Eaten by Lions (2018) User Reviews (30)

Eaten by Lions

[brankovranjkovic · 6/10 · 1 April 2019]

Comedy drama.

Starts very strong with a heart-warming plot and frequent LOL humour.

Two half-brothers Omar and Pete are on a journey to find Omar's estranged father after their granny (who looked after them) passes away.

Pete is played by Jack Carroll, who UK viewers might recognise, but might not know why? He was a very young comedian and runner up in a recent Britain's got Talent contest. I think he was well cast and showed he can be a first rate actor as well.

Also stars Johnny Vegas, another well-known UK comedian, who wasn't used enough, he stole every scene. This is a great British film, which unfortunately really loses its way during the Rolls Royce sketch.

Lots of laughs paper over the cracks

[muamba_eats_toast · 7/10 · 1 April 2019]

The film isn't perfect and has a slight feel of cheap TV movie but the gags are written well most I've laughed at a film in quite some time and is mostly well written. The storyline gets by and great cameos by Johnny Vegas and others hold it together. Overall an enjoyable film even if it didn't feel slightly tacky and jumpy storyline wise at times.

BBC Three special

[bogeyman786 · 7/10 · 4 April 2019]

A movie you'd expect to be shown on BBC Three. I ventured out of town to see this as it wasn't showing at my local cinema. Good turn out at the screening. I found it funny as did the audience. We all had a good laugh. Recommended

fricking hilarious

[sameenuk · 7/10 · 9 April 2019]

So just to set expectations, the end of this film tailed off a little until the final scene sitting on a tree. I felt a little lost in how the story opened because i didn't appreciate they were step-brothers, but this is the kind of film where the netflix generation will put the phone down and pay attention.

The story is just madcap. Its a bit like Ferris Muellers Day Off meets Andy and Tim from Little Britain. Most of the comedy is so absurd and typically British. Its hard to see how they could keep a straight face through the sketches.

Production shows all the glories of Bradford (so around 30 seconds of tracking shots), Blackpool and there is a rather iconic bit of film with the car drifting towards the sea. It added to the film because it slowed the pace down.

The two leads were hopelessly miscast but they managed to pull off sibling chemistry. I found the "asian orphan" lead was a little wooden whereas the "white orphan" lead was probably too animated. But thats what made the comedic value. So with the asian guy, there is this look of childlike glee in his face as he takes off his shoes to go in the sea like its his first time ever that he did this.

The real humour comes from the nutty supporting cast. I think they were all playing for kicks. There is still stiff muslim prospective in-laws who collectively gave a sense of awkwardness. You get father of the year who blames his kids for being born or father of the year, and I think the grandmother character was brilliantly told in flashback.

This is the kind of gem i'd put alongside Rocket Singh. Very relatable characters until you realise they are all mad.

Charming Movie

[alexscg · 7/10 · 12 January 2021]

A lovely, charming movie that will make you feel good. The title itself may be disturbing at first glance, but the movie is fun to watch, comic at points, never dull. So, grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the show. Esentially it is a story about belonging and acceptance, which every one of us strives to have. Overall, a very nice movie.

Great laugh, good story.

[lsb-39292 · 7/10 · 29 December 2021]

Despite the low budget, the team behind this made a good quality and fun film. I've seen a few lower budget movies in my time and most seem to have that rough edge finish to them but this is nicely polished. The only thing I can fault it with is slightly stale acting but looking past that, it's a good little movie.

Wonderfully quirky

[BreinWatch · 7/10 · 11 August 2023]

What do you do if your short film hits a nerve and takes off? Well, go turn it into a full feature film , best with as many of the lead actors as you can. That, in a way, is the DNA of Eaten by Lions. Has director Jason Wingard, who also co-wrote the script, bitten off a bit more than he can chew in taking this leap? That would be too facile a verdict to cast, and only possible if you approached his creation with any other than a taste for daringly independent film making.

But it's worth sticking with this film and its cast, a good few of them growing into it from the short. Technical set pieces, paying homage to static frames and canvasses. A selection of pastiches riffing on second and third generation British Indian culture and its in-jokes and contradictions. Half-brotherly love, shaped by a dynamic also rooted in an implicit reflection on and of disability. Racism, cutting both ways, playfully mocked throughout.

But ultimately, a coming of age story where opposites meet, then mesh, difference is overcome, prejudice cast away, culminating in a wild house party and its sober aftermath, none of which intended at all to resemble an even marginally plausible unfolding of events.

Eaten by Lions ultimately therefore turns into an homage to transgression, muted to remain within the bounds of tolerance of the common viewer's taste buds.

Eaten by Lions

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 26 March 2023]

Eaten by Lions tries too hard to be a northern feel good low budget farcical comedy.

When their parents were eaten by lions on a trip to Africa. Half brothers Omar (Antonio Aakeel) and Pete (Jack Carroll) were raised by their grandmother. After it was made clear the boys aunt did not want the asian Omar, but the disabled Pete would be reluctantly taken in as he was white.

Now teenagers the boys are on the verge of being split up again after the death of their grandmother. The aunt makes it clear that Omar is not welcome.

They leave Bradford and head to Blackpool to find Omar's real father. Only to find that dad Irfan (Asim Chaudhry) is a man child himself.

Omar tries to fit in with Irfan's extended family. Pete tries to fight off the advances of Irfan's mute relative.

