Nil by Mouth

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Nil by Mouth

R

1997

2h 8m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In a working-class London neighborhood, a highly dysfunctional family struggles to survive. The widowed Janet (Laila Morse), a former factory worker, has welcomed relatives into her home. In addition to her elderly mother, Kath (Edna Doré), and her son, Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles), Janet lives with her daughter, Valerie (Kathy Burke), and Valerie's abusive, alcoholic husband, Ray (Ray Winstone). Together they attempt to work out their differences, but drugs, booze and violence get in the way.

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Critics Consensus

Foul-mouthed and unrelentingly bleak, Nil By Mouth is a prickly viewing experience that nevertheless impresses with its authentic blue collar angst and ferocious performances.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

11/04/2022

5/5

A dense portrait of the tiny discomfiting gestures, irritable glances and physical tics that build to a sudden eruption of bone-crushing rage.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

11/03/2022

5/5

It is an urban pastoral and social-realist tragedy.

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Mike Clark

USA Today

01/09/2018

3/4

Nil By Mouth offers a harrowing look at a working-class family beset by drugs, alcohol and abuse.

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Tom Cassidy

Common Sense Media

03/19/2025

The threat of violence permeates every moment of Gary Oldman's directorial debut.

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Quentin Falk

Sunday Mirror (UK)

12/18/2024

3/5

The film is unsparing in its detail of domestic turmoil and savagery.

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Tom Hutchinson

Radio Times

08/22/2024

5/5

Though uncompromising in its portrayal of violence, Nil by Mouth tempers its bleakness with moments of tender understanding and wounding insight; in short, it's a must-see.

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T M

@RT55749265 3d

Winstone shows he can act in this gritty downbeat drama. Relentlessly sweary and nasty, this is a taste of the underclass, battered and bruised by life's slings and arrows. Male violence, female pain, bonds born out of adversity. This film reeks of the urban gutter.

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Patrick C

@RT84374237 Jun 2

Not exactly a feel good movie, 'Nil by Mouth' is, however, close to a masterpiece. The performances are so uniformly excellent and convincing that it feels like watching a documentary. Ray Winstone is quite brilliant, but it is Kathy Burke who truly excels in her role as an emotionally and physically abused wife and mother. Acting doesn't get any better than what she delivered here. My only query is why Eric Clapton was invited to do the soundtrack. Meandering bluesy geetar is not exactly what is required for a grim urban drama. Felt exactly the same about his score for 'Edge of Darkness', which for some mystifying reason everyone loved. Anyway, a minor gripe about an otherwise stunning film.

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vegar d

@RT85701280 12/22/2023

Gary Oldman's take on 90´s cockney reality. Simply excellent!

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Jack O

@RT29143273 06/19/2023

Well, the whole drama is in this. The happier time to enjoy drinking alcohol for people to get drunk filled with booze. For me, I drink coke, Diet Coke that is. Why? Because you're about to witness the British Drama filled with good performance from all the British actors/actresses in this dark and berserk film that actor Gary Oldman has directed. Nil By Mouth. And get this: it is absolutely berserk cause it has too many sexual swear words in it. Plus the fact that it's not the only film that ever had too much swearing. Well, I don't want to offend you guys for saying this, so please, brace yourselves. It had 428 F words in it and 92 (the you know what) words. Shocking, isn't it? The Wolf of Wall Street did that. What about it? The domestic violence is brutal for the most part so I guess that's all I can tell you all about it. Thank you for stick up with me on this review. This review is nothing to offend. This movie had a winner of 2 BAFTA Awards.

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Colin M

@RT35044827 04/13/2023

Down-to-earth London eastenders interact.

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Leaburn

@RT35452347 01/29/2023

This film was good 👍🏼

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Gary Oldman

Director

Ray Winstone

Ray

Kathy Burke

Valerie

Charlie Creed-Miles

Billy

Laila Morse

Janet

Edna Doré

Kath

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Synopsis

In a working-class London neighborhood, a highly dysfunctional family struggles to survive. The widowed Janet (Laila Morse), a former factory worker, has welcomed relatives into her home. In addition to her elderly mother, Kath (Edna Doré), and her son, Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles), Janet lives with her daughter, Valerie (Kathy Burke), and Valerie's abusive, alcoholic husband, Ray (Ray Winstone). Together they attempt to work out their differences, but drugs, booze and violence get in the way.

Director: Gary Oldman
Producer: Luc Besson, Douglas Urbanski, Gary Oldman
Screenwriter: Gary Oldman
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Box Office (Gross USA): $268.9K
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround