Burke and Hare 2010, a comedic re-telling of the infamous Edinburgh murders, has great cast and looks fantastic but sadly disappointing, writes DAVID SAUNDERSON
TITLE: Burke and Hare
YEAR RELEASED: 2010
DIRECTOR: John Landis
CAST: Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Isla Fisher, Tom Wilkinson
Review of Burke and Hare 2010
There’s a scene early on in Burke and Hare 2010 where Simon Pegg’s William Burke and Andy Serkis’s William Hare drag a freshly “acquired” corpse through the murky Edinburgh streets under cover of darkness.
It should be macabre, tense, maybe even a bit twistedly funny.
Instead, much like the film itself, the moment stumbles – unsure whether to be horror, farce or jaunty costume caper.
And that’s the problem with Burke and Hare 2010: it should have been fantastic.
On paper, this had the makings of a dark comedy classic.
The director is John Landis – the man behind The Blues Brothers, Animal House, and the superb An American Werewolf in London, one of the greatest horror-comedies ever made.
His return to feature filmmaking after a 12-year hiatus was hotly anticipated.
Add a cast list overflowing with British comedy and film stars – Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Isla Fisher, Tim Curry, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Hynes, Reece Shearsmith, Paul Whitehouse, even Ronnie Corbett and Christopher Lee – and you’d be forgiven for expecting something wickedly sharp, stylish and hilarious.
Not only that, but Burke and Hare is likely the only film version of the infamous 1828 Edinburgh body-snatching case to be shot on location in the city.
The cobbled lanes and shadowy closes ooze gothic atmosphere, and the production values are top notch.
Edinburgh has never looked so bleakly beautiful.
And yet… it doesn’t work.
The main issue? Tone.
Landis appears unsure whether he’s making a bawdy period romp, a grim true crime tale, or a caper in the Ealing tradition.
Critics described it as more pantomime than black comedy – and they weren’t wrong.
The humour leans broad and toothless, avoiding the sharp satirical bite that could’ve made this tale sing.
When your plot centres on two men murdering the poor and vulnerable to sell their corpses to a medical school, the tone needs precision.
Here, it’s curiously timid.
There are glimmers of promise.
Pegg and Serkis have an easy chemistry, and individual performances – particularly Tom Wilkinson as the ambitious Dr Robert Knox – are enjoyable.
But the script doesn’t give them much to work with.
Jokes fall flat.
Pacing drags.
Scenes that should fizz with menace or wit land with a dull thud.
It’s particularly frustrating because the historical material is so ripe for reinterpretation.
The real Burke and Hare case is one of the grisliest in British history, a tale of desperation, exploitation and moral rot.
But instead of mining the dark ironies or horror of the story, the film opts for soft-edged slapstick.
There’s no tension, no pathos – and oddly, very few laughs.
Landis, once the master of mixing humour and horror, seems out of step with modern sensibilities.
What might have worked as an 80s romp feels dated in 2010.
The film wants to be mischievous but never dares to be bold.
It gestures toward satire but retreats into silliness.
And as a result, the incredible ensemble cast – many of whom can do this sort of thing in their sleep – feel squandered.
Perhaps the best way to describe Burke & Hare is as a missed opportunity.
It’s a great-looking film with a killer premise and an enviable cast, but the execution is bloodless.
For a story built on murder and moral decay, it’s strangely lifeless.
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