people to unbox old grudges and reveal secrets?
What was so funny about the drug use in the movie? Was it realistically portrayed? What are real consequences of taking drugs like they do in the movie?
The movie's a farce, clearly, and yet it has some universal truths about families in it. What do you think they are?

The good stuff

Messages: While the takeaway is that life is too short for passing judgements, holding grudges, and not reaching out for your dreams, these messages are mixed in with plenty of drug use, swearing, and juvenile behavior (by adults).
Role models: A few of the characters aren't on their best behavior, including an insulting, elderly uncle; a condescending ex-boyfriend; a hypochondriac; a blackmailer; and more. But for the most part, everyone pulls together in the end and puts their best foot forward to honor a man's life and his family.

What to watch for

Violence: A few mildly violent moments, but all played for laughs, including: an old man aggressively poking a relative with a cane and constantly berating him; two brothers who regress and start wrestling each other because they're upset with each other; former lovers arguing loudly; a guest at the funeral accidentally drugged and thrown around.
Sex: Sexual innuendos fly; a guest shows compromising pictures of him and a lover (the audience doesn't see anything explicit, but the reaction from the characters imply that one of the pics is); references to a sexual position; a character strips while he is on drugs; another character discusses how she needs to be intimate with her husband to get pregnant; an older man hits on a younger woman.
Language: Frequently pungent: everything from "moron" to "bastard" to "damn," and "s--t," "asshole," and "f--k." Also, several uses of "Goddamn," "Oh my God," and "Jesus Christ" as exclamations.
Consumerism: A few brands name-checked, including TMZ and Valium.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: A pharmacology student hides his stash of homemade pills made from mescaline and LSD into a bottle labeled "Valium," which is then mistaken for the name on the bottle and is ingested by at least two of the characters, causing mayhem.

Common Sense Media

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