Summer vacation and trips to many popular international destinations are on hold right now. So if we want to feel transported to our favorite places, we may have to settle for doing it via an outstanding film. We’re really missing London right now. So, what are the best movies to watch right now that are set in Britain? Our ace correspondent Abbie Martin Greenbaum has curated a list of the 15 best movies set in the U.K. If you’re an Anglophile hoping to take a virtual trip to Great Britain, it’s time for you to host a British movie marathon, and here’s what to watch. Pop the popcorn!
Dreaming of a virtual trip to the UK?
There is nowhere in the world quite like the United Kingdom. Home to Harry Potter, William Shakespeare, and the Royal Family, it is as steeped in history as it is in gorgeous scenery. From London all the way to the sprawling hills of the English countryside there are iconic landscapes and the ghosts of literary legends all around us.
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Also marvelous tea and scones! We fully understand the Bard’s rhapsodic ode to the country, which ends: “This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.”
Our Picks for the Best Movies set in Britain
Since planning an in-person trip is a bit of an impossibility at the moment, we have designed for you what we think is the next best thing: a trip through cinema.
Assuming you have already seen James Bond, and Richard Curtis’s entire filmography, here is a fifteen-movie marathon and mini-vacation to the U. K. We hope it can fill in some of the sights and beloved stories until you are able to visit in person again.
1. Sunshine on Leith
If you want to get to know the city of Edinburgh, why not try the remarkably uplifting musical, Sunshine on Leith? Set to the tunes of beloved Scottish band The Proclaimers, Sunshine on Leith is going to be your new favorite movie that you previously didn’t know existed.
The best movies to watch that are set in Britain: Sunshine on Leith. Photo Courtesy of the studio.
Two soldiers (played by George MacKay and Kevin Guthrie) return home to their families after time away, setting out to settle down in their romantic relationships and figure out their futures. Press play, suspend your disbelief, and enjoy this cheerful sing-a-long romp through Scotland.
2. Trainspotting
For an edgier look at the city, you may want to visit (or revisit), Danny Boyle’s iconic Trainspotting. It is perhaps the most essential Scottish film ever made.
The best movies to watch that are set in Britain: Trainspotting. Photo Courtesy of the studio.
Based on the novel of the same name, it is an account of a group of friends grappling with addiction in the 1980’s. This is one of those rare films that is fully immersive, creating through dialogue and through innovative cinematography. It is a movie that is a complete experience, rather than a simple narrative.
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3. Blinded by the Light
For a different perspective on the United Kingdom in the 1980’s, try this coming of age story from legendary director Gurinder Chadha. Javed is a British-Pakistani high school boy who finds escape from family conflict and the prejudice of his community in the music of Bruce Springsteen.
For a British movie marathon, here are some of the best movies to watch that are set in Britain: Blinded by the Light. Photo Courtesy of the studio.
Based on the real experiences of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, this film will warm your heart without ever making you flinch at its irresistible sincerity.
4. God’s Own Country
The story of this Yorkshire romance mirrors the arc of its main character, Johnny. It begins quiet and brooding, and slowly opens up into something that is beautiful, and full of emotion. Johnny is the son of a farmer, lonely with his lot in life.
For a British movie marathon, here are some of the best movies to watch that are set in Britain: Blinded by the Light. Photo Courtesy the studio.
His world is changed when a young Romanian man comes to work on his family’s land. Filled with shots of the stunning rural world they inhabit, this is the perfect love story for a stormy night.
5. Playing Away
In perhaps the best film about cricket ever made, this film from director Horace Ové is both a subtle and intelligent sports film, and also a much more serious look at the racism of the United Kingdom. Set in the 1980’s, it begins when the all-white Cricket team of Sneddington invites a Brixton team from the West Indies to play them in a special tournament. The movie offers a blistering social commentary, effortlessly weaving the game itself into the divisions between these characters.
Set in the 1980’s, it begins when the all-white Cricket team of Sneddington invites a Brixton team from the West Indies to play them in a special tournament. The movie offers a blistering social commentary, effortlessly weaving the game itself into the divisions between these characters.
6. Quadrophenia
One of the UK’s greatest contributions to society is its music. And since there is a good chance you have already seen The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night, why not check out The Who’s Quadrophenia?
Much of the film plays like a cinematic music video, layering scenes of this 1960’s friend group over songs from the rock opera album of the same name. It is a total tribute to Mod culture, and to an era that so many still associate with the United Kingdom today.
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7. In the Loop
Considered one of the most quintessential British films in recent years, In the Loop is a satirical rendering of politics in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
A perfectly-written blend of British and American humors, the result is a hysterically funny account of these two leaders’ attempts to go to war in the Middle East.
