--- title: "Four Lions" year: 2010 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/four-lions" fi1m_id: "four-lions" imdb_id: "tt1341167" tmdb_id: 37495 wikidata_id: "Q5590" fi1m_score: 94 critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 15 published: "2026-09-15" review_updated: "2026-09-28" updated: "2026-09-28T00:22:23.692743+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Four Lions (2010) Directed by Chris Morris · 1h 37m · MPA R · Comedy, Crime, Drama ## Identity Four Lions - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/four-lions - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** four-lions - **IMDb ID:** tt1341167 - **TMDB ID:** 37495 - **Wikidata ID:** Q5590 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1341167/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/37495, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5590 **Fi1m score: 94** · Critics 74 from 15 reviews *In a sentence:* A terrorist cell we would hesitate to trust with a school trip > Chris Morris makes a painfully funny comedy about men whose incompetence does not make them harmless. Riz Ahmed and Nigel Lindsay keep it unsettling, though the middle repeats jokes that have already done their work. ## Synopsis Omar (Riz Ahmed) is among a group of British men planning suicide bombings. Alongside him are Barry (Nigel Lindsay), Waj (Kayvan Novak), Faisal (Adeel Akhtar) and Hassan (Arsher Ali), whose preparations are complicated by disagreement, confusion and incompetence. They want to carry out an attack, but struggle to agree on how to proceed. Away from the group’s planning, Omar has a happy family life. As the men argue and attempt to organise themselves, their dealings with one another bring personal loyalties and pressure to conform into their preparations for violence. ## Review Chris Morris asks us to spend *Four Lions* in the company of aspiring suicide bombers and to laugh at them before we have worked out how we feel about that. It is a sharp, often painfully funny film, worth seeing even though its middle stretch starts repeating itself. The men are British, their plans murderous, and their capacity to agree on anything limited. Morris finds comedy in the business of getting them to cooperate, without suggesting that incompetence makes them safe. Morris and fellow writers Simon Blackwell, Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong give these men the familiar failings of people who spend too much time together. They bicker, misunderstand and submit to pressure from one another, turning preparations for an attack into a succession of petty disputes. The jokes depend on who gives way, who insists and who is prepared to follow. That gives even the broader exchanges a recognisable cause: the men want approval from each other, and their need to belong makes them susceptible to some terrible ideas. Riz Ahmed’s Omar gives the film someone capable of recognising stupidity without being free of it himself. Ahmed resists making him merely the sensible man waiting for the others to catch up. We were unsettled by the ease of Omar’s happy family life: the domestic contentment does nothing to interrupt his preparations for violence. Nigel Lindsay’s Barry supplies a harsher comic energy, with the belligerence of someone who regards any disagreement as a personal insult. Lol Crawley’s cinematography keeps us close to the men’s confusion, using a loose, observational style that suits the bickering. It is an effective choice for people who already take their own importance far too seriously. Dick Lunn’s production design is similarly unshowy around Omar’s family, making the domestic life credible without distracting from the people. Those surroundings deny us the easy reassurance that someone planning an atrocity must look different from everyone else. Billy Sneddon’s editing gives the bickering room to become funny, so that we can follow how one misunderstanding leads to another. Jonathan Whitehead’s music sensibly takes second place to those voices, which do most of the comic work. There is no need to underline every absurdity when the cast can sound so convinced. The trouble comes when another round of confusion tells us little that the previous one did. At 97 minutes, the film is not long, but it has an episodic middle that feels longer than it should. Morris and the writers sometimes accept another demonstration of foolishness where we need a change in the relationships. This is also where the satire risks becoming comfortable: it is easy to feel clever while watching people get things wrong. A few broader passages ask less of us than the uneasy affection established elsewhere. Yet by the standards of political farce, *Four Lions* is unusually willing to let its ridiculous people become people we care about. Morris does not need to redeem them to make that care disquieting, and Ahmed in particular prevents the film settling into simple mockery. The violence they contemplate remains a choice, however foolishly they discuss it. Choose company willing to laugh and then argue about what they have laughed at. *Fi1m score 94, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics welcome Four Lions as a daring, frequently funny black comedy that makes its would-be terrorists recognisably human without softening their intentions. Praise centres on the characters’ bickering, muddled thinking and personal loyalties, with the laughs coming from the distance between their ambitions and their competence. The reviews also value the performances, verbal comedy and uneasy feeling that accompanies the farce. For many, the affection these men inspire makes the threat of violence more disturbing. The disagreement is chiefly about how much the satire achieves beyond exposing stupidity. Some otherwise favourable reviews find the film episodic or detect a lull, while harsher assessments see broad slapstick replacing sharper thought. The Independent finds the jokes unconvincing and largely unfunny despite strong performances, especially Riz Ahmed’s. The New Yorker admires the satirical energy but argues that the straightforward storytelling lets viewers feel too comfortably superior to the characters. ## Straight answers **Is Four Lions worth watching?