If you live in the U.S., you probably can’t help but be captivated by the lives of the British, whether the story is set centuries ago or today. If you live in the U.K., it’s nice to see a few films that are centered on your homeland rather than the ever-dominating Hollywood films that circle the globe.
Add a little culture to your movie list in 2020. Here are 10 U.K. movies you’ll want to watch.
- The Gentlemen
The Gentleman hit theaters in January and did very well in the box office. If you’re into cannabis or hemp products, this is the perfect film to buy CBD gummies and relax with them while you watch because the content is somewhat related.
It follows an American expatriate played by Matthew McConaughey living in London and building a huge marijuana empire in London. McConaughey’s character decides it’s time to get out of the marijuana business and gets word out that he’s looking to sell. The serious series of events that follow, including schemes and plots against his life, bribery, blackmail, attempted theft, and more will keep you on the edge of your seat beginning to end.
- Gretel and Hansel
Director Oz Perkins takes a classic fairytale and turns it into a twisted horror story that also centers on a powerful female protagonist. It’s set centuries ago in a countryside town that’s been hit by a terrible plague. When Gretel, a teenager struggling in the working class, refuses to work in an unsafe setting, her mother throws her and her brother out.
If you know the story, you know the two end up in the dark woods and find a witch’s house. Rather than threatening to eat them as the classic story goes, the witch teaches Gretel magic, but there’s something darker underneath. Perkins does a fantastic job of bringing out the sheer horror and paganism that takes place while embodying female power in a time where she would have been otherwise oppressed.
- Young Ahmed
Young Ahmed gives an unfiltered view of a teenage Muslim living in Belgium and practicing his strong religious views. Ahmed has been fiercely indoctrinated by a jihad imam, and it hits him hard. He attacks a teacher for teaching modernist Islam, which lands him in juvey.
It’s fascinated and disturbing to watch the story of a Muslim boy with such strong convictions to practice violence against all heretics, no matter how anyone tries to reason with him.
- The Rhythm Section
Here’s another film released early this year that might be worth a watch. Although it didn’t receive great reviews, there’s something captivating about watching Blake Lively with a British accent take on the world as she tries to avenge the deaths of her mother, father, sister, and brother.
The film is set in the darkest parts of the London underworld. It also stars Jude Law, and the two make the movie with a sub-par plot somehow great.
- Resistance
Although Resistance was set to hit the box office at the end of March, the COVID-19 quarantine shutting down movie theaters means it’s available for purchase on Amazon Prime as a new release.
The story is set during the French Resistance as several Jewish Boy Scouts work together to save more than ten thousand orphans during the second World War. Jesse Eisenberg’s performance is stunning, and the film is equal parts heartbreaking and inspiring.
- The Secret Garden
The classic British novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett gets yet another remake in 2020 when The Secret Garden is set to hit theaters later this year. If you’re not familiar with the classic tale, a young orphan, Mary, is sent to live with her uncle in a dark manor where grief and secrets live. She discovers a hidden garden and spends her days tending to it and making it beautiful again while somehow mending the lives of those living in the manor.
Colin Firth and Julie Walters star in this touching film that has all the makings of a great British classic.
- Last Night in Soho
This film was actually made in London’s Soho on Carlisle Street, Old Compton Street, Berwick Street, Greek Street, and Carnaby Street. Thomasin McKenzie, Matt Smith, and Anya Taylor-Joy star in the film, which is split between two time periods, modern day and the 1960’s.
This film has yet to hit theaters, but if you’re in London’s Soho near these streets, you might get a sneak peek at the filming.
- Dolittle
Yet another remake of a classic, Dolittle follows the eccentric animal doctor, John Dolittle, played by Robert Downey Jr. Set in Victorian England, Dr. Dolittle must face the world after losing his wife seven years earlier and holing up in his dark manor.
He’s lured out of his manor when the young Queen Victoria falls ill and requires a magical cure to save her. Using his wit, courage, and a unique ability to talk to animals, Dolittle quests to a magical island where he discovers more than just a cure.
- Emma
The remake of this timeless Jane Austen classic is simply stunning. Played by Anya Taylor-Joy, the clever, rich matchmaker Emma sets on a quest to set up as many couples as she can, centering on a young and poor companion Harriet Smith in the 1800s.
As you can imagine, her boastful antics get her into plenty of scrapes. All the while, she’s resisting falling in love herself.
- Artemis Fowl
Nothing screams great British film like Judi Dench as a star and Kenneth Branagh as the director, and Artemis Fowl is a long-awaited film for fans of the novel series.
The plot follows young Artemis Fowl, a British boy genius who uses his intelligence and trust fund for criminal activities. Mix this with a touch of fantasy, and you have a film that’s perfect for release on Disney+ this summer. Fowl kidnaps a fairy and tries to ransom her in exchange for his father who was kidnapped into the fairy realm earlier.
There will be no theatrical release of this film, so you can enjoy it right from your home with a Disney+ subscription. It’ll certainly be entertaining and something just a little different from the typical remakes and re-tellings that often plaster the screens today.