The best British movies to stream

Want entertainment in the Queen’s English? Look no further than these great British movies to stream on Showmax.

Prefer series? Here are some of the best British series to stream »

Mrs Harris Goes to Paris

A tale of haute couture in collaboration with the House of Dior weaves the story of a widowed cleaner who sets out to own a beautiful Dior designer dress. Starring Lesley Manville.

Spencer

Kristen Stewart earned an Oscar nomination for portraying Princess Diana in this movie based on real life, about when she divorced Prince Charles during the Christmas holidays.

Downton Abbey

This historical drama ties the loose ends of an award-winning show of the same name. It shows the lives of a family and its servants as they navigate through changes in society.

Together

Tensions are high in this Stephen Daldry dark comedy drama. An unhappy couple is forced to re-evaluate their relationship as they navigate the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic. Starring James McAvoy in a BAFTA-winning role, opposite Sharon Horgan.

Wild Mountain Thyme

Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt drives this quirky rom-com set across a beautiful Irish landscape. Two star-crossed lovers become entangled in a land dispute between their families.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

Benedict Cumberbatch is mesmerising in this film on Louis Wain’s life. Wain becomes a hit at the end of the 19th century thanks to his unique and surreal paintings of cats.

On Chesil Beach

A young couple has their romance turned on its head by societal pressure that leads them to an awkward and fateful wedding night. Adapted from the Ian McEwan novel of the same name.

Blithe Spirit

Judi Dench stars in this remake of Noël Coward’s wonderful classic play. When a writer with writer’s block invites a medium to hold a seance, his first wife returns from the dead and wreaks havoc on his new marriage. Also starring Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher and Leslie Mann.

The Father

Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his sensitive, devastating portrayal of a man grasping for his mind in this adaptation of the play by Florian Zeller. Also starring Oscar winner Olivia Colman (who was nominated for her performance), it follows the relationship between a father and daughter as he slips behind the veil of dementia. Watch now »

The Reckoning

From Emmy- and Fangoria Chainsaw Award-nominated director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Game of Thrones), The Reckoning is set in London, 1665, where the great plague stalks the narrow streets, leaving death in its wake. As fear and superstition take hold, Grace, a young widow haunted by the recent death of her husband Joseph, rejects the advances of her landlord… and finds herself accused of being a witch. Watch now »

Once Upon A Time In London

This biographical movie is set in the 30s and 50s and follows two gangsters – Jack Comer (Terry Stone) and Billy Hill (Leo Gregory) as they turn the criminal underbelly of London on its head. There’s violence, there’s swearing, there’s Cockney rhyming and more importantly, there’s tea!

The storyline is solid and takes us on a dark trip into the belly of crime life in the UK’s capital as Jack and Bill fight for control of the empire that turns them from paupers to princes overnight, flush with cash and ladies on their arms. That also makes them an easy target for would-be enemies who are lining up at the door.

Made In Italy

If you think the father-son relationship between Robert (Liam Neeson) and Jack (Michael Richardson) is unbelievable, here’s a little inside info: Michael is Liam’s real-life son. In this dramedy, the pair go on a roadtrip to Italy as they try to repair their estranged relationship. Jack plans to buy an art gallery from his soon-to-be-ex-wife, but he’ll need cash. And his only possible source is his artist dad, Robert, to whom he hasn’t spoken in years. Jack wants to sell the house in Italy that he and his dad own, but they’ll need to do a spot of upkeep on it first … and that means talking to each other.

Summerland

Gemma Arterton takes lead in this World War II-era period drama. She plays a writer living alone and with no desire to speak to people unnecessarily. That changes when she’s left to care for a young boy who not only warms her heart, he shows her the true meaning of a mother’s love when she starts to open up after years of heartache and heartbreak.