---
title: "Belfast"
year: 2021
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/belfast"
fi1m_score: 66
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 27
published: "2026-09-20T08:13:42.155801+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-20T08:13:42.623798+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Belfast (2021)

Directed by Kenneth Branagh · 1h 38m · MPA PG-13 · Drama, History

**Fi1m score: 66** · Critics 72 from 27 reviews

*In a sentence:* The Troubles, as remembered by a nine-year-old who mostly wanted to go to the pictures

> Kenneth Branagh’s black-and-white memoir of a Belfast boyhood is warmly acted, especially by Judi Dench and Ciarán Hinds, and its opening riot frightened us. After that it settles for being charming, and the Troubles wait politely at the end of the street.

## Synopsis

Belfast, August 1969. Buddy (Jude Hill) is nine and lives on a terraced street where everybody knows his name, with his brother Will (Lewis McAskie) and his Ma (Caitríona Balfe), who runs the house while Pa (Jamie Dornan) is away working in England and comes home when he can. Granny (Judi Dench) and Pop (Ciarán Hinds) live nearby and hand out advice whether or not it is wanted. Buddy’s ambitions run to top marks in arithmetic so he can sit next to Catherine (Olive Tennant). Then a mob comes up the street with bricks and petrol bombs to drive out the Catholic families, barricades go up at the corner, and a local hard man, Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan), starts asking Pa which side he is on. Ma and Pa begin, quietly, to argue about whether to stay.

## Review

Kenneth Branagh has gone back to the street he grew up on. *Belfast* is a memoir of August 1969 as seen by a nine-year-old called Buddy, and Branagh has written and directed it himself. It is his warmest film and one of his least demanding, and it is a good deal tidier than the events it describes.

It begins well. Colour shots of today’s city give way to a wall; behind it, 1969, in black and white. Buddy (Jude Hill) is in the street with a wooden sword and a dustbin lid for a shield when a crowd appears at the end of the road with bricks and petrol bombs. Haris Zambarloukos keeps the camera at the boy’s height and turns it round him as the noise closes in, so we never see where the men are coming from, only that they are coming. We were frightened, and we had not expected to be.

Then a string of short scenes. Pa (Jamie Dornan) works in England and comes home when he can. Ma (Caitríona Balfe) keeps the house and the bills and her temper, mostly. Granny (Judi Dench) and Pop (Ciarán Hinds) sit in their kitchen and bicker. Buddy goes to school, moons over Catherine (Olive Tennant), gets into trouble with his cousin Moira (Lara McDonnell) and goes to the pictures. Úna Ní Dhonghaíle cuts these as anecdotes, few of them longer than a couple of minutes, and the film runs 98 minutes and feels shorter.

The cast is the reason to see it. Hill is open and quick and never mugs, and Branagh lets him listen rather than perform. Dench and Hinds are the best thing in it: two old people who have been married too long to be polite and too long to leave, and Hinds gives Pop the timing of a man who has told these stories before. Balfe is worried and sharp and lit as if she were the star of a different film. Dornan is steady, and late on he sings in a social club, and it moved us more than we expected. The reason is not the song but the people around him: by then we have spent an hour with all of them, and Balfe’s face while she watches him does the rest.

Zambarloukos’s monochrome is silvery and clean, and when the family goes to the cinema or the theatre, the screen and the stage are in colour while the audience stays grey. Jim Clay’s street is a set and looks like one: the brickwork is too even, the washing too white, and there is no litter anywhere. Charlotte Walter’s dresses for Balfe look to have come from the shop that morning. Van Morrison’s songs sit under nearly every transition, and about half of them are pulling their weight.

The trouble is the Troubles. The Catholic neighbours are driven out in the first ten minutes and scarcely mentioned again. Billy Clanton (Colin Morgan) turns up in a leather jacket to lean on Pa, and Branagh cuts to a Western on the telly so we know what kind of scene this is, and it is the wrong kind. The family’s argument about whether to leave is played three or four times with the same lines, and by the third we had stopped worrying about the outcome. That is honest to a child’s view, but it leaves the film stuck at the end of its own street.

