Since the millennium in Britain, there’s been this steady process of gentrification of not just working-class areas but of the workingman's social environment. No place has seen a greater transition than the pub scene. The old, misty boozers, with cigarette smoke pervading the warm air, the burgundy carpets, and gaudy curtains have gradually been replaced by that of the gastropub. The gastropub is the enemy of the common man; with an overzealousness for Google Reviews, they serve beer-battered cod with triple-cooked chips and overpriced lager. They’ve scrapped the darts boards and the pool tables and have replaced the vintage wallpaper with faux bookshelves.
Each year, the opposition to the desolation of a once treasured establishment dwindles, and some literally die on their traditionalist hills, while others become indoctrinated by the scented candles and logos in the larger foam. Yet, in the face of all of this change, one man will sit, quietly propping up the bar at an old-school pub, sipping his ale before wandering over to the fruity to pop some shrapnel in the slot that he’ll invariably lose. He’s the gastropub Antichrist, whose purism is, well, just that, too pure. That man is Ken Loach.
Never will you catch him eating beer-battered fish of any kind, and he prefers his chips cooked just once. He’ll stand with the whites, blacks, and browns so long as they represent the forgotten people, the underclass who’ve been neglected by the government of the day. A legendary veteran director, Loach is a man of the people who has made some true British classics in his time. From Kes to I, Daniel Blake, he has become the godfather of British kitchen sink dramas, and here are some of his best movies.
Update October 26, 2023: In honor of the release of The Old Oak, this article has been updated with more of Ken Loach's best movies.
8 My Name is Joe (1998)
Thematically speaking, a regular occurrence in Loach’s movies is his often morbid depictions of the underclass, and in 1998’s My Name is Joe, Loach continues in a similar vein. The film follows a jobless Glaswegian and recovering alcoholic, Joe who is on a mission to rebuild his life and on his way to a better future, meets Sarah, a health worker, with the two striking a bond beyond their wildest imaginations.
Rent on Apple TV
7 Land and Freedom (1995)
The left-leaning propensities of Loach are at 1995’s Land and Freedom’s very core. Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, David Carr (Ian Hart), a die-hard communist party member from North West England journeys over to Spain to enlist in the fight against fascism. Despite his initial intentions, he soon finds himself fighting among the POUM, a Marxist splinter group who are defiant against Stalin’s totalitarian state. The tale is told through a collage of flashbacks, David’s harrowing experiences during the civil war, and the present-day (1990s Liverpool). A truly compelling story of a hard-edged struggle, and fight for what is right.
Stream of The Roku Channel
6 Riff-Raff (1991)
Starring Robert Carlyle and Ricky Tomlinson, 1991’s Riff-Raff is a comedy-drama that flies the flag for Loach’s socialist, left-leaning tendencies. It tells the tale of a Glaswegian ex-convict, Stevie (Carlyle), who travels down to London in search of work, and begins a job on a construction site, striking up a romance with singer Susan (Emer McCourt) in the process. It depicts the torrid conditions of some British working-class citizens and this undying resilience and spirited belief that things can always be worse.
Stream on FuboTV.
5 The Old Oak (2023)
At 87 years old, the great Ken Loach can still be found penning social commentary-inspired scripts and orchestrating poignant pieces of cinema behind a camera. The Old Oak is the latest piece of cinematic art from the seasoned auteur. Set against the backdrop of present-day North Eastern England, the film confronts the issues of poverty, immigration, and austerity.
Employing the archetypal British pub setting as his primary backdrop, The Old Oak offers an exploration into the complexities of housing refugees alongside underprivileged, disillusioned, and neglected factions of the population, and the various fractious social disparities that can lend itself to.
The Old Oak is a compassionate, moving, and sensitive portrayal of a landlord whose ability to see the best in people lands him on treacherous footing as he attempts to give aid to refugees while trying to avoid upsetting the apple cart among his loyal, albeit discriminatory customers. A film that highlights the very best and worst in humanity, and deals with the inner conflict of moral obligation versus interests that are financially self-serving.
4 The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
A far cry from the usual British, working-class grit, The Wind That Shakes the Barley is a gorgeous but brutal masterpiece. Brothers Damien (perfectly played by Cillian Murphy) and Teddy (Padraic Delaney) decide to rise up against the control and brutality of the British army in their provincial town in County Cork, following the death of their friend who is mercilessly killed by the Brits. It is a movie that captures the story of two brothers and their IRA battalion as they fight for their country’s independence in the Irish Civil War. The Wind that Shakes the Barley won Loach the 2006 Palme d’Or.
Stream on AMC+
Related
IRA: Best Movies About or Including the Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army's struggle was one that has been depicted in several fascinating and exceptional films, and these are some of the best.
3 Sorry We Missed You (2019)
Sorry We Missed You is an on-screen exploration of a working family pushed to breaking point. A husband and wife work all hours God gives them as a delivery driver and carer, respectively, while both parents are operating in low-skilled jobs, the pair are in a continuous battle to settle debts following the financial crash of 2008 and to provide for their young family. It lays bare the UK’s benefit trap, and the fact the minimum wage simply does not match living wage standards. It’s a shocking, anger-provoking portrayal of a hard-working family neglected by a capitalist state more concerned with lining the pockets of the wealthy than feeding the mouths of the poor.
Stream on Mubi
2 I, Daniel Blake (2016)
2016’s I, Daniel Blake, captured the exact quintessence of a Ken Loach film and went on to scoop the 2016 Palme d’Or. A heart-attack survivor told he’s unfit to work by medical professionals is stuck in a vicious circle of a benefits system he allegedly isn’t eligible for. Struggling to make ends meet, Daniel Blake’s (Dave Johns) circumstances become increasingly desperate as he takes a stand against a flawed system and government that fails to protect and look after those who are most vulnerable. Running concurrently with Daniel’s struggle is the story of a single-parent, Katie (Hayley Squires), and her two children, who have been forced to up-sticks and move to Newcastle, North-East England, as they too are failed by the benefits system.
Related
The 10 Best Movies About Class Consciousness
Cinema has been a medium for many sociopolitical ideas, and films that promote class consciousness and attack inequality are the best.
I, Daniel Blake offers a moving depiction of a group of misrepresented, misunderstood people who have continuously been let down by the state. Daniel’s frustrations are palpable, and his and Katie’s experiences are undoubtedly relatable to an alarming number of people in the UK. I, Daniel Blake is a cry-out for reform. It gives a voice to the otherwise unheard and examines the true state of an uncompromising, heartless, box-ticking structure that casts misery and poverty upon so many.
Stream on AMC+
1 Kes (1969)
Loach’s Kes, based on the 1968 novel A Kestrel for a Knave, is a British kitchen sink drama, a type of film that typically pictured angry young men, disillusioned by the country. Kes is a beautiful illustration of a Yorkshire teen, a troubled youth and pariah both at school and in his local area. Bullied at his state comprehensive, shunned, neglected, and in essence, abused by his cold-hearted mother and brother, Billy Casper finds solace and a kind of sanctuary when he begins to look after and eventually houses a pet Kestrel.
Kes is a moving account of a boy who doesn’t quite conform to societal norms and seemingly has no real place in the factions within the school. As tough as it is, the film is ultimately a beautiful portrayal of the power nature can have on us and how a small amount of love can thoroughly change one’s perspective on life.
Rent on AppleTV+
