Thark: A Dusty, Slam-Door Kind of Night

Is it worth your time?

If you like your humor fast, loud, and slightly dated, Thark is a decent way to kill an hour. It’s for the folks who miss the days of stage-bound comedies where the plot is just a flimsy excuse for a pile-up. If you hate characters who constantly talk over each other or jump at every floorboard creak, skip it.

Watching this felt like catching a glimpse of theater history that hasn't quite decided it wants to be a movie yet. The whole thing is essentially a series of rooms where people enter and exit with frantic energy. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s just noisy.

The Ghostly Business

The hauntings in Thark are exactly what you’d expect from a 1920s play adaptation. There’s a lot of dramatic pointing at nothing. Robertson Hare is in his element here, playing the kind of panicked, uptight gentleman who seems born to be rattled. He does that classic thing where his eyes go wide and he just freezes in place for a beat too long.

It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Under Two Jags, though maybe a bit more cluttered. There’s a moment where a character tries to look brave while trembling like a leaf, and it’s genuinely charming if you don’t overthink it. 👻

• The sound of doors slamming is basically a percussion instrument.
• The ghost isn't even the point. The point is the chaos.
• I swear some of these actors were just waiting for the next cue to run left.

The pacing is… well, it’s a sprint. They don't give you time to breathe, let alone wonder if the plot makes sense. It’s not meant to be analyzed, really. It’s meant to be watched while you’re eating dinner.

I found myself staring at the background furniture more than once. Some of those props look like they were about to collapse under the weight of the actors' shouting. It’s a bit messy, and honestly, that’s where the charm is. It isn't trying to be a Tol'able David or anything serious. It just wants to be a headache.

Sometimes the comedy feels like it’s being shouted at you from across a very large room. You can practically hear the prompter in the wings. It’s not smooth, but it’s earnest. You have to respect the commitment to being absolutely ridiculous. 🏚️