The Hippopotamus

The Hippopotamus follows Ted Wallace, an aging poet who has lost his job as a theater critic after a drunken outburst. His sick goddaughter Jane sends him to a grand English country house to learn whether her recovery came from a miracle. Ted studies the family, a teenage boy named David, and a string of strange cures while he drinks and insults almost everyone around him. The film uses a dry, rude comedy style, with long spoken narration and a mystery about faith, sex, and human weakness.

The film includes a gay male theater director in a supporting role and mentions a sexual encounter between two men. Sex talk runs through the story, including a teenage boy who uses a supposed healing gift to seek sexual favors from people who believe in him. The film treats these events as crude and troubling plot material, not as a modern campaign about identity. Its main arc follows Ted as his bitter distrust gives way to compassion, renewed wonder, and a return to poetry.