--- title: "Mr. Burton" year: 2025 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mr-burton" fi1m_id: "mr-burton" imdb_id: "tt5171016" tmdb_id: 1242454 wikidata_id: "Q127602137" fi1m_score: 71 critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 8 published: "2026-10-03T04:03:00.760387+00:00" updated: "2026-10-03T04:03:33.002256+00:00" region: "EC" 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." --- # Mr. Burton (2025) Directed by Marc Evans · 2h 04m · Drama ## Identity Mr. Burton - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/mr-burton - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** mr-burton - **IMDb ID:** tt5171016 - **TMDB ID:** 1242454 - **Wikidata ID:** Q127602137 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5171016/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1242454, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q127602137 **Fi1m score: 71** · Critics 68 from 8 reviews *In a sentence:* Toby Jones is worth listening to, even when the lesson runs on > Toby Jones and Harry Lawtey give *Mr. Burton* enough feeling to carry its familiar mentorship story. Marc Evans directs with care, though the leisurely pace and reassuring script make a modest drama last too long. ## Synopsis In Wales, Richard Jenkins Jr. (Harry Lawtey) begins the training that precedes his life as the actor Richard Burton. His mentor, Philip Burton (Toby Jones), takes on the work of encouraging and developing the younger man’s talent. Around them are Ma Smith (Lesley Manville), Cecilia ‘Cis’ Jenkins (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) and Dic Jenkins (Steffan Rhodri). The drama follows Richard’s formative years through the relationship between teacher and pupil, as his mentor helps a prospective actor turn his promise into something he can use. ## Review *Mr. Burton* is a worthwhile, overextended drama, carried by Toby Jones and Harry Lawtey through stretches that need sharper writing. Marc Evans treats these artistic beginnings with a seriousness that earns our respect, even when the familiar shape of the inspirational-teacher story begins to show. He gives the adult doing the encouraging enough attention to matter alongside the talent being encouraged. That choice makes the film more interesting than another dutiful account of a famous person’s youth. Toby Jones’s Philip Burton gives it much of its interest. His restraint makes the character’s concern for his pupil persuasive, without requiring us to regard everything about him as admirable. We were moved by the care in that performance: Toby Jones makes the work of encouraging someone feel important without making the teacher seem saintly. He holds our attention even when the writing is making a point about mentorship that we have understood already. Harry Lawtey has the awkward assignment of giving Richard Jenkins Jr. a life before our knowledge of Richard Burton gets in the way. He is convincing enough to keep that expectation from dominating the performance, and the occasional suggestion of the actor to come is more useful than a sustained impersonation would be. The relationship between the two men earns our interest. Their performances also make the script’s simplifications noticeable, because both suggest feelings that deserve more attention than the writing gives them. Stuart Biddlecombe’s photography and Tim Dickel’s production design help make the period setting convincing. Their work gives Marc Evans an atmosphere that supports the performances without competing with them. It is a handsome film, although the care taken over its appearance sometimes makes us wish for a less comfortable treatment of the people within it. The emphasis remains on the actors. The screenplay by Tom Bullough and Josh Hyams is the main limitation. The inspirational-teacher film needs more than a gifted pupil and an adult perceptive enough to notice; it needs convincing resistance, and this one too often settles for reassuring us that encouragement matters. Its sentiment is sincere, but sincerity cannot keep a familiar progression interesting for 124 minutes. We wanted the writing to be as alert to the teacher’s complications as Toby Jones is. Tim Hodges’s editing leaves that problem exposed. The measured pace gives the actors welcome space, but it also lets passages continue after their dramatic point has registered. Those stretches are frustrating because spending longer with these men does not always tell us anything more about them. A firmer cut might have helped, though the deeper problem is that the writing does not consistently give the performances enough to do. Within a familiar kind of drama, Marc Evans has made something modest and humane. The actors keep it from feeling dutiful, and the interest in the mentor is substantial enough to justify giving him the title. There is no need to come to it already fascinated by the future celebrity; concern for the teacher will do. Choose it for an evening when a slow, traditional drama sounds like a pleasure. *Fi1m score 71, published 3 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to Mr. Burton, with praise concentrated on the performances rather than the biopic’s storytelling. Toby Jones draws the clearest agreement: his restrained, detailed portrayal of Richard Burton’s mentor impresses even those unconvinced by the film around him. Harry Lawtey also earns praise for suggesting the young actor’s emerging charisma. Several reviews value the sincerity of the mentorship story, while photography, atmosphere and period recreation receive favourable notices. The division concerns how much patience the familiar approach earns. Admirers find an absorbing, accessible drama; others see sentimentality, slow pacing and limited depth. Little White Lies acknowledges sluggishness and one-dimensionality but finds the performances and sincerity persuasive. The Guardian takes a markedly harsher view, finding the film meandering and burdened by inspirational-teacher clichés, despite Jones’s work. The spread is therefore fairly wide, though the balance remains positive and the acting provides common ground. ## Straight answers **How long is Mr. Burton, and what is it rated?** *Mr. Burton* runs 2h 04m. It is a drama film. **Where can I watch Mr. Burton in Ecuador?** *Mr. Burton* is not on any streaming or rental service in Ecuador at the moment. It is available in 5 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **What should I watch after Mr. Burton?** After *Mr. Burton*, try [*Educating Rita*](https://film.one/film/educating-rita) (1983, Fi1m 71): A pupil and tutor challenge each other, with sharper jokes and friction. Then [*Good Will Hunting*](https://film.one/film/good-will-hunting) (1997, Fi1m 82): Talent is only part of the difficulty in this more combative mentorship drama. ### Reviews we read (8) - **Little White Lies**, Lucy Peters (3/4/3): Peters finds the film heartfelt and sincere, though occasionally slow and one-dimensional. She singles out the performances by Toby Jones and Harry Lawtey as its greatest strength. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/mr-burton) - **Radio Times**, Terry Staunton (4/5): Staunton describes the film as an absorbing drama about Richard Burton’s formative years. He praises its beautiful photography and richly atmospheric direction. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-c1zalb/mr-burton/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Stephen Farber (80/100, inferred): Farber finds the film an incisive, compelling origin story and a memorable exploration of mentorship. He particularly praises Toby Jones’s performance, which he says holds attention throughout. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mr-burton-review-richard-burton-biopic-harry-lawtey-1236540612/) - **Variety**, Guy Lodge (70/100, inferred): Lodge finds the biopic sentimentalized but enjoyable, with a gentle, old-fashioned approach. He especially praises Toby Jones’s nuanced portrayal of the mentor whose influence shapes young Richard Burton. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/mr-burton-review-1236358632/) - **Screen Daily**, Nikki Baughan (64/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as a review but does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its standfirst describes a drama about a Welsh actor’s journey from the valleys to stardom. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/mr-burton-review-toby-jones-stars-in-richard-burton-origins-story/5202760.article) - **Time Out**, Eurico de Barros (3/5): The critic says the film’s strengths lie chiefly with its actors. Harry Lawley is singled out as convincing in the role of the young Richard Burton. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/pt/filmes/mr-burton-2025) - **The Guardian**, Wendy Ide (2/5): Ide finds the biopic sluggish, meandering and weighed down by familiar inspirational-teacher clichés. She praises Toby Jones’s fleshed-out performance, while noting Harry Lawtey’s occasional flashes of Burton’s charisma. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/apr/06/mr-burton-review-richard-burton-teacher-marc-evans-toby-jones-harry-lawty) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (75/100, inferred): Kermode finds the film a compelling, finely detailed celebrity biopic with wider relevance. She particularly praises Toby Jones’s restrained performance and the film’s careful period recreation. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/mr-burton-2025-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Details - **Director:** Marc Evans - **Director:** Marc Evans - **Writer:** Tom Bullough, Josh Hyams - **Cinematography:** Stuart Biddlecombe - **Editor:** Tim Hodges - **Production design:** Tim Dickel - **Costume design:** Stewart Meachem - **Producer:** Ed Talfan, Hannah Thomas, Josh Hyams - **Cast:** Toby Jones as Philip Burton; Lesley Manville as Ma Smith; Harry Lawtey as Richard Jenkins Jr.; Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Cecilia 'Cis' Jenkins; Aneurin Barnard as Eifed James; Steffan Rhodri as Dic Jenkins; Mali O'Donnell as Phyllis Dolan; Alfie Llewellyn as Evans - **Runtime:** 2h 04m - **First release (the UK):** 3 March 2025 - **Genres:** Drama - **Box office:** $1 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6Trx84-gy4 ## Where to watch in Ecuador Not streaming, renting or buying in Ecuador at the last check. Also available in: AU, CA, GB, NZ, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Browning Version* (1951): Another teacher’s private disappointments emerge through restraint, with considerably less reassurance. - *Educating Rita* (1983), Fi1m 71: A pupil and tutor challenge each other, with sharper jokes and friction. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/educating-rita.md) - *The Chorus* (2004): A teacher encourages overlooked talent, with music giving familiar sentiments some substance. - *The Disciple* (2020): A more searching account of artistic training, devotion and the limits of encouragement. - *Good Will Hunting* (1997), Fi1m 82: Talent is only part of the difficulty in this more combative mentorship drama. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/good-will-hunting.md) --- © 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/mr-burton