Punching Henry | Rotten Tomatoes

Punching Henry

Released Feb 24, 2017

1 hr. 35 min.

Comedy

TRAILER

for Punching Henry: Trailer 1

List

77%

13 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Comedian-songwriter Henry Phillips is lured to Los Angeles by renowned TV producer Jay Warren, who wants to create a television series about the struggling performer. With the support of his longtime musician friend Jillian and his well-meaning manager Ellen Pinsky, Henry endures the ups and downs of Hollywood. But when a major TV network gets involved with the show, Henry must decide whether his legacy will be to make jokes or become the butt of them.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

Fandango at Home

Peacock

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Punching Henry on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

FRANK P

This is a venal film about humanity's venality. That the LA Times, SF Chronicle, Village Voice and The Observer could give it a thumbs up, staggers me. Every minute of this sad sack film about a sad sack comic is predictable. Also amazing is that four or five talented and well-loved comics and actors could not resist passing it up. "Punching Henry" is cleverly and professionally written, acted and shot. It is also heartless, repetitive, unimaginative and manipulative. I already mentioned "predictable," which is it's most salient characteristic. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" makes us cringe and laugh. "Henry" just made me cringe. Take my wife, somebody, please, badda boom.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/24/20

Full Review

Audience Member

Was expecting a dressed-up remake of Punching The Clown, and dressed-up remakes can have mixed results. Making this a sequel instead of mining the exact same material is the best choice they could have made. It keeps the earnest awkwardness that worked in PtC, and a much stronger supporting cast helps it land (Tig Notaro in particular).

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

sue b

This was a depressing, joyless movie punctuated with antisemitic jokes and generally portraying Jews in an unflattering light. Putting Sarah Silverman in the movie does not give it the green light to slam Jews which it does on several occasions - it's always safe to target Jews because they are notoriously non-violent and civilized so you don't have to worry about being blown up by them. Trying to make antisemitism acceptable is disgusting. I was also disgusted by this man trying to inseminate a woman for a lesbian couple and the comments left by his friend on his answering machine saying degrading things about a woman's privates. The film left me angry and nauseated and depressed that this is the low level to which our culture and values appear to be sinking. The verbiage which enticed me to watch it, "hyper-intelligent", is misleading - it's more like hyper-depressing.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

chris n

Loved it, this movie has original, self-deprecating comedy in abundance with plenty of laugh out load moments.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

harrison r

Very watchable and occasionally funny meta-story. Good cameos and guests. Even some of his songs were somewhat funny.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The tale of a talented loser! I haven't seen 'The Clown', but 'Henry' was so awesome. It was like only a better version of 'Inside Llewyn Davis'. A small film like this going un-noticed is common, but I want you to check it out. It's not just that, but it was totally underrated as well. Believe me, it will be one of the best B movie you would ever see. Henry Phillips is a stand-up comedian-come-musician. He has lots of stage hits, but still not yet there as successful as one would consider. Suddenly he hits the chord, that he's been chosen to be in a television show of his own. If it all goes as they say, he will be a famous person in the nation. But this tale takes place in the meantime, telling us what is his usual life and how he manages it. I did not like it straight away. The opening was average, but from the mid part to the rest of the film, it turned out better with every twist. It all went so fast and ended. Henry was really cool. Now I want to see the previous part too. JK Simmons, Sarah Silverman and other were also good in their small parts. Surely I highly recommend it! 8/10

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Gregori Viens

Director

Henry Phillips

Self

Sarah Silverman

Sharon Levine

Tig Notaro

Jillian

Stephanie Allynne

Zoe

J.K. Simmons

Jay Warren

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

95%

92%

Hundreds of Beavers

TRAILER

for Hundreds of Beavers

67%

29%

The Stranger

TRAILER

for The Stranger

50%

92%

The Stolen Valley

TRAILER

for The Stolen Valley

93%

95%

Dune: Part Two

TRAILER

for Dune: Part Two

71%

60%

Immaculate

TRAILER

for Immaculate

82%

75%

In the Land of Saints and Sinners

TRAILER

for In the Land of Saints and Sinners

69%

86%

Sweet Dreams

TRAILER

for Sweet Dreams

56%

84%

DogMan

TRAILER

for DogMan

%

41%

Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer

%

%

An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th

TRAILER

for An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Punching Henry: Trailer 1

2:17

View more videos

View more photos

Karen Han

CutPrintFilm

Sympathy is a dollar that can only be stretched so far, and it gives out halfway through the movie.

Rated: 3/10

Dec 8, 2017

Full Review

Joshua Dudley

Observer

The comedy in the film is biting and acerbic and sharply drawn from real life.

Feb 28, 2017

Full Review

Joe Leydon

Variety

Sharply observed and understatedly amusing ...

Feb 24, 2017

Full Review

Steven Prokopy

Third Coast Review

Punching Henry just sits there on the screen, supplying us with a few familiar faces of people most of us like and a few more characters who grate our nerves and don't give us any real sense of who they are.

May 4, 2020

Full Review

S. Jhoanna Robledo

Common Sense Media

Glum but smart comedy has some mature material.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 7, 2017

Full Review

Stephen Mayne

Under the Radar

There's an endearing weariness to Phillips' persona. He's about as close to a punching bag as a person can get for much of the film.

Rated: 6/10

Feb 28, 2017

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Comedian-songwriter Henry Phillips is lured to Los Angeles by renowned TV producer Jay Warren, who wants to create a television series about the struggling performer. With the support of his longtime musician friend Jillian and his well-meaning manager Ellen Pinsky, Henry endures the ups and downs of Hollywood. But when a major TV network gets involved with the show, Henry must decide whether his legacy will be to make jokes or become the butt of them.

Director: Gregori Viens
Executive Producer: Howard Barish, David P. Beitchman, Adam Brawer, Luca Costa, Luke Daniels, Robert J. Harley, Brandon K. Hogan, Bert Kern, Chris Mangano, Nick Morton, Alan Pao, Atif Malik, Sean McEwen, Deborah Ratner
Screenwriter: Gregori Viens, Henry Phillips
Distributor: Well Go USA
Production Co: Kandoo Films, Permut Presentations, Whitewater Films, Tilted Windmill Productions, Lola's Productions
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 24, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 21, 2017

Most Popular at Home Now