# The best British movie ever, according to Gary Oldman, is a 1990s gem: “Masterful”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-best-british-movie-ever-according-to-gary-oldman-is-a-1990s-gem-masterful/
- Published: 2026-11-02T09:26:54+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T11:28:08+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/gary-oldman-favourite-british-movie-of-all-time/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film, UK, World

## Key points

- Gary Oldman calls *Ratcatcher* his favourite British film.
- Lynne Ramsay’s 1999 debut is set in Glasgow during a refuse strike.
- The film follows a boy coping with guilt, hardship and hopes of escape.

## Summary

Gary Oldman has named Lynne Ramsay’s 1999 film *Ratcatcher* as his favourite British film, praising it as “a masterful piece of filmmaking”. His choice highlights the lasting impact of Ramsay’s debut, which turns a young boy’s experience of Glasgow into an atmospheric portrait of childhood and hardship.

Set in 1973 during a refuse collectors’ strike, the film follows James, who carries guilt after a boy drowns following a tussle by a canal. His family hopes to be rehoused, while the rubbish-strewn streets shape the film’s unsettling view of poverty and childhood. Ramsay later directed *Morvern Callar*, *We Need to Talk About Kevin* and *You Were Never Really Here*.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.