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I, Daniel Blake

Play trailer 2:22 Poster for I, Daniel Blake R Released Jun 2, 2017 1h 37m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 184 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a 59-year-old widowed carpenter who must rely on welfare after a recent heart attack leaves him unable to work. Despite his doctor's diagnosis, British authorities deny Blake's benefits and tell him to return to his job. As Daniel navigates his way through an agonizing appeal process, he begins to develop a strong bond with a destitute, single mother (Hayley Squires) who's struggling to take care of her two children.

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I, Daniel Blake

I, Daniel Blake

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Critics Consensus

I, Daniel Blake marks yet another well-told chapter in director Ken Loach's powerfully populist filmography.

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Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi The Hindu I, Daniel Blake is about the struggles of an ailing common man against the labyrinthine welfare bureaucracy to get that elusive 'employment and support allowance.' Jul 24, 2018 Full Review Michael Upchurch Seattle Times Whichever side you come down on, Johns' and Squires' low-key performances are impressive, and the technological/red-tape hurdles their characters face feel stingingly accurate. Rated: 3/4 Jun 29, 2017 Full Review Anthony Lane The New Yorker Politically, of course, it cleaves to the left, yet by temperament it shrinks from progress. Jun 12, 2017 Full Review Diana Tuova Spotlight on Film Ken Loach proves that one does not need some extraordinary circumstances...to make a powerful...film full of conviction – it is simply enough to show life as it is – a simple daily struggle known to many and only too well. Rated: 5/5 Aug 9, 2024 Full Review Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Loach’s plain-speaking film is a touchingly realistic parable. Rated: 4/5 Sep 4, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy It's impossible to watch this movie without being forced to cope with bouts of sadness and helplessness -- it's honest and uncompromising, although moments of humor do manage to break loose. Rated: 3.5/4 Sep 18, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (282) audience reviews
Jonathan K This one went a direction I wasn't expecting. It emotionally comes at you out of nowhere, but in a good way. It's quite the commentary on our social systems and bureaucracies and how we (don't) take care of the elderly or people in need on this planet. The two lead actors are very good. Don't let the humdrum plot synopsis fool you, this is a worthwhile watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/09/24 Full Review João Vitor d A simple story, but very effective in the message it wants to convey. The feeling of agony and frustration remains throughout the film. The film's theme is the bureaucracy of the state and how it affects the people who need it the most. You can easily connect with the film. With good performances, especially from Hayley Squires, the scenes with a greater emotional charge are executed smoothly and have their effect (see the Foodbank scene). A film with good performances, a good story, that manages to move you and that in the end, life's suck. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/15/24 Full Review David K An extraordinarily touching film documenting the plight of the eponymous Daniel. Despite the humiliation of trying to navigate and comply with an impossibly tortuous and Kafka-esque welfare system, run almost exclusively by soulless minions of the State, Daniel manages to retain his dignity and moral authority by offering his help to equally determined and proud single mum, Katie. Together they show us the very best of humanity against all the odds. There is a particularly touching scene where Katie succumbs to overwhelming hunger when at her wit's end. This is followed by a heartbreakingly selfless scene where she shows she is willing to sacrifice all for her children. A very honest, raw and worthwhile film in my view. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/18/24 Full Review Audience Member Most boring film in world, only got half way through. Just go sit in job centre for hour and half, just as exciting. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/17/24 Full Review S R 1001 movies to see before you die (2016). A critique of life in Newcastle where an honest worker tries to get benefits while ill. Shows the struggles of government programs, poverty, single mothers and weak economies. It could've been more approachable had they changed the bad language. Saw on Tubi. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/24 Full Review Gabrielle A O coringa original. Seguimos o mesmo tema, pq não há mudança real. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/24 Full Review Read all reviews
I, Daniel Blake

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Movie Info

Synopsis Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a 59-year-old widowed carpenter who must rely on welfare after a recent heart attack leaves him unable to work. Despite his doctor's diagnosis, British authorities deny Blake's benefits and tell him to return to his job. As Daniel navigates his way through an agonizing appeal process, he begins to develop a strong bond with a destitute, single mother (Hayley Squires) who's struggling to take care of her two children.
Director
Ken Loach
Producer
Rebecca O'Brien
Screenwriter
Paul Laverty
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
BBC Films, Sixteen Films, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 2, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$258.2K
Runtime
1h 37m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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