Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £6.99 a month
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winning tale of two brothers joining the fight for Irish independence in the 1920s, starring Cillian Murphy and Pádraic Delaney
Director: Ken Loach
Overview
In 1920s Ireland, young doctor Damien prepares to leave for a new job in London. As he says his goodbyes at a friend's farm, British Black and Tans arrive, and a young man is killed. Shaken by the violence, Damien joins his brother Teddy and the local IRA brigade in their fight for independence. But the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, threatens the group’s unity - and tears the brothers apart.
Ken Loach’s film not only won the Palme D’or at Cannes but also sparked significant controversy on release, with some critics - including those who hadn’t seen it – condemning its portrayal of the British. Despite its grim subject matter and a harrowing torture sequence, the film proved an unexpected box-office hit and remains one of Loach’s biggest commercial successes. Its impact owes much to commanding performances from Cillian Murphy and Pádraic Delaney as the two brothers, and to Loach’s unflinching focus on the breathtaking natural beauty of the country for which his characters are fighting.
Related
Urchin Urchin
Drama 2025 99 mins Director: Harris Dickinson
The debut feature from actor Harris Dickinson sees a homeless addict get a shot at recovery and redemption.
Godland Godland
Drama 2022 143 mins Director: Hlynur Pálmason
Breathtakingly inventive and ambitious historical epic about a young Danish priest travelling to a remote Icelandic outpost to establish a church.
Eureka Eureka
Drama 2023 147 mins Director: Lisandro Alonso
Multi-stranded meditation on the experiences of indigenous communities across the Americas, from Argentinian filmmaker Lisandro Alonso.
Dragon's Return Dragon's Return
Drama 1968 85 mins Director: Eduarda Grecnera
A reclusive potter nicknamed ‘Dragon’, exiled from his isolated homestead, returns years later, aiming to win back the trust of the villagers.
Battleship Potemkin (Music by Pet Shop Boys) Battleship Potemkin (Music by Pet Shop Boys)
Historical drama 1925 75 mins Director: Sergei M. Eisenstein
Marking the centenary of Sergei Eisenstein’s landmark film, with thrilling music by Pet Shop Boys.
The Ice Storm The Ice Storm
Comedy 1997 113 mins Director: Ang Lee
An impressive ensemble cast populate Ang Lee’s riveting portrait of family life in 1970s America.
Maurice Maurice
Drama 1987 140 mins Director: James Ivory
Merchant Ivory’s landmark adaptation of E M Forster’s classic LGBTQ+ novel and a precursor to the James Ivory-scripted Call Me By Your Name.
Ghost in the Shell Ghost in the Shell
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1995 83 mins Director: Mamoru Oshii
Mamoru Oshii's beautifully animated and disturbingly prophetic anime classic about the hunt for a supreme hacker in a transhumanist dystopia.
The Last Picture Show The Last Picture Show
Drama 1971 128 mins Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd and director Peter Bogdanovich all made their names with this touching coming-of-age tale.
Punch-Drunk Love Punch-Drunk Love
Drama 2002 95 mins Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Adam Sandler is a beleaguered businessman who finds romance with a mysterious woman, in Paul Thomas Anderson’s award-winning offbeat comedy.
Prisoners Prisoners
Thriller 2013 153 mins Director: Denis Villeneuve
In Denis Villeneuve’s thriller – starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman - a father takes the law into his own hands after his daughter’s abduction
Midnight Express Midnight Express
Drama 1978 121 mins Director: Alan Parker
Alan Parker’s brutal, riveting and controversial true-life account of an American student’s incarceration in a Turkish jail continues to be debated.
Hunger Hunger
Biopic 2008 96 mins Director: Steve McQueen
Artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen made his cinema debut with this provocative portrait of Irish republican prisoners defying the British government.
I, Daniel Blake I, Daniel Blake
Drama 2016 100 mins Director: Ken Loach
Ken Loach’s powerful, Palme d’Or-winning invective against welfare injustice captured the mood of modern Britain and became his biggest box office success.
Land and Freedom Land and Freedom
War 1995 105 mins Director: Ken Loach
Ken Loach’s passionate war drama follows an idealistic young Liverpudlian (Ian Hart) who fights for the international brigade during the Spanish Civil War.
Urchin Urchin
Drama 2025 99 mins Director: Harris Dickinson
The debut feature from actor Harris Dickinson sees a homeless addict get a shot at recovery and redemption.
Malpertuis Malpertuis
Fantasy 1971 125 mins Director: Harry Kümel
Orson Welles stars in this labyrinthine mythological fantasy set in a baroque mansion, from the director of Daughters of Darkness.
Daughters of Darkness Daughters of Darkness
Horror 1970 100 mins Director: Harry Kümel
A newlywed couple is entangled by the spellbinding aura of a vampire in Harry Kümel’s seductive horror.
Godland Godland
Drama 2022 143 mins Director: Hlynur Pálmason
Breathtakingly inventive and ambitious historical epic about a young Danish priest travelling to a remote Icelandic outpost to establish a church.
Eureka Eureka
Drama 2023 147 mins Director: Lisandro Alonso
Multi-stranded meditation on the experiences of indigenous communities across the Americas, from Argentinian filmmaker Lisandro Alonso.
Dragon's Return Dragon's Return
Drama 1968 85 mins Director: Eduarda Grecnera
A reclusive potter nicknamed ‘Dragon’, exiled from his isolated homestead, returns years later, aiming to win back the trust of the villagers.