Five quintessentially Manchester films you need to watch
Whether you’re new here or just love reminding yourself of how wonderful Manc culture is, this handful of films paints a pretty good broad strokes picture.
The world of Manchester film might be quite a relatively small one in the grand scheme of British and global cinema but, as with our world-famous music, there’s something to be said for how we depict the way of life around here.
Be it putting a positive shine on the ‘grim up North’ stereotype, rightly repping our sporting or musical heritage or celebrating the cultural heroes that have come from these parts, we have all the time in the world for Manc cinema and think it deserves shouting about more.
So, rather than waiting for others to pull their finger out, in the words of Thanos: “I’ll do it myself” – well, we will, but you catch my (our) drift.
Without further ado, here are five classic Manc films that you need to see if you haven’t already.
Five must-watch films about Manchester
1. 24 Hour Party People
First off, why not start with none other than a tribute to Mr Manchester himself, Tony Wilson? Made back in 2002, it’s quite mad how bang on and familiar this film still feels today and it’s a perfect dose of nostalgia for those who were around during this time, plus plenty of chuckles to go along with it.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom and starring legendary local actor Steve Coogan as the iconic presenter, Factory Records owner, nightclub manager and music mogul, the comedic dramatisation of the Manc music community from 1976 to 1992 does just as much toying with caricatures as it does dive into the origins of the Madchester scene and beyond.
A quintessentially Manchester film and cast.
2. Looking For Eric
Next up is a cult favourite among not just Manchester United fans and football lovers in general but people all over Europe, especially here in Britain and with our French cousins, for obvious reasons. I mean, red or not, who doesn’t love Eric Cantona?
Written and directed by veteran Ken Loach and starring Salford-born screen veteran Steve Evets (Brassic, Wuthering Hearts, Pirates of the Caribbean), it revolves around a Manc postman living through whose life falls apart before visions of the footballing hero help him try and get in back on track.
Eric ‘the King’s acting at its finest.
3. East is East
From one working-class story to another which also sheds a spotlight on the South Asian experience in 1970s Greater Manchester, beloved British comedy East is East is another story full of emotion, social commentary and the UK’s relationship with race.
Centring around a Romeo and Juliet-esque multi-cultural romance, the 1999 classic always pulls at our heartstrings and is, at its core, about the universally binding theme of family. Semi-autobiographical and adapted from Ayub Khan-Din’s original play of the same name, it’s a belter.
Still such a touching story and one of the most iconic Manchester films of all time.
4. Control
Back to the music side of things, we can’t remember many more gripping Manchester-centric films than 2007’s Control, all about the life Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. Heartbreaking and brilliant.
Compellingly portrayed by Sam Riley, who himself was part of the short-lived Noughties band 10,000 Things, and lovingly brought to life by Dutch photographer and director Anton Coribjn – himself a huge fan of the seminal Manchester four-piece. It won a total of 31 awards when it released and it’s no wonder.
Find us someone who doesn’t rate this film and call them and you a liar.
5. There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble
Our fifth and final Manchester film pick is the one and only Jimmy Grimble – and as we all know, there’s only one. A staple movie for most Manc kids growing up in the ’90s and 2000s, football fan or not, everyone loves an underdog story – especially when the surroundings look so familiar.
Without spoiling too much, the 2000 film revolves around a young boy who finds a very special pair of boots and his future changes forever. One for the Blues (if you know, you know) and even this early clip alone still gives us chills to this day:
Childhood memories just come flooding back.
Honourable mentions
Now, obviously, there are more than just five films related to Manchester and it was hard to little down to just a handful, so we’ve kind of cheated and given you a few more in case you get through the list dead quick or having simply watched most of these far too many times already.
Peterloo
A bit of a sharp mood change for sure but the 2018 dramatisation of Peterloo, one of the most important moments in this region’s heritage, it’s a local history lesson that most people have skipped and for those who have only a cursory knowledge of the massacre, it’s a pretty eye-opening watch.
Spike Island
While Spike Island itself is Widness, we couldn’t not give a shout-out to a film all about The Stone Roses and their infamous 1990 concert. In truth, we’re not going to pretend this is a five-star flick, some of the acting gets pretty sketchy and Emilia Clarke’s attempt at a Northern accent is best not spoken, but we’ve still got a soft spot for the moment in Manc pop culture consciousness it tries to capture.
A Kind of Loving
Last but not least, a lesser-known one to most for sure but A Kind of Loving is one of those your mum and dad or grandparents tell you about and you never quite see what they were on about until you watch it. Another no-nonsense kitchen sink drama filled with normal people, this 1960s feature film is shot all over the tne boroughs, with glimpses of Miles Platting, Clayton, Beswick, Radcliffe and more.
Turns out the older generation love it for a reason. Give it a go.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – a masterclass in comedy, colour and movement
Danny Jones
To start with, we’re going to begin this review by advocating for going into stage shows with as little knowledge as possible because it only dials up the already exaggerated nature even further – we knew next to nothing about Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat before seeing it in Manchester.
And we truly think it helped.
Now, when we say nothing, we’ve obviously heard the title plenty of times over the years as it remains one of the most celebrated musical productions on the planet, and you don’t need to be an avid theatre buff to know who Andrew Lloyd Webber is. The point being is that all we knew was its reputation.
Going along with a second party several decades older than us who shared the same blindspot and just never quite understood what all the fuss was about makes the next part even funnier: we both loved it.
Colour, colour and more colour.Some impressive yet superbly simple production value.Our review of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Opera House in Manchester. (Credit: Press Tristram Kenton)
We’re not going to dive too heavily into the story as we’re sure plenty of you who are more well-versed in the genre don’t need a synopsis regurgitating for the umpteenth time, but what we will say is that we’re somewhat glad we weren’t aware of its religious themes and numerous biblical references.
