5.7/10
734
10 user 7 critic

Punching Henry (2016)

And Punching the Clown (original title)
Not Rated | | Comedy | 24 February 2017 (USA)
Punching Henry Poster
Trailer
2:22 | Trailer
Hapless satirical songwriter Henry Phillips is lured to LA when a veteran TV producer decides to make a show about the life of a loser.

Director:

Gregori Viens

Writers:

Henry Phillips, Gregori Viens

Stars:

Henry Phillips, Tig Notaro, J.K. Simmons | See full cast & crew »
65
Reviews

Videos

See all 3 videos  »

Photos

See all 9 photos »
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Phillips ... Henry Phillips
Tig Notaro ... Jillian
J.K. Simmons ... Jay Warren
Mark Cohen ... Stupid Joe
Sarah Silverman ... Sharon Levine
Ellen Ratner Ellen Ratner ... Ellen Pinksy
Mike Judge ... Ed
Jim Jefferies ... Charlie
Stephanie Allynne ... Zoe
Clifton Collins Jr. ... Dramatic Actor
Michaela Watkins ... Mara
Derek Waters ... Dave the Producer
Doug Stanhope ... Cab Dispatcher
Wayne Federman ... Carl Rohmer
Ashley Johnson ... Danielle
See full cast »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
Punching the Clown (2009)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.1/10 X  

Winner of the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival, this realistic comedy tells the story of Henry Phillips, a hapless modern day troubadour who grinds his way through the ... See full summary »

Director: Gregori Viens
Stars: Henry Phillips, Ellen Ratner, Wade Kelley
Next »
All Nighter (2017)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

A workaholic father who attempts to visit his daughter during a layover in LA, only to discover that she's disappeared, is forced to team up with her awkward ex-boyfriend to find her over the course of one transformative night.

Director: Gavin Wiesen
Stars: Analeigh Tipton, Emile Hirsch, J.K. Simmons
Next »
Shade (2003)
Crime | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

A group of hustlers encounter "The Dean" and pull off a successful sting that results in their pursuit by a vengeful gangster.

Director: Damian Nieman
Stars: Joe Nicolo, Carl Mazzocone Sr., George Tovar
Next »
The History of Time Travel (2014)
Documentary | Drama | History
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

A fictional documentary about the creation of the worlds first time machine, the men who created it, and the unintended ramifications it has on world events.

Director: Ricky Kennedy
Stars: Stephen Adami, Krista Ales, Valerie Black
Next »
Diani & Devine Meet the Apocalypse (2016)
Adventure | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.6/10 X  

A struggling comedy duo discovers that surviving the apocalypse is almost as difficult as surviving in Hollywood.

Directors: Etta Devine, Gabriel Diani
Stars: Etta Devine, Gabriel Diani, Barry Bostwick
Next »
The Deal I (2008)
Comedy | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.6/10 X  

A Hollywood producer starts with his nephew's script on Disraeli, Jewish PM in 1800s UK, and ends filming in Cape Town with a black action star. Will a movie be made? Will he score Deidre/Meg Ryan?

Director: Steven Schachter
Stars: William H. Macy, Meg Ryan, LL Cool J
Next »
Mostly Martha (2001)
Comedy | Romance | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

When a headstrong chef takes charge of her equally stubborn 8-year-old niece, the tensions between them mount... until an Italian sous-chef arrives to lighten the mood.

Director: Sandra Nettelbeck
Stars: Martina Gedeck, Maxime Foerste, Sergio Castellitto
Next »
Tread I (2020)
Documentary
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

Pushed to his breaking point, a master welder in a small town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains quietly fortifies a bulldozer with 30 tons of concrete and steel and seeks to destroy those he believes have wronged him.

Director: Paul Solet
Stars: Marvin Heemeyer, Patrick Brower, Glenn Trainor Jr.
Next »
Me and My Mates vs. The Zombie Apocalypse (2015)
Comedy | Horror
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4.9/10 X  

Three Australian telecom tradesman find themselves trapped in a telephone exchange during the onset of a zombie apocalypse.

Director: Declan Shrubb
Stars: Jim Jefferies, Adele Vuko, Alex Williamson
Next »
Rob the Mob (2014)
Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

A Queens couple who specialize in robbing mafia social clubs stumble upon a score bigger than they could ever imagine, becoming targets of both the mob and the FBI in the process.

Director: Raymond De Felitta
Stars: Michael Pitt, Nina Arianda, Andy Garcia
Next »
Right Now with Ginger Gonzaga! (TV Movie 2015)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Director: Adam Dubowsky
Stars: Julie Dove, Adam Dubowsky, Ginger Gonzaga
Next »
Mindhorn (2016)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

A has-been actor best known for playing the title character in the 1980s detective series "Mindhorn" must work with the police when a serial killer says that he will only speak with Detective Mindhorn, whom he believes to be a real person.

Director: Sean Foley
Stars: Julian Barratt, Simon Farnaby, Essie Davis
Edit

Storyline

Hapless satirical songwriter Henry Phillips is lured to LA by renowned TV producer Jay Warren, who wants to make a show about the life of a struggling performer. When Jay sees Henry bomb at a local club, he is convinced that this story must be told. With the support of his longtime musician friend Jillian, and his well-meaning but sub-par manager Ellen Pinsky, Henry endures the ups and downs of LA living, and even secures what appears to be the Hollywood dream. But as a major TV network gets involved, he must decide whether his legacy will be to make jokes, or become the butt of them.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

writer | See All (1) »

Taglines:

Comedy isn't funny.

Genres:

Comedy

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows Punching the Clown (2009) See more »

User Reviews

 
598th Review: Hangdog Comedy That is Laugh-Out Loud Funny
23 February 2017 | by intelearts – See all my reviews

This was a genuine surprise - Henry Phillips, a loser comedy musician and proud of it, plays himself in a film that has more going for it that most - firstly, it is actually funny, rather than just meh, it has some excellent sight gags, sharp one-liners, and a script that uses his road tales and converts them into something more. On top of this is an actual plot of LA life (and of the horrors of big commerce trying to seduce him into monetizing his life). Hey, we see what you did there Henry, clever...

All in all, this is a small, intimate film that captures its Garry Shandler, Larry David, Walter Matthau vibe and gets better as it goes along. With loads of cameos and a nice sensibility, this is an easy film to recommend - it's low down without being mean about it - and it actually gets its laughs right.
11 of 15 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 10 user reviews »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 2017 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Punching Henry See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Permut Presentations, Kandoo Films, Lola's Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Color
See full technical specs »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Your Next Binge Watch Awaits

Looking for something to watch? Check out IMDb's "What to Watch" series to find out what's really worth watching.


Clear your history

Recently Viewed