The Darwin Awards

Year: 2006

Runtime: 94 mins

Language: English

Director: Finn Taylor

RomanceAdventureComedy

After botching a high‑profile serial‑killer capture, unconventional detective Michael Burrows is fired from the San Francisco Police Department. He takes a job as an insurance investigator, pairing with a world‑weary field agent to examine bizarre, suspicious deaths that seem straight out of the Darwin Awards, mixing dark humor with off‑beat sleuthing.

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Timeline & Setting – The Darwin Awards (2006)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Darwin Awards (2006). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Location

San Francisco, United States; United States (cross-country road trip)

The story begins in San Francisco, where Michael Burrows previously worked as a detective. From there, he and Siri travel across the United States on a cross-country trip to investigate Darwin Award–style cases for an insurance company. The settings range from clinical offices to remote, wintry locations encountered on the road, giving the film a documentary-like feel as it probes modern risk culture.

🌆 Urban 🛣️ Road trip ❄️ Cold landscapes

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:14

Main Characters – The Darwin Awards (2006)

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Michael Burrows (Joseph Fiennes)

A former San Francisco Police Department criminal profiler who is fired after hematophobia allows a serial killer to escape. He spirals into depression before conceiving a plan to merge his Darwin Awards obsession with profiling to help insurance companies detect risky individuals. He becomes driven, calculating, and determined to prove his method can save lives and prevent payouts, ultimately facing his fear when it matters most.

🔎 Detective 🧠 Obsessed 🩺 Profiling

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:14

Major Themes – The Darwin Awards (2006)

Explore the central themes of The Darwin Awards (2006), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:14

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Quirky detective movies like The Darwin Awards

Unconventional detectives solving bizarre mysteries with a darkly comedic touch.Explore more movies like The Darwin Awards featuring unconventional investigators and absurd cases. If you enjoyed the blend of dark humor and offbeat sleuthing, you'll find similar quirky crime stories here with a steady pace and medium emotional weight.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically revolve around a central, peculiar investigation that serves as a framework for character development and comedic set pieces. The protagonist often has an unorthodox approach that clashes with a more pragmatic partner, leading to a series of strange encounters and a final resolution that reaffirms their unique methods.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on unconventional protagonists in investigative roles, a tone that mixes dark comedy with suspense, and narratives built around absurd or bizarre circumstances that challenge the hero's wits.

Dark humor character journeys like in The Darwin Awards

Characters confront their flaws and fears through a lens of dark humor and absurdity.Find movies similar to The Darwin Awards where characters grow through darkly comedic adventures. If you liked seeing Michael Burrows overcome his phobia via absurd deaths, you'll enjoy these stories of personal redemption with quirky humor and a hopeful end.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a flawed protagonist hitting rock bottom, which propels them into a new, strange environment or role. Through a series of challenges often tinged with dark comedy, they are forced to confront their weaknesses. The story arc culminates in a personal victory that is both emotionally rewarding and logically earned through their unusual experiences.

Why These Movies?

These films are connected by their blend of medium emotional weight with significant humor, a central character arc of overcoming fear or failure, and a tone that uses dark comedy and absurdity to explore serious themes of personal growth.

Unlock the Full Story of The Darwin Awards

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The Darwin Awards Summary

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The Darwin Awards Timeline

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The Darwin Awards Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About The Darwin Awards

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