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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Turkey Time remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Should you watch Turkey Time? If you are a fan of old-school British farce where people scream at each other in fancy clothes, maybe. If you value your sanity or have zero patience for movies where the entire plot hinges on a guy being physically bullied for no reason, stay far, far away.
It feels like a play that forgot it wasn't a play anymore. Everyone is shouting their lines like they are performing for the cheap seats at the back of a theater. Robertson Hare, who plays poor Stoatt, looks like he’s constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Honestly, I don't blame him.
The whole thing is just Walls and Lynn being mean to this guy for ninety minutes. It’s supposed to be funny, I think? But it just feels kind of mean-spirited. Like, we get it, he’s feeble and he’s an easy target. Can we move on now?
There’s a scene involving a turkey that drags on for an eternity. It’s one of those moments where you realize the editor just… walked away from the machine. You could go make a sandwich, come back, and they’d still be fumbling with the bird.
It makes me miss the weird energy of something like The Jazz Fool. At least that had a pulse. This just feels like a stiff, dusty relic that someone dug out of a cupboard.
It’s not a complete disaster, I suppose. It’s just… tired. Watching it feels like visiting a relative you don't really like during the holidays. You’re trapped there, you’re eating something dry, and you’re just waiting for the clock to hit a respectable hour so you can leave.
If you want to see how far comedy has actually come, this is a decent baseline. Just don't expect to laugh much. You’ll mostly just feel sorry for poor Stoatt. Poor, poor Stoatt. 🦃