Death at a Funeral (2010)

40% of critics liked it
(127 reviews)
47% of users liked it
(99,100 ratings)

Frank Oz's 2007 black comedy Death at a Funeral is given the remake treatment with an urban spin in this Chris Rock-produced production. When a dysfunctional clan reuintes to mourn the passing of the family patriarch, a respectful funeral quickly turns into an all-out fiasco marked by bitter… More Frank Oz's 2007 black comedy Death at a Funeral is given the remake treatment with an urban spin in this Chris Rock-produced production. When a dysfunctional clan reuintes to mourn the passing of the family patriarch, a respectful funeral quickly turns into an all-out fiasco marked by bitter resentment, blackmail attempts, and scandalous revelations. Dean Craig penned the script for director Neil LaBute (The Wicker Man), with Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, and Danny Glover co-starring. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Neil LaBute
Written By: Aeysha Carr, Chris Rock, Dean Craig
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 16, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Aug 10, 2010
Studio: Sony Pictures

Critic Reviews

A.O. Scott, At the Movies
I like the cast.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
I like this new one mainly because of the cast.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
So much sameness, yet so fewer laughs.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Think of Death at a Funeral as a comic quickie. As it presses buttons, a few laughs come out, but that's all there is to it.
Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com
The stellar cast is wasted on scatological humor, running jokes that are run straight into the ground, and corpse-centered slapstick that's less inspired than "Weekend at Bernie's."
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
If for the most part Death at a Funeral is as tame as the tasteful parlor where most of its action takes place, it manages to explode one taboo, in casting mostly black actors in roles originally played by whites.
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
A little more tweaking for the actual actor's voices to come through, instead of trying to put them into pre-concieved places, may have worked better, but on the whole, it's still an excellent example of how the ensemble comedy should work.
Mike Edwards, What Culture
The only scene in which the audience noticeably reacted to the film's efforts to extract some belly laughs came in the depressingly derivative poo jokes.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...a perfectly watchable piece of work...
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
It's almost a checklist of things I don't like, but it won me over in its opening minutes and never let go.
Jeffrey Chen, Window to the Movies
The component that stayed mostly the same is the writing, which is bad news to me, since my main beef with the original movie was exactly that.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
What will creatively-bankrupt Hollywood think of next?
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Post-mortem grossout, bawdy bereavement, laugh-out-lewd feces fun and games, and a little gay dwarf tossing as a served up side order of midget mockery. Not a movie to die for.
Prairie Miller, WBAI Radio
Cinema.com: Post-mortem grossout, bawdy bereavement, laugh-out-lewd feces fun and games, and a little gay dwarf tossing as a served up side order of midget mockery. Not a movie to die for."
Derek Malcolm, This is London
The British film wasn't much better. But, beleive me, it was easier to watch than this loud mess.
Allan Hunter, Daily Express
Avoid at all costs.
Alistair Harkness, Scotsman
LaBute and his cast seem to be revelling in the opportunity to indulge in the kind of lazy farce so beloved of unambitious British cinema.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Depends very heavily on the worryingly unfunny idea of accidentally consuming hallucinogenic drugs, though I have to admit there are a few crassly funny moments...
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]
An undistinguished remake of a crude black comedy.
David Edwards, Daily Mirror [UK]
Overall, it's better than the original -- although that's not saying much.

Read all 23 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Dean M

I see this Hollywood remake from the 2007's British original comedy film, the Anglo mourners were replaced by Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover and other Afro-American performers, presumably in an attempt to bring corpse comedy to a specific target market in… More
I see this Hollywood remake from the 2007's British original comedy film, the Anglo mourners were replaced by Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover and other Afro-American performers, presumably in an attempt to bring corpse comedy to a specific target market in the States. With that eulogy complete, it might shock you - like learning your dead father had a gay dwarf lover - to discover the second Funeral stands up. On its own. Despite very little changing in terms of plot and character arcs, not much effort is required to stop comparing the old and new. Unlike most remakes, this one instantly benefits from its change of location and comedy stylings. While there isn't the predicted onslaught of "daaaaaaaaamn" additions, the shift to Afro-American affectations is subtly effective (without being quite as gut-busting as its source). Rock replaces Matthew Macfadyen as the eldest brother, and his opening jive with an undertaker neatly sets the tone of what's to follow. When Morgan shows up as that neurotic guy who thinks he has a disease, and Zoe Saldana is the girlfriend of the bloke who accidentally drops acid (excellent James Marsden), their personable performances symbolise how Funeral doesn't behave like it's a rip-off. No one channels their British counterpart; even Marsden finds different ways to wig out. When the only constant between the two films - Peter Dinklage - reprises his role as the short-statured man with a big secret, his interaction with Rock and Lawrence has more jest than from whence it derived. Morgan also scores more highly on the rambling-ninny scale than his forebear, although he's helped by getting his hands dirty in one of the only sizeable variations in jokes (here's a hint: wheelchair-bound Danny Glover needs help going to the toilet). Astoundingly, Lawrence isn't as aggravating as a mosquito in your mouth, but he capably slots in as the weak link. Rock tolerates Lawrence's paltry shots at being The Man, just as you'll be able to see past Big Momma and get a fresh kick out of this black comedy replay.
Matt G

