Marshall’s 2007 film Death at a Funeral delivers pure mayhem and laughter as one man attempts to lay his recently departed father to rest, only for a mysterious stranger to turn up at the ceremony.
Accidental drug consumption, simmering family tensions, sharp wit and slapstick comedy are all thrown into the mix and blended together to brilliant effect.
Death at a Funeral boasts a stellar cast including Pride and Prejudice and Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen, Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage, Keeley Hawes from The Durrells, Sherlock star Rupert Graves, Trainspotting actor Ewen Bremner, The Capture’s Andy Nyman, and Firefly’s Alan Tudyk, alongside Marshall.
Despite being directed by Bowfinger filmmaker Frank Oz and filmed in America, Death at a Funeral remains quintessentially British in spirit.
The film was remade in 2010 by the same production team, including writer Dean Craig, who authored the original, and star Dinklage, who returned to his role for the new version. Nevertheless, the original continues to be widely regarded as the superior film.
Audiences on IMDb have heaped praise upon the British comedy, with many singing its praises enthusiastically.
One viewer wrote in their 10/10 review: “It’s been a while since there’s been a genuinely good British farce, but this one pressed all the right buttons.” Another viewer posted: “Death at a Funeral has a distinct Four Weddings and a Funeral feel.”
They went on to elaborate: “Despite being directed by a Yank, Death at a Funeral has a very British flavour.
“In fact, at times it reminded me of nothing less than an extended episode of Fawlty Towers, minus the manic genius of John Cleese.”
A third user claimed they “nearly died laughing” in their 9/10 review, explaining: “This film reminded me a bit of “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, but even more of those British madcap black comedies of the 60s with Alec Guinness or Peter Sellers.”
Yet another reviewer titled their 10/10 rating: “One of the years best comedies” and remarked “When we came out of the theater, we’ve had tears in our eyes – it was just too hilarious! I haven’t laughed that much in a movie for quite a while [sic].” Before concluding: “You won’t regret watching it!”
Death at a Funeral is streaming on Prime Video for a fee