10 Culturally Iconic British Movies You Must Watch Before You Die
- Editor
- Jul 21, 2020
- 7 min read
With Hollywood being the epicentre of film in the western world and a lot of bland action movies being thrown out with not much culture on show nowadays, I thought I'd have a look at what British-made movies have shone over the years but may go under the radar when listing your top ten best movies of all time.
I then compiled a list, some of which are in the notable mentions at the bottom, because as it grew I noticed that many of them were not only fantastic movies, but culturally iconic too. Whether it be a social commentary on the era they were made, a reference to what it's like to be British or just good old British humour.
To ensure it wasn't just my personal choices and biased due to my age and experience, I enlisted some help. My mrs first of all and also the CasualUK community on Reddit - which is great if you haven't joined it yet.
These types of lists are all subjective of course and based on what you yourself have seen and not seen, which is great and I do love a good healthy discussion. Before you comment that I missed off your favourite, it is worth checking out the notable absentees at the bottom because had I not limited this to ten, I could probably write for days about all the great British movies you must watch before you die.
So without further ado, here's my list of ten culturally iconic British movies you must see before you die.
Snatch
Snatch is well known around the world. Partly because it hosts Brad Pitt in what many argue is his greatest ever role, but also because of the iconic British ensemble with whom many credit their career spike.
It was hard to choose between Snatch and Lock, Stock to be honest, but I feel that Snatch is arguably that bit better than its 1998 predecessor (a film which many believe is a prequel to Snatch, because of its similar cast, but it isn't).
This iconic British gang thriller follows two bungling gangland wannabees in Turkish (Jason Statham) and Tommy (Stephen Graham) who use illegal boxing to make a living. The pair convince crooked bookmaker Brick Top (Alan Ford) to offer bets on their bouts, with Frankie Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) using the bookmaker whilst in town to sell a host of valuable diamonds which are being pursued by a variety of other gangsters who all converge on London. Oh and Brad Pitt plays a gypsy bare-knuckle boxer and is absolutely incredible.
Snatch, similar to 2004 movie Crash, is a series of stories within a story which all at some point in time crossover and alter the narrative for each of those characters.
It's absolutely incredibly written, shot and edited and like the very best of TV and Film, is ageless.
KES
The 1969 culturally iconic British movie Kes, set in Barnsley, Yorkshire follows young Billy Casper who is tormented both verbally and physically at home and at school.
His future is bleak until he finds refuge on a nearby farm with a Kestrel he befriends and trains.
The movie is great social commentary for the working classes up in Northern England in the post-war era and depicts what life was like both in school and at home at the time.
The most well-revered scene in the movies comes during a PE lesson, when the teacher takes the class out to play football and sports an iconic red jersey to represent Manchester United, who at the time had just won the 1968 European Cup.
A true British classic and one that will have you crying by the end. I won't spoil it for you.
Shaun of the Dead
Now you might disagree here, but a younger audience will appreciate this one.
Shaun of the Dead is the first in a 3-part series of unconnected movies by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost known as the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy.
This movie being the best of the lot, but Hot Fuzz is a very very close second. Shaun of the Dead is a British horror comedy based on the 1978 Dawn of the Dead zombie movie.
Shaun of the Dead follows Shaun (Simon Pegg), a typical British working class man who just can't be a*sed with life and the zombie apocalypse that's bestowed itself upon the community. Upon having no choice but take note, Shaun and friends take refuge in their local, The Winchester, and wait"for all this to blow over."
It's so very British and so very excellent with many a pop-culture reference thrown in and a lot of social commentary - and one hundred percent a British movie you must watch before you die. Probably followed by Hot Fuzz.
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Another where I had to pretty much toss a coin. It was very hard to choose between Life of Brian and The Holy Grail. Both iconic in their own right, but I felt that Life of Brian, with its religious roots, comedic mis-identity and unforgettable British-attitude in the closing song just edged it.
Always look on the bright side of life, sung whilst nailed to a cross and left to die. It's so very British and so iconic that Life of Brian makes the list.
Monty Python's Life of Brian is a religious satirical comedy and was very controversial in its day (and still now, really). The story follows Brian Cohen, a Jewish man mistaken for a messiah after a series of unfortunate events see him disguising as one to escape capture from Roman soldiers.
His disguise fails and he escapes, only to be followed by those in attendance who want to learn more. Brian as a result of endless comical gaffes in attempts to free him ends up akin to Jesus, on a crucifix.
If you haven't seen Life of Brian, it's a work of art. And you'll probably want to watch the equally brilliant Holy Grail straight after.
