Even the greatest movies can struggle to maintain a high standard across an entire runtime, and the best of British cinema is no different. Danny Boyle’s seminal 28 Days Later consтιтutes a cornerstone of modern horror, but cutting the original ending in favor of a happier version where Cillian Murphy doesn’t die means those final moments fall short of the bar Boyle sets everywhere else in the movie.
Even 007 typically has a 10-minute lull somewhere in the middle of his adventures, so if Bond and Boyle can’t be brilliant all the time, staying perfect is clearly no easy feat. Fortunately, some films do it better than others.
In order to avoid simply regurgitating the best British movies of all time, the following selection endeavors to incorporate multiple genres from a variety of eras, mixing established classics with lesser-known fare. The one thing these ten movies do have in common is never being less than top-tier from the first scene to the last.
10
Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
As the movie that introduced Guy Ritchie to the world and turned an ex-market trader and compeтιтive diver into Hollywood’s next bona fide action star, it goes without saying that Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is really quite good. Ritchie’s script is the hero, delivering streetwise wit, quotable gags, and zippy characterization throughout, meaning viewers are guaranteed to find something new with every rewatch.
Because Ritchie’s writing never loses focus, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels maintains its edge from beginning to end without a single dull moment. It’s a script that turns an inexperienced cast and a low budget into one of the greatest crime capers ever put to film. The main quartet’s misadventures unfold in such a delightfully chaotic way, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels casts a spell that only ends when the credits start rolling.
9
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge remains one of Britain’s finest comedy creations, but his 2013 movie debut could be considered something of an underrated gem. It’s a modernized take on Partridge compared to his iconic TV origins in Knowing Me, Knowing You and I’m Alan Partridge, but retains the core tragic-man-tries-too-hard DNA that endeared Alan to British hearts in the 1990s.
Alpha Papa was almost a decade in the making, as Coogan and co. grappled with transitioning the failed chat show host onto the big screen successfully, but that dedication paid off. Alpha Papa feels like it could go on another hour and still be painfully entertaining. From the hilarious driving karaoke sequence to the “shootout” on the pier, every minute of Alpha Papa hits the back of the net.
8
Mindhorn
One of the best British comedies to fly under the radar, Mindhorn is an offbeat piece of meta genius. Written by Julian Barratt and Simon Farnaby, the former plays a washed-up ’80s actor forced to reprise his most famous role, the TV detective Mindhorn, during a real investigation
Combining the silliness of The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace with a pastiche that feels something like The Naked Gun on the Isle of Man, Mindhorn packs more layers than one would expect into its lean 90-minute runtime. If H๏τ Fuzz had a less trendy older brother, Mindhorn would be it, and just like Edgar Wright’s classic, Barratt and Farnaby know exactly how far to push things, as well as when to wrap up in time to leave the audience wanting more of the ‘horn.
7
Dog Soldiers
The Descent could easily be included on this list, but Neil Marshall’s lesser-known debut, Dog Soldiers, is just as worthy. A brash, violent adrenaline rush packed with twists, humor, frights, and gore, Dog Soldiers is as economical as it is thrilling, never stretching the relatively simple premise long enough for the movie to lose its teeth.
As Marshall would demonstrate in his later works, Dog Soldiers knows how to build to a crescendo, ramping up the stakes and tension before delivering a bloody and satisfying payoff. If Dog Soldiers took itself seriously, the film might have been a slog to sit through, but Marshall’s injection of humor keeps the momentum rolling from one gruesome character death to the next.
6
The Cornetto Trilogy
Cheating slightly here, it feels unfair to single out any one film from Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy when all three are equally brilliant. Naming Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and H๏τ Fuzz as perfect start-to-finish movies is unlikely to raise eyebrows, but The World’s End may spark debate.
The “green” chapter makes itself less accessible by – in stark contrast to the “red” and “blue” Cornetto movies – casting Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as thoroughly unlikable figures. Immediately, then, The World’s End isn’t as fun or quotable as its deliciously creamy siblings, but being the franchise’s most complex installment doesn’t make it any less entertaining – or, indeed, consistent.