Plenty of laugh out loud moments.
Bethany M

One of my all time favourite comedies! I couldn't stop laughing all the way through the cinema! I could re watch this for hours and still laugh at every part!
Brad W

A very funny comedy that worked for me, it had a plot like The Hangover, which is what I enjoyed about it. It had great moments and missed oppurtunities. Basically my conclusion is it if a funny movie but it was afraid to cut loose, so i give it a B+.
Film C

It really is a word by word, scene by scene version of the original english movie, i think if you mixed the casts up from both versions then it would make an awesome remake funny as hell but it didnt so its crap.
Chris W

I have not seen the not that old original version that this film is a remake of, but apparently the only real difference between them is that the original was white and British, and this one is (mostly) African American. That sounds just fine to me. I enjoy comedy based on absurd… More
I have not seen the not that old original version that this film is a remake of, but apparently the only real difference between them is that the original was white and British, and this one is (mostly) African American. That sounds just fine to me. I enjoy comedy based on absurd farce, culture, and the snowball effect, which is what this movie does quite well. I'm baffled by reviews for this. Most seem to really dislike it. They either have a love of the original and/or just couldn't find this funny. Why not? This movie was hysterical. Okay, so maybe some of the jokes go on for too long, but the cast is what really holds it all together. This is a really great ensemble cast filled with both comedians and prestigious actors. They all bring the laughs and show terrific chemistry with one another. While James Marsden probably has the funnest part, my favorite is Danny Glover as Uncle Russell- the archetypical crotchety old black man in a wheelchair who swears and hits people with his cane. A funeral is a great setting for comedy. Yeah, it does get treated like a sacred thing, and it is, but come on, that's part of what makes it ripe for some hilarious farcical events. Everything that could go wrong does, and one bad thing after another keeps on happening. Just when you think it can't get much worse, it does. Things do work out of course, and it seemed like all plot threads tied up (save for the Frank one), so that's cool. I don't get why there's so much hate. This is a hilarious and entertaining film. Maybe I need to see the original or something.You should go out and give this one a chance, seriously.
Alexis N

I don't know what to say about this movie other than I loved it. It's hysterical. The cast is amazing. I love black comedies.. not black as in the cast is mostly African American, but like nothing is going right but it's funny as hell. I want to see the original one… More
I don't know what to say about this movie other than I loved it. It's hysterical. The cast is amazing. I love black comedies.. not black as in the cast is mostly African American, but like nothing is going right but it's funny as hell. I want to see the original one now. ps: James Marsden is the funniest ever.
Martin B

Surprisingly funny
Red L

I never saw the original, so I did not mind this movie. Perhaps it is the mood I was in when I saw it. You have to throw out any semblance of realism, and just laugh at the silly jokes - the dwarf getting thrown into the casket, the naked guys on the roof, the normal-straight-laced… More
I never saw the original, so I did not mind this movie. Perhaps it is the mood I was in when I saw it. You have to throw out any semblance of realism, and just laugh at the silly jokes - the dwarf getting thrown into the casket, the naked guys on the roof, the normal-straight-laced people running around high on drugs.
Dead A

Why does a remake of a movie always get tons of bad reviews? Well after watching this movie, the answer I could get was, "No wonder". This wasn't funny. And the shit-joke that they made was clearly disgusting. I was expecting more by seeing James Marsden in it. But… More
Why does a remake of a movie always get tons of bad reviews? Well after watching this movie, the answer I could get was, "No wonder". This wasn't funny. And the shit-joke that they made was clearly disgusting. I was expecting more by seeing James Marsden in it. But yeah, this was a trash. Don't recommend it to watch.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Cast: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Zoe Saldana, Regina Hall, Columbus Short, Peter Dinklage Director: Neil LaBute Summary: Put-upon Aaron (Chris Rock) is always plagued by drama and dysfunction, but he encounters more than… More
Cast: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Zoe Saldana, Regina Hall, Columbus Short, Peter Dinklage Director: Neil LaBute Summary: Put-upon Aaron (Chris Rock) is always plagued by drama and dysfunction, but he encounters more than he can handle while attempting to plan his father's funeral. What's a family gathering without jealousy, tension and blackmail? My Thoughts: "I'll keep this short.. The acting was OK by most, it had it's funny moments, and seemed to stay close to the original English film. BUT.. It was no where near as funny as the English version of this film. If you haven't seen the English 2007 version then you are missing out. Rent that one instead of this one. It won't disappoint. This film failed. The funniest one's on here was Danny Glover, James Marsden, Tracy Morgan, and Zoe Saldana. Some films should be left alone and not re-made."
A.D. V

