5 Brit Flicks For Your Next Film Night

I love a good film! I love the styles that different countries have developed in film, like France’s talent for an artfully crafted noir, or the flamboyant musicals of Bollywood cinema in India.

I might be a little biased, but I do love British cinema. Differences from American-based and produced films might be slim at times, but I’m always more excited at the new release of a Brit flick.

If you ever feel like “binge-watching” (an expression recently added to the online Oxford Dictionary) some great British films yourself, here are five of my personal favourites.

1. Bridget Jones’s Diary

An absolute classic and favourite of most British women I’m sure… When she’s not drinking wine in her pj’s, Bridget Jones is usually sticking her foot in her mouth or desperately trying to keep her head held high after her latest embarrassing moment.

It’s a classic feel-good film that’s perfect for a girls’ night in. It’s a rom-com that reminds you of the importance of being able to laugh at yourself, that it’s never too late to start over, and that it’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out right now. And really, who hasn’t felt like Bridget Jones at the beginning of this movie at one time or another? A little lonely, with only the comfort of a bottle of wine to keep you warm…

If you break this one out with the girls, the dress code should be strictly pyjamas—the less attractive the better. Also, bonus points for anyone that shows up in a onesie!

2. Skyfall

One for the guys and gals…No one was really skeptical of Daniel Craig’s portrayal of the famous secret agent after he first appeared in 2006’s Casino Royal, but the negative reviews of 2008’s Quantum of Solace certainly didn’t do the rebooted franchise any favours. Thankfully Skyfall more than made up for it.

In 2012, Yahoo reported that Skyfall was the the biggest movie in UK box office history. They stated that the film grossed £94,277,612 in it’s first 40 days, “beating the £94,025,632 record set by James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ in its entire 11 month release.” Wowza!

Even if you’re not that into action movies, but your significant other loves them, Skyfall is a perfect compromise. Plenty of action, shooting, and chasing the bad guys with a lot of Daniel Craig. There’s enough Daniel Craig, actually, to possibly turn you into an action movie fan. Seriously, I can only imagine that the majority of those who disagreed with Craig portraying Bond were straight males. You won’t hear many women complaining about his ability to fill out the suit.

3. The Red Shoes

For the cultured among us…In this film, Julian Craster (Marius Goring) is a young ballerina that is torn between pursuing her career as a dancer and the man she loves. This is the perfect fix when you’re feeling like watching a classic musical, filled with all the singing, drama and dancing that you would expect from a classic post-war era play.

The last time I watched this movie it was when my friends and I decided to make one of our girls’ nights a “Red Shoes Party” a few months back. We started with The Wizard Of Oz, followed by Kinky Boots, and wrapped up with The Red Shoes. We all wore red, I grabbed a few bunches of red flowers from the local florist and everyone brought red coloured food. We had a “red” fruit platter (with watermelon, raspberries, strawberries, and pomegranate) and some red pepper jelly and cream cheese bites courtesy of My Recipes. Of course there was also plenty of red wine to go round. It may seem silly, but it was one of our favourite nights we’ve had in a while.

4. Shaun of the Dead

One to make you chuckle…A spin on your typical zombie flick, this film is much more comedy than horror. On the Picturebox blog, a contributor noted in a review of the film that “the laughs come fast and hard” thanks to the amazing duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. They also star alongside each other in Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, both of which are definitely worth a watch.

Speaking as someone who jumps out of her skin at the slightest thing, it’s safe to say that I’m not one for scary films. If you’re like me and usually a little less than enthused about horror movies, this is a fun way to get your zombie fix. It’s action-packed and has enough of a love-story to keep us hopeless romantics happy too 🙂

5. Love Actually

My personal favourite out of the bunch…another absolute classic from writer Richard Curtis. It’s about the intertwined lives of eight different couples, packed full of top British actors (Hugh, Colin, Keira, Bill, Emma) and cleverly funny lines.

I’m yet to meet someone who doesn’t like this film…even the fellas! My favourite scene is where Andrew Lincoln’s character Mark, stands outside of Keira Knightley’s character’s house (Juliet), playing music and holding up Bob Dylan-esque hand-written signs to declare his secret love for her. Too flippin’ cute!

To top off the adorableness and warm fuzzy feelings that the movie has to offer, during the film it’s snowing and it’s Christmas time. That’s a big double whammy for a romantic setting. Perfect for a night under the duvet with a bottle of wine…with the girls, or the hubby.

So there’s 5 of my fave Brit flicks, what are some of yours?