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The Hippopotamus

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for The Hippopotamus Released Jun 15, 2017 1h 29m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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57% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Poet Ted Wallace is summoned to his friend's country manor to investigate a series of unexplained miracles.
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The Hippopotamus

Critics Reviews

View All (14) Critics Reviews
Wendy Ide Observer (UK) This adaptation of Stephen Fry's novel leans heavily on the elegant profanity of the source material. Rated: 3/5 Jun 4, 2017 Full Review Kevin Maher Times (UK) A towering, at times monumentally good central performance from the character actor Roger Allam stands at the heart of The Hippopotamus, but it is entirely alone. Rated: 2/5 Jun 2, 2017 Full Review David Parkinson Empire Magazine Despite a wonderfully witty voiceover and the bullish playing of a willing ensemble, this bawdy romp consistently stumbles over its more contrived excesses. Rated: 2/5 Jun 1, 2017 Full Review Sarah Cartland Caution Spoilers Director John Jencks does a great job highlighting the cognitive dissonance resulting from the human race's uneasy blend of practicality and credulity. And Roger Allam is terrific as the self-loathing Ted Wallace, drunk poet turned drunk sleuth. Rated: 4/5 Mar 9, 2019 Full Review Matthew Bond The Mail on Sunday (UK) Sex, alcohol and a generous helping of four-letter invective all feature in a comedy-drama somewhat over-reliant on large gobbets of fruity narration and totally indebted to Allam's stand-out turn. Rated: 3/5 Oct 10, 2017 Full Review Jessica Baxter Hammer Film Reviews The rest of the supporting characters are little more than targets of Wallace's diatribes. That's not to say that the A plot lacks appeal. But Wallace is, without a doubt, the star of the show. Aug 7, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ian W A really odd film. I'm a big fan of Stephen Fry, but not really sure where this one is coming from. Roger Allam is perfectly cast, but can't really save it. Is the main character a faith healer or a con artist? And do we care? All is revealed in a sub-Poirot/Mrs Marple denouement. It's just really odd. 5/10. "It passed the time", yup that's about it. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Paul C Pretentious nonsense. Tried hard to see the point of the story but gave up, although I did see it to the end. I'm sure few people would have watched the film if it weren't for the cast. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/11/22 Full Review Audience Member Hippopotamus 14.2.21 4.5/0. I enjoyed this more than the last two films I watched, quite mesmerising. The ending had a feeling of stiltedness and a lack of closure, like an ongoing study. D.B. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Really brilliant and comic use of language. Many laugh out loud moments! Loved it. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie must have took a life time to write . A lot of it went over my head but that was clearly the intent . The dialogue I was able to catch onto was enjoyable though . 2.4 Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/13/20 Full Review Audience Member How the hell can someone get away with making a movie like this??? It depicts rape! The boy rapes two women and this movie makes no apology for it, instead trying to make the audience sympathise with the messed up boy! It is so worrying that people can watch this and not realise that this depicts rape and only shows sex scenes with women (what about the gay sex scene, not enough appeal?). This movie makes objects of women. It brushes over the fact that this boy has just legally raped two women and doesn't even take any time to go back to them and see how it's effected them... the next scene just shows the girl smiling? WHAT THE HELL? Which young girl would just smile after they've been deceived, humiliated and used like some sex object?! This ruins peoples' lives and this is entertainment? Stephen Fry should be completely ashamed, as should every person that thinks this movie is acceptable. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Hippopotamus

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Movie Info

Synopsis Poet Ted Wallace is summoned to his friend's country manor to investigate a series of unexplained miracles.
Director
John Jencks
Producer
Alexa Seligman, Jay Taylor
Screenwriter
Tom Hodgson, Blanche McIntyre
Distributor
Lightyear
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 15, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2017
Runtime
1h 29m
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