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Poster for The Mystery of Henri Pick

The Mystery of Henri Pick

Seen it?

2019 | 101 min | Drama, Comedy

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and a lukewarm 6.5 out of 10 from audiences. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who wants a laugh. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Funny with heart.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 41 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

In a bizarre Breton library that collects rejected, never published manuscripts, a young editor discovers a novel that she considers a masterpiece. It was written by a certain Henri Pick, a cook who died two years earlier and who, according to his widow, had never read a book in his life or written anything but a shopping list... Did he have a secret life? When the book becomes a huge best-seller, Jean- Michel Rouche, a skeptical and stubborn literary critic, teams up with Joséphine, Pick’s daughter, to unravel the mystery.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    92% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesBelow par

    6.5 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 5K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Rémi Bezançon

  • Fabrice LuchiniJean Michel Rouche
  • Camille CottinJoséphine Pick
  • Alice IsaazDaphné Despero
  • Bastien BouillonFred Koskas
  • Philypa PhoenixWendy Bellamy
  • Louis DescolsVicomte d'Archiac
  • Josiane StoléruMadeleine Pick
  • Astrid WhettnallInès de Crécy
  • Hanna SchygullaLudmila Blavitsky
  • Marie-Christine OrryMagali Roze, la bibliothécaire