--- title: "Movie 43" year: 2013 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/movie-43" fi1m_score: 24 critics_score: 26 critics_reviews: 19 published: "2026-09-16T15:08:07.982245+00:00" updated: "2026-09-16T15:08:36.678209+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." --- # Movie 43 (2013) Directed by Steve Carr, Elizabeth Banks, Patrik Forsberg, James Duffy, Peter Farrelly, Brett Ratner, Griffin Dunne, Steven Brill, James Gunn, Will Graham, Jonathan van Tulleken, Rusty Cundieff · 1h 38m · MPA R · Comedy **Fi1m score: 24** · Critics 26 from 19 reviews *In a sentence:* Hugh Jackman has testicles on his neck, and somehow the surprise wears off before the sketch ends > A willing cast cannot rescue this film from sketches that mistake a grotesque premise for a finished joke. There are scattered laughs, but the repetition makes this a dreary evening. ## Synopsis Charlie Wessler (Dennis Quaid) pitches film ideas to Griffin Schraeder (Greg Kinnear), and the proposals unfold as separate sketches. He wants to sell his stories, but the material he brings means making a case for bodily functions and sexual embarrassment. In *The Catch*, Beth (Kate Winslet) encounters Davis (Hugh Jackman), a man whose testicles hang from his neck. *Homeschooled* introduces Kevin (Jeremy Allen White) and the inappropriate treatment he receives. The pitching conversation links these situations, as Wessler tries to persuade Schraeder that his ideas belong in a film. ## Review The film is a dreary gross-out sketch anthology with too few jokes to justify 98 minutes. With directors including Peter Farrelly and Elizabeth Banks, it aims for the pleasure of watching familiar actors abandon good manners. A filthy joke still needs timing, a change of direction or somebody worth watching as the situation deteriorates. Too often, this film announces something disgusting, waits for a reaction, then keeps announcing it. Most critics found it tedious; we agree, chiefly because the sketches seldom develop beyond their starting point. The framing story has Charlie Wessler (Dennis Quaid) pitching ideas to Griffin Schraeder (Greg Kinnear), with the sketches supplying the proposed films. This ought to give each new absurdity somewhere to come from, but the pitching itself becomes another thing to wait through. Dennis Quaid puts energy into selling this material; Greg Kinnear has the less rewarding task of receiving it. The device cannot make the separate pieces feel worth sitting through, and returning to it interrupts what little momentum they find. The clearest reason to give the film any credit is *The Catch*, which puts Beth (Kate Winslet) opposite Davis (Hugh Jackman), a man with testicles hanging from his neck. We laughed at that first sight, then grew impatient because the sketch had so little to add. Kate Winslet gives the absurdity the attention a real social predicament would demand, while Hugh Jackman does not ask to be excused from the joke. Their willingness helps, but the body part remains more memorable than anything that happens around it. Tim Suhrstedt and Newton Thomas Sigel are among the cinematographers, and the pictures are clear enough to let the visual jokes register. That matters in *The Catch*, where the misplaced anatomy needs no explanation. Production designers Jade Healy and Happy Massee are also among the credited team, but the settings contribute little comic detail beyond what the actors bring into them. Across the sketches, there is too little pleasure in simply looking at the screen. Editors including Suzy Elmiger and Myron Kerstein have the larger problem of sketches that continue after their surprise has gone. The cutting gives too much time to premises that needed either a quick exit or a second idea, so the anthology feels longer than its running time. The music, with contributors including Christophe Beck and Tyler Bates, does little to lighten the trudging pace. The sketches repeatedly end without giving the build-up a worthwhile payoff. The trouble with *Homeschooled* is not simply that Kevin (Jeremy Allen White) is treated badly; cruelty can be useful comic material. The sketch needs a clearer target if the humiliation is to give us anything beyond discomfort. Gross-out comedy can work through surprise, embarrassment or a precise observation about how people act. Here, the determination to offend repeatedly takes the place of finding something funny about the behaviour. The cast’s readiness to look ridiculous is the one sustained virtue, and it saves the film from seeming embarrassed by its own material. That does not make the experience much less wearying. Even allowing for the unevenness that comes with a collection of sketches, there are too few reasons to keep waiting for the next one. We would not spend an evening on it merely to watch capable actors prove they are good sports. *Fi1m score 24, published 16 September 2026.