Sexy, dark and ultimately uplifting, Carine Adler's stylish debut gave Samantha Morton her first major feature film role in 1997. In this intimate exploration of a young woman's relationship with her mother and sister, things are going badly for Iris (Samantha Morton); her mother (Rita Tushingham...
As lead singer of the much-loved bands Felt, Denim and Go-Kart Mozart, Lawrence is one of true cult artists of the British indie music scene, without really ever troubling the charts over his 40 year career. First released in 2012, Paul Kelly’s (Saint Etienne’s The London Trilogy, Dexys’ Nowhere ...
Tackling issues of race, representation and identity, this collection celebrates the work of Black storytellers who have enriched our understanding of the Black British experience, including landmark features such as Horace Ové's Pressure (1975) and Menelik Shabazz's Burning an Illusion (1981).
Joe Orton’s delicious tale of suburban perversity, in which a lascivious landlady and her gay brother attempt to seduce the titular tenant, who happens to be a psychopath, was first staged in 1964 and adapted for the BBC in 1968. Two years later Douglas Hickox directed this feature film version, ...
A rare, late excursion into noir for Ealing Studios, scripted by first-time director Holt and critic Ken Tynan and intended as 'the least Ealing film ever made'. A good-looking ex-con (George Nader) coolly robs an old lady of her coin collection, anticipating prison, but also the later recovery o...
Showcasing landmark portraits of LGBTQIA+ lives, alongside some of the best queer Brit films ever made, we celebrate with this collection of LGBTQIA+ classics and treasures.
Long before Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy, there was this lavish sprint through the lives and comic operas of the creators of The Mikado. Not all Gilliat's hopes were realised - he wanted more social history, and an easier flow between music and drama. But there's plenty still to feast on: winning per...
Dennis Price plays Louis, a young man snubbed by his aristocratic family as a result of his mother's marriage. When she's killed, Louis becomes determined to inherit the family title, and won't let anything or anyone stop him. With an unforgettable performance by Alec Guinness as all eight remain...
Ultimately a collection of the unclassifiable, these original and ground-breaking cult classics exude pure style however obscure, offbeat or controversial.
In post-war Britain following the detonation of an unexploded bomb the inhabitants of a London street discover riches and artefacts. These documents state that they are citizens of the medieval kingdom of Burgundy. When the government attempts to claim the fortune, the citizens of Burgundy declar...
With his reign coming to an end, a dying Henry VIII looks back on his life and the six marriages that would go on to define him. The film looks back with the King, following his life from his marriage to a Spanish princess to the foundation of Protestantism, to the beheadings and divorces that wo...
The very best of classic British comedy, from Ealing studios to the raucous working-class revolt of Carry On. Celebrating side-splitting cinema, slapstick legends and the art of the expertly executed sight-gag.
After receiving an anonymous tip, a policeman ( Edward Woodward ) travels to the Scottish island of Summerisle to search for a missing girl. When he arrives, the Islanders, most of whom seem to be practising pagans, claim to have never seen or heard of the young girl. The mystery leads to our pro...
Masquerading as a string quintet, a gang of thieves plot to rob a bank, whilst renting an unknowing old woman's spare room as a hideaway. The Ladykillers features a deliciously devious Alec Guinness as the brains behind the group, alongside Herbert Lom in his first comedic role, and an appearance...
It wouldn’t just be the actors themselves making the transition from the boards of West End to the big screen. Armed with the collected works of playwrights known the world over - from William Shakespeare to Joe Orton - Britain’s rich theatrical history was ripe for cinematic inspiration. Bringin...
Peter Ustinov stars as Agatha Christie's immortal detective, Hercule Poirot, in this star-studded murder-mystery. Poirot is tying up some loose ends on a shimmeringly beautiful Adriatic island when he's dragged into the case of an actress' strangling. In typical Christie style, everyone on the be...
Richard Attenborough is unforgettable as ‘Pinkie’, the brutal gangster who seduces and grooms a simple waitress, Rose (Carol Marsh) in the belief that she could incriminate him in a murder.
This assorted collection gathers the early roles of some of the most famous British stars of film and TV before they hit the big time and became household names. From bright young stars in comedy to astounding breakthrough performances and memorable direction, they each offer a thrilling glimpse ...
One of the greatest British films, Carol Reed's classic very consciously emphasises its time and place - post-war Vienna - yet its resonant themes around loss of innocence and a fall from grace render it timeless. Joseph Cotten plays the writer searching the Austrian capital for his missing frien...
When she meets a hip television director, a young woman is swept into the world of London's lavish sixties nightlife. However, her lust to belong to the scene doesn't even begin to quench her thirst for fun, as she drifts from clique to clique looking for an unattainable sense of belonging.