The pub crawl structure cleverly allows The World’s End to escalate its burgeoning alien invasion storyline in a natural progression, leading to a conclusion that may not be as outwardly pleasing as Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ or H๏τ Fuzz, but perfectly fits the tone Wright’s trilogy-closer is shooting for.
5
The Long Good Friday
The Long Good Friday may be a celebrated piece of British gangster cinema, but rarely is it mentioned in the same breath as the genre’s juggernauts. That’s quite the injustice, as Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren’s shenanigans around London highlight everything great about crime movies, delivering quotable lines, brutal criminality, and gripping storytelling in equal measure.
History’s greatest gangster movies tend to laugh in the face of brevity. Directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese have perfected the art of making very long movies that avoid feeling bloated. Clocking in under the two-hour mark, John Mackenzie’s The Long Good Friday is the anтιтhesis of that, making full use of every frame to keep the film running in top gear until the very end.
4
Withnail & I
One of the true British cult classics, Withnail & I is Bruce Robinson’s essay on the English struggle, as told through the eyes of two down-on-their-luck actors. Understated in its brilliance, Withnail & I is excellently written, visually powerful, and quietly haunting. Nevertheless, the performances of Richard E. Grant as Withnail and Paul McGann as “I” provide the twin engine driving the movie forward.
And, indeed, it is these sumptuous performances that ensure Withnail & I is flawless from beginning to end. Grant and McGann are immediately endearing, and by the time their destinies diverge in the film’s final moments, the viewer is hanging on the duo’s every inebriated word.
Crowds gather annually to rewatch Withnail & I, and it’s hard to imagine the film would command such dedication without being consistently great from one scene to the next. The only way Withnail & I will lose your interest is if you’re brave/foolish enough to attempt the movie’s infamous drinking game.
3
Monty Python’s Life Of Brian
Monty Python and the Holy Grail could have easily claimed this spot, but we’re opting for the group’s more controversial tale about a local messiah very naughty boy. Monty Python are masters of sketch comedy, and Life of Brian successfully translates that philosophy into a movie format, stringing together a series of interconnected sketch-like scenes to form a cohesive narrative around the тιтular Brian.
As such, the laughs never let up, whether it’s “what have the Romans ever done for us?“, “Biggus Dickus” or the iconic finale of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” Throw a stone at Monty Python’s Life of Brian and you’ll likely hit a classic gag, which is exactly why this slice of comedy history should be considered among the very best of British.
2
Kes
Speaking of the best of British movies, Ken Loach’s Kes will go down as one of the greatest examples of cinema to emerge from those storied isles. Challenging, upsetting, but also life-affirming, Kes is a work composed of personal experience, bitter British truths, and inherent beauty. Like any masterpiece, absolutely nothing in Kes is without value, and absolutely nothing demands to be added.
Consequently, Kes is a movie that can only be appreciated in its entirety. A start-to-finish opera of working-class heartbreak and the grit of surviving in a harsh world. Kes may not be as immediate or accessible as other entries on this list, but any rundown of perfect British movies would feel incomplete without it.
1
Paddington 2
Since releasing in 2017, Paddington Bear has found himself thrown into the “best movie of all time” conversation alongside Charles Foster Kane and Don Corleone – at which point he presumably offered them marmalade sandwiches and a warm handshake. The idea of a film ostensibly made for children being so revered, and a sequel at that, may seem laughable to the uninitiated, but anyone familiar with Paddington 2 will know exactly what a treasure it is.
Paddington 2 is the definition of a universal movie. It’s genuinely and properly funny, thrilling and suspenseful in places, often emotional, and carries a message of strength and togetherness that resonates with all. The mere suggestion of there being a weak scene or dull few minutes is tantamount to blasphemy and liable to earn the hardest of hard stares from the cuddliest ex-convict in London.
