--- title: "Withnail & I: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 14 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): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 14 reviews: 13 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. 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. ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2011. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/withnail-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 June 1987. 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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-30-ca-1318-story.html) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 April 2002. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/withnail-and-i-1798197247) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 October 2014. 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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/02/withnail-and-i-review) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 5 out of 5 stars. 21 September 2024. 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/withnail-i-1) ## Little White Lies — Stephen Puddicombe Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 April 2017. 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 the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/withnail-and-i-at-thirty) ## IndieWire — Ali Arikan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2011. 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 the review](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 Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2009. 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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/withnail-and-i-1987) ## Slant Magazine — Joseph Jon Lanthier Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 May 2025. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/withnail-and-i-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-bruce-robinson/) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 June 1987. 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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/19/movies/film-withnail-and-i-a-british-60-s-comedy.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1985. 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 the review](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/withnail-i-1200426718/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2007. 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 the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/withnail-i-15-754862.html) ## The Skinny — Caroline Hurley Rating ★★★★★. 13 October 2006. 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 the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/withnail-and-i-20-years-on) ## Eye for Film — Jeff Robson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2007. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/withnail-and-i-film-review-by-jeff-robson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/withnail-and-i.md