The Singing Detective (1986)
Jun 10, 2024Meta-Fiction/Detective Story Daydreams
One of the most extraordinary works ever made for tv. From the pen of Dennis Potter, a mini-series that blends film noir, meta-fiction and autobiography
Imelda Staunton
Deadly Advice (1994)
Sep 5, 2002Advice from Ghosts of Famous Murderers/Black Comedy
Droll British comedy where Jane Horrocks gets the advice from the ghosts of famous murders about disposing of her controlling mother
The Snow Queen (1995)
Nov 5, 2010Animation/Fairy-Tale
Lightweight British animated adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale made for children
The Ugly Duckling (1997)
Jan 27, 2006Animation/Fairy-Tale
Amiable British animated film for young children based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale
Jack and the Beanstalk (1997)
Nov 19, 2010Animation/Fairytale
An adaptation of the fairytale from Martin Gates, a largely unknown British animator. This embellishes the traditional telling of the story considerably
Rat (2000)
May 30, 2004Man Transforms into a Rat
Rather charming Steve Barron film in which Pete Postlethwaite turns into a rat. The delights are the perfect nonchalance in which everyone accepts the situation
Chicken Run (2000)
Jun 25, 2000Aardman Animation/Talking Chicken Escape Movie
The first full-length Claymation film from the UK's Aardman Animations. With typical Aardman eccentricity, this is a parody of a WWII escape film conducted with talking chickens
Nanny McPhee (2005)
Jan 7, 2006Magical Nanny
Emma Thompson written and starring adaptation of a series of children's books comes across as a lesser copy of Mary Poppins. A film that feels like it should have been more than it ends up being.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2005)
Apr 19, 2007Modernised Shakespeare Adaptation
Under the umbrella title ShakespeareRetold, Shakespeare's tale of fairy enchantments and romantic mix-ups is reimagined in a modern day British holiday camp
The Wind in the Willows (2006)
Jun 15, 2008Talking Animals/Absurdist Adventures
Amiable live-action adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic children's work made for the BBC with an all-star cast
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Jul 11, 2007Young Wizard
The fifth and in my opinion the best of the Harry Potter films. It is the first film where we see the darkening of emotions and the children growing up as storm clouds gather. Much of the show is stolen by Imelda Staunton
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Mar 9, 2010Alice in Wonderland Adaptation/Epic Adventure
Tim Burton takes on Lewis Carroll but Carroll gets lost beneath Burton doing his usual quirky eccentric thing and a plot that seems to want to turn Alice's adventures into a modern epic fantasy
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
Nov 17, 2010Young Wizard
The penultimate chapter in the Harry Potter series surprisingly strips out most of the effects and is much slower, more character driven, while moving the saga towards an epic conclusion
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Dec 15, 2011Animation/Santa's Son
An animated collaboration between Aardman and Sony Pictures Anomation. This has a good deal of eccentric charm that overcomes one’s dislike of the cloying sentiment of most Christmas films
The Awakening (2011)
Jul 21, 2012Victorian Ghost Story
A classic British ghost story that produces an exceedingly haunted atmosphere at times, although falls apart in a highly contrived M. Night Shyamalan twist ending
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)
May 12, 2012Aardman Animation/Gonzo Pirate Adventure
Amiable effort from England's Aardman Animations that doesn't quite scale the heights of their other films but still has an entertainingly nonsensical charm that is far more enjoyable than most Hollywood competition
Maleficent (2014)
May 31, 2014Live-Action Prequel to Disney's Sleeping Beauty
Another in the early 2010s fad for fairytales rewritten as dark adult fantasy films – in this case, a version of Disney's Sleeping Beauty told from the viewpoint of the witch
Paddington (2014)
Jan 17, 2015Talking Bear
From the awful slapstick-heavy trailer, the prospects for this seem dismal – less Paddington Bear than a reprise of the live-action Yogi Bear. The finished result confounds expectation and the story of a small unassuming bear at large in the world comes full of considerable charm
Paddington 2 (2017)
Mar 18, 2018Talking Bear
Sequel to the 2014 film based on the much loved children's books … This comes with exactly the same mix of silliness, overblown slapstick and sweetness that made the first film work – albeit on a more elaborate budget – and succeeds with the same winning charms
Maleficent, Mistress of Evil (2019)
Jan 11, 2020Sleeping Beauty Continuation
Nobody much liked Maleficent but did make a reasonable amount of money, hence a sequel. The surprise is that in the hands of Norwegian director Joachim Rønning, it is far better than one expected
Amulet (2020)
Sep 6, 2021House of Mysterious Happenings
An interesting slow burn film about an ex-soldier who accepts a job as a handyman with a woman and her ailing mother that soon heads off in some very strange directions
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
Dec 30, 2023Aardman Animation/Talking Chicken Caper Film
After 23 years, Aardman Animation make a sequel to their first feature film. Another chicken caper film where they try to capture some of its dotty charms and largely succeed
Paddington in Peru (2024)
Feb 21, 2025Talking Bear
Third of the Paddington series, this has more of an adventure film feel as it takes Paddington and the Browns to Peru in search of a lost city