[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/burkeandhare.jpg]]

''Burke & Hare'' is a 2010 British BlackComedy film directed by Creator/JohnLandis and starring Creator/SimonPegg, Creator/AndySerkis, Creator/IslaFisher, Creator/TomWilkinson and Creator/TimCurry, based on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Hare_murders the infamous William Burke and William Hare]] and their killing spree in 1820s Scotland.

Burke and Hare are two ne'er-do-wells who hit upon a novel new source of income: providing anatomists with corpses for dissection and study. When grave-robbing proves to not be a fruitful enough source of dead bodies, Burke and Hare decide to start making corpses themselves--by killing people. Meanwhile, Burke has fallen in love with a retired prostitute who wants to stage an all-female version of ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''--and the cops are after them.

Not to be confused with the 1972 British horror movie of the same name, which is also inspired by the real life murderers.

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!! This movie provides examples of:
* ActorAllusion: Hare is shown [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings eating from a fish bone]].
* BadBadActing: Isla Fisher as Ginny as Theatre/{{Macbeth}}.
* BlackComedy: Very much so.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Angus telling us, the audience, about 1820's Edinburgh, Scotland.
* TheCameo: Several:
** Creator/ChristopherLee has one scene as Burke and Hare's first official victim.
** Creator/StephenMerchant is a footman.
** Paul Whitehouse is a drunken gentleman the duo fail to kill.
** Michael Winner also goes uncredited as a carriage-bound victim.
** Creator/RayHarryhausen also gets one as an unnamed doctor.
** And the real William Burke gets one at the end, though it is only a [[{{Pun}} bit part]].
* CrapsackWorld
* TheDragon: Fergus to Danny [=McTavish=]. Becomes the DragonAscendant when he [[spoiler: helps Burke and Hare kills his boss for a reward.]]
* GallowsHumor: Ending on an actual gallows.
* GraveRobbing: One way to provide corpses for anatomists.
* HighPressureBlood: Happens to a poor man behind Dr. Monro when he cuts an artery during an amputation ForScience.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter: William Burke, William Hare, Dr. Robert Knox and Dr. Alexander Monro.
** With less historical justification, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Charles Darwin (who did at least study in Edinburgh around that time) and Nicephore Niepce also get dragged into the story.
** Greyfriars Bobby yaps suspiciously at the two men as they're digging up a corpse, albeit in the wrong decade.
* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The real Burke and Hare were quite a bit more cold blooded, preying on old ladies, a boy, and a mentally retarded man. Hare also ratted Burke out in exchange for immunity.
* HollywoodHeartAttack: How one of the victims dies.
* HookerWithAHeartOfGold: Ginny, although she's actually a retired prostitute.
* HypocriticalHumour: "Watch your language, you fucking son of a bitch bastard."
** Hangman is [[BreakingTheFourthWall talking to the audience]]: "People who kill other people for profit are evil." And then proceeds to accept money for doing his job.
* TheImmodestOrgasm: Lucky. It apparently helps her think, even when she's reduced to a moaning cross-eyed mess.
* JumpScare: [[spoiler: Burke appearing out of nowhere in a darkened tunnel, used as part of an attack to get an obese man to have a heart attack.]]
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Hare and Lucky escape any form of punishment whatsoever, much like in reality, where Burke did not fact give his own life to save his loved ones. In fact, Hare sold him out and got away with it.]]
* LastRequest: [[spoiler:Burke confesses to the killings on one condition - that he is allowed to spend the night with Ginny, his true love.]]
* LoveMakesYouEvil: In a sense. One of the reasons that Burke keeps going along with the killings is so he can finance Ginny's version of ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: No other way to keep the "product" coming.
* TheNapoleon: Tam [=McLintock=].
* NeckLift: One intended victim does this with Burke and Hare at the same time.
* NotWhatItLooksLike: When Hare is checking Burke's wound and their landlady walks by. "You have a perfectly lovely arse."
* OffTheWagon: Lucky.
* OneSteveLimit: Averted, as in real life. Both Hare and Burke are named William.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Both Burke and Hare are often referred to as "Willy".
* TheRival: Dr. Knox (a [[TheDandy dandy]] and forward thinker) versus the more old fashioned Professor Monro. They regularly spar verbally and almost seem to enjoy it.
-->'''Professor Monro''': How are your students enjoying your lectures?"
-->'''Doctor Knox''': Er, not as much as I understand they're enjoying your wife, sir.
* RunningGag: Burke's constant unsuccessful attempts to have sex with Ginny. [[spoiler:They are finally able to make love the night before his execution.]]
** The militiaman who faints at every moment of gruesomeness.
* ShotInTheAss: Burke by the militia.
* SlasherSmile: Fergus.
* SnakeOilSalesman:The "moss" that cures everything, according to Burke.
* SpitTake: Ginny when Burke tells her he'll bankroll the play.
* StaircaseTumble: Used by the duo in one of their attempted murders, much to their chagrin when the [[MadeOfIron drunk gets up and continues dancing down the street]].
* SympatheticMurderer: Burke.
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: The opening disclaimer reads "THIS IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY EXCEPT FOR THE PARTS WHICH ARE NOT". In addition to HistoricalHeroUpgrade above, the story of Burke bankrolling a play is invented. Knox continued to practice in Edinburgh for many years.
* VideoCredits
* [[VillainProtagonist Villain Protagonists]]: Although Burke is portrayed as more of an PunchClockVillain, being much more reluctant to go ahead with the murders and, unlike Hare, is guilt-ridden over his part in them.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue:
--> Burke: [[spoiler: On display in Edinburgh's anatomy museum to this very day]]\\
Hare: [[spoiler: Founded the first funeral parlor with Lucky, which eventually got a royal seal]]\\
Ginny: [[spoiler: Became a famous actress... though not a very good one]]\\
Photographer: [[spoiler: Became one of fathers of photography]]\\
Doctor's assistant: [[spoiler: [[UsefulNotes/CharlesDarwin Went on a voyage of discovery and wrote a very controversial book]] ]]\\
Doctor who ordered all the "product": [[spoiler: Went to America]]
* YoungFutureFamousPeople: Dr. Monro's assistant is a young UsefulNotes/CharlesDarwin.
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