Fackham Hall 2025

When the orphaned “Eric” (Ben Radcliffe) is beatific by his nuns to bear a bulletin to “Lord Davenport” (Damian Lewis) at his august pile, he is almost through the aperture afore he is mistaken for a job appellant and active as a hall-boy. He’s absolutely a adeptness adolescent man who can anticipate on his feet, so afore too continued he is branch up the bureaucracy abaft the blooming baize aperture and alike flirting with the babe of the house. Now he’d already had a bit of an argument with “Rose” (Thomasin McKenzie) on his way up the drive on arrival, so she’s activity a little accusable and she’s additionally absolutely taken by the glint in his eye. Daddy, though, needs her to ally the affluent “Archie” (Tom Felton) abroad they accomplished ancestors could be turfed out on their ear - and boy, are they butterfingers for that! The bent “Rose”, though, is accepting none of that abiding alliance malarkey and the brace alike plan to elope afore - yep, you’ve estimated it, there’s a anatomy begin and so coiled moustachioed badge ambassador “Watt” (Tom Woodman-Hill) is beatific to investigate this best analytical of crimes. With no absence of suspects or motive, the policeman artlessly alights on the handsome but abjection stricken adolescent drifter who hopes to ally into into the family. Surely it cannot be him? Admitting this does accept it’s moments, it reminded me too abundant of Dawn French’s far above “Murder Best Horrid” (1991) with some added $.25 from "Downton Abbey” and a “Knives Out” abstruseness befuddled in for acceptable measure. It takes a pop at the vagaries of rustic England and it’s landed gentry, their attitudes and pursuits but hardly originally and the brand of Sue Johnston (doing her best Dame Maggie Smith), Anna Maxwell Martin (think Phyllis Logan does “Supergran”) and the underused Hayley Mills don’t absolutely accept abundant to assignment with to accomplish annihilation like abundant appulse on a artifice that does accept one affair actual abundant in accepted with Agatha Christie. It’s accident comes from larboard acreage and answers questions we didn’t apperceive to ask about bodies we didn't alike apperceive were in the cauldron. It’s not absolutely a whodunnit that we can accompany in with, so we watch in achievement that the humour will do added of the entertaining, and for me a abbey in a belvedere misreading bible ballad in a array of “phnaa phnaa” abbey and choir boy appearance aloof wasn’t enough. Lewis looks like he is aggravating to adore himself, but alike he seems a bit absent as to why this is funny as it began to abatement abroad and the childishness started to booty over. Of advance it’s meant to be a satire, maybe alike a banter of a satire, but I aloof didn’t absolutely acquisition it funny, sorry.