Come Out of the Pantry: A Charming, If Silly, Aristocrat Out of Water

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-fashioned, snappy dialogue and don't mind a premise that is held together by little more than hope and charm, you'll probably have a good time. If you need your movies to have grit, high stakes, or characters who behave like real human beings, you’re gonna be annoyed within ten minutes. This is pure, unadulterated fluff, but it’s the kind that actually knows how to be light on its feet.

There’s something inherently goofy about watching a British Lord pretend to be a servant just to pay the bills in New York City. Jack Buchanan plays Lord Robert with this wide-eyed, slightly frantic energy that makes the whole thing work, even when the script is clearly running on fumes. He’s got that classic, stiff-upper-lip charm that feels like it belongs in another century—which, I guess, it does.

The butler did it, but in a good way

The interactions between Robert and Eccles are the real heart of the movie. Seeing them navigate the high-society dinner parties while trying to hide their secret roles is just plain fun. It reminds me a bit of the frantic pacing in The Taming of the Shrew, though nowhere near as bitey. Sometimes the film just stops to let them banter, and I honestly didn't mind.

Hilda, played by Fay Wray, is the only one who seems to have any sense, and she catches on way faster than the plot wants us to believe. The chemistry between them is mostly just them standing near each other looking polite, but it’s enough. I caught myself laughing at the dinner table scene—the one where he proposes while holding a tray of food—it’s so ridiculous, but you can’t help but root for the guy.

Wait, why is he doing that?

There are moments where the logic just… evaporates. The bank collapse happens so fast it’s almost funny. One minute he’s rich, the next he’s a footman, and nobody seems to find this transition even remotely strange. It’s like the movie is daring you to ask questions. I stopped trying after a while. It’s better that way. 🥂

• The pacing is weirdly fast at the start, then hits a wall in the middle.
• The servants' quarters scenes have a bizarrely cozy, almost stage-play vibe.
• The way they handle the "secret identity" bit is so outdated it’s kind of endearing.
• Fay Wray really carries the dramatic weight, which is funny because there isn't much to carry.

Is it a masterpiece? Hardly. It feels like a relic from a time when movies were just about getting a few laughs and a quick romance before the credits rolled. It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just trying to fill 70 minutes with some sharp suits and a bit of slapstick. Sometimes, that’s plenty. Just don't ask me how a guy who has never worked a day in his life becomes an expert at serving dinner in an afternoon.