Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £4.99 a month
It Couldn't Happen Here
The pop-surrealist road movie starring the Pet Shop Boys, finally available for the first time in the digital era.
Drama 1987 86 mins
Director: Jack Bond
Overview
Originally conceived as an hour-long video based on the Pet Shop Boys' 1987 album Actually, It Couldn’t Happen Here turned into a full-scale feature film directed by Jack Bond (Anti-Clock). Alongside Joss Ackland, Gareth Hunt and Barbara Windsor, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe travel on an extraordinary adventure from the coast to London, encountering a curious array of eccentric characters along the way. Pop surrealism meets classic road movie, the film is peppered with hits from the duo’s first two studio albums, including ‘West End Girls’, ‘It’s a Sin’ and ‘Always On My Mind’.
Never less than fascinating, It Couldn’t Happen Here is a truly unique film and one that has sadly been long unavailable. Newly remastered by the BFI from a 4K scan, we are delighted to present the film digitally for the first time.
strong sex references, nudityAccessibility
Related
Drama
Volver Volver
Drama 2005 121 mins Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Family secrets echo around a Spanish clan, ringing loud enough to rouse the dead, in Pedro Almodóvar's assured melodrama.
A Moment in the Reeds A Moment in the Reeds
Romance 2017 107 mins Director: Mikko Makela
The world’s troubles recede, at least for a moment, in this intimate drama about an affair between a Finnish man and a Syrian immigrant.
The Third Wife The Third Wife
Drama 2018 92 mins Director: Ash Mayfair
A fourteen-year-old girl falls for another of her polygamous husband's wives in this award-winning coming-of-age tale of love and self-discovery.
The Wound The Wound
Drama 2017 88 mins Director: John Trengove
A traditional rite of passage ritual forms the backdrop for this tough and complex tale of closeted sexuality in South Africa.
End of the Century End of the Century
Romance 2019 84 mins Director: Lucio Castro
A chance encounter reconnects two men in this heart-breaking lament on love, lust and missed opportunities.
The Ghost and the House of Truth The Ghost and the House of Truth
Drama 2019 67 mins Director: Akin Omotoso
Featuring a magnetic performance from Susan Wokoma, this Nigerian thriller sees an intermediary between convicts and their victims risk everything when searching for her missing 10-year-old daughter.
Subscription Exclusives
The Chambermaid The Chambermaid
Drama 2018 102 mins Director: Lila Avilés
Lila Avilés provides an engaging, behind-closed-doors look at the working environment of a chambermaid in one of Mexico City’s most luxurious hotels.
End of the Century End of the Century
Romance 2019 84 mins Director: Lucio Castro
A chance encounter reconnects two men in this heart-breaking lament on love, lust and missed opportunities.
La belle époque La belle époque
Comedy 2019 115 mins Director: Nicolas Bedos
Daniel Auteuil’s illustrator is given the chance to visit a different era to re-evaluate his life in this resplendent and absurdly enjoyable French comedy.
And Then We Danced And Then We Danced
Drama 2019 113 mins Director: Levan Akin
Merab’s world is turned upside down by the arrival of a new dancer in this impassioned Cannes-nominated love story.
Little Joe Little Joe
Science Fiction 2019 105 mins Director: Jessica Hausner
Jessica Hausner’s cool, witty and unsettling sci-fi starring Emily Beecham and Ben Whishaw.
Last and First Men Last and First Men
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2020 70 mins Director: Jóhann Jóhannsson
Two billion years ahead of us, a future race of humans finds itself on the verge of extinction. Tilda Swinton narrates this visually stunning lament for humanity by acclaimed composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario, Arrival).
New
Volver Volver
Drama 2005 121 mins Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Family secrets echo around a Spanish clan, ringing loud enough to rouse the dead, in Pedro Almodóvar's assured melodrama.
A Moment in the Reeds A Moment in the Reeds
Romance 2017 107 mins Director: Mikko Makela
The world’s troubles recede, at least for a moment, in this intimate drama about an affair between a Finnish man and a Syrian immigrant.
La belle époque La belle époque
Comedy 2019 115 mins Director: Nicolas Bedos
Daniel Auteuil’s illustrator is given the chance to visit a different era to re-evaluate his life in this resplendent and absurdly enjoyable French comedy.
The Third Wife The Third Wife
Drama 2018 92 mins Director: Ash Mayfair
A fourteen-year-old girl falls for another of her polygamous husband's wives in this award-winning coming-of-age tale of love and self-discovery.
The Wound The Wound
Drama 2017 88 mins Director: John Trengove
A traditional rite of passage ritual forms the backdrop for this tough and complex tale of closeted sexuality in South Africa.
End of the Century End of the Century
Romance 2019 84 mins Director: Lucio Castro
A chance encounter reconnects two men in this heart-breaking lament on love, lust and missed opportunities.