Mindhorn: crime spoof film is 'comedy gold'
Critics hail Mighty Boosh stars' homage to 1980s TV detectives as one of the funniest films in years

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Mindhorn, a new low-budget British comedy-thriller inspired by old detective shows, has surprised critics with its humour and pathos.
Written by Julian Barratt and Simon Farnaby, both alumni of surreal comedy series The Mighty Boosh, it sees Barratt in the lead role of Richard Thorncroft, a faded actor once known for his TV cop character, the Bergerac-like Mindhorn.
Now struggling to find work, Thorncroft is forced to return to the Isle of Man, where his defunct series was set, to help police find a serial killer, a deranged superfan who believes Mindhorn is a real police detective. Steve Coogan, Essie Davis, Russell Tovey and Kenneth Branagh co-star.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Despite its scrappy, low-budget look and pastiche premise, critics have praised the film for delivering on laughs and character.
Rob Leane in Den of Geek calls Mindhorn "a gem of a film" with "joyous '80s-aping cheese". This is "a prime example of British comedy at its wonderful weirdest", says the critic, adding: "It's got a heart to it, too."
Leane singles out Barratt for a "stellar" star turn, "balancing a sorrowful and soulful performance with some sensational silliness" and says he has his "fingers crossed" for a sequel.
Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian admits the premise of Mindhorn is "a bit derivative" but says"there are such great gags and it is acted with such fanatical gusto by Barratt that it’s impossible not to root for this unlikeliest of heroes".
Bradshaw adds that this "wildly silly and raucous" film with moments of "genuine creepiness and despair" is "a creation to savour".
In Time Out, Cath Clarke says Mindhorn's celebration of "naff British telly" is "comedy gold".
While at times Mindhorn can feel like "a half-hour sitcom episode stretched across 90 minutes", Clarke says the "comedy action-thriller scenario just about works", adding that "the gags-per-minute ratio is through the roof".
Meanwhile Alistair Ryder at Film Inquiry hails Mindhorn as a "cult comedy classic in waiting".
While viewers will likely see plenty of comparisons with Alan Partridge, says Ryder, Barratt creates a character that "stands on its own two feet" and offers up enough gags to make it one of the funniest films of recent years.
Mindhorn will have a limited release in UK cinemas from 5 May before appearing on Netflix from 12 May.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Should you fire your financial adviser? 4 signs it's time to say goodbye.
The Explainer Breakups are never fun, but you have to protect your wallet
By Becca Stanek Published
-
The daily gossip: Man arrested in connection with shooting of Tupac Shakur, an OceanGate movie is in the works, and more
Feature The daily gossip: September 29, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
What to expect from an El Niño winter
The Explainer Things might be different thanks to this well-known weather phenomenon
By Devika Rao Published
-
Boys from the Blackstuff review
The Week Recommends A 'powerful' adaptation of Alan Bleasdale's 'masterpiece'
By The Week Staff Published
-
MG4 EV XPower review: what the car critics say
Feature The XPower just 'isn't as much fun' as a regular MG4
By The Week Staff Published
-
Black Atlantic: Power, People, Resistance review
The Week Recommends Fitzwilliam Museum exhibition features lives affected by the Atlantic slave trade
By The Week Staff Published
-
Private Lives review: a 'witty' revival of Noël Coward's classic comedy
The Week Recommends Patricia Hodge and Nigel Havers play the warring exes in this 'delicious retro treat'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Wilderness review: a soapy drama set in the American southwest
The Week Recommends Amazon series starring Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen is 'full of twists'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Volkswagen ID.5 review: what the car critics say
Feature The ID.4's 'sportier, more stylish twin' – but 'don't believe the hype'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Jamaica Inn review: a small patch of Caribbean heaven
The Week Recommends Guests will feel like one of the family at this boutique beach resort in Ocho Rios
By Natasha Langan Published
-
Scottish Women Artists review
The Week Recommends Exhibition uncovers the work of female artists long hidden in 'historical obscurity'
By The Week Staff Published