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The Damned United
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The Damned United

2009
Drama
1h 38m
Brian Clough (Sheen) takes over as manager of Leeds United following the departure of club hero Don Revie (Meaney) for the England job and for the first time has to work without his partner, Peter Taylor (Spall). Adaptation of the popular book.
Directed by:
Tom Hooper Tom Hooper
Written by:
Peter Morgan Peter Morgan David Peace
+1 more
Starring:
Timothy Spall Timothy Spall Jim Broadbent Jim Broadbent Colm Meaney Colm Meaney Michael Sheen Michael Sheen Peter McDonald Henry Goodman Martin Compston Martin Compston Stephen Graham Stephen Graham Mark Bazeley Michael Parkinson Joe Dempsie Joe Dempsie
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Genre:
Drama
Country:
UK
Language:
English
imdb More information at IMDb
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The Damned United

2009
Drama
1h 38m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 64.9% from 1247 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(1247)
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davidblastDavidBlast
Rated 03 Dec 2013
75
72nd
An easy, well crafted and entertaining story about ambition and a childish (if charming) stab at revenge (however silly). Non-football wievers will enjoy it just as much as the rest of us. Case in point: None of my friends care for football. They lack something in their intellects to fathom the beautiful game. Guess that makes them, well, not really friends at all... I'm lonely, come to think of it.. Wait! This one guy supports Sunderland FC. SUNDERLAND! HAHAHA! Hahaha! ha... Forever alone...
Rated 03 Dec 2013
filmfreak88filmfreak88
Rated 03 Mar 2010
80
78th
This is a rare sports film. And that would be because it is not actually a sports film. It just uses football as backdrop to tell the story about a man's personal vendetta and how his obsession with revenge almost consumes him. It is at its heart an underdog story without all the unnecessary sentimental crap. And it boasts another terrific performance by the great Michael Sheen. Definitely, a rock solid football drama.
Rated 03 Mar 2010
kasperlKasperL
Rated 02 Jan 2011
80
86th
I can think of nothing in the world that I care less about than soccer or football or whatever it's called nowadays. Thankfully, this film isn't really about sports. It's all about manager Brian Clough, played mesmerizingly by Sheen. "It's not what a movie is about, it's how it is about it", says the wise Roger Ebert; and this is certainly true of both 'The Damned United' and 'The King's Speech' by Hooper. In these two movies he shows terrific feel for pacing and aesthetic choices. Entertaining.
Rated 02 Jan 2011
jherman89Jherman89
Rated 23 Feb 2010
88
89th
This film single-handley refreshed my need for smart, witty and powerful sports movies. There is just so much brilliance in this film. Michael Sheen gives an award worthy performance as Brian Clough. The best sports film I've seen in at least five years.
Rated 23 Feb 2010
rossRoss
Rated 26 Dec 2009
85
89th
Great little biopic. An interest in british football is not required, but does not hurt.
Rated 26 Dec 2009
wicheWiche
Rated 06 Jul 2010
84
87th
Clough is a character we all sympathize with, I believe. With certain ideals, he tries to accomplish certain things but he almost fails due to his arrogance. This film is about prestige, sport, human relations, true facts and some smart humour which I very ùuch liked. Really loved this sports movie!
Rated 06 Jul 2010
burkayadaligburkayadalig
Rated 09 Feb 2011
90
88th
Great scenes, powerful acting, fun script..i would never imagine that i could enjoy a movie on football...i believe im a tom hooper fan now..interesting to see that this movie is clearly better than kings speech:)
Rated 09 Feb 2011
mandymandy
Rated 03 Mar 2010
8
92nd
Not a film about football but an examination of the relationships that existed between Clough and Taylor, and Clough and Revie and to some extent Clough and his players. Brilliantly acted a film with plenty of truth, even if the portrayals /facts are not always accurate! Only Clough himself would know that.
Rated 03 Mar 2010
kojilessKojiless
Rated 24 Sep 2012
84
88th
Unlike an actual football match, which is 90+ minutes of nothing, this movie kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish. I believe the key was removing as much football from the story as possible. Well played.
Rated 24 Sep 2012
3names3Names
Rated 10 Oct 2009
82
48th
I know next to nothing about soccer, but this was well worth watching for the psychological exploration of jealous hubris on ones ego... Sheen, and all the cast, are great!
