Best British Films
by cwbellor | created - 22 May 2021 | updated - 23 May 2021 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Trainspotting (1996)
R | 93 min | Drama
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd
Votes: 725,853 | Gross: $16.50M
2. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
R | 136 min | Crime, Sci-Fi
In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke
Votes: 881,530 | Gross: $6.21M
3. Billy Elliot (2000)
R | 110 min | Drama, Music
A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.
Director: Stephen Daldry | Stars: Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Jean Heywood, Jamie Draven
Votes: 142,857 | Gross: $22.00M
4. Scum (1979)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama
An uncompromising story of life in a British juvenile offender institution in the '70s.
Director: Alan Clarke | Stars: Ray Winstone, Mick Ford, Julian Firth, John Blundell
Votes: 13,086
5. Control (2007)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to die by suicide at the age of 23.
Director: Anton Corbijn | Stars: Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Craig Parkinson, Alexandra Maria Lara
Votes: 68,566 | Gross: $0.87M
6. 28 Days Later (2002)
R | 113 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Alex Palmer
Votes: 445,981 | Gross: $45.06M
7. About a Boy (2002)
PG-13 | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Will, who attends single parent meetings to woo women, meets Marcus, a troubled 12-year-old boy. As they become friends, Will learns to be responsible while he helps Marcus with his studies.
Directors: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz | Stars: Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Sharon Small
Votes: 191,713 | Gross: $41.39M
8. Neds (2010)
TV-14 | 124 min | Drama
Encompassed by violent street gangs, neglectful parents, bullying teachers and a dearth of positive role models, a studious but emotionally abandoned kid turns thug.
Director: Peter Mullan | Stars: Conor McCarron, Greg Forrest, Joe Szula, Mhairi Anderson
Votes: 8,780
9. My Name Is Joe (1998)
R | 105 min | Drama, Romance
Two thirty-somethings, unemployed former alcoholic Joe and community health worker Sarah, begin a romantic relationship in one of Glasgow''s toughest neighborhoods.
Director: Ken Loach | Stars: Peter Mullan, Louise Goodall, Gary Lewis, Lorraine McIntosh
Votes: 8,910 | Gross: $0.35M
10. This Is England (2006)
Not Rated | 101 min | Crime, Drama
A young boy becomes friends with a gang of skinheads. Friends soon become like family, and relationships will be pushed to the very limit.
Director: Shane Meadows | Stars: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley, Andrew Shim
Votes: 128,757 | Gross: $0.33M
11. Sexy Beast (2000)
R | 89 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Brutal gangster Don Logan recruits "retired" safecracker Gal for one last job, but it goes badly for both of them.
Director: Jonathan Glazer | Stars: Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman
Votes: 69,293 | Gross: $6.95M
12. Awaydays (2009)
Unrated | 105 min | Crime, Drama
In the grim early years of Margaret Thatcher's premiership, also the crown years of hooliganism, the opportunities for thrill-seeking young men are what they've always been: sex, drugs, rock n' roll, fashion, football and fighting.
Director: Pat Holden | Stars: Nicky Bell, Liam Boyle, Stephen Graham, Oliver Lee
Votes: 3,770
13. Spare the Rod (1961)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama
It is London in the year 1960 and John Saunders enthusiastically begins his new teaching career at a tough slum-area school. His class are bored pupils in their last term before leaving. Will he handle the grave problems that lie ahead?
Director: Leslie Norman | Stars: Max Bygraves, Donald Pleasence, Geoffrey Keen, Betty McDowall
Votes: 252
14. Son of Rambow (2007)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
During a long English summer in the early 1980s, two schoolboys from differing backgrounds set out to make a film inspired by First Blood (1982).
Director: Garth Jennings | Stars: Bill Milner, Will Poulter, Jessica Hynes, Anna Wing
Votes: 32,973 | Gross: $1.78M
15. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Horror
The uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis
Votes: 594,155 | Gross: $13.54M
16. Spike Island (2012)
Not Rated | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Five teenage friends will stop at nothing to attend a concert by their favourite band, The Stone Roses.
Director: Mat Whitecross | Stars: Elliott Tittensor, Nico Mirallegro, Adam Long, Jordan Murphy
Votes: 4,263
17. My Brother the Devil (2012)
Not Rated | 111 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Two teenage brothers must face their own prejudices head on if they are to survive the perils of being Egyptians growing up on the streets of gangland London.
Director: Sally El Hosaini | Stars: James Krishna Floyd, Elarica Johnson, Fady Elsayed, Saïd Taghmaoui
Votes: 3,367 | Gross: $0.01M
18. The Full Monty (1997)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama
Six unemployed steel workers form a male striptease act. The women cheer them on to go for "the full monty" - total nudity.
Director: Peter Cattaneo | Stars: Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, Wim Snape
Votes: 114,134 | Gross: $45.95M
19. The King's Speech (2010)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi
Votes: 708,078 | Gross: $138.80M
20. Brazil (1985)
R | 132 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro, Katherine Helmond
Votes: 211,270 | Gross: $9.93M
21. Cruel Summer (2016)
80 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Young Autism sufferer Danny enjoys the serenity and solitude of camping. That's all about to change when enraged teens Nicholas, Calvin and Julia find him, each with their own agenda for wanting to see Danny suffer.
