Dirty Pretty Things

Play trailer

Dirty Pretty Things

R

2003

1h 34m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

143 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In London, Okwe is an undocumented alien from Nigeria who works as a cabbie and moonlights as a hotel attendant. He shares living quarters with Turkish émigré Senay. Working late one evening, Okwe is called up to one of the hotel suites. Inside, he finds a prostitute standing by a toilet that's clogged with a human heart. This leads him to the hotel manager, and he soon uncovers a darker side to his employer and his adopted city.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

An illuminating and nuanced film about the exploitation of illegal immigrants.

Read Critics Reviews

David Ansen

Newsweek

03/13/2018

This hypnotic, chilling thriller deals with people living in the margins: in this case, London's exploited immigrants...Steven Knight's smart, if overly plotted, script delivers social insights tautly wrapped in genre thrills.

Go to Full Review

David Stratton

Variety

11/27/2007

An intelligent and extremely well-made romantic drama that tells an intriguing story with economy and insight.

Go to Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

11/27/2007

An impressive mix of entertainment and social comment, spinning a great mystery even as it confronts an ugly world.

Go to Full Review

Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

Feb 24

4/5

Critically acclaimed—including receiving an Oscar nod for its screenplay—this well-crafted British crime thriller is a disturbing but hopeful movie that won't fail to make an impact.

Go to Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

05/06/2023

The poetic justice is a bit precious for a film otherwise grounded in a tough reality, but there is a guilty satisfaction to it all, and Ejiofor’s haunting performance burns itself into the film...

Go to Full Review

Jordan M. Smith

IONCINEMA.com

11/19/2020

A suspenseful, often funny, completely disturbing thriller, Dirty Pretty Things is a gripping film right out of the gate.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

J L

@RT80832005 01/30/2025

Gritty, challenging, raw.

See more

KB B

@Okbullard 04/29/2024

This was such a compelling movie with great acting and storyline. Chiwetel Ejiofor was excellent as usual and I was impressed with Audrey Tautou as well. It's worth the watch.

See more

Jeffrey P

@vanillavoodoo1 03/24/2024

Well structured and performed, one of the better movies dealing with the subject of organ harvesting. Was expecting more of the organs being harvested than relationship drama though.

See more

Aldo G

@RT54480587 02/25/2024

There's artistry here - from director's Stephen Frears perfectly placed camera setups to the delicate and insightful performances of the film's two leads, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou - but, in the end I was left feeling unfulfilled by the love story in the middle of a body parts trade-industry crime story.

See more

Steve D

@RT35616104 01/31/2024

Properly unsettling but not really engaging,

See more

06/04/2022

Trading body parts for passports. What more can be said. Well acted, good idea and plot.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Stephen Frears

Director

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Okwe

Audrey Tautou

Senay

Sergi López

Sneaky

Sophie Okonedo

Juliette

Benedict Wong

Guo Yi

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Take it or Leave it

2:11

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Always We Must Hide

2:13

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - The People You Do Not See

2:13

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Protecting Senay

2:13

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - I Bit Him

1:58

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Okwe's Warning

2:09

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Forced Treatment

1:45

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - The Set Up

2:11

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - The Whore & the John

2:13

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Discovering the Heart

1:59

View more videos

The House on Turk Street

25%

25%

The House on Turk Street

Watchlist

The Salton Sea

63%

82%

The Salton Sea

Watchlist

Never Die Alone

26%

61%

Never Die Alone

Watchlist

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

46%

35%

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead

Watchlist

Edge of Darkness

54%

49%

Edge of Darkness

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

In London, Okwe is an undocumented alien from Nigeria who works as a cabbie and moonlights as a hotel attendant. He shares living quarters with Turkish émigré Senay. Working late one evening, Okwe is called up to one of the hotel suites. Inside, he finds a prostitute standing by a toilet that's clogged with a human heart. This leads him to the hotel manager, and he soon uncovers a darker side to his employer and his adopted city.

Director: Stephen Frears
Producer: Tracey Seaward, Robert Jones
Screenwriter: Steven Knight
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: BBC
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Sexual Content)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 11, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.1M
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround