Checking Out

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Checking Out is available in the US on Criterion Channel right now. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 4/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Jeff Daniels's performance alone is worth the time investment. Put it on tonight on Criterion Channel and see for yourself.

There is a reason Checking Out keeps coming up in conversation. The jokes in Checking Out land because the characters underneath them are worth caring about. When his best friend dies of a heart attack, Ray Macklin becomes a man obsessed with his own mortality. Convinced that all his aches and pains are an indication of his imminent death, Ray's life turns into a slapstick farce of health-crazed anxiety and hypochondria. Jeff Daniels and Melanie Mayron lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It hit screens in 1988. The timing in Checking Out is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Checking Out respects your intelligence. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Jeff Daniels anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.

Checking Out was released in 1988, directed by David Leland. The full 96-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.