The Burial

R

Released Oct 6, 2023

2 hr. 6 min.

Drama

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List

92%

123 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O'Keefe (Academy Award® winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.

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Critics Consensus

A solid courtroom drama led by a pair of nicely contrasted performances, The Burial hits the expected genre beats -- and remains a crowd-pleasing treat at every turn.

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Audience Consensus

An inspirational underdog drama based on a true story, The Burial is well-acted and consistently entertaining, if somewhat predictable.

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Andrea C

Avvincente e leggero dramma giudiziario dove in realtà ad essere sviluppati sono soprattutto i personaggi ed i rapporti tra di loro. Sicuramente più leggero rispetto ad altri film del genere, questa pellicola si dimostra molto simile al suo protagonista Jamie Foxx; con una facciata estroversa e quasi goliardica che però viene seguita da contenuti solidi e di valore. Senza dubbio il processo non è tecnicamente eccelso ed anzi, viene un po' banalizzato in tutte le sue (poche) parti espresse. Comunque un film avvincente e gradevole, che appassiona senza però trascinare particolarmente lo spettatore.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/18/24

Full Review

Wayne M

The Burial is just flat out great entertainment. It's an engaging courtroom drama that is tightly written and very well performed. Based on true events, it's the story of Mississippi funeral home owner Jeremiah O'Keefe who is forced to sell some of his homes after falling into financial peril with a Ponzi scheme. After he believes he will be rescued by the Loewen Group of Canada, he is deceived when they fail to make payment, leaving him potentially bankrupt. Sadly O'Keefe made a handshake deal, leaving him in extreme peril. He decides to hire flashy Florida personal injury lawyer Willie Gary to take on the large corporation. This is a classic case of the little man versus the big man as the film sinks into a lengthy courtroom drama that is full of personality and wit. It's all very engaging, thanks to a tight script and great performances from Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lees Jones. I really enjoy a good courtroom drama and this is a very good one.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

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John R

Enjoyed the film, it got a little bogged down during the courtroom scenes but had enough new developments to keep me entertained. The acting was excellent!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

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Audience Member

This was an excellent movie. I didn’t have too high expectations going in but it was really good. Highly entertaining and well acted.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/24

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Jennifer C

This was a thoroughly engrossing courtroom story with people I really cared about. The film didn't take itself too seriously—there were so many light and funny moments. —At first it seemed that the subject matter (terrible title too!) wouldn't be my thing but it was about so much more than that, catching clients at their most vulnerable moments. This film had heart. And it showed humanity at its worst in the "villain" and its best in other major characters…but there were also people in the gray zone, not inherently evil but just…with a long way to go. Anyway, I register for an RT account just to say "See this movie!!!"

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/24

Full Review

Elizabeth N

I haven't truly enjoyed a movie so much in a very long time. And yes the acting was great.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

Full Review

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Maggie Betts

Director

Tommy Lee Jones

Jeremiah O'Keefe

Jamie Foxx

Willie Gary

Jurnee Smollett

Mame Downes

Mamoudou Athie

Hal Dockins

Pamela Reed

Annette O'Keefe

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The Burial: Trailer 1

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Christy Lemire

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

Jamie Foxx is enormously charismatic and so commanding.

Nov 1, 2023

Full Review

Dwight Brown

DwightBrownInk.com

Foxx is almost giddy as the gospel spirited, gaudy-dressing, cliché-spewing attorney who is out of his league but fighting to the final verdict. Frankly this is the actor’s best performance since Ray.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 19, 2023

Full Review

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

A crowd pleaser that feels old school. Make no mistake though, without Foxx's grand and grandiose performance, this cinematic case would be easily dismissed.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 18, 2023

Full Review

Fletcher Powell

KMUW - Wichita Public Radio

The Burial is far more successful as courtroom entertainment than as an investigation of corporate malfeasance... But it is good entertainment, and it’s exactly the sort of thing many of us wish Hollywood would make a dozen more of every year.

Feb 8, 2024

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a fairly generic yet mostly entertaining legal drama...

Rated: 3/4

Jan 9, 2024

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

The Film Stage

A stellar Jamie Foxx performance at the head, perfectly instilling a showboating ambulance-chasing huckster persona with deep-rooted insecurities that start to crack and a desire to do something greater.

Rated: B+

Jan 1, 2024

Full Review

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Synopsis

Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O'Keefe (Academy Award® winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.

Director: Maggie Betts
Executive Producer: Ian Watermeier
Screenwriter: Maggie Betts, Doug Wright
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Production Co: Double Nickel Entertainment, Bobby Shriver
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 13, 2023
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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