--- title: "Weekend" year: 2011 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/weekend" fi1m_score: 86 critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 20 published: "2026-09-18T08:42:45.575264+00:00" updated: "2026-09-18T08:42:46.112285+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." --- # Weekend (2011) Directed by Andrew Haigh · 1h 36m · MPA NR · Drama, Romance **Fi1m score: 86** · Critics 84 from 20 reviews *In a sentence:* Boy meets boy, boy records boy for his art project, and Nottingham looks on without comment > Andrew Haigh’s second feature follows two men in Nottingham from a Friday-night pick-up to Sunday evening, and it is small, plain and mostly talk. It is also as true a British love story as we can name, though Glen speaks for his writer a little too often. ## Synopsis Nottingham, a cold weekend in October. Russell (Tom Cullen) works as a lifeguard at a leisure centre and lives alone in a council flat high in a tower block. On Friday night he leaves a party at the house of his oldest friend Jamie (Jonathan Race) and Jamie’s wife Jill (Laura Freeman), goes on to a gay club by himself and takes home Glen (Chris New), an art student. On Saturday morning Glen produces a tape recorder and asks Russell to describe, in detail, what they did the night before. It is for an art project about the stories people tell after sex. Russell is embarrassed, goes to work, and is surprised to find he wants to see Glen again. Glen, it turns out, is leaving the country on Monday. ## Review Andrew Haigh wrote, directed and edited *Weekend*, and the tagline called it “a (sort of) love story between two guys over a cold weekend in October”. That is the whole of it. Russell and Glen meet in a club on Friday night in Nottingham and spend most of the next two days in each other’s company, talking, drinking, taking things, going to bed. Nothing else happens. It is a small film and a fine one, and we would recommend it to anyone who can sit still for a conversation. The scene that sets the terms comes the morning after. Glen (Chris New) sits on the edge of Russell’s bed with a tape recorder and asks him to describe, precisely, what they did the night before. It is for an art project, he says: what people say about sex afterwards, and who they say it for. Russell (Tom Cullen) pulls the duvet up and mumbles. We laughed at him, and then the laugh caught, because New keeps pushing and Cullen keeps flinching and the scene stops being about sex and becomes about a man who has never once said out loud what he wants. Haigh holds the shot and lets it happen. Urszula Pontikos shoots much of the film from a long way off. Russell is seen through the window of his flat, from across a car park, at the far end of a tram platform, a small figure in a dark coat under a grey sky. When the camera does come close it stays close for a long time, in the flat, on a bed, across a kitchen table. Sarah Finlay’s design gives Russell a tidy flat with almost nothing in it and a view over the city he spends a good deal of the film looking at. James Edward Barker’s music is used so sparingly that when it arrives you notice, which is the point. The two performances are built differently. Cullen plays Russell as a man who has arranged his life so nobody has to look at him: he is out, but only just, and only to people who already know. New plays Glen fast and loud, a man with a theory about everything, most of them about how gay men are made to shrink themselves so straight people can feel comfortable. In a pub on Saturday night two men at the next table (Mark Devenport and Steve Blackman, each credited as Straight Man in Bar) object to the pair of them, and Glen will not let it go while Russell wants only to leave. Haigh lets us see that both are right and neither is happy about it. Glen is also where the film is weakest. Some of his speeches, about marriage, about coming out, about what straight audiences will tolerate on screen, sound less like a man talking to a lover than a writer clearing his throat, and New is good enough that you wish he had been handed fewer of them. The long Saturday night, fuelled by drink and drugs, runs on past the point where the talk is telling us anything new. And Jonathan Race and Laura Freeman, as Jamie and Jill, are warm and exact in their few scenes and could have done with more. Their Sunday afternoon is the only look we get at the life Russell is deciding whether to stay in. Most critics reach for [*Before Sunrise*](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise), and the shape is the same: two strangers, a city, a clock. Haigh’s film is colder and more English than Linklater’s. His characters are not charming for our benefit. They are awkward, funny by accident, and often unkind to each other in the way people are when they have started to care and have not yet admitted it. The realism sits closer to Loach or Leigh than to any romance, and the sex is explicit and treated as ordinary, which in a British film with an 18 certificate is rarer than it should be. We will not describe the last ten minutes. We will say that they moved us more than we thought a film this quiet could, and that nothing in them is a device we had not seen before. What did it was the previous eighty-odd minutes: we knew exactly what each man had learned to say and exactly what it would cost him to say it. Ninety-six minutes, two actors, one town. Watch it on a cold night in, and do not put your phone within reach. *Fi1m score 86, published 18 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Every one of the twenty reviews is positive, and the praise gathers in the same place: the two lead performances and the talk between them. Most critics find Tom Cullen and Chris New credible and unshowy, and say the long conversations across the 48 hours carry the film rather than slow it. Several single out Andrew Haigh’s long takes and his plain view of an ordinary English town. The comparison to Before Sunrise comes up, and most reviews credit the film with sidestepping the stereotypes of gay romance. The reservations are small and few. The Hollywood Reporter thinks the drinking and drugs dull it a little. Variety finds it modest in scope, effective mainly as a two-hander. The Playlist notes some structural looseness. Those three are the coolest notices and all came from festival screenings; the reviews written on release in Britain are the warmest, several of them at full marks. The spread runs from good to very good and no further. ### Reviews we read (20) - **The AV Club**, Alison Willmore (A): The critic calls it a great indie romance that is bittersweet, achingly authentic, and intimate to the point of feeling invasive. It excels through detailed looks at two flawed, likable men whose connection unfolds via realistic conversation and contradictions. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/weekend-1798169682) - **Film Comment**, Paul Brunick (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a work of surpassing emotional insight and artistic accomplishment, already one of the best of the year. They single out its ambitious, unhurried characterizations and the lead actors' emotionally complex, unself-regarding performances that build to an unexpectedly powerful climax. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/andrew-haighs-triumphant-weekend/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a smart, sensitive portrayal of two men whose one-night stand deepens into unexpected emotional intimacy through extended conversation. It singles out the natural dialogue and performances for making the connection feel poignant and real, akin to the Before Sunrise films. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/weekend-2011) - **Screen Daily** (90/100, inferred): A casual one-night stand blossoms into a meaningful connection in this beguiling second feature. It features believable characters, true dialogue, layered performances, and develops into a genuine heartbreaker. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/weekend/5030841.article) - **Sight and Sound**, Samuel Wigley (90/100, inferred): A one-night stand deepens into a deeply romantic weekend in Nottingham. The film excels through long takes, sincere performances, and intimate exploration of a new relationship. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/6577) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic's Pick): The critic calls the film an astonishingly self-assured and unassumingly profound exploration of two young men whose casual encounter grows into something more serious. It singles out the matter-of-fact observation of ordinary British life and the risks of emotional openness for making it one of the most satisfying love stories of the year. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/movies/weekend-directed-by-andrew-haigh-review.html) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (85/100, inferred): The film is a tender, humane lo-fi account of a fleeting gay romance with real-time realism and something urgent to say about life's opportunities. It praises the convincing performances and unforced direction while noting the focus on emotional connection over dramatic issues. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/nov/03/weekend-film-review) - **Evening Standard** (80/100, inferred): Andrew Haigh's study of a temporary relationship is more sophisticated than most gay cinema. It is eloquently directed, acted with conviction and, above all, written with a shrewd feeling for the truth, treating its subject with matter-of-fact realism as a refreshingly adult voice on the British film scene. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/weekend-review-7427430.html) - **Little White Lies**, Paul Weedon (3/4/4): Haigh's intimate drama follows two men forming an unexpected connection after a one-night stand. It offers refreshingly natural performances and an honest, stereotype-free depiction of gay romance and relationships. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/weekend) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (80/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a moving and empathetic look at how relationships develop between two gay men over 48 hours. It singles out the exceptional, nuanced performances by Tom Cullen and Chris New for their emotional depth and credibility. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-sep-30-la-et-weekend-20110930-story.html) - **Slant Magazine**, Eric Henderson (80/100, inferred): The critic sees the film as a bold revision of the meet-cute archetype through naturalistic drama that embraces romantic fictions while revealing characters' vulnerabilities. It succeeds by showing how conversations and connections narrow the gap between idealized representations and real emotional truth. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/weekend-5759/) - **Time Out**, Ben Walters (4/5): An engaging and moving romance between two men over 48 hours in a mid-sized town. It stands out for potent performances, smart framing, and probing questions of identity and performance. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/weekend-3) - **Empire**, Philip Wilding (75/100, inferred): A casual pick-up evolves into 48 hours of introspection, revelation and soul-searching fuelled by drink, drugs and sex. Terrific low-key turns from the two leads inject their growing bond with genuine emotion, making this a love story that will get under the skin of romantics everywhere. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/weekend-2-review/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Stephen Farber (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film has a crucial dramatic spark in showing why two particular men are drawn to each other through convincing performances and an insightful script. Some deglamorized elements like excessive drinking and drugs slightly undermine it, but the overall romance succeeds. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/weekend-film-review-209309/) - **Variety**, Joe Leydon (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the earnest and understated film modest in scope but effective as an intimate two-character drama opened up slightly for the screen. It singles out the credible give-and-take between the leads and their extensive conversations for carrying the story. [Read](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/weekend-2-1117944880/) - **HeyUGuys**, Jamie Neish (5/5): The review praises Weekend as a remarkably assured and charismatic romantic drama about two gay men finding unexpected love. It highlights the authentic execution of the relationship, explicit but natural sex scenes, and its accessibility beyond queer cinema. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/weekend-review/) - **The Skinny**, Jamie Dunn (5/5): The critic praises it as the year’s wittiest hymn to romance and a bittersweet, politically astute subversion of the rom-com. They single out the director’s use of long takes, vérité visuals and dynamic editing to capture the leads’ constantly shifting relationship. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/weekend) - **Paste**, Michael Burgin (8.0): The film is a quiet, well-executed study of a relationship’s first bloom between two men. It stands out for its authentic performances and avoidance of stereotypes in depicting gay characters navigating connection and societal pressures. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/weekend) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B+): The review finds Weekend a mostly-assured debut with unexpected power, emphasizing the provocative idea that homosexuality is a political act and the intimate, chatty dialogue between the leads. It notes some structural issues but praises the low-key intimacy. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/sxsw-review-the-politics-of-sex-in-weekend-20110325/) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (80/100, inferred): The critic commends Haigh for achieving emotional authenticity through fiction and strong newcomer performances, creating a lasting impression of genuine connection. It singles out the slow-burn chemistry and naturalistic development of the relationship in a realistic urban setting. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/weekend-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## Details - **Director:** Andrew Haigh - **Director:** Andrew Haigh - **Writer:** Andrew Haigh - **Cinematography:** Urszula Pontikos - **Editor:** Andrew Haigh - **Music:** James Edward Barker - **Production design:** Sarah Finlay - **Producer:** Tristan Goligher - **Cast:** Tom Cullen as Russell; Chris New as Glen; Jonathan Race as Jamie; Laura Freeman as Jill; Loreto Murray as Cathy; Jonathan Wright as Johnny; Sarah Churm as Helen; Jermaine Liburd as Damien - **Runtime:** 1h 36m - **Certificate (MPA):** NR - **Release (the US):** 23 October 2011 - **Genres:** Drama, Romance - **Budget:** $120,000 - **Box office:** $484,592 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IFbcWG1F9o ## Where to watch in the US - AMC+: streaming - Pluto TV: free - Apple TV: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-09-23 - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-18.* Also available in: AT, CA, CH, DE, GB, IE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release 2012: GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release (nominated) - Dorian Award for Film of the Year 2011: Dorian Award for Film of the Year (won) - Dorian Award for LGBTQ Film of the Year 2011: Dorian Award for LGBTQ Film of the Year (won) ## If you liked this - *Before Sunrise* (1995), Fi1m 89: The obvious cousin: two strangers, one city, one night, and a great deal of talking. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise.md) - *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: The English original for love stories that run on a timetable and end at a station. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md) - *Happy Together* (1997), Fi1m 86: Wong Kar-wai’s two men in Buenos Aires, tearing at each other in gorgeous-looking rooms. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/happy-together.md) - *Stranger by the Lake* (2013): Desire between men at a French cruising spot, shot as coolly as a thriller. - *45 Years* (2015), Fi1m 88: Haigh again, with a marriage instead of a weekend, and the same patience with faces. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/45-years.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/weekend