When thinking about Mike Myers, top of mind are shows and movies like Saturday Night Live, Wayne’s World, Shrek, and Austin Powers, depending on what generation. However, the Canadian comedic actor has appeared in many movies over the last several decades, including some hidden gems.
One such hidden gem is So I Married an Axe Murderer, a romantic black comedy from 1993 that is arguably one of his best movies ever. The criminally underrated film is one that fans of the actor, or silly comedy movies in general, should have on their radar. And with So I Married an Axe Murderer streaming for free on Tubi this month, now is the perfect time to enjoy it.
What Is ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’ About?
In So I Married an Axe Murderer, one of Myers’ funniest movies, Myers is Charlie MacKenzie, a local beat poet who has historically been unlucky in love. In fact, he uses his break-ups as fodder for his poems at the local club. His best friend Tony (Anthony LaPaglia) thinks Charlie is just a commitment-phobe who always looks for silly reasons to break up with women.
After meeting a woman named Harriet (Nancy Travis) at the butcher shop where he works, however, Charlie is smitten. Has he finally met his true love? There’s just one thing wrong. When Charlie’s mother, May (Brenda Fricker), reads one of her tabloid magazine articles to him about a local killer known as Mrs. X, who presumably kills her husbands on their honeymoon, he initially shrugs it off. But soon, Charlie starts to wonder if Harriet could be her.
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There are too many clues adding up. She’s dodgy about her exes. She has items in her house that fit the profiles of each of the men. Some things she does or says seem to relate directly to the dead husbands. Is Charlie just being paranoid, or is there something to it? He tries to stop overthinking things, believing that maybe Tony is right. But he can’t help but find clue after clue that something is suspicious. The story continues with the pair getting engaged, and Charlie is terrified that he could become the next victim on their wedding night. It sounds dark, but the movie is downright hilarious with a twist ending fans never saw coming.
What Makes ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’ So Good?
When thinking of quotable movies, So I Married an Axe Murderer should be near or at the top of the list. There are so many hilariously dumb quotes that fans still recite to this day. It’s the type of movie worth watching again and again to pick up on the subtle humor. Charlie’s remarks to Harriet or in social situations will have viewers in stitches, while LaPaglia’s portrayal as the hapless, recently promoted police detective is too funny for words. Even the late Alan Arkin, as Tony’s police chief, brings on the laughs with his deadpan humor.
Myers doesn’t just play Charlie: he also plays his surly, Scottish-born father Stuart, who angrily yells about everything from the Colonel and his Kentucky Fried Chicken (with his beady eyes) to his big-headed grandson William (Matt Doherty), who he rudely calls “Heed.” Stuart is not just a stereotypical portrayal of an old Scottish dad: he’s an abrasive, exaggerated depiction that takes the personality to an entirely new level.
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Another charming part of the movie is the poems Charlie reads to the tune of music as if they’re jazz tunes, that are very catchy in their tone and lyrics. There’s May’s obsession with and attraction to Tony and Harriet’s weird sister Rose (Amanda Plummer), who creeps Charlie out from the moment he meets her.
The movie is filled with the same silly humor fans came to know and love of Myers from his time as a cast member on the sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live and in films like Wayne’s World and Austin Powers, some of the greatest movies starring ‘90s SNL cast members. He portrays this character as a relatively normal man, reserving his typical impersonation style for the portrayal of Stuart. Yet he’s still deeply funny, thanks to his sarcastic remarks, odd facial expressions, physical comedy, and silly jokes.
In fact, it’s Charlie’s humor that makes Harriet fall in love with him in the first place. It’s a more subdued role for Myers who is typically in an elaborate costume or voicing an animated character. But he proves he can be just as funny in a simpler role. Plus, let’s not forget about the impressive supporting cast, with small appearances from Michael Richards, the late Phil Hartman, and Debi Mazar as well.
What Fans and Critics Say About ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’
So I Married an Axe Murderer is the type of movie fans need to “get” in order to like. It’s in the same camp as films like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective or virtually anything from Adam Sandler in the ‘90s. Thus, it’s no surprise that critics have only given the film a 55% Rotten Tomatoes score. Audiences, however, give it a much higher 68% score. Of the critics who like the movie and appreciate its humor, Quentin Falk of Sunday Mirror (UK) says it’s “reminiscent of old forties comedy-thrillers, it’s all delightfully silly and often hilarious.” David Nasair of Reel Film Reviews calls the film a “somewhat erratic yet mostly affable comedy,” and Marilynne S. Madon of Christian Science Monitor says, “a sweetness pervades the film, which provides a generous view of human nature.”
The more than 100,000 fans who have reviewed the film over the last 30+ years since its release are just as complimentary. Matt S. calls it a “cult classic” and admits that they didn’t realize how many lines from the movie they have been repeating until re-watching. “It’s a masterpiece,” they add. Neil C. asks how the movie is so poorly ranked and says “Forget Austin Powers, this was Mike Myers at his best!”
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For fans who have seen the film already, the great news is that it’s one with excellent re-watch value, especially if it has been 30 years since you last watched it. It’s impossible after watching not to argue with the waitress at the local coffee shop that you ordered the “large cappuccino…Hello!” after watching. Those grieving relationships will pen their own “woman, woman, whoa-man” poems. Visiting a friend’s new house? Declare “you know what this house needs?” then proceed to choose something completely outlandish that’s already in there.
Come across someone playing bagpipes and go ahead and try to resist the urge to yell, “A piper is down!” Did someone use your washroom? Loudly declare that they should “light a match!” Or need something from a child? “Head, paper, now!” is the appropriate way to summon them.
These lines from this hilarious film go on and on. So I Married an Axe Murderer is a hidden gem worth watching again and again, and one that shows off a subtler side of Myers’ comedic talent. He doesn’t have to be playing a big, green monster, a long-haired rocker, or a ‘50s womanizer with bad teeth to get laughs. With the movie streaming for free starting February 1, 2025, So I Married An Axe Murderer is the perfect Valentine’s Day or winter season watch. Stream So I Married an Axe Murderer for free on Tubi.
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