Burke and Hare (2011)
Average Rating: 4.9/10
Reviews Counted: 53
Fresh: 18 | Rotten: 35
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 5/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 9
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 14,380
My Rating
Movie Info
From John Landis, the director of Animal House and The Blues Brothers, Burke & Hare is adark comedy/thriller staring Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Curry and Isla Fisher as the unfortunate denizens of 19th century Edinburgh, a setting rife with murder, theft, prostitution, corpse snatching, experimental medicine, and of course Shakespeare. -- (C) IFC Films
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Cast
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Simon Pegg
Burke, William Burke -
Andy Serkis
Hare, William Hare -
Isla Fisher
Ginny, Helen McDougal -
Jessica Hynes
Lucky -
Tom Wilkinson
Doctor Knox, Dr. Robert... -
Ronnie Corbett
Captain Tam McLintoch -
Tim Curry
Doctor Monroe, Dr. Monr... -
Michael Smiley
Patterson -
Reece Shearsmith
Sergeant Mackenzie -
David Schofield
Fergus -
Bill Bailey
Angus, Hangman -
Alan Corduner
Nicephone -
Hugh Bonneville
Lord Harrington -
Christopher Lee
Joseph, Old Joseph -
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Burke and Hare Trailer & Photos
All Critics (55) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (35) | DVD (1)
Rarely has the ratio of quality talent to dismal returns been as high as in "Burke & Hare,'' a macabre British period piece that's nowhere near as funny as it thinks.
Top Critic"Burke and Hare" is a waste of a good cast and a better story, as well as a hollow reminder of how John Landis seemingly has lost his touch.
A droll take on one of the most notorious mass-murder cases of the 19th century.
It's just scene after scene of two obnoxious people killing various other obnoxious people.
All of the actors are enjoying themselves, and the movie is stuffed with history, atmosphere and vivid characters. What's in short supply, though, is laughter.
To call it a black comedy is probably misleading: It's grey at best, and apart from a few scattered chuckles, it dies as quickly and gracelessly as Burke and Hare's victims.
A misfire to be sure, Burke & Hare's comedic timing feels one step off, resulting in a film with solid performances and an amusing story, but not many laughs and not much replay value.
Not a first-ranked film, but for fans of horror or even just comedy, BURKE AND HARE is will worth seeing.
'Burke & Hare', it's all a bit Monty Python without enough Monty or Python.
Landis, the master comic talent behind Animal House and An American Werewolf in London, falters with this rusty comeback, his first feature since 1998.
...simply too mild - it's neither very scary nor very funny. It's not great.
Expectations can be a bad thing for movies, and Burke And Hare is a good example of this.
A mildly funny dark comedy with iconic British wit and tongue-in-cheek humor.
John Landis returns with a macabre spoof of Enlightenment Scotland, starring Simon Pegg and Andy Serkis as entrepreneurial serial killers furthering the cause of science...and the arts.
The actors give the whole thing a sense of genial goodwill, but that's not exactly what you want out of a movie about two craven murderers.
Burke & Hare offers many pleasures, chief among them the return of the Landis of old.
Audience Reviews for Burke and Hare
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- William Hare: A man's going to die from the moment he leaves his mother's womb. Their fate's already been determined.All we'd be doing is helping them along a bit.
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- Helen McDougal: And what do you do?
- Burke: I'm in surgical supplies.
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- Doctor Monroe: And how are your students enjoying your lectures?
- Doctor Knox: Not as much as they are enjoying your wife, sir!
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- Angus: Now when the demand for a certain commodity exceeds the supply, it creates a business opportunity just waiting for the right kind of clever entrepreneurs to step in.
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- Burke: I had confidence in a fart once, and I shat all over myself.
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- Burke: We no money to speak of, no plan.
Discussion Forum
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Latest News on Burke and Hare
September 8, 2011:
Critics Consensus: Contagion and Warrior are Certified FreshThis week at the movies, we've got a deadly virus (Contagion, starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth...
October 19, 2010:
Simon Pegg Talks Nerd Do Well, Burke and HareIn a new interview, Simon Pegg discusses his autobiography ("Nerd Do Well") and next film ("Burke...
May 17, 2010:
Andy Serkis Talks The Hobbit, Tintin, and MoreWith roles in "The Hobbit," "Tintin," "Burke & Hare," and the Ian Dury biopic "Sex & Drugs & Rock &...
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Foreign Titles
- Burke & Hare (DE)
- Cadavres à la Pelle (FR)
It's supposedly a horror comedy according to the marketing strategy it used. Question is was it scary? No. Was it funny? Sometimes. The fact is it's been panned since release but it's not an entirely bad movie. John Landis who brought us An American Werwolf in London; a hilarious and original horror comedy has the perfect cast at his disposal. But they were far too restrained by the flimsy script to make full use of their comedic talent. When you have Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis and Ronnie Corbet you have to provide them with the best material and often this film doesn't deliver. There's a lot worse out there, it isn't Shaun of the Dead but Burke and Hare gives off frequent chuckles and a couple good laughs but not enough ultimately to sustain it's running time. It's fair at best.