** *Four Lions* is worth watching for anyone who can laugh at aspiring suicide bombers and then sit with the discomfort, and we scored it 84. Chris Morris makes the men's incompetence painfully funny without pretending it makes them harmless, and Riz Ahmed keeps it unsettling. The episodic middle repeats jokes that have already done their work, so patience is needed there. **How long is Four Lions, and what is it rated?** *Four Lions* runs 1h 37m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and crime film. **Where can I watch Four Lions in the US?** *Four Lions* is streaming on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Four Lions, and is it suitable for children?** *Four Lions* is a 15 in the UK and R in the US, and it is not suitable for children. It is a comedy about men planning suicide bombings, so the violence they discuss is real and the humour depends on taking it seriously. Older teenagers willing to argue about what they have laughed at will get the most from it; the squeamish should expect unease rather than gore. **How does Four Lions compare to Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb?** *Four Lions* and [*Dr. Strangelove*](https://film.one/film/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb) are both comedies about confident fools with access to terrible weapons, but Kubrick's film is the more ruthless and frightening, and the more assured of the two. Morris works closer to the ground, finding his jokes in the petty bickering of a small cell and asking us to care about them. Choose Kubrick for the sharper satire, Morris for the more uncomfortable one. **What should I watch after Four Lions?** After *Four Lions*, try [*Dr. Strangelove*](https://film.one/film/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb) (1964, Fi1m 93): For another comedy in which confident fools have access to terrible weapons. Then [*Wild Tales*](https://film.one/film/wild-tales) (2014, Fi1m 83): More black comedy about people whose grievances become everybody else’s problem; and [*The Death of Stalin*](https://film.one/film/the-death-of-stalin) (2017, Fi1m 83): Petty rivalries and lethal consequences, with another ensemble skilled at sounding certain. ### Reviews we read (22) - **Evening Standard** (85/100, inferred): The critic lauds the film as a bold, hilarious farce that humanizes its absurd characters through sharp satire and effective storytelling, arguing it successfully uses humor to expose the stupidity of extremism while evoking genuine emotion. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/four-lions-is-comedy-of-terrors-7419759.html) - **The AV Club**, Nathan Rabin (B+): The critic praises the corrosive black comedy for humanizing its hapless would-be jihadists while delivering audacious, dangerous laughs from the gap between their delusions and reality. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/four-lions-1798166469) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's consistent humor and sharp satire on inept jihadists while acknowledging its potential to offend; it highlights the strong central bond between the lead characters and the comedy arising from their personal dynamics rather than broad barbs. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/four-lions-review/) - **Radio Times**, Adam Smith (4/5): The audacious jihad comedy is very funny and occasionally emulates the faux quaintness of Ealing comedies. The suicide bombers are portrayed as a mostly likeable bunch despite their grim intentions. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2evdqb/four-lions/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (80/100, inferred): The film is a transgressive dark comedy and wicked satire about incompetent would-be jihadists whose amateurish schemes highlight self-defeating idiocy. It regards imbecility with a poker face and permits horrifying acts to occur absentmindedly, fueled by both merriment and anger. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/four-lions-2010) - **Sight and Sound**, Ben Walters (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights how the film presents homegrown jihadists as buffoons driven by woolly thinking and peer pressure, with their incompetence yielding very funny jokes. Tragedy lurks beneath the farce, rendering fundamentalism sympathetically pathetic. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/5471) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): The film is praised for its absurdist spirit, crafted wordplay and loose freewheeling air, with some scenes hilarious and others loopy. It strives for something unusual and essentially true behind the gags. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/four-lions-2) - **Los Angeles Times**, Michael Ordoña (75/100, inferred): The challenging and often hilarious study of bickering homegrown terrorists planning suicide bombings elevates above mere farce through extensive research and profound intellect, playing the premise for laughs and something deeper without heavy-handedness. It offers a complex and considered glimpse into a rarely seen world of utter absurdity and horror via fly-on-the-wall pseudo-documentary style. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-nov-05-la-et-1105-capsules-20101105-story.html) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): The review describes a madcap farce about bumbling British Islamic terrorists, with hilarious scenes of destruction and a mix of anger, credulity and incompetence. It is daring and potentially offensive. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/four-lions/5009960.article) - **Little White Lies**, Dan Brightmore (4/3/2): The review calls it a patchy black comedy that quickly gives way to farce and gag point-scoring rather than sharp satire. Strong performances are undermined by slapstick, leaving a bitter aftertaste. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/four-lions/) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (60/100, inferred): The invective energy and Swiftian vision of a confederacy of dunces are never in doubt as the film enters the funny world of the suicide bomber with a sole intelligent being among outright cretins. It marks a backward step from the director’s prior media-disemboweling work by telling the story straight and allowing smug belief that viewers know better. