My Beautiful Laundrette

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My Beautiful Laundrette

R

1986

1h 37m

Comedy

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

103 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In a seedy corner of London, Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a young Pakistani, is given a run-down laundromat by his uncle (Saeed Jaffrey), who hopes to turn it into a successful business. Soon after, Omar is attacked by a group of racist punks, but defuses the situation when he realizes their leader is his former lover, Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). The men resume their relationship and rehabilitate the laundromat together, but various social forces threaten to compromise their success.

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Critics Consensus

My Beautiful Laundrette is fast and all over the place because it has so much to say, and show, including a highly watchable fresh-faced Daniel Day-Lewis.

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Globe and Mail Staff

Globe and Mail

Frears has orchestrated Kureishi's script with dexterity that borders on genius.

Oct 13, 2025

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Rita Kempley

Washington Post

It's a little like mixing the white and the dark loads, but somehow it all comes out in the wash and love prevails.

Oct 10, 2025

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Mike D'Angelo

AV Club

No matter how clumsy the movie gets, it’s always enjoyable just to spend time with these proud hustlers, who stubbornly refuse to lie down and be marginalized.

Rated: B

Oct 10, 2025

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Tom Birchenough

The Arts Desk

Watching it again today brings home just how much broader the film’s concerns are, how writer Hanif Kureishi approached the issue of British identity, his insight coming via the perspective of the country's Pakistani immigrant community.

Rated: 5/5

Oct 10, 2025

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Adam Lowes

CineVue

It’s the committed turn from Day-Lewis and Hanif Kureishi’s socially-astute, Oscar-nominated screenplay that manages to compensate for the film’s technical shortcomings, alongside the (then) landmark casual representation of a gay relationship on screen

Rated: 4/5

Oct 10, 2025

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Bob Ross

Tampa Bay Times

Provides insight and entertainment.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 10, 2025

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CodyZamboni Z

Movie is a bit overrated , It's slightly amusing, A nice, off beat slice of life, No real plot, No preaching, Just accepts characters as is, And doesn't shy away from issues like characters need for money, to find acceptance in English society circa 1985.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/02/25

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Stephen C

Funny pride in 1 hour and 37 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/04/25

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Phil V

Way ahead of its time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/25

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Audience Member

I found the movie thoroughly unconvincing and boring. Maybe I was having a bad day. Perhaps you liked it thoroughly, and I would be the last to say you nay. De gustibus non est disputandum.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/12/24

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David K

Interesting film but mainly for the early work of Daniel Day-Lewis. Also, the focus on the Pakistani immigrant experience in England.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/24

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PridePosterStudios

Spillage in the back room 💦

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/24/24

Full Review

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Stephen Frears

Director

Daniel Day-Lewis

Johnny

Gordon Warnecke

Omar

Saeed Jaffrey

Nasser

Roshan Seth

Papa

Derrick Branche

Salim

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Synopsis

In a seedy corner of London, Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a young Pakistani, is given a run-down laundromat by his uncle (Saeed Jaffrey), who hopes to turn it into a successful business. Soon after, Omar is attacked by a group of racist punks, but defuses the situation when he realizes their leader is his former lover, Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis). The men resume their relationship and rehabilitate the laundromat together, but various social forces threaten to compromise their success.

Director: Stephen Frears
Producer: Tim Bevan, Sarah Radclyffe
Screenwriter: Hanif Kureishi
Distributor: Orion Pictures
Production Co: Channel Four Films, Working Title Films
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 7, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 17, 2017
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Mono

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