Rated 10 Oct 2009
stewballStewball
Rated 21 Nov 2009
70
54th
Good movie, and it reminds me why I don't enjoy soccer, it's slow and, well....slow. But they don't dwell too awfully much on the game itself. Sheen's opening scenes were fantastic. And, btw, Alice does NOT mean truth.
Rated 21 Nov 2009
nalmptnalmpt
Rated 11 Oct 2009
80
60th
Good movie about one of the greatest British manager ever, Brian Clough, and his lower point of the career, after being sacked from Leeds United after only 41 days on the job. Seems a little biased at times, I didn't read the book it was based on, but overall it was a nice experience.
Rated 11 Oct 2009
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 16 Jul 2010
75
80th
This film is so concerned with its main characther, Brian Clough (the brilliant Michael Sheen), and his off-field clashes, arrogance and ego that the feature serves almost as a documentary of his work at Derby County and Leeds United. A perfect movie for sports lovers, like me, a huge fan of english football.
Rated 16 Jul 2010
gordonbombayGordonBombay
Rated 04 Dec 2013
85
74th
The story of a small man in search of revenge over his former idol. David vs. Goliath. A great football movie for non-football and football lovers a like. It might be a movie about football, but it's also a movie about trying to change too much too fast... oh and of course Leeds and just for one friend... SUNDERLAND SUNDERLAND SUNDERLAND!!!
Rated 04 Dec 2013
bunkenBunken
Rated 16 Feb 2011
70
71st
There has never been made a good football movie, cause the game is to hard to transform into the big screen, but there has been made some great movies about whats going on outside of the pitch e.g. The Football Factory. The Damned United is all about the charismatic Brian Clough and his rivalry with the legendary Don Revie. Tom Hooper combines fiction with actual footage in a great manner and Michael Sheen is excellent. As we speak Leeds are on their way back where they belong and thank god!
Rated 16 Feb 2011
tjekhovTjekhov
Rated 16 Jul 2014
70
69th
Likeable football film.
Rated 16 Jul 2014
hellsditchhellsditch
Rated 05 Mar 2010
78
50th
As a non-football fan I fortunately did not have to spend my time reconciling fact with fiction and instead could focus squarely on Michael Sheen, who gives an awesomely smarmy performance as Brian Clough, a petty but driven small-town football coach who, after suffering a rather innocuous slight at the hands of revered Leeds United manager and personal hero, Don Revie, makes it his life's mission to destroy him. An entertaining enough story, but it won't change your life or anything.
Rated 05 Mar 2010
maakalmaakal
Rated 06 Sep 2011
78
64th
A great lead performance from Michael Sheen, who is perfectly slick, egotistical and likable as the brilliant head coach.
Rated 06 Sep 2011
benedettibenedetti
Rated 12 Dec 2009
76
74th
Yeah, believe it, it's a good football flick!
Rated 12 Dec 2009
walkearthwalkearth
Rated 08 Jun 2011
75
88th
Deep Purple and Michael Sheen.
Rated 08 Jun 2011
spokowapSpokoWap
Rated 01 Jan 2010
85
92nd
Bardzo dobry film poparty swietna gra aktorska. Warto.
Rated 01 Jan 2010
rttntomatoesrttntomatoes
Rated 22 Dec 2013
94
85th
Better than your average football pic, Damned United is carried by another star turn from Michael Sheen as Brian Clough.
Rated 22 Dec 2013
overratedoverrated
Rated 08 May 2011
60
63rd
Hooper's direction is great though he tends to craft too simple a narrative for it to stick with you. I'm not a fan of sports films and this wouldn't be an exception but for the fact that it contains Sheen's most entertaining performance yet.
Rated 08 May 2011
johnsandwichJohnSandwich
Rated 29 Sep 2011
65
52nd
Entertaining. Having built up some expectations for it I found it a little underwhelming, though.
Rated 29 Sep 2011
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 12 Dec 2010
83
72nd
Solid, entertaining sports drama. Even without any background knowledge about the people or events in the film I was quickly drawn in to the characters.
Rated 12 Dec 2010
milkacowmilkacow
Rated 08 Jul 2019
90
71st
meself, love the english accent
Rated 08 Jul 2019
frostyFrosty
Rated 08 Jun 2011
70
62nd
Sheen really sells this.
