--- title: "Withnail & I" year: 1987 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i" fi1m_id: "withnail-and-i" imdb_id: "tt0094336" tmdb_id: 13446 wikidata_id: "Q1756560" fi1m_score: 88 critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 14 published: "2026-09-12" review_updated: "2026-09-16" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:07.796019+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." --- # Withnail & I (1987) Directed by Bruce Robinson · 1h 48m · MPA R · Comedy, Drama ## Identity Withnail & I - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** withnail-and-i - **IMDb ID:** tt0094336 - **TMDB ID:** 13446 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1756560 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094336/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/13446, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1756560 **Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 79 from 14 reviews *In a sentence:* Withnail puts more effort into complaining than most people put into a working week > Bruce Robinson’s comedy is sharply written, beautifully acted and unexpectedly sad. Richard E. Grant makes Withnail’s self-pity alarmingly funny, and the occasional drift in the storytelling is a small reservation about a film we warmly recommend. ## Synopsis In late-1960s London, Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and his companion (Paul McGann) are struggling actors living in squalor. They want to make a living from acting, but Withnail’s heavy drinking and self-pity do little to improve their prospects. His companion shares the professional uncertainty and the strain of their difficult friendship. Their circle includes the eccentric Monty (Richard Griffiths). Between frustration, alcohol and dependence on each other, the pair struggle to get their lives moving while spending much of their energy on simply getting through the day. ## Review *Withnail & I* is an excellent comedy about people who can explain their difficulties at length and still do little to improve them. Bruce Robinson sets two struggling actors in late-1960s London, gives them plenty to complain about and lets them wear each other down. Withnail, played by Richard E. Grant, drinks heavily and regards his unhappiness as something that deserves a hearing. The pleasure is in how precisely the writing catches him making himself impossible, and how hard it remains to dismiss him. Richard E. Grant understands that Withnail must believe in every complaint, however ridiculous it sounds. There is no reassuring distance between the character and the performance, no suggestion that the actor would like us to know he is more sensible. We felt unexpectedly sorry for Withnail. His drunken self-pity takes up so much of his life that the jokes begin to suggest days being wasted, and the performance makes that waste difficult to laugh away. Paul McGann has the less conspicuous task, playing Withnail’s companion, and the film needs his quieter presence. The relationship would become wearying if both men demanded our attention with the same force; his responses let us appreciate the discomfort of keeping Withnail company. Richard Griffiths gives Monty a luxuriant sense of his own importance that makes him funny before the writing has finished the job. The supporting performances give us people with different ways of being difficult, rather than merely supplying an audience for Withnail. Michael Pickwoad’s production design makes the squalor feel sufficiently unpleasant that the men’s inertia costs them something. It is hard to romanticise a life spent in these surroundings, even when the conversation is this good. Peter Hannan’s cinematography gives the performances room, and Alan Strachan’s editing preserves the uncomfortable length of an encounter. The long takes let a complaint continue beyond the point at which a more hurried comedy would have moved along. That patience helps us notice the other actor, and the effort involved in listening. The writing is often celebrated for its quotability, but collecting the lines misses much of the pleasure. They belong to particular mouths, spoken by men with different ways of making their disappointments somebody else’s problem. Bruce Robinson gets his laughs from the length of a grievance, the unnecessary elaboration of a complaint and the certainty that everyone present ought to be listening. David Dundas and Rick Wentworth’s music suits the underlying sadness, though the dialogue and its delivery are what we remember. Even these actors cannot make every stretch of inactivity interesting. At 108 minutes, the film has passages where the director seems too attached to another round of complaint, and the story feels slight beside the richness of the characters. The drift is a real reservation, especially if their company has begun to pall. It occasionally makes us wish that somebody would want something urgently enough to act on it, rather than finding another eloquent reason to remain dissatisfied. As a comedy about male friendship, the film is unusually