London Road

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London Road

Released Sep 9, 2016

1h 31m

Musical

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Popcornmeter

76%

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71 Reviews

43%

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1,000+ Ratings

Residents of Ipswich, England, reveal their fears and concerns after police arrest Steve Wright, a suspect in the murders of five prostitutes.

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Critics Consensus

Equal parts enthralling and unsettling, London Road uses an unusual documentary/musical hybrid to tell a grim true-life tale.

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

Once Rufus Norris's film gets going, it quickly reveals itself as a vibrant, almost revolutionary work.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 18, 2016

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Bruce DeMara

Toronto Star

What starts out like a documentary soon morphs into something quite odd but strangely compelling, a social commentary of sorts about everyday people confronting a shocking and monstrous reality close to home.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 17, 2016

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Soren Andersen

Seattle Times

All in all, a brilliant piece of work.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 7, 2016

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Fiona Underhill

JumpCut Online

The fact that this story will live on through being communicated in such a unique way is amazing, and the filmmakers have told this story with ingenious creativity. A thought-provoking, challenging and wondrous film.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 1, 2020

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Katie Smith-Wong

Flick Feast

[I]t is because of its depressing background that makes this stand out as a musical.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 19, 2019

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Tori Brazier

One Room With A View

As far as innovation goes, London Road is streets ahead - however its intrinsic qualities of "spoken word" song and laudable accuracy may not have such impact on repeat viewings.

Rated: 3/5

May 10, 2019

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toby h

London Road is an interesting idea that misses the mark. It's mundane and the tuneless music is instantly forgettable. This one belongs only on-stage, seemingly building to something that never arrived. Veers off road.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Nathan A

The true story of how a serial killer effects Ipswich England. The filmmaker took sexual quotes and used it and repetitive and musical ways did you pick the fears and fascination the locals had. It's very well done, fascinating to watch. The songs are very good. But ultimately, it trivializes a horrible subject that is cause a lot of pain

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/29/19

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Audience Member

Very odd and very poor

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Snippets of interviews about the Ipswich murders are turned verbatim into rather dour song - think The Arbor crossed with Sondheim. This concept is very challenging and I hadn't got my head round it even by the end and certainly did not come close to enjoying it. I could see the value though, especially in terms of the ensemble repeating and magnifying the meagre information and rumours spreading through the community. Let's be honest, I also would never have watched a film on this subject without a substantial distancing device (the opposite of the one-star-reviewers!)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/01/18

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Audience Member

Is it supposed to be a musical???

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

Completely innovative and enthralling. Certainly isn't universally appealing, but the way this work was conceived, constructed, and actualized is something to behold. Part docu-drama, part post-modern musical, and wholly and expertly crafted with complete dedication to its purpose.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Rufus Norris

Director

Olivia Colman

Julie

Paul Thornley

Dodge

Nick Holder

Ron

Clare Burt

Sue

Michael Shaeffer

Simon Newton

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Synopsis

Residents of Ipswich, England, reveal their fears and concerns after police arrest Steve Wright, a suspect in the murders of five prostitutes.

Director: Rufus Norris
Producer: Dixie Linder
Screenwriter: Alecky Blythe
Distributor: BBC Worldwide North America
Production Co: Cuba Pictures, National Theatre
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 9, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 7, 2017
Runtime: 1h 31m

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