How to Get Ahead in Advertising | Rotten Tomatoes

How to Get Ahead in Advertising

R

Released May 5, 1989

1h 35m

Comedy

List

60%

15 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Pressure from his boss (Richard Wilson) and a skin-cream client produces a talking boil on a British adman's (Richard E. Grant) neck.

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isla s

This is a somewhat bonkers British film. I assumed, from what I read of the plot before I saw it, that it would be about a mans mid life crisis but having seen it, it seems to depict more of an acute mental breakdown, brought on by his belief that a boil on his beck has somehow taken human form and is criticising him. Yes, its quite surreal - it is sort of funny in an oddball kind of a way, of course but the comedy is (of course) quite dark in tone. I suppose nowadays it wouldn't seem quite so comedic to make such a film, if its seen as making light on delusional mental/psychiatric conditions and the like. I quite like Richard E Grant as an actor and indeed he plays the main character, Dennis Bagley, well, depicting manic episodes with hyperactive behaviour et al. Its quirky and won't be to everyones taste - it even features a small amount of animation on screen at one point, further highlighting the worrying lack of clarity Dennis seems to have in terms of whats real and what isn't. Its either lightly amusing and very quirky, or somewhat disconcerting I suppose. Of course this film dates from the 1980s - certain issues weren't treated the way they are nowadays. I have my own personal issues but I still quite enjoyed this film regardless, as I liked the surreal and quirky aspects of it and I also thought it was amusing that Richard Wilson (of One Foot In The Grave fame) appears as Dennis' boss. This wont appeal to all and is somewhat dated but its certainly not a boring or awful watch, so I'd recommended it on that basis.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Shame, started off good and I was interested and enjoying it, after the first half through, I got bored.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

A real waste of everyone's time. This film should never have been made. I like Bruce Robinson, as a director and human being but this film is atrocious. Also Richard e grant doesn't pull this one off

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Grant is a one man army in How to Get Ahead in Advertising as he delivers a powerhouse performance here. A bit heavy in dialogue in the early going, but is an audacious and brilliant ride once the initial premise is set up. To accompany Richard E. Grants fantastic outing is an equally crafted screenplay, practical effects, and messaging still relevant today. A satirical cult classic that has aged quite well.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

Strange and funny satire

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Clever, smart,unusual and well done.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

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Bruce Robinson

Director

Richard E. Grant

Denis Dimbleby Bagley

Rachel Ward

Julia Bagley

Richard Wilson

John Bristol, Bagley's Boss

Jacqueline Tong

Penny Wheelstock

John Shrapnel

Psychiatrist

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The film would be better if it kept all of its images and performances and threw out a lot of the dialogue, which explains at great length things that need no explaining.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Leslie Combemale

Cinema Siren

This Monty Python-esque freak of a satire is laugh out loud funny, quite the lambast of the advertising industry, and many of the messages in the movie are equally relevant today.

Jul 26, 2019

Full Review

Rob Nelson

City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

The running gag is that [this film about advertising] takes its own high-concept formula of a yuppie's just desserts and whips it up with more tang than any consumer could want.

Sep 1, 2009

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Grant alone makes this eminently worth renting.

Rated: B+

Apr 9, 2007

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Rated: 4/5

Oct 10, 2005

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 20, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Pressure from his boss (Richard Wilson) and a skin-cream client produces a talking boil on a British adman's (Richard E. Grant) neck.

Director: Bruce Robinson
Producer: George Harrison, Denis O'Brien
Screenwriter: Bruce Robinson
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Handmade Films
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 5, 1989, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Jan 11, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $355.2K
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Surround