Fackham Hall: A Hilarious Spoof Touching the Heights of Downton Abbey

Created by British comedian Jimmy Carr and his writer/producer brother Patrick Carr, Fackham Hall may not become one of the great movie spoofs, but it provides plenty of humorous moments for Downton Abbey enthusiasts. Timed perfectly, it arrives just a few months after the supposed last movie of the Downton Abbey series.

This spoof, like many others, emphasizes the ratio of gags to the quality of each, ensuring that even if one joke misses its mark, another is just around the corner. Directed by Jim O’Hanlon, the film features a cast of serious actors, including Damian Lewis as a humorously clueless Lord Davenport, and Katherine Waterston as the stern Lady Davenport. Shooting took place at a notable estate in Liverpool, adding to the authenticity of the parody.

Despite its strong cast and setting, some jokes are too obvious to truly land, and some, like a mistaken pronunciation of Fackham Hall, quickly become tiresome. Nonetheless, the comedy revives when a murder occurs and the film shifts to parody Agatha Christie’s mystery tales.

Though Downton Abbey, Gosford Park, and Upstairs, Downstairs might not lend themselves as easily to parody as horror and disaster movies, Fackham Hall manages to generate plenty of laughter, provided viewers are patient with the jokes that miss the mark.