Synopsis
Henry’s and Fay's son Ned sets out to find and kill his father for destroying his mother's life. But his aims are frustrated by the troublesome Susan, whose connection to Henry predates even his arrival in the lives of the Grim family.
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Cast
- Aubrey PlazaSusan Weber
- Parker PoseyFay Grim
- Liam AikenNed Rifle
- Robert John BurkeChet
- Martin DonovanRev. Daniel Gardner
- Karen SillasAlice Gardner
- James UrbaniakSimon Grim
- Bill SageBud
- Jefferson MaysDr. Ford
- Lloyd KaufmanZach
Recommendations
- 91
IndieWire
The poetic rhythm with which Hartley brings three movies of events to an end is a tight, gripping expression of closure. - 90
Village Voice
Hartley's humor and intellectual musings are, as always, fully present, but by anchoring them to a genuinely compelling story of familial retribution, he's made his best film in years. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
[Aubrey Plaza] adds something different to Hartley’s usual hijinks, making for a crime dramedy that’s ostensibly quirky, but also short, sweet and quite moving. - 80
CineVue
Rife with the director's trademark stylistic preferences, this is a blast of an idiosyncratic comedy full of brilliant deadpan performances that offer a wickedly funny and poignant conclusion to the fable. - 70
Variety
Though lacking the emotional depth and almost epic scope that made “Henry Fool” loom so large after Hartley’s anecdotal, idiosyncratic early features, Ned Rifle is a far more satisfactory extension of its memorable characters than the misbegotten “Fay Grim.” - 70
The New York Times
Even if this minor coda plays to an increasingly closed circle of admirers, it gives the trilogy a pleasing, moving symmetry. - 67
The Playlist
The mileage will vary depending on how you've felt about the progression of the series so far, but if you're even mildly curious to find out what awaits the outrageous and exasperating Henry Fool, Ned Rifle is worth making some time for. - 67
The A.V. Club
Consequently, anyone coming to Ned Rifle cold will be bewildered. But there are numerous pleasures for the initiated, from Ryan’s continuing dissolute mellifluence as Henry Fool to Simon’s rebirth as a terrible stand-up comic constantly monitoring the comments on his blog.
