The Dig

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The Dig

PG-13

Released Jan 15, 2021

1h 52m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

87%

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159 Reviews

78%

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1,000+ Ratings

An excavator and his team discover a wooden ship from the Dark Ages while digging up a burial ground on a woman's estate.

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Critics Consensus

Featuring beautifully matched performances from Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan set against gorgeously filmed English countryside, The Dig yields period drama treasures.

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Audience Says

Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan tap the tear ducts with this great-looking historical romance -- it's slow, but it'll make you feel like you've been to the British countryside before World War II.

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Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

The elegance in The Dig lies in what it says about the continuity of life rather than the finality of death.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 28, 2021

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

It's remarkably moving. By Jupiter, I even cried by the end.

Feb 3, 2021

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

This bittersweet tale of the unearthing of the Sutton Hoo treasures on the eve of the second world war has gentle charm to spare.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 31, 2021

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Geoffrey Macnab

iNews.co.uk

At its best, The Dig transcends the clichés of typical British costume drama and lays bare the feelings that its protagonists are all trying so hard to hide.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 16, 2025

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Daryl MacDonald

InSession Film

The superb acting and gorgeous cinematography, however, isn’t enough to stop The Dig from getting a little side-tracked and bogged down in unimportant side plots and characters who don’t add much to the story.

Rated: C

Apr 26, 2024

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Pradeep Menon

Firstpost

Poetic, wistful and elevated with exquisite imagery, The Dig romanticises the unearthing of history.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 11, 2023

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Optimus P

I just watched The Dig, and I have to say, it’s such a beautiful and moving film. I knew a little bit about the Sutton Hoo discovery, but this film really brings the whole story to life in such a heartfelt way. It’s not just about the archaeology; it’s about the people behind it and everything they went through.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/25

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Truth F

Wonderful portrait of a upper-class women by Carey Mulligan

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/05/25

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Steven O

A wonderful account of the finding of the Sutton Hoo ship burial. Lots of beautifully filmed shots of the brooding and evocative Suffolk landscape set against a background of the beginning of WW2 and a movie that has plenty to say about the wider continuum too.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/20/24

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M7AMD A

damn thing doesnt even have good story, it will make you bored and sleepy

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/23/24

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Johannes S

The Dig is a heartwarming movie led by the amazing performances of Fiennes and Mulligan as well as beautiful cinematography of England's countryside. However, in my opinion, the plotline surrounding the love story takes away from these strong elements, ultimately bloating the movie unnecessarily.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

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Andrea C

Elegante dramma storico che basa le sue fondamenta su fatti realmente accaduti. Molto ben evidenziato e comprensibile il contesto a cavallo dell'inizio della seconda guerra mondiale. Tantissima attenzione è poi posta sui protagonisti ma in generale quasi la totalità dei personaggi, a prescindere dalla loro importanza, ad avere una personalità definita e a destare interesse per motivi differenti. Altissima attenzione è prestata alla fotografia, poetica e davvero ben riuscita in zone poco note al cinema. Per piccoli tratti probabilmente il ritmo è leggermente troppo basso ma si adatta alla perfezione ai luoghi e alla fotografia. L'unica vera pecca è l'assenza di qualche cenno in più alla storia vera, di quelle fotografie che così tanti richiami hanno durante la pellicola e che vengono invece limitate alla ricostruzione attoriale.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

Full Review

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Simon Stone

Director

Carey Mulligan

Edith Pretty

Ralph Fiennes

Basil Brown

Lily James

Peggy Preston

Johnny Flynn

Rory Lomax

Ben Chaplin

Stuart Piggott

The Dig: Movie Clip - The Past Speaks

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The Dig: Trailer 1

2:12

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Synopsis

An excavator and his team discover a wooden ship from the Dark Ages while digging up a burial ground on a woman's estate.

Director: Simon Stone
Producer: Carolyn Marks Blackwood, Murray Ferguson, Gabrielle Tana, Ellie Wood
Screenwriter: Moira Buffini
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Clerkenwell Films, Netflix, Magnolia Mae Films
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Sensuality|Partial Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 15, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 29, 2021
Runtime: 1h 52m

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