No idea this was a remake so that helped from keeping me distracted by that fact. Considering I don't like most of the cast I was fairly surprised by how much I actually liked it. Its not the funniest thing I've seen this year but it did have a heathy amount of laughs and… More
No idea this was a remake so that helped from keeping me distracted by that fact. Considering I don't like most of the cast I was fairly surprised by how much I actually liked it. Its not the funniest thing I've seen this year but it did have a heathy amount of laughs and was certainly never boring. Now I guess I'll check out the original.
James A

Scene for scene it was basically the same movie , but with different energy.
Lorenzo v

"This is one sad family." A funeral ceremony turns into a debacle of exposed family secrets and misplaced bodies. <center>"This is one sad family." A funeral ceremony turns into a debacle of exposed family secrets and misplaced bodies. <center>REVIEW</center> Let me cut it short. There was a refreshing, funny, utterly lovable and enjoyable death - comedy titled Death at a Funeral. It's not even outdated, came out a couple of years ago. This movie tries to live up to the original English comedy, but despite the brilliant actors like Glover and David, it doesn't succeed. It actually made every mistake a remake can make, therefore the original remains brilliant and this one is just a weak copy. Sad, but true. They tried, even tried hard, I admit, but there are things that best remain untouched. Death at a Funeral is one of them. It's a nice try, but will disappear undocumented, unlike the original one that remains a fine example of English black humor.
Pedro H

This is one sad family. Funny, just funny I must admit i was kinda hyped for this movie. But hey it was just alright now! All these famous BET actors join up to make a British remake, and well they did it better. Chris rock and all these guys like Dinklage made this movie clearly… More
This is one sad family. Funny, just funny I must admit i was kinda hyped for this movie. But hey it was just alright now! All these famous BET actors join up to make a British remake, and well they did it better. Chris rock and all these guys like Dinklage made this movie clearly funny, but either then that this movie deserves nothing but a standard critic because after all this is a standard movie, a movie just for laughs. Jeff: He got in a fight with the table, and the table won.
Josh L

I haven't seen the original so no comparisons, but I thought this was quite funny and enjoyable. It has plenty of absurd situations that aren't particularly in good taste, but as long as it is funny I don't mind. And it was. It dives right in from the get go and… More
I haven't seen the original so no comparisons, but I thought this was quite funny and enjoyable. It has plenty of absurd situations that aren't particularly in good taste, but as long as it is funny I don't mind. And it was. It dives right in from the get go and doesn't let up. James Marsden got on my nerves a little with his over the top performance, but Zoe Saldana makes up for it. I'm becoming a fan of Columbus Short as well, who carried "Armored" all the way through and has the chops for comedy as well. Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan do their typical shtick while Chris Rock is dialed down mostly, which worked. Danny Glover was a little annoying too, but his character isn't in it much. It's worth the 90 minute investment if you like this sort of comedy or the cast. I liked both, for the most part.
KJ P

Hilarious, but awful! Death at a Funeral has half the cast of hollywood present, and fails on doing everything right. It's a funeral and everyones smiling, yes it is supposed to be funny, and it is very funny, but there is no plot. The plot is a bunch of people a funeral all day,… More
Hilarious, but awful! Death at a Funeral has half the cast of hollywood present, and fails on doing everything right. It's a funeral and everyones smiling, yes it is supposed to be funny, and it is very funny, but there is no plot. The plot is a bunch of people a funeral all day, trying to finish the ceremony. Very disappointing, to say the very least. I expected a lot more, even though I laughed really hard at how dumb it was!
Spencer S

I wasn't expecting big laughs compared to the original, and I was right. The original had dry, British wit, which made the extreme circumstances surrounding the funeral hilarious. Adding several expletives and changing the amazing dialouge is not a good idea.
J P

James Marsden was by far the funniest actor in this movie. He did a great job playing the drugged boyfriend, it was hysterical. I thought the entire movie was hilarious and the actors were great. I would totally watch it again.
Luke B

Chris Rock once commented on his admiration for Ricky Gervais, and how he can quietly deliver a joke with absolute confidence in the punchline. He then went on to say how he had no confidence in himself, and that is why he repeats punchlines, each time getting louder and LOUDER. In… More
Chris Rock once commented on his admiration for Ricky Gervais, and how he can quietly deliver a joke with absolute confidence in the punchline. He then went on to say how he had no confidence in himself, and that is why he repeats punchlines, each time getting louder and LOUDER. In his defense, he is probably the quietest person in this film. A remake of the sensational English movie of the same name, shows a new low for American cinema. A remake of a 3 year old film that was in English to begin, and was even helmed by an American director. WHAT IS THE POINT? Well, the exact same jokes are here but each one is LOUDER. After the father falls out of the coffin, the irritating Tracy Morgan then commentates on what he just saw "He was BANG, and I was like DAMN!" The need for loud "comedians" to reiterate what just happened in something considered part of a visual medium, is confusing and aggravating. James Marsden is a bit of a shining star here, as he manages to come up with some different absurd acts to engage in. Other than that, the exact same jokes for people that find LOUD, funny. Neil LaBute should once again FUCK-OFF, after a second failed attempt at an American remake of a British classic.