John Boorman’s [*Hope and Glory*](https://film.one/film/hope-and-glory) (1987) remembered the Blitz as a boy’s great adventure and never let us forget how much the boy was missing. Alfonso Cuarón’s [*Roma*](https://film.one/film/roma) (2018) put a black-and-white childhood in front of a country tearing itself apart and explained neither. Branagh explains, and softens, and reassures. He was there and we were not, so perhaps that is how it felt. It is not how it reads.

See it for Hill, Dench and Hinds, and for the first ten minutes. Do not expect to learn anything about 1969 that you did not already know. It carries a 12A, and most people will leave it feeling well disposed towards their own families, which is a real thing for a film to do, if a modest one.

*Fi1m score 66, published 20 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics warm to it. Nineteen of the 27 reviews are positive, and they agree on why: Branagh’s memoir of a Belfast childhood in 1969 is tender, funny and generous, told from a child’s height rather than from the barricades. The praise clusters on the cast, above all newcomer Jude Hill, with Hinds, Dench and the parents played by Dornan and Balfe close behind. The black-and-white photography and the Van Morrison songs come up again and again, almost always approvingly.

The reservations are about sweetness. A recurring worry is that the film is rose-tinted, its streets too clean and its sectarian violence kept politely at a distance, and several reviews want more political context and a firmer grip on the family’s central dilemma. The spread is wide, from a five-star notice in The Times to a lone outright pan. The i Paper finds it a calculated tear-jerker with no grit, and Collider says the memories never gather into a story worth telling.

