“Fackham Hall” is directed by Jim O’Hanlon (Coronation Street, Your Christmas or Mine?) and stars Thomasin McKenzie (Last Night in Soho, Joy), Ben Radcliffe (Pandora, Anatomy of a Scandal), Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Afraid), Emma Laird (The Brutalist, A Haunting in Venice), Tom Goodman-Hill (Baby Reindeer, Humans), Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House, Motherland), Sue Johnston (Downton Abbey, Coronation Street), Tom Felton (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Flash), and Damian Lewis (Billions, Homeland). This film showcases the shenanigans and problems that ensue as a porter forms a bond with the daughter of a prominent family, just as said family is coming together for an extravagant wedding.

If I had to give a rundown of my most anticipated films of the year back in January, chances are “Fackham Hall” would not have made the list, partially because I had no idea it was coming out. In fact, I was first made aware of the film while watching trailers before the underwhelming horror flick “Bone Lake.” This film, like that one, is distributed by Bleecker Street, so it makes sense that the red band trailer, which played exclusively in theaters at the time, would be the last thing I’d see before the feature presentation. But if I were to go back in time and tell my younger self that “Fackham Hall” would be coming out in December, then maybe I would have considered putting it on the list. This is partially because I would tell my younger self that the trailer gave me the biggest belly laughs I have had watching a piece of marketing in years. I do not recall the last time I watched a trailer and nearly lost self-control from cackling as audibly as I did.

Unfortunately, “Fackham Hall” was not as good as I was expecting it to be. Do not get me wrong. It was not an automatic guarantee that this film was not going to work for me. This film is being marketed as “Downton Abbey” meets “Airplane.” As much as I enjoyed “Airplane,” “Downtown Abbey” never struck me as my kind of show. This is why you never saw me review any of the “Downton Abbey” movies. I never watched the show, so it would not make a lot of sense for me to watch the movies. Though I went into this film with an open mind because it came off as something that one could appreciate without necessarily needing to watch “Downton Abbey.” One can argue such a thing to be true.

Among the reasons why I was looking forward to this film, one of them is the the fact that comedian Jimmy Carr is attached to the project. If you know me, you would be aware that Jimmy Carr is one of my all time favorite comedians. I watch his specials on YouTube on a regular basis. I have seen him a few times when he’s performed in New England. I also like him as a game show host. In fact, he is one of the film’s five writers, making this his first screenplay. Carr also has a small role in the film as a vicar. He is only on screen for one to two minutes, but he plays his part to the best of his ability. This is not to say he did a bad job, but he played a character who basically has one running joke, specifically that he says things that sound taboo or wrong, only for him to pause and finish the rest of what he has to say. On paper, the joke is funny. But I have seen the trailer for this film and as someone who was looking forward to seeing Jimmy Carr on screen, I wish he had some variety in his material.

In fact, remember how I said the trailer was one of the funniest I have ever seen? It does not mean the movie is. I think part of that has to do with seeing the trailer in the first place. One of my biggest fears going into any comedy film is the possibility that they show all the best bits in the marketing, and based on what I have seen through “Fackham Hall’s” marketing in particular, I cannot name one joke in that stood out to me that was not in the trailer. Also, multiple jokes likely lost their intended effect since I already got to see them in advance. Other than that, there are a lot of jokes that feel too over the top, and that is saying something for a film called “Fackham Hall.” The film is filled with a lot of toilet and taboo humor. It often came off as if it were being written by a young child who just learned what the word “boobies” means.

Overall, the film has a lot of jokes. Therefore, those jokes trigger a lot of reactions. For a film that ultimately left me underwhelmed, I had a surprising amount of laughs. That said, I cannot really name a favorite joke. Also, with this movie having a lot of jokes, it also indicates that a good chunk of them fell flat. There are a few references to The Beatles and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. While the jokes sound clever on the page, they feel less clever on the screen. I could see myself writing these gags down and amusing myself as I read them, but their delivery in the film did not do it for me. Lots of comedies have jokes that are better than others. Although in the case of “Fackham Hall,” the balance between good jokes and bad jokes is not exactly satisfying.

Also, once again, “Fackham Hall” is written by four people. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall to see the process of the screenplay being put together. I want to know who came up with the best jokes of the film, who came up with the weakest, and how everyone decided to tie the story together. The film comes very close to having an identity crisis. While the film is often smooth sailing, it introduces a mystery plot that makes sense within the context of the film, but it simultaneously feels tacked on.

For all I know, this movie could age well and find an audience over time. If anything, I blame myself for perhaps getting so overly invested in the film prior to its release. This film left such a lasting impression on me before it came out that it only increased the chances that I would be disappointed.

Do not get me wrong. My feelings about the film do not change my opinions about the people involved. Thomasin McKenzie is a great actress and it is nice to see her find work. I am proud of Jimmy Carr for expanding his horizons and doing something outside of standup and game shows. One of the film’s writers happens to be Jimmy’s brother, Patrick Carr. It is lovely to see family working together. Overall, the cast of the film, even the most minor of characters, all do a fantastic job with their roles. I just wish all this talent resulted in something more entertaining.

In the end, “Fackham Hall” is one of the most of the disappointing films of the year for me. Maybe I set my expectations too high, which could be part of the problem. But that initial trailer, to me, promised so much potential for laughter that my hype levels reached the sun. There were definitely laughs in “Fackham Hall,” just not to my desired degree. Once again, this film has five writers. I wonder if that played a part in this film’s pace, because by the time we get to the murder mystery portion of the film, it felt rather out of the blue. Not necessarily in a satisfying and twisty way, but instead it made me go, “Okay, so this is happening…” I would not avoid this movie like the plague, but I still would not recommend it. I am going to give “Fackham Hall” a 5/10.

“Fackham Hall” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for “Scarlet!” Stay tuned! Also coming soon, look forward to my thoughts on “The Secret Agent,” “Hamnet,” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Fackham Hall?” What did you think about it? Or, what are your thoughts on “Downton Abbey?” Is it a good show? Are the movies worth watching? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!