Withnail & I (1987)
London 1969 - two 'resting' (unemployed and unemployable) actors, Withnail and Marwood decide to leave their squalid Camden flat for an idyllic holiday in the countryside, courtesy of Withnail's uncle Monty's country cottage (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Bruce Robinson
Written By: Bruce Robinson
Starring: Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Ralph Brown, Richard Griffiths, Daragh O'Malley, Michael Elphick, Noel Johnson, Llewellyn Rees, Robert Oates, Una Brandon-Jones, Michael Wardle, Irene Sutcliffe
AKA: Withnail and I
Country: UK
Where to Stream
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Withnail & I belongs to 56 collections
1. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (public: moderated by kozan26 - 226 stars)
2. Criterion Collection (public: moderated by caffe - 163 stars)
3. Roger Ebert: Great Movies (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 79 stars)
4. Fuck my life (public: moderated by Dorkovsky - 38 stars)
5. Black Comedy (public: moderated by Dorkovsky - 29 stars)
6. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 29 stars)
7. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2014 revision) (public: moderated by Jehan - 27 stars)
8. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 25 stars)
9. List: Empire's five star movies (public: moderated by KasperL - 24 stars)
10. IMDb Top 250 Complete (public: moderated by Jorg - 23 stars)
11. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2017 revision) (public: moderated by iconogassed - 22 stars)
12. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (public: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)
13. Women+ (public: moderated by paulofilmo - 18 stars)
14. Drugs (public: moderated by iconogassed - 16 stars)
15. Directorial debut (public: moderated by djross - 16 stars)
16. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2013 revision) (public: moderated by rant1229 - 16 stars)
17. Edgar Wright 1000 Favorite Movies (Aug 2016) (public: moderated by Aron Ericson - 16 stars)
18. Christmas (public: moderated by td888 - 15 stars)
19. The Bfi 100 (public: moderated by nexus - 7 stars)
20. 1960s period film (public: moderated by djross - 7 stars)
21. BFI Film Classics (public: moderated by MMAlpha - 7 stars)
22. Best of criticker: Comedy (public: moderated by avgcrtckr - 7 stars)
23. Male Gay Character(s) in a Non Gay-Themed Film (public: moderated by bobyang - 6 stars)
24. London (public: moderated by djross - 5 stars)
25. List: Empire's 301 Greatest Movies of All Time (public: moderated by KasperL - 5 stars)
26. Cinemag's Best 200 films Ever Created! (public: moderated by hristos - 4 stars)
27. The Cannon Group (public: moderated by ShogunRua - 4 stars)
28. They Shoot Pictures ex-Top 1,000 (public: moderated by MMAlpha - 3 stars)
29. TimeOut Magazine's 100 best British films (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 3 stars)
30. Character name in title (public: moderated by Pickpocket - 2 stars)
31. List: Empire's 100 Best British Films (public: moderated by KasperL - 2 stars)
32. Premiere Magazine's 50 Unsung Classics (public: moderated by Jorg - 2 stars)
33. Alcoholism (public: moderated by iceblox - 1 star)
34. Doubling the Canon (2011 update) (public: moderated by MMAlpha - 1 star)
35. Tatty British Empire (public: moderated by Fenius - 1 star)
36. NME's 100 Greatest Rock 'N' Roll Films (public)
37. Available on Divicast (public: moderated by Dunstan-xxx)
38. Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time (private: Ross - 36 stars)
39. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (private: djross - 13 stars)
40. Cinema Discusso Yearly Consensus (2008) (private: PeaceAnarchy - 10 stars)
41. Djross overrated movies (private: djross - 4 stars)
42. edkrak films to see (private: edkrak - 3 stars)
43. Moribunny finds this highly overrated (private: Moribunny - 1 star)
44. Buddy Films (private: FilmStar** - 1 star)
45. Owned (BD) (private: bizarre_eye)
46. 1987: Year in Review (private: polanski28)
47. to watch [TG] (private: teckgecko)
48. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 29 (private: PeaceAnarchy)
49. BF-80 (private: caffe)
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54. toucé (private: rnest)
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56. Drafts 1987 (private: caffe)
Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 6 |  |
Nathan S | 5 93% |
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A very intelligent comedy with almost tragic elements. The witty writing and great acting push the movie to the next level. Richard E. Grant is hilariously wasted throughout, while Paul McGann provides a sympathetic point of view. I also love Richard Griffith's farcical portrayal of the upper-class Uncle Monty. It's such a multifaceted movie that it at once comes off as comedy, tragedy, farce, and even stoner flick. Did you see the joint Ralph Brown twists up at the end?! Sweeet.
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| 3 |  |
hellsditch | 78 51% |
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A couple of loutish junkies running a muck in the English countryside in 1969 should have made for a more interesting time, I'm afraid. The two leads both do a great job--particularly the actor playing the hard-drugging Withnail--who steals nearly every scene he stumbles through--and although I never laughed out loud, I was amused throughout. The movie loses many points, however, by dragging out the old "it's time to grow up" routine for the umpteenth time without having anything new to add.
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| 3 |  |
Tds4a | 3 80% |
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MONTY, YOU TERRIBLE CUNT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING PROWLING AROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FUCKING NIGHT?!
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| 2 |  |
Bown | 78 49% |
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Absolute genius at times, and an amazing host of characters. However, there were a fair few dull bits, and I really wasn't much of a fan of Monty. Still very funny, though.
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| 2 |  |
Grit | 68 72% |
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A strange, surreal film with a cult status and many memorable moments. The main three characters portrayed by Grant, McGann and Griffiths are excellently put together and the humour, when it works correctly, is excellent. The only problem is that somehow through the acting and the effort that has been taken to piece the film together carefully, something is abscent and leaves you with the overriding feeling that it lacks substance. Still, there's some great quotes and laugh-out-loud moments.
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| 2 |  |
Spunkie | 82 96% |
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The only thing this movie lacks is solid cinematography. But the script, absurdity of our duo and societies reaction to them is so strong that you won't be looking for much else. English black humor unlike Python Crew. Withnail is a self-made modern day goth, futile and grim.
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| 2 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 84 77% |
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This was a very interesting film. It doesn't try to do too much but what it does do it does perfectly. Most of the film is about the two leads just trying to get by doing as little as possible lounging about drinking and doing stupid stuff. Even so, while they're far from responsible they're not absurdly irresponsible either and that helps keep the movie believable and the characters likeable. The ending is really fitting and adds a nice level of closure to the story and the themes it tackles.
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| 2 |  |
Alex Watkins | 3 38% |
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I certainly wouldn't want to be Withnail or I, but I wouldn't mind knowing them. It's one of those comedies that might not make you laugh out loud a bunch (though it certainly has its moments, especially the toilet trade encounter), but it's very amusing and leaves you with a smirk on your face. Also, Del Preston from Wayne's World 2 is in this. Fuck yes.
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| 2 |  |
TheDenizen | 80 84% |
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Two hapless out of work actors from London decide (during a 3 day speed bender) to spend a weekend in a countryside cottage, with hilarious results. The pair are so toxic with drink and drugs that they can barely function enough to feed themselves, and when a homosexual relative comes to stay with them the levels of farce reach absurd heights. A bitingly funny script paired with an acidic performance by Richard E. Grant makes a winning combination, but the ending falls slightly flat.
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| 1 |  |
lisa- | 2 11% |
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insufferable, witless stoner rubbish. every character was annoying.
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| 1 | torbern | 100 99% |
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Robinson's script and Grant's resounding characterization are the clearest reasons to seek out (and love) WITHNAIL & I, a cult classic that wallows in the sour cultural hangover of the late sixties; but the moments that make it truly special are its smaller ones. Among these: shotgun fishing, eel-based threats, carrot innuendo, hairdressing conspiracy theories, drunken demands for cake... I could go on. It's hilarious, and poignant, and weird, and beautiful. There's nothing quite like it.
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| 1 |  |
P u l p | 83 90% |
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"My partner's got a really good idea for making dolls. His name's Presuming Ed. His sister give him the idea. She got a doll on Christmas what pisses itself. Then you gotta change its drawers for it. It's horrible really but they like that, the little girls. So we're gonna make one that shits itself as well." (He was not joking; this is a brilliant marketing idea. I'm a little high right now but I really believe that this is a brilliant idea.)