Rated 08 Jun 2011
entrapmenentrapmen
Rated 12 Jan 2010
57
23rd
biktim artik gerceklerin carpitilarak gercek hayattan nemalanan filmlerden. yeterseniz, yeter. madem birisinin biyografisini isleyen bir film yapiyorsunuz, mumkun raddede ve hatta tamamiyle gerceklere tutunun. bokunu cikartmayin.
Rated 12 Jan 2010
zozanZozan
Rated 15 Dec 2009
91
93rd
Excellent watch but could even have been better if the movie was a bit longer as there certainly was enough material at hand to extend the span and the movie leaves a feeling that much of the journey of Clough remained untold.
Rated 15 Dec 2009
acyberexileacyberexile
Rated 03 Sep 2010
85
78th
first off; i love peter morgan. i love it when he collaborates with michael sheen and yes, i absolutely love michael sheen. it wasn't because of this that i gave damned utd. a clean 85 though. colm meaney, timothy spall and michael sheen do a bloody good job of reviving revie, taylor and clough respectively and every supporting actor, from the great ones like broadbent and graham to the obscure ones seem to carry morgan's script and the script rarely disappoints. a very fine piece of film indeed
Rated 03 Sep 2010
crankycranky
Rated 20 Mar 2010
78
82nd
I'm not a big fan of football... but have to admit Sheen's performance is really good!
Rated 20 Mar 2010
lookjabbaLookJabba...
Rated 27 Feb 2014
7
57th
The Damned United is a film for both fans of football and neutrals alike. The core of any film is it's characters, and Michael Sheen's superb performance as Brian Clough is worthy of a watch from anybody. Brian Clough is such an egotistical and arrogant character and he was tailor made for a film adaption. The screenplay is solid, the acting is powerful and the supporting cast is strong also. And It's clear to see why Tom Hooper has moved on to bigger things.
Rated 27 Feb 2014
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 24 Feb 2010
8
80th
Great sports drama that isn't heavy handed on the sport its covering. Nice uses of archival footage are welcome. Casting increased the enjoyment of this feature and Michael Sheen is in particular shines.
Rated 24 Feb 2010
florvdeFlorVdE
Rated 16 May 2010
3
64th
Could have taken a bit more time fleshing out some of the more minor characters. The Leeds Utd. players in particular come across as charicatures. Very entertaining film nonetheless.
Rated 16 May 2010
ezoterikEzoterik
Rated 14 Jan 2010
65
44th
A funny little movie about a football manager who can hold a grudge. Great acting, competent directing. It could use a bit flashier script and it could be slightly longer. All in all it was a very entertaining and well acted movie.
Rated 14 Jan 2010
filliganFilligan
Rated 14 Sep 2012
83
51st
I praised Moneyball for being a sports film that focused on the people behind the sport rather than re-enacting something you could watch on ESPN. Little did I know a film that does this just as well for another sport came out two years prior. Sheen is excellent - though when is he not? - and I can see why Hooper was given stronger opportunities after this.
Rated 14 Sep 2012
angrypierreangrypierre
Rated 20 Jul 2010
78
69th
Yeah it's pretty good. I think it may have suffered a bit from attempting to make it appealing to more than just football fans, which occasionally led to an almost patronising tone to it. Full of quality performances though, and it is a good story at least.
Rated 20 Jul 2010
naurunauru
Rated 06 Jan 2012
69
72nd
Much better than most sports movies. I would have liked more focus on Timothy Spall's character, who is more interesting than his megalomaniac partner. I only play the game, I do not follow professional teams or the history of professional teams. And still I thought it was a good film overall though hardcore fans of English football will probably appreciate it more.
Rated 06 Jan 2012
glm01glm01
Rated 05 Oct 2013
86
87th
85.500
Rated 05 Oct 2013
sirstuckeySirStuckey
Rated 08 Mar 2010
85
87th
I like soccer, and I like Leeds United so this film did interest me outright. Even if you didn't really care for either I think you could appreciate the great character study (it's more about the manager Brian Clough than the actual squads anyway) and the wonderful acting by Michael Sheen and the rest.
Rated 08 Mar 2010
tripwyreTripwyre
Rated 27 Jul 2011
85
85th
I don't know much of anything about soccer (and honestly don't care to learn), but The Damned United is still a damned fine film. This is more a character study of club manager Brian Clough than your typical underdog sports story, and Clough is a fascinatingly flawed man played to perfection by Michael Sheen. Meaney and Spall make Sheen's job easy, providing strong sparring partners for him to play off of, but the film is built on the back of Sheen's performance. No surprise, they're both great.
Rated 27 Jul 2011
aron_wardAron Ward
Rated 28 Jul 2013
85
58th
Very enjoyable football flick. Sheen is very good - I almost disliked his version of Clough as the real thing
Rated 28 Jul 2013
snbutlersnbutler
Rated 08 May 2016
45
5th
As a film in its own right, it's a passable britcom: a sort of "Carry On Cloughie". As an adaptation of either Peace's superb novel or the real story, it's a misguided disaster. In particular, the decision to cast, for instance, reigning PFA Player of the Year Norman Hunter as an overweight, slobby clogger entirely undercuts the reason for Clough's failure at then all-conquering Leeds United. Worse still is the decision to dispense with Clough's paranoid inner monologue from the book. A waste.
Rated 08 May 2016
lordfractionLordfraction
Rated 08 Dec 2012
92
97th
This film managed to capture the essence of the Beautiful Game, profoundly demonstrated through marvelous acting and screenplay worthy of critical acclaim.
Rated 08 Dec 2012
ephedrinephedrin
Rated 16 Jan 2015
50
43rd
Just another egocentric trainer story.
Rated 16 Jan 2015
bramsterlingBramSterling
Rated 15 Mar 2013
90
93rd
I don't really have any complaints with The Damned United, a brilliant film that even those who hardly know how soccer works will be able to enjoy. Its great direction, score and acting make it one of, if not the best, sports films I've ever seen.
Rated 15 Mar 2013
afx237viafx237vi
Rated 07 Jun 2011
60
52nd
It relies fairly heavily on nostalgia and will appeal to people who grew up watching football in the 70s. Mudbath pitches, short shorts, mid-match punch-ups and players with perms. Those were the days. The narrative was a bit simplistic, though. The Leeds players were little more than pantomime villains, and for all of Clough's arrogance to be blamed on one perceived snub by Revie was a bit of a let-down. There was room for a much deeper exploration of what made such a complex character tick.
Rated 07 Jun 2011
duderDuder
Rated 29 Jun 2010
65
59th
Quite a good watch with good pacing. I don't know how accurate the story is but Clough is shown as a worthless man and Taylor as king throughout the movie which I didn't like that much..
Rated 29 Jun 2010
offlineozofflineoz
Rated 28 May 2020
75
67th
Under Quarantine Film Reviews #106: A good biopic on the greatest manager England never had, played brilliantly by Michael Sheen. It could have been a great one had it not taken so many liberties with historical accuracy and been a bit longer dealing with his unsurpassed achievements in Nottingham Forest. As always, FUCK LEEDS.
Rated 28 May 2020
okkervilOkkervil
Rated 29 Sep 2009
71
70th
'The Damned United' balances fact and fiction very well. Sheen makes a good Clough, but never quite manages to capture the true extent of the great mans charisma, and Meaney is supurb as Revie, if a little overly bitter! The film lacks a bit of meat in the middle, and actually feels too short, mainly because Hooper does not expand and explore Cloughs time at Leeds enough during the films runtime. None the less, this embellished biopic is still charming and very entertaining.
Rated 29 Sep 2009
mist600Mist600
Rated 13 Nov 2017
84
62nd
BACK-FILLING LOAD OF FILMS NOT SEEN FOR A LONG TIME -> Recall/Scores may be 20-30% off. Not at all offended, grateful actually, if U want 2 drop me a cordial msg if think memory dulled a gem or gave a rosy tint to clunker. IE. Tell me WHY Im wrong & what U think I should score. Love film chat/debate| Couldnt give a #*#* 4 English Soccer so must've been good to snare me. Sheen is one hell of an actor. If had Male R Lead looks he'd be A+ list. Superb in almost everything & this is a fine film.
Rated 13 Nov 2017
misterlizardmisterlizard
Rated 07 Apr 2014
70
72nd
Zero interest in football, and thoroughly expected to hate this. But Sheen again excels and brings to life a biopic that should otherwise never have been movie material. This isn't a sports movie, it's an acting showdown between Sheen and Meaney.
Rated 07 Apr 2014
chemical404chemical404
Rated 15 Nov 2009
64
69th
I'm continuously impressed by British cinema of late. The Damned United is a fine, sophisticated, and very entertaining biopic. And that comes from someone who doesn't give a rat's ass about soccer. Big part of the film's success is lively, charismatic acting of Michael Sheen. His character is a bit similar to his previous role in Frost/Nixon, and his acting is even better.