Not because we have any particular issue with Christianity nor adapting stories within theologies to turn them into entertainment, but because as atheists we probably would have been less keen to choose this particular text over another.
However, this is why we’re thankful for going in blind as we fear many others have missed out on this long-standing vibrant, energetic, all-singing, all-dancing twist on the tale of Genesis for decades simply due to being non-believers/agnostic.
That being said, we can confidently assure you that not only can you put your thoughts on faith to one side for the duration of the performance but, for us at least, it felt like it was more of an undercurrent than anything else and had little bearing on what a truly joyful evening for all ages.
You also get hand-held through it through the eyes of the children being retold the story right in front of you by the expert narrator, Christina Bianco, whose interventions and comic timing were lethal on a crowd already easily cracked up by a punchline or two – but she had the best of the lot.
Where else to begin than with Joseph himself, played by Adam Filipe, who although we’ll admit to being layman on the subject until last night, feels almost born to play the role.
Not only did he bring respite to an otherwise frenetic (in the best way possible) onslaught of singing with his ability to deliver certain lines as nothing more than perfectly enunciated and emotional speech, but his voice was on point throughout and the way he made full use of the stage from the start was great.
One particularly immature slide up the curved wall of the set in the opening five minutes and we knew all we needed to know about not just movement but the rest of the cast too; pretty much non-stop movement and expression virtually at all times.
The dancing – particularly a rather hilarious ‘can-can’ confusion – was top-notch throughout and no matter which bright, flowing costume he or the ensemble was wearing during a specific number, they all looked the part and didn’t put a foot out of place.
Even a more serious interlude was welcome.We’d have loved more yellow-forward moment and backdrops in the palette but that’s just us being picky…Credit: Press Images
But much to our delight, there really wasn’t one standout performance that stood head and shoulders above the rest, simply because they were all brilliant.
Whether it was the Jacobs and Sons company of brothers bringing both melodrama and some comic relief, or the score of female dancers delivering an elegance and added level of pageantry to proceedings, they all played their part.
However, every time one or more of the kids took to the stage a show-stealing moment was ripe for the picking and they all seized their opportunity, be it in unison or in the select few solo moments in the spotlight. An audience is always going to get up for youngsters shining front and centre.
But, we suppose if we absolutely had to give another special mention to another member of the production and single them out, there’s only one person it could be…
Having previously played the lead role back in 2016 following his X-Factor success, Joe McElderry returns to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the Manc crowd in the role of the Pharoah and boy was he good having passed the baton and shifted gears. So good and so funny.
As well as an expert command of light, colour and choreography, the one thing we were surprised by was just how well-placed the comedy was throughout.
Not too much, not too little and nothing too contrived – a hard balance to strike and one that helps ease in those rare typically theatre-goers prone to a touch of cringe.
All in all, we sincerely urge you to go and see this show for yourselves, especially if you’re like us and have never given it a chance before. You won’t regret it.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is on in Manchester until Sunday, 9 March. You can still grab tickets HERE.
In case you were wondering who stole the show in @JosephMusical at the @PalaceAndOpera, they all did… but we'll admit the Pharoah is a bit of a legend. 😅👏
Thousands of cinema tickets are being given away for FREE across the UK next month
Emily Sergeant
Thousands of cinema tickets are being given away for free all across the UK next month, and you can get your hands on them now.
As part of Escapes – a project supported by the British Film Institute (BFI) and National Lottery funding giving everyone the opportunity to “enjoy the big screen experience” and “discover independent cinema” – tens of thousands of cinema tickets are now up for grabs in Greater Manchester and across the UK for completely free of charge.
The ultimate aim of the Escapes project is to “bring new audiences” to the cinema, whether you’re someone who always prioritises a trip to the cinema, someone who treasures a visit but only on a special occasion, or someone who’s just keen to discover more.
There is a slight catch though… these tickets are only to see one particular film.
You can get free tickets to see The Penguin Lessons starring Steve Coogan next month / Credit: Sony Pictures Classics
But as far as free tickets to cinema go, let’s just say you could do a whole lot worse than taking a trip to see the the new heartwarming drama-comedy The Penguin Lessons on Monday 17 March, before it gets its wider release to the public.
The Penguin Lessons – which is inspired by the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who takes up a teaching post in Argentina in 1976 – tells the story of Tom, played by Steve Coogan, who arrives expecting an easy ride, however he quickly finds himself in a divided nation with a class of unteachable students.
After rescuing a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, Tom’s life is turned upside-down, leading to unexpected friendships and profound life lessons.
From the director of the Full Monty and the writer of Philomena, and also featuring a performance from Jonathan Pryce, the film promises to be both “humorous and heartfelt” by combining comedy and drama, and is ideal for film-lovers looking for a story that will bring all the feels this March.
This is the second year Escapes is offering free cinema tickets, after already making a huge impact with more than 65,000 tickets claimed in 2024 alone.
All showings of The Penguin Lessons will be screened with descriptive subtitles.
Escapes is partnering with leading cinema chains, as well as independent venues across the UK throughout 2025.
If a touching comedy-drama about a penguin doesn’t really sound like something up your street though, not to worry, as The Penguin Lesson is only the first film on the lineup in 2025, as Escapes is set to announce a range of other new films to preview all throughout the year.
You can find out more about Escapes, find out which Greater Manchester cinemas are participating, and grab your free ticket to see The Penguin Lessons on Monday 17 March here.
Danny Jones -
8th April 2024 
