Drop Dead Fred

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2:08

Drop Dead Fred

PG-13

1991

1h 43m

Fantasy

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

13%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

An unhappy housewife (Phoebe Cates) gets a lift from the return of her imaginary childhood friend, Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall).

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Critics Consensus

Tackling mature themes with an infantile sensibility, Drop Dead Fred is an ill-conceived family comedy that is more likely to stir up a headache than the imagination.

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

May 5, 2014

Drop Dead Fred is an erratic stab at making madness sensible, a slapstick nightmare that goes too sane, that tries too hard to be both good and rotten.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

May 5, 2014

0/4

This is easily one of the worst films I've ever seen.

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Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

May 5, 2014

1.5/4

The episodic flashbacks are cast in an unfunny Freudian light -- domineering mother, helpless hubby, the tragically withdrawn child. What a laugh riot!

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Tony Black

Cultural Conversation

Feb 16, 2021

2/5

The crucial problem of course is that for a comedy, it's not really very funny.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Sep 11, 2020

5/10

Fred is a particularly crass, unappealing imaginary friend, going out of his way to stir up trouble more than engaging in fun activities.

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Jorge Loser

Espinof

Aug 11, 2020

3.5/5

A fantastic cult comedy. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Sarah T

@DropDeadFred101 Sep 19, 2026

One of my favourite films! Rik Mayall was a comedy genius and I dont think this film got the recognition it deserved!

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Cheryl K

@Cheztats Sep 10, 2026

An absolute gem of a film that is part of so many childhoods. Perfect casting of the late, great, The Rik Mayall!! British humour at its finest.

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Susie C

@Catz72 Aug 16, 2026

Great little film. Miss him

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Tom F

@RT55173143 Jul 27, 2026

An insane but ultimately uninteresting mess.

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School E

@RT90199171 Jun 25, 2026

My parents grew up watching this, and I cannot understand it. I normally enjoy films like this like little monster at Beetlejuice, but I just couldn’t stand drop dead, Fred I hate those types of movies where the main character gets blamed for doing something that they didn’t do and this is the whole movie, and I hate that it’s normalized in this universe for being a maniac definitely deserves to reviews from the critics

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Meme T

@RT87109821 Jun 20, 2026

SPOILER ALERT! I feel that critics really don't understand this movie at all. Fred doesn't always have to be funny to an adult because he's an imaginary friend he's created to help children, he got locked away for many years and when he got out Elizabeth was all grown up. How would he know what she found funny anymore, he only knows what she was like back when she was a kid. Fred can be funny though, he causes a lot of chaos and even destroys a boat. But this movie is also pretty depressing, such as how Elizabeth's mom treats her throughout the entire film, how when somebody takes all of the pills their imaginary friend dies, and how at the end of the movie after everything, Elizabeth collapses in her childhood home, she faces everything that has haunted her in this dream, her cheating husband, her mother, and her childhood self taped to a bed, and she overcomes everything and she doesn't need Fred anymore so she kissed him and said "Drop Dead Fred" and he disappeared, just gone.

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Ate de Jong

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Phoebe Cates

Elizabeth

Rik Mayall

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Drop Dead Fred: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

An unhappy housewife (Phoebe Cates) gets a lift from the return of her imaginary childhood friend, Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall).

Director: Ate de Jong
Producer: Paul Webster
Screenwriter: Elizabeth Livingston, Carlos Davis, Anthony Fingleton
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 19, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.9M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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