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Weekend at Bernie's
1989 98 min United States of America PG-13 16+
★6.2
Comedy, Crime
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Trailers
Description
Two young insurance corporation employees try to pretend that their murdered employer is alive by puppeteering his dead body, leading a hitman to attempt to track him down to finish him off.
Budget:
$6.5M
US Gross:
$30.22M
Worldwide:
$30.22M
Starring
Andrew McCarthy
Actor
Jonathan Silverman
Actor
Catherine Mary Stewart
Actor
Awards
1 nomination total
Key opinion
Weekend at Bernie's is widely regarded as a quintessential 1980s cult comedy, praised for its original premise and the dark, absurd humor derived from its central premise. While some modern viewers find the humor dated or the character dynamics clichéd, most audiences appreciate its nostalgic value and lighthearted, escapist atmosphere.
| Acting | Terry Kiser’s performance as the deceased Bernie provides a physically memorable and unique anchor for the film's absurdist tone. | |
| Originality | The film utilizes an original, high-concept premise that effectively distinguishes it from standard 1980s genre fare. | |
| Humor | The comedic style, which blends dark premise with lighthearted resort aesthetics, succeeds in creating a rewatchable, mood-lifting experience. | |
| Screenplay | The script leans on established, predictable character archetypes for the two leads, which some find refreshing and others dismiss as formulaic. | |
| Humor | While many find the film consistently hilarious and a classic of the era, others argue the juvenile humor is hit-or-miss and fails to hold up to contemporary scrutiny. |