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Bernie

Bernie

Comedy · Crime · Drama · 2012

In small-town Texas, affable and popular mortician Bernie Tiede strikes up a friendship with Marjorie Nugent, a wealthy widow well known for her sour attitude. When she becomes controlling and abusive, Bernie goes to great lengths to remove himself from her grasp.

Movie details

Bernie

“A story so unbelievable it must be true.”

2012 Comedy · Crime · Drama 1h 39m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

In small-town Texas, affable and popular mortician Bernie Tiede strikes up a friendship with Marjorie Nugent, a wealthy widow well known for her sour attitude. When she becomes controlling and abusive, Bernie goes to great lengths to remove himself from her grasp.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Bernie?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Richard Linklater

Written by

Skip Hollandsworth · Richard Linklater

Jack Black

Jack Black

Bernie Tiede

Shirley MacLaine

Shirley MacLaine

Marjorie Nugent

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey

Danny Buck Davidson

Brady Coleman

Brady Coleman

Scrappy Holmes

Richard Robichaux

Richard Robichaux

Lloyd Hornbuckle

Rick Dial

Rick Dial

Don Leggett

Brandon Smith

Brandon Smith

Sheriff Huckabee

Court is in session

Put Bernie on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.