### Reviews we read (27)

- **The Times** (★★★★★): Branagh has made a masterpiece that is a deeply soulful portrait of a family in peril during the Troubles, with formal beauty, precise performances and textured writing. It mixes comic one-liners and Van Morrison tracks with honest emotional exposure at the director's peak. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/belfast-review-kenneth-branaghs-masterpiece-about-growing-up-during-the-troubles-ztg26tl3s)
- **Variety** (Critics Pick): Kenneth Branagh returns to his roots with this wee memoir that borrows perhaps a bit too much from Alfonso Cuarón’s art-house coming-of-ager. It avoids many clichés in favor of a more personal look back through a child’s eyes, relying on sentimentality and Van Morrison songs. [Read](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/belfast-review-kenneth-branagh-1235056300/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (80/100, inferred): Branagh's semi-autobiographical film is a tense yet playful memory piece that acknowledges the nastiness of sectarian violence while celebrating family bonds and working-class roots through strong performances. It warms the heart even as it confronts harsh realities. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/belfast-film-review-kenneth-branagh-jamie-dornan-catriona-balfe-b977658.html)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (80/100, inferred): Branagh's autobiographical film is a warm and tender coming-of-age tale set during the Troubles, full of emotional generosity and wit. It captures the dilemma of whether to stay in or leave Belfast amid rising sectarian violence, with strong performances and monochrome cinematography. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/12/belfast-review-kenneth-branagh-jamie-dornan-judi-dench)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (4/5): Branagh delivers a soulful, sweet and uplifting cine-memoir of childhood during the Troubles that radiates sincerity and warmth despite the surrounding violence and family tensions, with particular credit to the young lead's performance and Van Morrison's songs. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/belfast-2022)
- **Total Film** (80/100, inferred): Belfast is a warm-hearted reverie of a turbulent time seen through a child's eyes, elevated by wit and generosity of spirit that makes the personal universal. It risks accusations of rose-tinted sentimentality but succeeds as a love letter to family and childhood. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/belfast-review-kenneth-branagh/)
- **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's emphasis on everyday childhood memories and humanity over gritty conflict, highlighting Branagh's stylish direction, the warm glow of ordinary life, and strong performances amid the Troubles. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-kenneth-branaghs-autobiographical-belfast.html)
- **Empire**, Ian Freer (75/100, inferred): Branagh's big-hearted, emotionally direct memory movie finds the universal in the specific through charming anecdotes and luminous filmmaking, though it lacks dramatic heft or innovation. It is highly entertaining, slight but winning. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/belfast/)
- **The Independent**, Lindsey Bahr (3/4): The film offers a child's-eye view of family life during the Troubles as a nostalgic, idealized love letter to Branagh's childhood home and relatives. It will divide audiences due to its sentimentality and broad appeal but succeeds through strong performances, especially the young lead. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/belfast-kenneth-branagh-childhood-van-morrison-catholic-b1955237.html)
- **Financial Times**, Danny Leigh (★★★★☆): Sweetness and terror coexist in this story of a family forced to leave Northern Ireland, with a core of something profoundly real tied to the sorrow of leaving home. It can feel a little sugary at times but celebrates the curative power of mainstream movies and popular entertainment. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/01aff5d2-ad9c-4558-8b8f-5d16e2c04be9)
- **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): Branagh's gentle, touching coming-of-age memoir set at the start of the Troubles is engaging and tender, with strong chemistry among the cast and a sympathetic young lead, though it is more intimate and personal than epic in scale. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/belfast-review/5163339.article)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Stephen Farber (70/100, inferred): The critic finds Branagh's personal film a rewarding shift to family drama set against the Troubles but imperfect, praising the well-drawn characters, emotional emigration scenes, and performances by Dench and Hinds while noting insufficient political context and some dialogue issues. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/belfast-telluride-2021-1235008736/)
- **The New York Times**, Jeannette Catsoulis (Critic’s Pick): The critic finds Branagh’s cinematic memoir of his childhood in Northern Ireland a charming, rose-tinted thank-you note to the city and his parents. It is viewed largely through the eyes of a smart, cheery 9-year-old amid the destruction of an idyll, with warm performances and nostalgic scenes standing out. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/11/movies/belfast-review.html)
- **Radio Times**, Trevor Johnston (3/5): This autobiographical drama offers an affectionate and engaging portrait of boyhood innocence amid the Troubles with a strong young lead, but it lacks precision and punch, with slack handling of the central dilemma and distracting pristine sets. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-o44cgj/belfast/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (60/100, inferred): The film is a private stash of memories that feels most alive when it turns to the consolations of home and the thrills of the big screen. The greatest threat comes from an aroma of sweetness rather than the stink of sectarian conflict. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/kenneth-branaghs-airbrushed-belfast)
- **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (3/5): The film is oddly impersonal but features strong turns from Dornan and Balfe as parents, plus a marvellous scene in a social club that justifies much of it. It recalls Hope and Glory but misses some opportunities for sharper distinction in its autobiographical period piece. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2022/01/20/belfast-review-jamie-dornan-shines-kenneth-branaghs-tale-growing/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (50/100, inferred): Branagh’s personal but muted story of childhood’s end offers warm, humorous scenes of family life from a child’s-eye view. It is nothing if not careful, with mirth mingling with melancholy, though the critic cannot say it is especially good. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-11/belfast-review-kenneth-branagh)
- **Sight and Sound** (50/100, inferred): The film is a flawed but moving autobiographical portrait of the Troubles seen through a young boy's eyes, with strong praise for Jude Hill's performance and the director's personal investment, but criticism of narrative shambles, implausible plotting, and lack of precision. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/belfast-kenneth-branaghs-flawed-moving-portrait-troubles)
- **The i Paper**, Christina Newland (40/100, inferred): The film pulls effectively at heartstrings with touching performances but feels overly pretty, clean, and simplistic, like a calculated tear-jerker or Hallmark card that lacks genuine grit for its complex subject. It is heart-wrenching yet rose-tinted. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/belfast-review-kenneth-branagh-the-troubles-northern-ireland-jamie-dornan-caitriona-balfe-1412975)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): The critic finds Branagh's film a memorable and resonant coming-of-age story told through the eyes of a young boy amid the outbreak of the Troubles in 1969 Belfast. He singles out the stunning black-and-white cinematography and the standout performance by newcomer Jude Hill for particular praise. [Read](https://deadline.com/2021/09/belfast-telluride-film-festival-review-kenneth-branagh-jamie-dornan-1234824023/)
- **Den of Geek**, Don Kaye (4.5/5): The critic calls it Branagh's most personal, emotional, and perhaps finest film, finding nostalgic joy amid the Troubles through a child's episodic daily life and family bonds. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/belfast-kenneth-branagh-remembers-childhood-shakespeare/)
- **Film Stories**, Simon Brew (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a heartwarming, witty and human family drama shot with cinematic ambition, highlighting the strong ensemble cast and Branagh's affectionate, humorous take on his childhood memories amid the Troubles. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/news/belfast-review-kenneth-branaghs-awards-magnet-heads-to-uk-cinemas/)
- **Paste**, Tara Bennett (8.8): Branagh captures a singular time and place in late-1960s Belfast with gentle grace and humor through the eyes of a young boy and strong ensemble performances. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/kenneth-branagh/belfast-review)
- **HeyUGuys**, Zehra Phelan (4/5): The critic calls it an enchanting love letter to Branagh's childhood, praising the pitch-perfect performances and the affectionate, innocent portrayal of family life and romance amid the backdrop of violence. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/belfast-review/)
- **NME**, Lou Thomas (75/100, inferred): The critic views it as a classy, moving coming-of-ager focused on feelings and lost innocence rather than nuanced conflict, praising the performances (especially Hinds and Dench) and joyful music sequences. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/belfast-review-jamie-dornan-3142623)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (6.5/10): The critic finds the film often charming with gorgeous cinematography, strong performances (especially Hinds and Dench) and humor, but faults it for lacking focus, real conflict and emotional depth beyond its handsome surface. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/602935/belfast-review-kenneth-branaghs-drama-is-funny-and-sweet-and-missing-something-tiff-2021/)
- **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (C-): The film is a collection of Branagh’s memories that fails to become a compelling or thoughtful narrative about the Troubles or the family’s experiences. [Read](https://collider.com/belfast-review-kenneth-branagh/)