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| 1 |  |
thehynes | 84 98% |
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are you the farmer?
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| 1 |  |
glumpy_99 | 64 24% |
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Occasionally amusing but too often frustrating comedy, which muffles all of its best gags by utilising a slack directorial style which results in the timing always seeming slightly "off". Grant, McGann and especially Griffiths turn in fine performances, and the seedy atmosphere is definitely a plus, but overall film stops short of working as a comedy.
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| 1 |  |
paulin | 87 72% |
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BRILLIANT WRITING. it's so bittersweet. feels like one of those mornings when you wake up, feel a huge hangover and realise that last night was one of the best nights of your life - but it's gone. gone gone gone. WE WANT THE FINEST WINES AVAILABLE TO HUMANITY.
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| 1 |  |
ladymcdeath | 99 96% |
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One point off for using that horrible fucking Joe Cocker song to start the movie off. I'll never understand it. Aside from that I love this fucking film. Everyone has a film they quote on a semi regular basis. This one is mine.
You can shove one up your arse for nothing and fuck off while you're doing it!
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| 1 |  |
MartinTeller | 54 10% |
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Hunter S. Thompson without the insight or humor. For a time their escapades are mildly enjoyable, and although much of the humor didn't work for me, I did laugh at a few lines. But it went sharply downhill in the third act, which revolves around an extended bout of homophobia. Even for a film that wallows in seediness, this was entirely too distasteful. It ruined the characters for me, who I just starting to grow fond of. Even ignoring this, it's not very witty, save for a few scattered moments.
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| 1 |  |
paulofilmo | 75 94% |
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Keep watching this until you can't live without it. Then watch it some more.
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| 1 |  |
Judge Holden | 3 32% |
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Witless and insubstantial. In fact, it's borderline insufferable. It's more stoner comedy than tragicomedy and the whole thing looks so fucking greasy and repulsive.
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| 1 |  |
ring_pulll | 99 95% |
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'Warm up? We may as well sit round this cigarette. This is ridiculous. We'll be found dead in here next spring.' Great film
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| 1 |  |
chemical404 | 80 95% |
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[re-watch] I saw this film for the second time just before my 30th birthday. I liked it better this time too. I've been messing with drugs a lot lately, and there are no prospects of normal life for me. That might be the reason I feel like I get what Robinson wanted to tell here, or at very least I have no problem identifying with Withnail (except I'm not as charismatic and cool). I'm sure I'll want to see this film again in couple years.
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| 1 |  |
Neonman | 49 7% |
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A non-narrative film with too much narrative, a comedy that isn't funny about a couple of low-lives that truly are low of life. There's something so unapproachable about the two characters that I can barely bring myself to be engaged by this film. My favourite part is the ending, which makes me wonder how this film would've serviced if it ditched being an (unfunny) comedy after all.
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| 1 |  |
terrymac | 90 97% |
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Grant excels as Withnail in this very funny, endlessly quotable comedy/tragedy. A very watchable curiosity with lots of charm.
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| 1 | oolookitty | 50 19% |
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Yeah, all you boys, I know you love it. I don't. You can't talk me into it, so don't keep trying. Just carry on with your weird obsession with this and CLERKS and leave me out of it.
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| 1 | Dustyd | 85 94% |
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Slow but wonderful Brit comedy that is directed and acted with heart.
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| 1 |  |
Mentaculus | 81 75% |
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An entire plot beginning, driven, and ended with ennui. Loads of it. So much ennui that it clogs the toilet, won't flush, and you have to get a plunger after a not-so-particularly satisfying BM. It reminds me of my time after college, which scares the living ennui out of me.
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| 1 |  |
syvyys | 86 75% |
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solid gold! written like fine wine in cigarettes.
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| 1 |  |
Stain | 80 68% |
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Funny, entertaining movie about a total jerk, with the "I" character as somebody with whom the audience can identify so they don't walk out en masse
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| 1 |  |
mike365365 | 90 98% |
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"My thumbs have gone weird!"
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| Average Percentile 65.84% from 1692 Ratings |  |