willing to show how being needed can become exhausting. It understands the attraction of a clever companion and the resentment of having to hear him perform again. That makes its affection persuasive, even when the characters are doing little to earn ours. Watch it with someone who can laugh at a complaint without feeling obliged to offer practical advice. *Fi1m score 88, published 12 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews lean strongly positive, with thirteen of fourteen critics in favour and none against. Praise clusters on Bruce Robinson’s script, which nearly every critic describes as quotable line by line, and on the performances: Richard E. Grant’s self-pitying Withnail is the most cited, with Richard Griffiths’s Uncle Monty close behind. Most critics also note that the comedy sits on something sadder, a picture of the 1960s ending badly, and treat the mixture of hilarity and melancholy as the point rather than a flaw. The spread is narrow. The older American reviews are warm but more measured, treating the film as a small, wise footnote to its era rather than a landmark, and IndieWire reads it chiefly as a critique of the counterculture rather than as a comedy. The one real dissent comes from The Independent, which finds the film slight and meandering and is baffled by its cult reputation, though even it admires Grant. Nobody disputes the acting. ## Straight answers **Is Withnail & I worth watching?** *Withnail & I* is well worth watching for anyone who enjoys sharp, unhappy comedy about people who talk better than they live, and we scored it 88. Richard E. Grant makes Withnail's drunken self-pity both funny and quietly sad. Our one reservation is that the story drifts in places, and his company can begin to pall. **How long is Withnail & I, and what is it rated?** *Withnail & I* runs 1h 48m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama film. **Where can I watch Withnail & I in the US?** *Withnail & I* is streaming on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel and Hulu in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. It leaves HBO Max on 30 September. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Withnail & I, and is it suitable for children?** *Withnail & I* carries a 15 certificate in the UK and an R in the US, and it is not a film for children. There is little violence or fear in it; the certificate reflects heavy drinking, squalor and adult language and behaviour throughout. Older teenagers who can sit with a slow, talkative comedy about two failing actors should be fine. **How does Withnail & I compare to Naked?** *Withnail & I* is the warmer and funnier of the two, while [*Naked*](https://film.one/film/naked) is the harsher, with David Thewlis's Johnny using his verbal brilliance to wound rather than to complain. Both are London wanders built on a difficult man talking, and both run long in stretches. Choose Robinson's film for affection and jokes, Leigh's if you can bear cruelty without relief. ### Reviews we read (14) - **Empire**, William Thomas (90/100, inferred): The critic highlights the enduring appeal of Bruce Robinson's witty script full of quotable lines, calling it a perfect dark comedy that is both hilarious and sad. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/withnail-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kevin Thomas (90/100, inferred): Thomas hails the film as a knockout directorial debut full of deliciously witty and sophisticated character comedy. He singles out Richard Griffiths' hilarious turn as the eccentric Uncle Monty for particular praise amid the dark undertow. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-30-ca-1318-story.html) - **The AV Club**, Nathan Rabin (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a cultishly adored comedy and character study centered on two struggling actors in late-1960s London. Grant's boozy, self-pitying Withnail stands out as one of the great tragicomic figures in British comedy, supported by a memorable cast and a tone blending desperation, humor, and lyrical sadness. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/withnail-and-i-1798197247) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The critic praises this re-released 1987 classic as a brilliant comedy whose every line is a quotable joy. He singles out the performances, particularly Richard Griffiths as the florid Uncle Monty, for special mention amid the film's enduring appeal. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/02/withnail-and-i-review) - **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (5 out of 5 stars): The review lauds the film's masterful blend of humour and sadness as a requiem for the 1960s dream, singling out the enduring script and performances, especially Richard E. Grant's. