A hilarious spoof of beloved English period dramas Downton Abbey and Gosford Park, Fackham Hall will have audiences rolling in the aisles with its clever satire of class divisions, gender inequality, and genre tropes. You’ll need a keen eye and sharp ears to catch all the gags, as there’s humor hidden in every frame, with background shenanigans galore.
Director Jim O’Hanlon’s new comedy is a welcome diversion from the usual holiday onslaught of VFX blockbusters and dreary awards bait. There are also a few musical numbers which caught this reviewer completely by surprise. (An especially naughty tune during the second act deserves an Oscar nomination for its raunchy brilliance.)
Fackham Hall takes place in 1931 England on a palatial country estate. Lord Humphrey Davenport (Damian Lewis) and his anti-suffragist wife, Lady Davenport (Katherine Waterston), are overjoyed at the impending nuptials of their eldest daughter, Poppy (Emma Laird). She’s marrying her obnoxious first cousin Archibald (Tom Felton) in a desperate attempt to keep their family’s prized home, which can only be passed on to a male heir. The Davenport sons – drum roll, please – John, Paul, George, and Ringo were all killed during World War I. Poppy’s their biggest hope, as her younger sister, Rose (Thomasin McKenzie), is an undesirable “spinster” in her early 20s.
Meanwhile, in London, Eric Noone (Ben Radcliffe), a handsome rogue and pickpocket, returns to the orphanage where he was raised. He’s given an important item to deliver to Lord Davenport before the wedding takes place. A fateful encounter with Rose en route leads to love at first sight. The smitten Eric is then mistaken for a servant and forgets to complete the job as the wedding guests arrive. Eric’s put through his paces by the butler (Tim McMullan) and housekeeper (Anna Maxwell Martin), who don’t take kindly to the help romancing a gilded lady. Eric and Rose’s courtship leads to trouble as a shocking turn of events has Inspector Watt (Tom Goodman-Hill) taking charge.
Praise is due to the razor-sharp script written by the genius one-liner comic Jimmy Carr (who also co-stars as the Vicar), his brother Patrick, and the Dawson Brothers (famed staples of British sketch TV comedy). The talented scribes hit plenty of high notes with a no-holds-barred approach to the source material that skewers the pompous privilege of aristocrats and their lofty station above lowly commoners. The idea of incestuous coupling to preserve a bloodline gets roasted, along with how women were perceived and treated during this time. The Davenport daughters are essentially bargaining chips with zero input in their own lives, but they’re at least wealthy, as the servants exist just to cater to every idiotic whim.
Next comes the venerated ensemble of Hollywood veterans and rising newcomers. Fackham Hall has numerous ensemble scenes where each character contributes to the droll and self-deprecating banter ridiculing their gender and socioeconomic status. Loaded with pratfalls and slapstick moments, there’s a lot of back and forth that’s enhanced by physical humor. There are also props involved, like cows and rabbits falling from the sky à la Monty Python. A significant degree of coordination is required to pull off these elaborate scenes flawlessly. Lewis deserves the most recognition for Lord Davenport’s buffoonery. Averse to using his own hands to perform tasks, Lord Davenport is often positioned like a puppet with a hapless valet standing behind him in a bit that never gets old.
Every good symphony has a conductor, and Irish director Jim O’Hanlon (Coronation Street, Trying, Your Christmas or Mine?) does a banner job on all fronts. His blocking of the actors, slick editing choices, and astute camera placement with wide, expansive shots to capture grandeur are key to the film’s success. Timing is pivotal in comedy, and O’Hanlon and editor Colin Fair cut to reaction shots at just the right moment for maximum impact. Then you have the parody factor. In gleefully satirizing Downton Abbey, an extremely popular and beloved series, the Davenports must be similar to the Crawleys or the entire endeavor is a bust. But it can’t be mean-spirited or O’Hanlon risks alienating the same potential viewers for his story. There are many opportunities to fail here, but O’Hanlon’s substantial experience, with literally hundreds of TV episodes under his belt, is quite evident.
Fackham Hall has its share of twists. The biggest plot reveal is obvious from early on, not that it’s a negative. The script has to hit certain beats to create an actual narrative and not just a collection of skits. There’s no time to lose interest because something new is always tickling the funny bone, and the film remains cohesive and funny from start to finish without any lulls. This level of comedy isn’t easy and takes tremendous effort, but the laughs keep coming, even through the credits.
Fackham Hall can be enjoyed without seeing a second of the source material it lampoons. But it has to be watched with an open mind and acceptance of unabashed silliness. If you liked Airplane! and The Naked Gun (both the original and Liam Neeson’s version), then Fackham Hall is a must-see that won’t disappoint.
Fackham Hall will be released theatrically on December 5 from Bleecker Street.
- Release Date
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December 5, 2025
- Director
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Jim O’Hanlon
- Writers
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Jimmy Carr, Patrick Carr, Steve Dawson, Tim Inman, Andrew Dawson
- Producers
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Kris Thykier, Danny Perkins, Mila Cottray