* ### Reviews we read (19) - **Screen Daily** (50/100, inferred): The omnibus is a total mess but perversely watchable for its raunchy, juvenile humour performed by big stars. The critic notes it settles for mildly outrageous rather than inspired comedy and is one to file away as a curiosity. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/movie-43/5051107.article) - **Radio Times**, Dave Aldridge (2/5): This scatological collection of skits ignores boundaries of taste but offers some laughs if moral outrage is set aside. The critic highlights the hit-and-miss nature of the multi-director effort and praises the stars' willingness to embrace extreme comedy. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-i8odeb/movie-43/) - **IndieWire**, Gabe Toro (30/100, inferred): The review finds the film strains for laughs with an uninspired collection of comedy shorts featuring big stars. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-movie-43-strains-for-laughs-with-uninspired-collection-of-comedy-shorts-249565/) - **The New York Times**, Stephen Holden (30/100, inferred): The critic describes the star-filled anthology of crude vignettes as mostly juvenile and offensive, with participants seeming to relish being naughty. He singles out the transgressive 'Homeschooled' sketch involving forced inappropriate behavior on a child. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/26/movies/movie-43-crude-vignettes-with-big-stars-and-directors.html) - **Vulture**, David Edelstein (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the star-studded raunchy anthology mostly a fiasco with poor timing and execution, though a few sketches have moments. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2013/01/movie-review-movie-43-edelstein.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Sheri Linden (25/100, inferred): The critic deems the anthology an aggressive stupidity and monumental missed opportunity with no comic payoffs, despite some sight gags. She singles out the star power in the 'Catch' sketch with Winslet and Jackman as one of the few effective moments. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-jan-28-la-et-mn-movie-43-20130128-story.html) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (20/100, inferred): The critic finds the film sketchy and mostly unfunny despite star cameos; a few moments work but overall lacks laughs. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/29/movie-43-review) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody (20/100, inferred): The critic calls the sketch-comedy feature deadly dull, unfunny, offensive, and clumsily made, viewing it as an unintended revelation of Hollywood's willingness to produce bad films. He focuses on the framing device and gross-out gags as emblematic of its cynical intent. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/movie-43-and-hollywood-exceptionalism) - **Variety**, Joe Leydon (20/100, inferred): The critic labels it an appalling misfire that fails to capture the spirit of classic sketch comedies, with humor ranging from juvenile to revolting. He highlights the desperate framing device with Quaid pitching to Kinnear as particularly unconvincing. [Read](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/movie-43-1117949095/) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (10/100, inferred): The critic dismisses this multi-sketch gross-out comedy as tedious and largely offensive, with most vignettes dragging on without punchlines. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/movie-43-review/) - **Slant Magazine** (10/100, inferred): The review deems the film a self-aware but relentlessly unfunny gross-out sketch comedy that fails to elevate its tired premises despite the cast. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/movie-43/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, THR Staff (10/100, inferred): The critic calls it one of the worst films of all time, a painfully unfunny collection of comic shorts despite A-list talent and multiple directors. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/movie-43-film-review-415354/) - **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (10/100, inferred): The reviewer feels pity for the film which is not novel or funny, an inert end to the sketch comedy genre. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9833478/Movie-43-review.html) - **Time Out** (10/100, inferred): The critic finds the star-studded comedy anthology staggeringly unfunny and questions what possessed major Hollywood actors to appear in it. They single out the absurd and grotesque scenarios, such as Hugh Jackman with testicles on his neck, as emblematic of its lowbrow excesses. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/movie-43) - **The Wrap** (65/100, inferred): The critic finds the anthology of gross-out sketches juvenile and disgusting yet hilarious, particularly praising the segments featuring Kate Winslet and Halle Berry for their committed performances in outrageous situations. