‘Fackham Hall’ Blu-ray Review
Stars: Ben Radcliffe, Damian Lewis, Katherine Waterston, Thomasin McKenzie, Tom Felton, Emma Laird, Adam Woodward, Lily Knight | Written by Steve Dawson, Andrew Dawson, Tim Inman, Jimmy Carr, Patrick Carr | Directed by Jim O’Hanlon
Downton Abbey didn’t just become a hit; it became a full-blown cultural institution. For years, audiences happily shuttled between the small screen and the big screen, soaking up every bit of aristocratic drama, clipped accents and impeccably pressed dinner jackets. Then, in September 2025, the Crawleys finally took their last curtsy with Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, closing the book on one of TV and cinema’s most beloved sagas.
And of course, whenever something becomes that successful, parody is never far behind. History tells us as much – from Airplane! and The Naked Gun to Mel Brooks doing what Mel Brooks does best, and even Saturday Night Live piling in. So it was only a matter of time. As Downton bowed out, a spoof stepped in. Ladies and gentlemen… welcome to Fackham Hall.
A new porter forms an odd bond with the youngest daughter of a well-known UK family. As the Davenport family, headed by Lord and Lady Davenport, deals with the epic disaster of the wedding of their eldest daughter to her caddish cousin.
Fackham Hall fires jokes at the audience at a relentless pace, stacking visual gags on top of verbal punchlines and hoping a good number of them stick. And while not every joke lands cleanly, enough of them hit their mark to keep things ticking along nicely. There’s a genuine sense here of a throwback to the 90s, back when spoof movies were unapologetically silly and at the top of their game.
That said, you can’t help but wonder about the timing. Watching this, I kept thinking how much harder it might have played if it had arrived during the height of Downton Abbey’s popularity. Releasing it after the grand finale feels like a missed opportunity, because this kind of parody would have thrived when the Crawleys were still very much ruling the cultural conversation.
Fackham Hall has been transferred to Blu-ray in 1080p and is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. There are two audio tracks: an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and an Audio Description 2.0. There are also subtitles in English, Spanish and French.
The Blu-ray transfer here is genuinely impressive. Colours are rich and vibrant without ever tipping into oversaturation, flesh tones look natural, and the image itself is crisp, clean and packed with detail. Audio fares just as well, coming through clear and well-balanced throughout. Simply put, this film looks fantastic in HD and really benefits from the upgrade.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the bonus features. The disc includes just 15 deleted scenes, and that’s your lot. None of them add much in the way of entertainment or insight, and it quickly becomes clear why they were left on the cutting room floor, as they contribute very little to the finished film. As extras go, it’s a pretty underwhelming offering and a real missed opportunity
Fackham Hall was not the only spoof movie of 2025. Before this, we saw the less-than-stellar film reboot The Naked Gun. Is Fackham Hall better than The Naked Gun… arguably yes.. but let’s face it, that is not saying a whole lot!
***½ 3.5/5
If you enjoy spoof movies, then Fackham Hall might be a film for you. You can order a copy now on Amazon.
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