8. Paddington
The feel-good movie of the century, Paddington is one of those special movies that seems to be liked by just about everybody.
If you want two hours of pure sweetness, the story of the family who takes in the walking, talking Paddington bear is about as classic a look at London as you can find.
9. Gosford Park
If what you want out of your British film vacation is Downton Abbey, then Gosford Park (co-written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes) is the mannered drama set in a manor that you’re probably looking for.
For an Anglophile’s British movie marathon, here’s what to watch for a virtual trip to Britain: Gotsford Park. Photo Courtesy of the studio.
A scathing satire of the 1930’s British elite, this Robert Altman whodunit is about a hunting party that goes exquisitely wrong when one of the guests is murdered. It features many of Britain’s most famous faces, and if you think it sounds like something you’d like, you definitely will.
10. Emma
Since so many canonical works of literature are set in the United Kingdom, it would feel remiss not to include an adaptation of at least one of them. If you didn’t catch Emma before movie theaters shut down, now is a good time to fix that.
For an Anglophile’s British movie marathon, here’s what to watch for a virtual trip to Britain: Emma. Courtesy Photo.
This version succeeds because of the way it chooses to savor its heroine’s many flaws – specifically, her spoiled and selfish nature. It creates a rendition of Emma Woodhouse who feels present and authentic rather than historical or obsolete.
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11. Belle
Directed by Amma Asante, this 18th century drama centers on the figure of Dido Elizabeth Belle (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the biracial daughter of a British admiral, who grows up in the house of her great uncle.
For an Anglophile’s British movie marathon, here’s what to watch for a virtual trip to Britain: Belle. Courtesy Photo.
With first-rate performances, as well as an excellent script and score, the film achieves a tale of romance and politics. It is personal to its heroine, while also tackling the United Kingdom’s slow progression towards the abolition of slavery.
12. Legend
In this thriller from Brian Helgeland, Tom Hardy has two incredible performances. Twin brothers, Reggie and Ronnie, men who set out to dominate London’s criminal scene in the 1960’s.
For an Anglophile’s British movie marathon, here’s what to watch for a virtual trip to Britain: Legend. Courtesy Photo.
This is an energetic, fast-paced flick. It’s about the violence and havoc these two villains wreaked upon everyone’s favorite city.
13. Pride and Prejudice
In this 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, directed by Joe Wright, Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) lives with her mother, father and sisters in the English countryside. Surely you know the story – an iconic tale of love and misunderstanding among the social classes in England – and this is one of our favorite renditions of it.
For an Anglophile British movie marathon, here are some of the best movies to watch that are set in Britain: Pride and Prejudice. Photo Courtesy of the studio.
The scenery is breathtaking, the romance is delicious, Knightley was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance. And Matthew MacFadyen as Mr. Darcy is almost as good as Colin Firth (more about that in moment). Stay all the way to the end – the final scene is splendid.
14. The Wedding Date
The critics may not have liked it, but we’re unashamed of our love for this rom-com from 2005. With the wedding of her younger sister (Amy Adams) fast approaching, Kat Ellis (Debra Messing) faces the undesirable prospect of traveling alone to London for the ceremony. Her ex is in the wedding party, and she’s currently alone.
For a British movie marathon, here are some of the best movies to watch that are set in Britain: The Wedding Date. Photo Courtesy of the studio.
So, she hires a handsome male escort to join her for the weekend wedding. Rural British scenery, great clothes, gorgeous people and surprising wit and heart: if you want to get into a different (non-coronavirus) space, this fluffy confection will take you there. Oh, did we mention the male escort is played by Dermot Mulroney?
15. Bridget Jones Diary
The O.G. of great modern rom-coms set in London, we have seen this movie more times than we’re planning to share with you. At the start of the New Year, 32-year-old Bridget (Renée Zellweger) decides it’s time to take control of her life — and start keeping a diary.
For a British movie marathon, here are some of the best movies to watch that are set in Britain: Bridget Jones’ Diary. Photo Courtesy of the studio.
What ensues is a year in the life of a young woman who’s striving for meaning and purpose – and looking for love in exactly the wrong place (that would be at work). With striking scenes of London and Hugh Grant in the stellar ensemble cast, it’s hard to vote no on this one. But the clincher? Two words, dear reader: Colin Firth.
The Best Movies to watch right now set in Britain
That’s it! If you’re an Anglophile hoping to take a virtual trip to Great Britain, that’s our recommended list of the best titles for a British movie marathon of films to watch that are set in the U.K. What did we miss? What’s your favorite?
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Abbie Martin Greenbaum grew up in New York City and currently lives in Brooklyn, where she drinks a lot of coffee and matches roommates together for a living. At Oberlin College, she studied English and Cinema, which are still two of her favorite things, along with dessert and musical theater. She believes in magic.
