The Old Oak

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2:15

The Old Oak

2024

1h 53m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

96 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

The Old Oak is the last pub standing in a once thriving mining village in northern England, a gathering space for a community that has fallen on hard times. There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope among the residents, but the pub and its proprietor TJ are a fond presence to their customers. When a group of Syrian refugees move into the floundering village, a decisive rift fueled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants. The formation of an unexpected friendship between TJ and a young Syrian woman named Yara opens up new possibilities for the divided village in this deeply moving drama about loss, fear, and the difficulty of finding hope. The release of The Old Oak reunites legendary British director Ken Loach with Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber following our 2020 release of his film Sorry We Missed You. Loach, who is 87 years old, has announced that The Old Oak will be his final film.

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Critics Consensus

Imbued with the fiercely humanistic spirit that has defined Ken Loach's filmography, The Old Oak serves as a fitting -- albeit somewhat sentimental -- finale to a remarkable career.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

09/18/2024

3/5

Loach and his screenwriter Paul Lavery are sometimes painfully on-the-nose, borderline parodic, in their contrived kitchen sink sensibilities.

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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

06/14/2024

3.5/4

The final scene of “The Old Oak” reduced me, once again and for the final time, to tears.

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Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

05/03/2024

3/4

It is unmistakably a Loach film: taciturn yet forthright, examining life in the cracks of a fractured society with deep compassion, plain-spoken anger and, perhaps more so than in the previous two films, a shot of hope.

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Dave Giannini

Geek Vibes Nation

Jul 19

9/10

The Old Oak never makes the mistake of allowing its characters to play the hero in a Hollywood way. Ebla Mari, in her film debut, handles a great deal of dialogue and emotional work with aplomb.

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Maxance Vincent

Film Speak

Jul 14

B+

As far as a final film goes, whereas Loach’s previous movies were far bleaker and angrier, ending his lengthy career on such a positive, uplifting note seems alright.

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Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

01/09/2025

5/5

Inspiring story in which a town of unemployed miners and a group of Syrian refugees discover how big is their we.

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Deborah

05/15/2024

Fabulous, tear-jerky, heart-warming

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Roy J

04/17/2024

This is what the art of filmmaking is all about. To empathize with characters you've never encountered before. I hope Ken Loach doesn't retire because he's still got it!

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Dandelion R

@dandelionMR123 Mar 25

A modern-day Tarzan for the woke liberal classes. Loach trades his former realism for a patronising missionary fantasy. He sends a saintly, upper middle-class, cultured Syrian refugee to civilise a village of backward working-class Northerners. So disappointing.

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john H

@RT11206856 Mar 24

I reall enjoyed this Ken Loach film, mainly because it made me think, and that's good. If everyone else watched it that supports Reform, supports the protests against boat people and illegal immigration, maybe they wouldundeestand things a bit more. They might not be the best actors, but the performances are strong and beluevable. Credit to them all.

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judith S

@Credenza10 Feb 20

i found this film so engaging and the acting made it believable as a storyline. Excellent watch and recognisable as a Ken Loach film!

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Gail H

@Jagbabe Dec 29

Oh boy. Everybody in the UK should see this movie. It perfectly encapsulates the bigotry, lies and racism of many people and perfectly captures the hope and understanding of why some hold those views and why all of should stand in solidarity with those even worse off, escaping persecution, death and loss of everything. Inspiring at times and ultimately with a sense of hope but frustrating, upsetting and deeply sad at times. The performances are brilliant, utterly believable and like many Loach movies feels more like a documentary at times. Don't miss it, tell your friends all about it, make every school show it to their students.

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The Old Oak: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The Old Oak is the last pub standing in a once thriving mining village in northern England, a gathering space for a community that has fallen on hard times. There is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope among the residents, but the pub and its proprietor TJ are a fond presence to their customers. When a group of Syrian refugees move into the floundering village, a decisive rift fueled by prejudices develops between the community and its newest inhabitants. The formation of an unexpected friendship between TJ and a young Syrian woman named Yara opens up new possibilities for the divided village in this deeply moving drama about loss, fear, and the difficulty of finding hope. The release of The Old Oak reunites legendary British director Ken Loach with Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber following our 2020 release of his film Sorry We Missed You. Loach, who is 87 years old, has announced that The Old Oak will be his final film.

Director: Ken Loach
Producer: Rebecca O'Brien, