Happy Ever Afters review

Slapstick and screwball entertain in this Irish wedding comedy

Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Putting a screwball twist on the wedding Brit-com formula, Stephen Burke’s debut follows two unhappily betrothed couples whose respective nuptials coincide.

Not hard to guess that troubled souls Freddie (Tom Riley) and Maureen (Sally Hawkins) will seek solace in each other, but the way their dance unfolds is off-kilter enough to resonate.

The comedy’s an odd blend of bland slapstick and darkly uncomfortable one-liners (did we miss the memo about child-beating being funny?), but shortcomings are offset by Hawkins, imbuing her character with depth and pathos.

Sad, then, that no one else matches her.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.