In small-town Texas, the local mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when he kills her, he goes to great lengths to create the illusion that she's alive.
Linklater had an interesting story here, but unfortunately this work lurks towards the Fast Food Nation end of his oeuvre.
Neither a terribly dark comedy, nor much of a provocation, what we’re left with is basically a Coen Brothers picture with its teeth pulled.
It’s marvellously oddball stuff – another Linklater triumph in a wide-ranging, consistently interesting and unpredictable career.
Directed by Richard Linklater, this is a bizarre and intriguing tale but Bernie remains essentially unknowable and the picture lacks big laughs.
This droll and enjoyably morbid Texas folk tale (apparently based on a true story) is undermined by its faux-documentary structure.
Oddball comedy-drama.
Black's performance is a revelation: foregoing his usual repertoire of jiggling, tics and head-waggling craziness, Black ensures Tiede is a satirical creation of considerable substance. Really impressive.
Linklater’s Fargo, it’s funny peculiar and funny ha ha, with Black a delight and Linklater in impressive control of superbly judged content and tone.
Black plays a blinder and the story itself is would-you-believe-it gold.
Amusing as these good ol' boys and gals are, none of them knows what went on between Tiede and Nugent behind closed doors, and Linklater seems unwilling to speculate.
Richard Linklater's account of a real-life small-town murder has a winning mix of comedy and social observation.
Richard Linklater on Bernie: sweet, sensitive and deadly
Jack Black on the art of being a clown
General release. Check local listings for show times.