Directors: Phillip Escott, Craig Newman | Stars: Danny Miller, Reece Douglas, Natalie Martins, Gary Knowles
Votes: 1,074
22. Northern Soul (2014)
R | 102 min | Drama, Music
Set in 1974, an authentic and uplifting tale of two friends whose horizons are opened up by the discovery of black American soul music.
Director: Elaine Constantine | Stars: Elliot James Langridge, Steve Coogan, Antonia Thomas, James Lance
Votes: 4,292 | Gross: $0.01M
23. 24 Hour Party People (2002)
R | 117 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
In 1976, Tony Wilson sets up Factory Records and brings Manchester's music to the world.
Director: Michael Winterbottom | Stars: Steve Coogan, Lennie James, John Thomson, Paul Popplewell
Votes: 39,707 | Gross: $1.13M
24. Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Not Rated | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A disaffected soldier returns to his hometown to get even with the thugs who brutalized his mentally-challenged brother years ago.
Director: Shane Meadows | Stars: Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, Toby Kebbell, Stuart Wolfenden
Votes: 58,392 | Gross: $0.01M
25. Hoodies vs. Hooligans (2014)
Not Rated | 95 min | Thriller
The Guvnors is a violent thriller set amongst the clans and firms of South East London, bringing two generations together in brutal conflict.
Director: Gabe Turner | Stars: Tom Davis, Doug Allen, Rochelle Neil, Vas Blackwood
Votes: 3,368
26. If.... (1968)
R | 111 min | Crime, Drama
In this allegorical story, a revolution led by pupil Mick Travis takes place at an old established private school in England.
Director: Lindsay Anderson | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, David Wood, Richard Warwick, Christine Noonan
Votes: 25,197
27. Hot Fuzz (2007)
R | 121 min | Action, Comedy, Mystery
An overachieving London police sergeant is transferred to a village where the easygoing officers object to his fervor for regulations, all while a string of grisly murders strikes the town.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy
Votes: 535,426 | Gross: $23.64M
28. Bronson (2008)
R | 92 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A young man who was sentenced to seven years in prison for robbing a post office ends up spending three decades in solitary confinement. During this time, his own personality is supplanted by his alter-ego, Charles Bronson.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Tom Hardy, Kelly Adams, Luing Andrews, Katy Barker
Votes: 140,922 | Gross: $0.10M
29. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
R | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, James Fleet, Simon Callow
Votes: 166,205 | Gross: $52.70M
30. Notes on a Scandal (2006)
R | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A veteran high school teacher befriends a younger art teacher, who is having an affair with one of her fifteen-year-old students. However, her intentions with this new "friend" also go well beyond a platonic friendship.
Director: Richard Eyre | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Andrew Simpson, Tom Georgeson
Votes: 84,592 | Gross: $17.51M
31. Chicken Run (2000)
G | 84 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When a cockerel apparently flies into a chicken farm, the chickens see him as an opportunity to escape their evil owners.
Directors: Peter Lord, Nick Park | Stars: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Phil Daniels, Lynn Ferguson
Votes: 212,305 | Gross: $106.83M
32. Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
PG-13 | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Two ambitious girls, despite their parents' wishes, have their hearts set on careers in professional football.
Director: Gurinder Chadha | Stars: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher
Votes: 116,513 | Gross: $32.54M
33. Little Voice (1998)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A shy reclusive lady is convinced by an invisible entity to sing. Subsequently, she finds herself noticed by a sleazy talent agent and her talent being showcased on-stage. She also meets a kind but nervous man who becomes her best friend.
Director: Mark Herman | Stars: Brenda Blethyn, Jane Horrocks, Michael Caine, Ewan McGregor
Votes: 17,186 | Gross: $4.60M
34. The King's Speech (2010)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi
Votes: 708,078 | Gross: $138.80M
35. The Constant Gardener (2005)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A widower's transcontinental quest to find answers about his wife's death leads him to explosive secrets.
Director: Fernando Meirelles | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston, Hubert Koundé
Votes: 148,496 | Gross: $33.58M
36. Four Lions (2010)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Four incompetent British terrorists set out to train for and commit an act of terror.
Director: Christopher Morris | Stars: Will Adamsdale, Riz Ahmed, Adeel Akhtar, Kayvan Novak
Votes: 85,315 | Gross: $0.30M
37. The Last King of Scotland (2006)
R | 123 min | Biography, Drama, History
Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington
Votes: 196,067 | Gross: $17.61M
38. The Queen (2006)
PG-13 | 103 min | Biography, Drama
After the death of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Alex Jennings
Votes: 116,004 | Gross: $56.44M
39. Nowhere Boy (2009)
R | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.
Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, David Threlfall
Votes: 38,886 | Gross: $1.45M
40. Attack the Block (2011)
R | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.
Director: Joe Cornish | Stars: John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Alex Esmail, Leeon Jones
Votes: 111,438 | Gross: $1.02M
41. The Iron Lady (2011)
PG-13 | 105 min | Biography, Drama
An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.
Director: Phyllida Lloyd | Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, Susan Brown
Votes: 113,632 | Gross: $30.02M
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