24 Hour Party People
The MADchester era of Manchester immortalised on tape. 24 Hour Party People is personally one of my favourite movies of all time.
Steve Coogan portrays Mr. Manchester Tony Wilson in this culturally iconic flick which documents the rise and rise of the music scene in Manchester and touches upon how iconic bands such as The Sex Pistols, Happy Mondays, Joy Division and more rose to fame under the Factory Records music label, changing Manchester forever.
Set and shot in and around Greater Manchester, 24 Hour Party People is one to watch if you have an interest in music and British culture outside of the capital.
Dog Soldiers
Ok, ok now this isn't necessarily culturally iconic, although it sort of is. Give me a chance to explain.
Dog Soldiers is one of the best and most underappreciated British movies of all time. Period.
Dog Soldiers is a horror-thriller (but it's filled with incredible laugh-out-loud moments as well) following a British army squadron who take off into the Scottish Highlands for a training camp. However at night, it all begins to go sideways when they discover fellow soldiers who have been ripped apart.
Like Shaun of the Dead above, Dog Soldiers takes on a traditional movie plot and turns it on its head. It's so comically British, demonstrating the absolutely incredible humour of us Brits that just wouldn't work with an American cast.
Dog Soldiers is a must watch for any action movie fan and especially if you want to learn a bit more about classic British humour. I swear you'll never see a movie as good and mental as this again.
Billy Elliot
A bit more expected on this list. We couldn't not feature Billy Elliot. The miner's son who becomes a ballet dancer. It was unheard of in those days and that's exactly why this movie has become such a cultural hit.
Set in 1984 in the fictional coal mining village of Everington, Durham County, Northeast England, Billy Elliot follows a young boy (title character) who finds sanctuary in ballet. When the UK was divided more rigorously than nowadays, when boys did boy things and girls did girl thing, Billy Elliot blurs the 'norm' when quitting Boxing for Ballet and turning heads with his incredible ability.
Not only is this film culturally iconic in showcasing the fall of the mining era in Great Britain, it demonstrates how male or female we're all equal and can participate and succeed in whatever we want in the good old British underdog way of doing things against the grane.
Billy Elliot is a must watch and a timeless classic.
Trainspotting
No British top-ten list is ever going to be complete without Trainspotting, unless it's a top ten worst of course.
Trainspotting follows Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor), who is a drug addict living in Edinburgh, Scotland on a journey to get clean.
After a successful kick - which the audience live every second of with him, Renton meets a girl (albeit underage) and tries to make something of his life, before scrapping it all and jumping back on the drugs (with a lot more in between).
The opening of Trainspotting is one of the most iconic moments in British cinema and has been made part of British popular culture ever since.
If you haven't seen Trainspotting, then you're missing out on an absolutely wild ride.
Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots is one of those films you've heard of, but never seen. It's very much a chick-flick but it's absolutely brilliant and we wholeheartedly recommend you give it a watch, because you will love it.
Kinky Boots follows Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) as he desperately tries to save the family business, a shoe factory in Northampton, East Midlands from going broke.
Accepting the game is over, Charlie heads to London to sell the business when he witnesses a group of scrotes harassing a woman and intervenes, but isn't successful.
Charlie wakes up to find himself in a theatre backstage. He meets Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a drag queen who turns his future upside down and changes the fortunes of his business forever.
Kinky Boots is great and denotes the British drag scene impeccably. And with the rise of shows such as Ru Paul's Drag Race, it's well worth digging out.
The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man. Undeniably one of the best British movies of all time, nevermind culturally. It's just so very British and so very good.
Following the report of a missing child, devout Christian detective Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward, no not the Manchester United CEO) embarks on a trip to the small Scottish island of Summerisle.
What he finds is not what anybody expects. Howie observes the islanders bizarre sexual displays and pagan rituals. The more Sergeant Howie learns about the islanders' strange behaviour, the nearer he edges to tracking down the missing child.
Don't mix this classic dystopic British classic with the 2009 American remake, It's blasphemous.
Notable absentees: Legend, The Full Monty, A Clockwork Orange, Paddington 2, The Damned United, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, About a Boy, Notting Hill, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Railway Children, 28 Days Later and Brassed Off
I hope you've enjoyed this list and with any luck it's given you some inspiration on what to watch next Saturday night when you're sat with your partner endlessly scrolling through Netflix, Prime, Sky, Virgin, Britbox and so on looking for something to watch.
If you're not happy, please get in touch via the Facebook page or email us at britishumour@gmail.com and I'll try and work your suggestions in on the next one.
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