There is a little bit of everything from other movies here. Steve Martin's The Jerk to the Schwarzenegger and Devito comedy vehicle Twins. The flirty relative was straight out of My Beautiful Launderette. The horrid aunt might as well be the Dursleys from Harry Potter.

Populated by eccentric characters, Johnny Vegas playing the slightly lewd Uncle Ray (another variant of Uncle Monty from Withnail and I.) It tried to be funny but rarely made me laugh.

It was a scattergun script, when the movie would had been better to let have fewer characters and let them develop.

Although a low budget film, the Blackpool scenes were well photographed.

Tons of low budget laughs.

[bxhrfpsy · 7/10 · 24 August 2021]

Haven't Lol'd at a film like this for a long, long time. There's no way you can predict where the story line is going, due to the silliness. A film not taking itself to seriously makes this a refreshing mid week watch. Some great British faces.

Ghastly

[kiogetsstranger · 2/10 · 6 July 2020]

Nothing to see her but a trope of stereotypes say bad lines.

Very very funny

[jamiejunglehead · 10/10 · 8 September 2019]

I wasn't sure about this film to begin with but it was really good. The story is very good but it's the laughs that really make it great. The cameos are perfect, Johnny Vegas perfect. We all laughed out loud at points. Don't read the bad reviews just watch it yourself :)

Low budget tosh

[qui_j · 2/10 · 1 January 2021]

I managed about 20 minutes of this before I realized it was heading no where. The humor fell flat, the characters were stereotypes and persisting with it would have wasted time that I could never retrieve. Amazon scours the globe for inexpensive offerings, perhaps picking them up for cheap to stream. Very occasionally there may be a gem. This is not one of them!

I lasted 20-30 minutes.

[bareth-51861 · 2/10 · 31 July 2019]

My opinion of this comedy was that at times the script was good but delivery wasn't. It's rare I turn a film off unless it's really that bad but this for me was terrible. We all have different tastes but I'd rather have to watch all Lord Of The Rings Extended addition while tied to a chair on loop for 5 days then try this film again. It was just that bad but that's my opinion.

Embarrassing and corny

[hs-00025 · 1/10 · 26 August 2021]

Cheap, corny one liners. Stereotypical bordering on racist.

Hilarious and touching film

[filmmakerdom8 · 10/10 · 4 April 2019]

It isn't just good as independent film it's genuinely funny and quite moving throughout and holds up as a theatrical film. It's hard to get British comedies where they are funny without being too obvious and this manages to walk that line. Worth a cinema visit!

Race Jam

[anil-kulkarni-108-85663 · 4/10 · 14 April 2020]

This is a mildly amusing tale of a search for a father who has abandoned his life child after a one night stand. The backstory is done in a hurried manner and we get to the main plot device. It's a slight tale tar has some amusing moments and a heartwarming fraternal relationship that's etched with some sympathy. Some minor interesting characters esp the Pakistani family warts and all. Mild diversionary fare.

Weak Tea

[iansowerby · 4/10 · 25 August 2021]

Perhaps it ended up going somewhere but not in the first 20 minutes which is as far as I got.

Not really a lot to say about this one

[samthejudgeamos · 5/10 · 15 November 2021]

A few laughs but not enough content to watch it and do nothing else at the same time. Pretty weak but inoffensive as background telly.

Maybe it would have been fun to watch after a few beers.

Funniest film I've seen in ages

[burnsyorkie · 10/10 · 4 April 2019]

Amazing so very funny was remembering bits all night and chuckling to myself. Really worth a watch . Good story good acting . Really well made film

Great British Comedy

[tonyrodgers-94415 · 9/10 · 5 April 2019]

Great family fun movie where diversity is portrayed in a positive light unlike the images we often see in the media.The relationship between the brothers and their grandma is heart warming and reminds us what a difference this can make in times of adversity.This film made me laugh out loud at the same time as making me feel emotional at times and kept me interested in the storyline throughout.

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC

[Elliecomedy · 10/10 · 4 April 2019]

I love this movie so much! Great Cast and great views of Blackpool and great storyline would highly recommend if you love Blackpool and comedy and you'll laugh from start to finish !

Sharp and by the sea

[andybl-82701 · 9/10 · 5 April 2019]

A beautiful little film with well measured performances. An ensemble cast that seem like they are enjoying what they are doing and it definitely draws the audience in

Funny

[donnaguinivan · 9/10 · 19 November 2019]

Love British films and this is one of those feel good films that we do well. Loved the great cast and Johnny Vegas was super as usual. I liked the fact that for once someone with special needs was featured as a real character.

An absolute corker of a film!

[lindabateman-59377 · 9/10 · 12 July 2019]

Absolutely loved this film. It's honest, very well-acted by a brilliant cast, very funny, and very moving. A real gem - I loved it.

Good Brit comedy in the Ealing fashion

[nhockney · 10/10 · 4 April 2019]

Some fabulous laugh out loud lines , great cast , a feel good , fun , British Film, Tom Binns as the fortune teller , just brilliant , Jack Carroll and Antonio Aakeel are great leads , throw in a slightly dark and pervy Jonny Vegas and a classic Asim Chaudry ( you may recognise him from the BA safety briefing ! ) Simple Ealing style plot ...it just makes you laugh