## Details

- **Director:** Kenneth Branagh
- **Director:** Kenneth Branagh
- **Writer:** Kenneth Branagh
- **Cinematography:** Haris Zambarloukos
- **Editor:** Úna Ní Dhonghaíle
- **Music:** Van Morrison
- **Production design:** Jim Clay
- **Costume design:** Charlotte Walter
- **Producer:** Laura Berwick, Becca Kovacik, Tamar Thomas
- **Cast:** Jude Hill as Buddy; Jamie Dornan as Pa; Caitríona Balfe as Ma; Lewis McAskie as Will; Judi Dench as Granny; Ciarán Hinds as Pop; Lara McDonnell as Moira; Colin Morgan as Billy Clanton
- **Runtime:** 1h 38m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 12 November 2021
- **Genres:** Drama, History
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2021); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2021); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2021)
- **Budget:** $11 million
- **Box office:** $49 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C658p987SQI

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: free, uhd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-20.*

Also available in: AE, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, IE, IL, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PH, PL, PT, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2022: Best Picture (nominated)
- European Film Award for Best Costume Designer 2022: European Film Award for Best Costume Designer (won)
- European Film Award for Best Production Designer 2022: European Film Award for Best Production Designer (won)
- European Film Award for Best Screenwriter 2022: European Film Award for Best Screenwriter (nominated)
- Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award 2021: Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award (won)

## If you liked this

- *Hope and Glory* (1987), Fi1m 82: Boorman’s Blitz childhood, funnier and less anxious to be liked than this one. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hope-and-glory.md)
- *Roma* (2018), Fi1m 86: Cuarón’s black-and-white memory film, with the violence kept in frame rather than off it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/roma.md)
- *Cinema Paradiso* (1988), Fi1m 84: A boy, a small town and the pictures; the original of this film’s colour screen trick. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/cinema-paradiso.md)
- *The Long Day Closes* (1992): Terence Davies’s Liverpool boyhood, all songs and rain, and far braver about loneliness.
- *'71* (2014), Fi1m 82: One night in the same city two years on, with none of the reassurance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/71.md)

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/belfast