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/movie-43-review-gross-disgusting-juvenile-hilarious-74736/) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (C): The anthology strains for laughs with an uninspired collection of shorts mostly obsessed with genitals and scatological humor that rarely lands. A few segments show flashes of inspiration or commitment from performers, but most putter out without resolution; only James Gunn’s deranged closing sketch captures any real comedic vision. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-movie-43-strains-for-laughs-with-uninspired-collection-of-comedy-shorts-20130125/) - **Den of Geek**, Ron Hogan (2/5): The critic finds the anthology comedy inconsistent and mostly unfunny, with skits that fall flat despite a great cast; the best part is one skit with Terrence Howard. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/movie-43-review/) - **HeyUGuys**, Rob Keeling (1/5): The critic calls the film a colossal misstep whose only mystery is how the stellar cast was convinced to participate. The loose wraparound and series of depraved sketches miss the mark almost entirely, producing only the lightest titters amid cringe-inducing gross-out attempts that quickly grow boring. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/movie-43-review/) - **Paste**, Tyler Chase (0.5): The critic's verdict is that Movie 43 is an epic failure and a black mark on everyone's résumé, insulting to audiences and not worth any money. They single out the puerile, shock-based sketches that fail to deliver laughs, like the one with Hugh Jackman having a scrotum on his neck. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/movie-43) ## Details - **Director:** Steve Carr, Elizabeth Banks, Patrik Forsberg, James Duffy, Peter Farrelly, Brett Ratner, Griffin Dunne, Steven Brill, James Gunn, Will Graham, Jonathan van Tulleken, Rusty Cundieff - **Director:** Steve Carr, Elizabeth Banks, Patrik Forsberg, James Duffy, Peter Farrelly, Brett Ratner, Griffin Dunne, Steven Brill, James Gunn, Will Graham, Jonathan van Tulleken, Rusty Cundieff - **Writer:** Patrik Forsberg, Jeremy Sosenko, Will Carlough, Matt Portenoy, Greg Pritikin, Rocky Russo, Nick Swardson, Claes Kjellstrom, Olle Sarri, Jacob Fleisher, Tobias Carlson, Elizabeth Shapiro, Will Graham, Jack Kukoda, James Gunn, Ricky Blitt, Bill O'Malley, Jonas Wittenmark, Jonathan van Tulleken - **Cinematography:** Newton Thomas Sigel, Frankie DeMarco, William Rexer, Tim Suhrstedt, Matthew F. Leonetti, Steve Gainer, Daryn Okada, Mattias Rudh, Eric Scherbarth - **Editor:** Håkan Wärn, Craig Herring, Sam Seig, Myron Kerstein, Patrick J. Don Vito, Sandy S. Solowitz, Suzy Elmiger, Debra Chiate, Cara Silverman, Mark Helfrich, Joe Randall-Cutler, Paul Zucker, Jonathan van Tulleken - **Music:** William Goodrum, Dave Hodge, Tyler Bates, Leo Birenberg, Christophe Beck, Matt Jantzen - **Production design:** Dina Lipton, Happy Massee, Jade Healy, Arlan Jay Vetter, Inbal Weinberg, Toby Corbett, Nolan Hooper, Robb Wilson King - **Costume design:** Nancy Ceo, Judianna Makovsky, Salvador Pérez Jr., Sydney Maresca, Florence Kemper, Roseanne Fiedler, Anna Bingemann - **Producer:** Peter Farrelly, Ryan Kavanaugh, Jason Taragan - **Cast:** Dennis Quaid as Charlie Wessler (segment "The Pitch"); Greg Kinnear as Griffin Schraeder (segment "The Pitch"); Hugh Jackman as Davis (segment "The Catch"); Kate Winslet as Beth (segment "The Catch"); Jeremy Allen White as Kevin (segment "Homeschooled"); Liev Schreiber as Robert (segment "Homeschooled"); Naomi Watts as Samantha (segment "Homeschooled"); Anna Faris as Vanessa (segment "The Proposition") - **Runtime:** 1h 38m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 25 January 2013 - **Genres:** Comedy - **Budget:** $6 million - **Box office:** $32 million ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $6.76, hd - Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-16.* Also available in: AT, AU, CA, CH, DE, DK, FI, FR, GB, IE, IT, NO, NZ, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture 2013: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture (won) ## If you liked this - *The Kentucky Fried Movie* (1977): Another unruly sketch collection, with more sense of when to move on - *Monty Python's The Meaning of Life* (1983), Fi1m 76: Bodily indignities and bad taste given sharper targets and more elaborate staging — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/monty-pythons-the-meaning-of-life.md) - *Wild Tales* (2014), Fi1m 83: Separate stories of appalling behaviour, each with a properly worked-out escalation — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wild-tales.md) - *Tampopo* (1985): Food, sex and digressions, with room for affection as well as absurdity - *The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse* (2005): Grotesque characters whose surroundings are as carefully considered as their worst habits --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. 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