Nil by Mouth
Seen it?1997 | 128 min | Drama
Saturday Specialearly ratingWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (79% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it drew serious awards attention. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved Trainspotting or Layer Cake, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 8 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence and drug use.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
The family of Raymond, his wife Val and her brother Billy live in working-class London district. Also in their family is Val and Billy's mother Janet and grandmother Kath. Billy is a drug addict and Raymond kicks him out of the house, making him live on his own. Raymond is generally a rough and even violent person, and that leads to problems in the life of the family.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
79% on Rotten Tomatoes, 76 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.9 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 2 BAFTAs: British Academy Film Awards: Best British Film, British Academy Film Awards: Best Original Screenplay. Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Actress. Also nominated for 2 more BAFTAs and 1 more Cannes award. Plus 6 other awards.
- Reach & staying powerSolid
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 178K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Gary Oldman
- Ray WinstoneRay
- Kathy BurkeValerie
- Charlie Creed-MilesBilly
- Laila MorseJanet
- Edna DoréKath
- Chrissie CotterillPaula
- Jon MorrisonAngus
- Jamie ForemanMark
- Neil MaskellSchmuddie
- Steve SweeneyDanny