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The Old Oak

Play trailer 2:15 Poster for The Old Oak 2024 1h 53m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 96 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
The Old Oak is the last pub standing in a once thriving mining village in northern England, a gathering space for a community that has fallen on hard times. There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope among the residents, but the pub and its proprietor TJ are a fond presence to their customers. When a group of Syrian refugees move into the floundering village, a decisive rift fueled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants. The formation of an unexpected friendship between TJ and a young Syrian woman named Yara opens up new possibilities for the divided village in this deeply moving drama about loss, fear, and the difficulty of finding hope. The release of The Old Oak reunites legendary British director Ken Loach with Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber following our 2020 release of his film Sorry We Missed You. Loach, who is 87 years old, has announced that The Old Oak will be his final film.
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The Old Oak

The Old Oak

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Critics Consensus

Imbued with the fiercely humanistic spirit that has defined Ken Loach's filmography, The Old Oak serves as a fitting -- albeit somewhat sentimental -- finale to a remarkable career.

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Critics Reviews

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Christina Newland iNews.co.uk 09/18/2024
3/5
Loach and his screenwriter Paul Lavery are sometimes painfully on-the-nose, borderline parodic, in their contrived kitchen sink sensibilities. Go to Full Review Ty Burr Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack) 06/14/2024
3.5/4
The final scene of “The Old Oak” reduced me, once again and for the final time, to tears. Go to Full Review Michael O'Sullivan Washington Post 05/03/2024
3/4
It is unmistakably a Loach film: taciturn yet forthright, examining life in the cracks of a fractured society with deep compassion, plain-spoken anger and, perhaps more so than in the previous two films, a shot of hope. Go to Full Review Dave Giannini Geek Vibes Nation Jul 19
9/10
The Old Oak never makes the mistake of allowing its characters to play the hero in a Hollywood way. Ebla Mari, in her film debut, handles a great deal of dialogue and emotional work with aplomb. Go to Full Review Maxance Vincent Film Speak Jul 14
B+
As far as a final film goes, whereas Loach’s previous movies were far bleaker and angrier, ending his lengthy career on such a positive, uplifting note seems alright. Go to Full Review Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice 01/09/2025
5/5
Inspiring story in which a town of unemployed miners and a group of Syrian refugees discover how big is their we. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Deborah 05/15/2024 Fabulous, tear-jerky, heart-warming See more Roy J 04/17/2024 This is what the art of filmmaking is all about. To empathize with characters you've never encountered before. I hope Ken Loach doesn't retire because he's still got it! See more judith S @Credenza10 2d i found this film so engaging and the acting made it believable as a storyline. Excellent watch and recognisable as a Ken Loach film! See more Gail H @Jagbabe Dec 29 Oh boy. Everybody in the UK should see this movie. It perfectly encapsulates the bigotry, lies and racism of many people and perfectly captures the hope and understanding of why some hold those views and why all of should stand in solidarity with those even worse off, escaping persecution, death and loss of everything. Inspiring at times and ultimately with a sense of hope but frustrating, upsetting and deeply sad at times. The performances are brilliant, utterly believable and like many Loach movies feels more like a documentary at times. Don't miss it, tell your friends all about it, make every school show it to their students. See more Léo B Sep 30 "The Old Oak" is a drama movie released in 2023, directed by Ken Loach. The movie is about the conflict created in an English village by the arrival of Syrian refugees and the locals that don't accept them. During the movie, TJ Ballantyne, a bartender and the main character, will try to help Yara, a refugee, and the other Syrians even if his best clients and good friends are against the refugees. The story is pretty sad; however, we feel a message of hope behind it. There are several plot twists that create tension in the movie. I really like the story because the characters are touching by their story and the links there are between them, especially between TJ and Yara. I recommend it! See more Rose P Sep 29 The 'Old Oak' is a 2023 drama directed by Ken Loach. It is a film about TJ Ballantyne, a struggling pub owner who builds an unexpected friendship with a young Syrian refugee, Yara. The movie takes place in a poor, former mining town in Northern England where Syrian refugees arrive in the community. Tensions emerged among the local population and the pub, the 'Old Oak' becomes a symbol of both division and potential unity ? I liked this movie because it felt realistic, I was really touched by the issues represented (everyone's background). I feel like this movie really shows us that solidarity and empathy are essential to overcome fear and creating a more united and bigger community. See more Read all reviews
The Old Oak

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Cast & Crew

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Ken Loach

Director

Dave Turner

TJ Ballantyne

Debbie Honeywood

Tania

Reuben Bainbridge

Actor

Rob Kirtley

Actor

Andy Dawson

Actor

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The Old Oak

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The Old Oak

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Movie Info

Synopsis The Old Oak is the last pub standing in a once thriving mining village in northern England, a gathering space for a community that has fallen on hard times. There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope among the residents, but the pub and its proprietor TJ are a fond presence to their customers. When a group of Syrian refugees move into the floundering village, a decisive rift fueled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants. The formation of an unexpected friendship between TJ and a young Syrian woman named Yara opens up new possibilities for the divided village in this deeply moving drama about loss, fear, and the difficulty of finding hope. The release of The Old Oak reunites legendary British director Ken Loach with Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber following our 2020 release of his film Sorry We Missed You. Loach, who is 87 years old, has announced that The Old Oak will be his final film.
Director
Ken Loach
Producer
Rebecca O'Brien, Pascal Caucheteux
Screenwriter
Paul Laverty, Paul Laverty
Distributor
Zeitgeist Films
Production Co
BBC Film, Les Films du Fleuve, Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions, StudioCanal UK
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 5, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 4, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$229.7K
Runtime
1h 53m
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