Rated 15 Nov 2009
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 21 Oct 2010
25
61st
"The parallel-tracks structure smoothly reveals cause-effect relationships even as it sometimes feels designed to gussy up the narrative's straightforward rise-and-fall arc." - Nick Schager
Rated 21 Oct 2010
thehynesthehynes
Rated 08 Feb 2016
69
86th
a great study of Brian Clough and his brief spell at Dirty Leeds. Fantastic performance by Sheen.
Rated 08 Feb 2016
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 21 Sep 2009
75
89th
Excellent.
Rated 21 Sep 2009
ktappektappe
Rated 10 Oct 2011
84
62nd
Interesting, even for someone who had never even heard of the protagonists or teams involved before seeing the film.
Rated 10 Oct 2011
pompousasspompousass
Rated 11 Nov 2009
20
44th
Oddly focussed docudrama, riddled with capriciously off-balance compositions, on a disastrous interlude in the illustrious career of English football manager Brian Clough, his runaway ambition and runaway confidence in his rivalry with fellow manager Don Revie ("I wouldn't say I'm the top manager in the country, but I'm in the top one"), leaving the upbeat ending to a printed coda. Michael Sheen's cranked-up performance in the lead is riveting if even more narrowing.
Rated 11 Nov 2009
glmglm
Rated 14 Dec 2011
86
83rd
85.750
Rated 14 Dec 2011
ecitizeneCitizen
Rated 13 Dec 2020
40
32nd
If you like watching a smug asshat prance around acting like a publicity-seeking narcissist you have found your movie. Not being a "soccer" fan, I found this examination of team politics particularly boring and uninteresting. It doesn't help that the lead actor is dreadfully unlikable. Whatever talent he has as a manager is interwoven with his heavy-handed arrogant personality. Am I wrong? Maybe.
Rated 13 Dec 2020
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 22 Nov 2009
76
88th
Good Movie
Rated 22 Nov 2009
nunstranglernunstrangler
Rated 28 Nov 2009
57
35th
Follows typical rise-and-fall-of-the-rebel theme but Sheen kicks it up a notch (in fact, the role was reportedly written for him). More focused on Clough's hyper-competitive personality than the actual sport.
Rated 28 Nov 2009
doyler29doyler29
Rated 27 Jun 2023
70
42nd
I not only know next to nothing about football in it's non-American variety, I actively dislike anything to do with it. Doesn't matter. This film is a kind of Shakespearean tragedy with magnificent performances from Sheen and Meaney, as well as Timothy Spall as Sheen's loyal assistant Peter Taylor and Jim Broadbent as Derby's chairman Sam Longson.
Rated 27 Jun 2023
rfdutrarfdutra
Rated 29 Aug 2010
10
96th
The best footbal movie I've ever seen!
Rated 29 Aug 2010
hofschneiderHofschneider
Rated 11 Dec 2012
60
13th
Neither the book nor the amazing, unique, important character, that Brian Clough represents to Great Britian and its football deserve such a softend, cheap, well... Tom-Hooper-movie!
Rated 11 Dec 2012
tancantancan
Rated 13 May 2022
90
91st
I did not feel the time
Rated 13 May 2022
donquixoticdonquixotic
Rated 22 Jul 2013
50
33rd
I don't give a damn about football so it's very difficult to keep watching. Some fine acting, good storytelling but you have to care about football
Rated 22 Jul 2013
feritdgnferitdgn
Rated 17 Jul 2020
75
74th
The Damned United, gerek teknik, gerek içerik bakımından futbolla ilgili en nitelikli, en iyi filmlerinden biri. Brian Clough'ın hırs, tutku, arzu, hiddet ve başarıyla dolu teknik direktörlük kariyeri harika bir şekilde mercek altına alınıyor. Michael Sheen'in performansı ise olağanüstü.
Rated 17 Jul 2020
just1nJust1n
Rated 01 Apr 2012
85
91st
Great film about a great football manager. I loved this but then i love football. May not be for everyones taste but i know the mans accomplishments and appreciated this film.
Rated 01 Apr 2012
difontaineDifontaine
Rated 13 May 2009
76
69th
Liked it at the time but a very different feel to it than the book, which is brilliant and depressing at the same time.
Rated 13 May 2009

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