This film is part of Rentals
England Is Mine
A deeply insecure young Morrissey dreams of escaping drudgery but seeks the confidence to bloom, in this captivating account of The Smiths' genesis.
Director: Mark Gill
Overview
Steven Patrick Morrissey (Jack Lowden) wants to write and sing. But as a young man, his voice goes no further than the NME letters page and his dead-end office walls. When the punk scene explodes, Steven discovers there's more to life than dark satanic mills. With the help of strong women, the young Morrissey embarks on a journey to become himself in a world that's trying to make him like everybody else.
Mark Gill takes an unexpected approach to his elusive quarry, focusing entirely on the period before The Smiths' formation. But the film's pinpoint evocation of mid '70s Manchester (including such pivotal events as the Sex Pistols' legendary show as the Lesser Free Trade Hall), and its fascinating characterisation of Morrissey as deeply insecure and self-doubting, distinguish it as a worthy successor to the great Manchester biopics, Control and 24 Hour Party People.
Related
Tchaikovsky's Wife Tchaikovsky's Wife
Drama 2022 144 mins Director: Kirill Serebrennikov
Award-winning director Kirill Serebrennikov (Petrov's Flu) charts the tumultuous relationship between the 19th-century composer and his wife, in this poignant and powerful biopic.
The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire
Drama 2024 74 mins Director: Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich
Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich's debut illuminates the life of remarkable Martinican writer, activist and surrealist Suzanne Césaire.
Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story
Documentary 2018 101 mins Director: Steve Sullivan
Frank Sidebottom was a pillar of alternative comedy of the late 80s/early 90s. This charming documentary remembers the man behind the head.
Anselm Anselm
Documentary 2023 94 mins Director: Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders' stately and beautifully scored study of Anselm Kiefer.
Dread Beat and Blood Dread Beat and Blood
Biopic 1979 44 mins Director: Franco Rosso
Vibrant documentary portrait of dub poet and activist Linton Kwesi Johnson, fighting racism with the spoken word on the streets of 1970s Brixton.
Rebel Dread Rebel Dread
Documentary 2021 83 mins Director: William E. Badgley
This is the story of the iconic Don Letts, the coolest cultural polymath – narrated by the man himself.
Supersonic Supersonic
Documentary 2016 117 mins Director: Mat Whitecross
Relive the stratospheric rise of the kings of Britpop in this rousing nostalgic trip from the producers of Amy.
20 Feet from Stardom 20 Feet from Stardom
Documentary 2013 87 mins Director: Morgan Neville
This moving documentary shines a spotlight on the backing singers behind some of the great musical hits of the 21st century.
Whitney Whitney
Documentary 2018 120 mins Director: Kevin Macdonald
Stunning revelations and captivating reminiscences paint a picture of the extraordinary life of singer Whitney Houston, in this in-depth portrait by acclaimed filmmaker Kevin MacDonald (Touching the Void, Marley).
Kneecap Kneecap
Drama 2024 105 mins Director: Rich Peppiatt
Fantastically outlandish biopic about the anarchic Belfast rap trio and their fight to save the Irish language.
Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound
Documentary 2024 91 mins Director: Antony Crook
Celestial sonic odyssey charting the cult Scottish band’s expansive career from the mid-90s to their tenth studio album written during lockdown.
One to One: John & Yoko One to One: John & Yoko
Documentary 2024 101 mins Director: Kevin Macdonald
Kevin Macdonald’s essential record of the former Beatle’s final full-length performance is a fascinating portrait of two artists in a state of flux.
Tornado Tornado
Action and Adventure 2025 91 mins Director: John Maclean
John Maclean’s follow-up to Slow West, an idiosyncratic western, offers a windswept interpretation of the Samurai genre.
The Way We Talk The Way We Talk
Drama 2024 132 mins
The complex lives of three young deaf people are explored in all their intricacies in this superbly performed drama, set in Hong Kong.
The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future
Fantasy 2022 99 mins Director: Francisca Alegría
Francisca Alegría brings together family trauma and ecology into a poetic journey of rebirth. A mysterious and poetic tale on our collapsing ecosystem and finding balance.
A Forgotten Man A Forgotten Man
Historical drama 2022 85 mins Director: Laurent Negre
At the end of World War Two, a Swiss diplomat (Michael Neueschwander) is burdened with guilt in this chillingly intense historical drama.
Verdict Verdict
Crime 2019 127 mins Director: Raymund Ribay Gutierrez
A wife presses charges against her violent husband, only to face fresh battles against bureaucracy, in this incensing courtroom thriller.
Rimini Rimini
Drama 2022 90 mins Director: Ulrich Seidl
Impeccably styled and unflinchingly grim, this darkly humorous tale of a pop star past his prime finds Ulrich Seidl at his audacious best.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Drama 2018 92 mins Director: Desiree Akhavan
Chloë Grace Moretz is the girl who finds her tribe with fellow ‘sinners’ at a religious camp where they are told to pray the gay away.