Film Review: Burke and Hare

About Burke & Hare (2010)John Landis directs this British black-comedy horror based on the real-life exploits of Irish murderers William Burke and William Hare. In the early 19th century, Burke (Simon Pegg) and Hare (Andy Serkis) decide to exploit a lucrative gap in the market by providing Edinburgh’s world-renowned medical school with fresh cadavers for its research. Their methods of procuring the bodies, however, are unconventional to say the least. Christopher Lee, Isla Fisher, Tom Wilkinson and Jenny Agutter co-star.

Starring: Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Isla Fisher, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Hynes

Directed by: John Landis

Runtime: 92 minutes

Studio: MPI Home Video

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Review: Burke and Hare 

I hadn’t heard anything of John Landis for years until I happened upon this film. The director of The Blues Brothers and An American Werewolf in London had not made a film for a decade so naturally I was eager to see if he was still churning out the same classics as he did back in the eighties.

Based loosely on the true story of Burke and Hare who killed 17 people between 1827 and 1828 to provide corpses for dissection. Landis has taken a comedy slant on proceedings with Burke (Simon Pegg) and Hare (Andy Serkis) as two friends struggling to earn a living. When a tenant at Hare’s house dies the two men decide to take the corpse to Dr Robert Knox (Tom Wilkinson) who agrees to pay the two men handsomely in exchange for two corpses a week. While Hare focuses on putting his share of the money towards opening a funeral parlour with his wife Lucky (Jessica Hynes), Hare falls for actress Helen (Isla Fisher) who needs funds to put on a performance of Macbeth. With the need for two killings a week, can Burke and Hare earn enough for their individual pursuits or will the law catch up with them first?

Obviously we’re not supposed to take the film too seriously. The real Burke and Hare killed 17 people before they were captured and Hare chose to sell his partner down the road in exchange for freedom. In Landis’ film the two men are the best of friends with Hare probably the more intelligent of the two. Burke wears his heart on his sleeve especially when he falls for Helen. The two men are in the midst of poverty at the outset but a sudden turn of fate helps them down the path of murder. Dr Knox has exclusive access to corpses for dissection while his rival Dr Monro (Tim Curry) has to make do with amputated limbs from still living victims. When Monro cheekily outmanoeuvres his rival he suddenly gets access to the corpses while Dr Knox is staring defeat in the face. Burke and Hare come into the picture and an agreement is reached which has mutual benefits for all parties.

The local authorities, led impeccably by Captain McLintock (Ronnie Corbett), become suspicious as bodies start to pile up while Hare’s wife, Lucky, also begins to wonder about their sudden change of fortune. She comes to accept the arrangement, thinking long-term about the funeral parlour, but for Burke things are very different. He is in love with Helen who needs funding for her fellow actresses to put on a showing of Macbeth and uses her charm on Burke. The killings can’t go on of course and the law finally comes down on Burke and Hare and their respective love interests it’s time to see how far loyalty will stretch.

Burke and Hare has a notably good cast, especially Bill Bailey (without a beard!) as a hangman and narrator. Pegg and Serkis are a great team as Burke and Hare and Wilkinson is generally good in the films I’ve seen him in recently. Hynes and Curry are underused here but for me Fisher is a pretty weak point in the film. The film does have some funny moments and decent performances from a commendable cast but in the end it’s quite good rather than excellent. This has some of the Landis magic about it but not as much as his earlier efforts sadly.

Burke and Hare is an amusing adaptation of the Burke and Hare killings which thrives on its good cast, especially the two leads, and some funny moments as well. It’s not one of Landis’ best efforts but it’s worth a look if you’re a fan of Serkis and Pegg or just want to see Bill Bailey without his beard!

Verdict: 3/5

(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)

Film Review: Burke and Hare | Thank you for reading Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave