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The Burial (2023) movie poster

Characters & Themes

The Burial (2023) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2023 · 2 h 6 m · English
Echo score 76
JustWatch #13,710 5
Directed by
Maggie Betts
Starring
Jamie Foxx, Mamoudou Athie, Tommy Lee Jones, Bill Camp, Jurnee Smollett, Dorian Missick
Budget
$32.5M

When a respected funeral home owner faces a lawsuit threatening his livelihood, he finds an unlikely ally in a skilled lawyer. Together, they confront corporate greed and racial injustice in a David versus Goliath legal battle. As they delve deeper into the case, they forge an unexpected bond while exposing a troubling web of corruption and fighting for justice and a chance at redemption.

On this page (8)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (9)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (4)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Movies like The Burial
  8. 8 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Burial (2023)

Where can you watch The Burial? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon MX Player and Amazon Prime Video Free: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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9 main characters · contains spoilers

The Burial Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of The Burial (2023), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx)

    A flamboyant, fearless Florida personal injury lawyer who becomes the lead attorney for O'Keefe. He drives bold legal strategies, aims for a multi-digit settlement, and navigates the politics of a high-stakes courtroom with charisma and intensity.

    • 💼 Lawyer
    • 🗣️ Charismatic
    • ⚖️ Strategic
    • 💪 Determined
  • Jeremiah O'Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones)

    A financially strained Mississippi funeral home owner fighting to save his business after a Ponzi-fueled collapse and broken promises from a corporate buyer. He is determined, risk-taking, and willing to mortgage his home to pursue justice.

    • 🏛️ Business Owner
    • 💪 Determination
    • 🛡️ Resilience
    • 🧭 Risk-taker
  • Ray Loewen (Bill Camp)

    Head of the Loewen Group, a corporate executive who exploits minority communities with overpriced funeral plans. He embodies corporate greed and a lack of remorse, driving the legal conflict toward a punitive damages verdict.

    • 💰 Corporate Greed
    • 🏢 Executive
    • 🧭 Calculated
    • ⚖️ Power
  • Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett)

    A sharp Black attorney leading the defense for the Loewen Group. She questions O'Keefe's character and exposes community exploitation, presenting a formidable counterpoint in court.

    • ⚖️ Legal Strategy
    • 🧠 Intelligence
    • 👑 Authority
  • Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie)

    A young lawyer who advises the client and uncovers the possibility that Loewen is attempting to bankrupt O'Keefe by delaying payments. He champions investigative insight and the value of witness leads.

    • 🧭 Investigation
    • 💡 Insight
    • 🧑‍⚖️ Legal Advisors
  • Mike Allred (Alan Ruck)

    O'Keefe's initial contract lawyer who believes in a settlement but ultimately steps back as loyalties and perspectives shift. He embodies the tension between credibility and risk in high-stakes litigation.

    • 🧩 Legal Drama
    • 🤝 Settlement
    • 🧭 Conflict
  • Annette O'Keefe (Pamela Reed)

    Jeremiah O'Keefe's partner who supports his efforts to salvage the business and pursue justice against predatory practices. She stands for family resilience and steadfast backing in face of financial peril.

    • 👪 Family
    • 💪 Resilience
    • 🏛️ Legal Support
  • Judge Graves (Lance E. Nichols)

    A key courtroom figure who oversees the trial and influences its rhythm through rulings and respect for the procedures of justice.

    • ⚖️ Judge
    • 🧭 Authority
    • 🏛️ Courtroom
  • Gloria Gary (Amanda Warren)

    Willie Gary's partner who backs the legal team and lends strategic support to the high-stakes civil fight. She embodies loyalty and practical savvy in the courtroom arena.

    • 🤝 Partner
    • 💼 Strategy
    • 💡 Insight

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:59

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Setting

Where and When Does The Burial Take Place?

The setting of The Burial (2023): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

1995

The events unfold in the mid-1990s, beginning in 1995, a period marked by aggressive corporate expansion and high-stakes civil litigation. The narrative follows Jeremiah O'Keefe's financial collapse and the ensuing legal fight, spanning a couple of years and culminating in a landmark verdict. The era's social tensions, including race and community impact, inform the courtroom battle.

Location

Mississippi, Florida

Mississippi serves as the setting where the Mississippi State Insurance Commission investigates the Loewen Group and where the civil battle against predatory practices unfolds. Florida is shown as the base of Willie Gary's practice, highlighting a regional contrast with corporate power in Mississippi. The courtroom becomes the central arena where truth, compensation, and accountability are pursued.

  • ⚖️ Legal
  • 🏛️ Courtroom Drama
  • 💵 Economic Justice

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:59

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4 major themes

The Burial Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is The Burial (2023) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Justice

    The central drive is to secure justice for minority communities harmed by predatory pricing and overpriced funeral plans. The film explores how legal strategy, public opinion, and community backing shape a transformative verdict. It frames justice as both a legal outcome and a moral response to exploitation.

  • Racial Injustice

    The narrative exposes racial dynamics within the legal system, including tensions around jury composition and credibility. It shows how race intersects with power, wealth, and the pursuit of compensation for communities that were exploited.

  • Legal Strategy

    The case hinges on tactical litigation, witness handling, and the clash between rival legal teams. The story highlights the psychology of courtroom battles, shifting loyalties, and the impact of strategic choices on the outcome.

  • Greed and Consequences

    Corporate greed drives the conflict, illustrating how predatory practices harm small businesses and communities. The pursuit of a large punitive award becomes a catalyst for accountability and the downfall of a powerful company.

Last updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:59

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Character & theme questions

The Burial Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about The Burial (2023): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is The Burial set?

The movie takes place primarily in Mississippi, where the Loewen Group's predatory funeral pricing practices are investigated, and in Florida, where Willie Gary's law practice is based. The courtroom drama unfolds in Mississippi, highlighting the regional contrast between corporate power and local community interests.

  • setting
  • m Mississippi
  • Florida
  • locations
Q2

When does The Burial take place?

The film is set in 1995, during the mid-1990s, a period characterized by aggressive corporate expansion and high-profile civil litigation. This era provides the backdrop for the legal battle between Jeremiah O'Keefe and the Loewen Group.

  • 1995
  • 1990s
  • time period
  • era
  • mid-1990s
Q3

What are the main themes of The Burial?

The film explores four interconnected themes: justice for communities exploited by predatory practices, racial injustice within the legal system, legal strategy and courtroom tactics, and the consequences of corporate greed. These themes converge in a David versus Goliath legal battle.

  • themes
  • justice
  • racial injustice
  • legal strategy
  • greed
Q4

Who is Willie Gary in the movie?

Willie Gary is a flamboyant and fearless Florida personal injury lawyer portrayed by Jamie Foxx who becomes the lead attorney for Jeremiah O'Keefe. He drives bold legal strategies, aims for a substantial settlement, and navigates the politics of a high-stakes Mississippi courtroom with charisma and intensity.

  • Willie Gary
  • lawyer
  • attorney
  • Jamie Foxx
  • character
Q5

Who is Jeremiah O'Keefe?

Jeremiah O'Keefe is a Mississippi funeral home owner played by Tommy Lee Jones who faces financial ruin after a Ponzi-fueled collapse and broken promises from a corporate buyer. He is determined and risk-taking, willing to mortgage his home to pursue justice against predatory business practices.

  • Jeremiah O'Keefe
  • funeral home owner
  • Tommy Lee Jones
  • character
Q6

Who is Ray Loewen in The Burial?

Ray Loewen is the head of the Loewen Group, portrayed by Bill Camp, who exploits minority communities with overpriced funeral plans. He embodies corporate greed and represents the powerful defendant whose predatory practices drive the legal conflict toward a punitive damages verdict.

  • Ray Loewen
  • Loewen Group
  • corporate
  • antagonist
  • Bill Camp
Q7

Who is Mame Downes in the film?

Mame Downes, played by Jurnee Smollett, is a sharp Black attorney who leads the defense for the Loewen Group. She questions Jeremiah O'Keefe's character and exposes community exploitation, presenting a formidable counterpoint in court as she defends the corporation.

  • Mame Downes
  • defense attorney
  • Jurnee Smollett
  • character
Q10

Does The Burial have a satisfying ending?

The film ends with an unambiguously happy outcome, featuring a massive financial victory for the protagonists. The landmark verdict provides strong cathartic release and represents justice as both a legal outcome and a moral response to exploitation, delivering accountability for corporate wrongdoing.

  • ending
  • verdict
  • justice
  • victory
  • settlement
Q11

Is The Burial based on a true story?

The film is inspired by real events involving an actual legal case between a Mississippi funeral home owner and the Loewen Group. The story dramatizes the real-life David versus Goliath battle over predatory practices in the funeral industry during the mid-1990s.

  • true story
  • real events
  • Loewen Group
  • inspiration

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Burial, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Burial tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Cathartic David vs. Goliath Legal Dramas like The Burial

Where skilled lawyers face impossible odds against corporate giants in tense but steady battles. If you loved the tense, steady-paced courtroom strategy and ultimate catharsis of The Burial, you'll enjoy these movies. This thread gathers legal dramas where an underdog team methodically builds a case against a powerful corporation, culminating in a hopeful and emotionally rewarding victory that feels just.

  • tense
  • determined
  • cathartic
  • underdog
  • courtroom
  • strategic
  • Tone: tense, determined, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a classic underdog structure, beginning with a seemingly insurmountable challenge. A skilled but underestimated legal team methodically investigates and builds their case, often exposing deep corruption. The central conflict is a tense courtroom battle where strategy and evidence triumph over brute financial force, ending in a decisive, happy victory.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a specific blend of tense, strategic legal proceedings, a steady pacing that builds anticipation, and a powerful emotional payoff. They focus on themes of justice, fighting systemic greed, and the triumph of determination, creating a consistently cathartic viewing experience.

Movies about Fighting Corporate Injustice like The Burial

Stories that methodically unravel webs of corporate corruption and fight for redemption. For viewers who appreciated The Burial's focus on confronting corporate greed and racial injustice, this thread collects movies with a similar determined mood. These films follow protagonists uncovering corruption and fighting systemic exploitation, offering a mix of tense drama and hopeful, redemptive conclusions.

  • urgent
  • determined
  • corporate
  • exposé
  • redemption
  • hopeful
  • Tone: urgent, determined, cathartic
  • Pacing: steady, investigative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a protagonist whose livelihood or principles are threatened by a faceless, exploitative system. They form an unlikely alliance to investigate and expose the corruption, often facing significant personal and professional risk. The journey is one of determined resilience, leading to a public reckoning that provides both personal redemption and a sense of broader justice.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their central theme of challenging powerful, corrupt systems. They share a mood of urgent determination and a steady pacing that allows for a thorough exploration of the issue. The emotional core is a blend of righteous anger and hopeful resolve, culminating in a cathartic sense of victory.

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Movies Like The Burial

Similar movies to The Burial: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

The Burial (2023) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Burial in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning, the ending explained and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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