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/11/15/long-roads) - **The Independent** (40/100, inferred): The review finds the film intelligent and topical in its satire of jihadist incompetence but ultimately unfunny, with jokes that feel broad and unconvincing despite some grotesque pathos and strong performances, especially from Riz Ahmed. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/four-lions-15-1965333.html) - **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager: The critic finds the film intermittently amusing but mostly a snooze, criticizing its tepid slapstick and failure to make its satirical arguments coherent or consistently funny. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/four-lions/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic praises the film's cheerful scorn towards suicide bombing, portraying the bombers as ridiculous bunglers rather than fearsome figures, and highlights the uncomfortable depiction of the main character's happy family life as a key element. The only minor complaint is a slight lack of relentless verbal invention compared to Morris's previous work. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/may/06/four-lions-review) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Duane Byrge: The critic calls it a hilarious farce and brilliant takedown of the imbecility of fanaticism, likening the jihadists to the Three Stooges in their bungled plots. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/four-lions-film-review-29194/) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (NYT Critic’s Pick): The satire is shockingly hilarious and stiletto-sharp, portraying a squad of British nitwits eager to wage jihad but unsure how, with incompetence married to zeal proving funny yet not benign. It offers a thoroughly cynical, cringe-inducingly precise portrait of a slice of contemporary society through jerky low-budget style and bursts of slapstick. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/movies/05four.html) - **The Telegraph** (* * * *): The review describes it as a comedy of errors as much as a tragedy, meticulously researched, portraying the aspiring jihadists as a raggle-taggle Dad’s Army of chancers and bunglers rather than ideologically honed revolutionaries. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7686374/Four-Lions-review.html) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B+): The critic finds the film a sharp, funny satire that succeeds by treating its terrorist characters as buffoonish idiots rather than monsters. Comic timing and standout performances, especially Nigel Lindsay as the convert Barry, are singled out for praise. [Read](https://collider.com/four-lions-movie-review-chris-morris-riz-ahmed/) - **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (4/5): The critic praises the film's daring satire and balance of humor with unease, highlighting the hilarious outtakes scene and Nigel Lindsay's performance as Barry, but notes it feels slightly long with a lull in the middle. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/four-lions-review/) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B): The review finds the satire audacious, wry, and amusing but slight and episodic, feeling more like a TV episode than a substantial feature film. It praises the goofy British humor and biting commentary on terrorism but notes it doesn't go deep enough. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-audacious-four-lions-has-a-good-comedy-roar-but-never-moves-in-for-the-kill-20101105/) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson: The film is described as both laugh-out-loud funny and serious, with heart, laughs, and unsettling issues raised by the bungling wannabe bombers. Morris is praised for comedy with a chilling edge and entertaining satire that raises poignant questions. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/four-lions-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) - **HeyUGuys**, Jon Lyus: The critic calls the film a modern British classic that is truly hilarious and unique, with amazing performances and a twisted momentum. It is praised for its emotional engagement, dark humor, and the strong feature debut from Chris Morris. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/review-four-lions/) ## Details - **Director:** Chris Morris - **Director:** Chris Morris - **Writer:** Sam Bain, Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell - **Cinematography:** Lol Crawley - **Editor:** Billy Sneddon - **Music:** Jonathan Whitehead - **Production design:** Dick Lunn - **Producer:** Mark Herbert, Derrin Schlesinger - **Cast:** Riz Ahmed as Omar; Nigel Lindsay as Barry; Kayvan Novak as Waj; Adeel Akhtar as Faisal; Arsher Ali as Hassan; Preeya Kalidas as Sofia; Benedict Cumberbatch as Negotiator; Julia Davis as Alice - **Runtime:** 1h 37m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 5 November 2010 - **Genres:** Comedy, Crime, Drama - **Budget:** $4 million - **Box office:** $6 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_yOtVBR0CM ## Where to watch in the US - Tubi: free - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $9.99, sd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, sd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AT, CL, CO, DE, ES, GB, IE, MX, NO, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Dr. Strangelove* (1964), Fi1m 93: For another comedy in which confident fools have access to terrible weapons — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-the-bomb.md) - *The Firemen's Ball* (1967): A smaller gathering of bunglers, with equally precise attention to collective stupidity - *Paradise Now* (2005): A sober drama about aspiring suicide bombers and the people around them - *Wild Tales* (2014), Fi1m 83: More black comedy about people whose grievances become everybody else’s problem — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wild-tales.md) - *The Death of Stalin* (2017), Fi1m 83: Petty rivalries and lethal consequences, with another ensemble skilled at sounding certain — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-death-of-stalin.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/four-lions