The Low Down

Released Apr 20, 2000

1h 36m

Comedy

Drama

List

59%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

53%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Frank (Aidan Gillen) is in his late twenties, and he becomes restless as he realizes that his life purely revolves around friends and work. He is aware of a need to move his life into another gear, but while he knows something must change, he is not sure what or how. Some of his friends are settling down, and he knows he is expected to follow suit sooner or later. Frank's indecision comes to a head when he meets Ruby (Kate Ashfield), whose optimism and approach to life dramatically affect him.

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Critics Consensus

Jamie Thraves' debut film about British twenty-somethings effectively captures the nuances of its characters.

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Karen Coaching F

I just watched this, and understand that its lack of plot or action won't be for everyone. However I loved it. The nuances of the characters and the motivations were easy to pick up on for me, and her confusion and liking for him were interesting and painful to see, plus his hesitation and inability to commit to anything or make real decisions were obvious to see. The intimacy between them felt raw and real.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

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Audience Member

Aimless British mumblecore.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Quite a poignant movie for me as itâ(TM)s a low key study of a group of 20 and 30 something friends making their way through North London life around the turn of the millennium â" there is a particular light about the summers in that part of the world and the uncertainties of relationships and general struggle to get by make for an involving, unhistrionic film. Aiden Gillen is excellent as ever and Six Musicâ(TM)s Adam and Joe even make an appearance at one point â" they are clients of the props firm that Gillen and his mates work for. Mercifully, the Brummie accent of the heroâ(TM)s love interest is also not suppressed. Thraves recently returned to directing after a gap of a decade and this is something of a lost gem.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Perfectly acted, gently dramatic study of the highs and lows of real-life, with a deeply personal script and some beautifully directed ensemble scenes. One of the few perfect British films to come out of the late 90's.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A stymied account of inner-city friend and relationships with a particular strength on the script and excellent detail in the language.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

wow what a movie 2 watch....i have just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch.....its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie....i think that tobias menzie, rupert procter, kate ashfield (who plays in the amazing movie shaun of the dead), aiden gillen (who plays in the amazingly brilliant tv show the wire), dean lennox kelly, deanna smiles play good roles/parts throughout this movie....i think that the director of this romance/comedy/drama movie had done a great job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie....i think that this is a good romance movie 2 watch

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Jamie Thraves

Director

Aidan Gillen

Frank

Kate Ashfield

Ruby

Dean Lennox Kelly

Mike

Tobias Menzies

John

Rupert Procter

Terry

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Susan Stark

Detroit News

Rated: 2/4

Oct 30, 2001

Full Review

Cody Clark

Mr. Showbiz

Has an aura of honest observation that engages even when almost nothing is happening on-screen.

May 3, 2001

Full Review

Kirk Honeycutt

Hollywood Reporter

Thraves lets his story drag as if aimless drama will somehow reflect the aimlessness of his characters' lives. It doesn't; it simply bores.

May 1, 2001

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 1/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Dec 6, 2005

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 14, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Frank (Aidan Gillen) is in his late twenties, and he becomes restless as he realizes that his life purely revolves around friends and work. He is aware of a need to move his life into another gear, but while he knows something must change, he is not sure what or how. Some of his friends are settling down, and he knows he is expected to follow suit sooner or later. Frank's indecision comes to a head when he meets Ruby (Kate Ashfield), whose optimism and approach to life dramatically affect him.

Director: Jamie Thraves
Screenwriter: Jamie Thraves
Distributor: Shooting Gallery
Production Co: British Screen Productions
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 20, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $32.4K
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: Surround