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/withnail-i-1) - **Little White Lies**, Stephen Puddicombe (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's relevance to struggling young artists, highlighting its capture of inertia between education and career, and the sympathetic portrayal of privileged yet failing characters in a meritocratic myth. [Read](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/withnail-and-i-at-thirty) - **IndieWire**, Ali Arikan (70/100, inferred): The piece examines the film as a sharp critique of baby boomer culture and the failures of the 1960s counterculture. It highlights Robinson’s acerbic worldview and the film’s portrayal of the toxic dynamic between the two protagonists. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/nobodys-business-but-the-turks-4-bruce-robinsons-withnail-and-i-sticks-it-to-baby-boomers-51997/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (70/100, inferred): Ebert identifies strongly with the film's accurate portrayal of heavy drinking and its characters' squalid lives. He singles out Richard E. Grant's tour-de-force performance as Withnail for its intensity and fidelity. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/withnail-and-i-1987) - **Slant Magazine**, Joseph Jon Lanthier (70/100, inferred): Robinson’s cult comedy is lauded as a burnt-out ode to 1960s bohemian squalor and a stoner bromance that captures the era’s disillusionment with acidic wit and conviction. The review singles out the film’s idiosyncratic long takes and the compelling dynamic between the leads for balancing black comedy and pathos. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/withnail-and-i-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-bruce-robinson/) - **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (70/100, inferred): Canby calls the film a small, wise, breezy footnote to the 1960s that contemplates the bilious aftermath of the era. He praises its specific characters, incidents, and genuinely funny dialogue while noting it is about growing up almost by accident. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/19/movies/film-withnail-and-i-a-british-60-s-comedy.html) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (70/100, inferred): The review describes the film as about the end of an era, portraying the seedy demise of the hippie period with comic gems. It praises the brutal and clever humor and uniformly excellent acting. [Read](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/withnail-i-1200426718/) - **The Independent** (50/100, inferred): The critic is baffled by the film's cult reputation, finding it a slight and meandering tale despite praising Richard E. Grant's performance. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/withnail-i-15-754862.html) - **The Skinny**, Caroline Hurley (★★★★★): The critic calls the film a proven classic with universal resonance that transcends its status as the ultimate student film. They single out its quotable humor and bittersweet snapshot of late-1960s disillusionment for praise. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/withnail-and-i-20-years-on) - **Eye for Film**, Jeff Robson (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the 2007 re-release a chance to appreciate the film's quotable script, strong performances, and cinematography on the big screen, singling out Richard E. Grant's comic acting as a masterpiece while noting the blend of hilarity and underlying melancholy. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/withnail-and-i-film-review-by-jeff-robson) ## Details - **Director:** Bruce Robinson - **Director:** Bruce Robinson - **Writer:** Bruce Robinson - **Cinematography:** Peter Hannan - **Editor:** Alan Strachan - **Music:** David Dundas, Rick Wentworth - **Production design:** Michael Pickwoad - **Costume design:** Andrea Galer - **Producer:** Paul Heller - **Cast:** Richard E. Grant as Withnail; Paul McGann as ...& I; Richard Griffiths as Monty; Ralph Brown as Danny; Michael Elphick as Jake; Daragh O'Malley as Irishman; Michael Wardle as Isaac Parkin; Una Brandon-Jones as Mrs. Parkin - **Runtime:** 1h 48m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 19 June 1987 - **Genres:** Comedy, Drama - **Budget:** $1 million - **Box office:** $2 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCJ2gzSeTdE ## Where to watch in the US - HBO Max: streaming, leaving 2026-09-30 - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Hulu: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd *Checked 2026-09-16.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, ES, GB, IE, IT, NL, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Odd Couple* (1968): Another mismatched pair discover how much effort sharing a home can require. - *The Last Detail* (1973): Coarse jokes and uneasy companionship gradually expose the sadness beneath a short journey. - *The Green Ray* (1986): An awkward holiday, stubborn loneliness and a heroine who cannot accept easy consolation. - *Naked* (1993), Fi1m 84: A harsher London wander, with verbal brilliance offering little protection from human cruelty. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/naked.md) - *A Coffee in Berlin* (2012): Another would-be adult drifts through a city, finding embarrassment wherever he stops. --- © 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/withnail-and-i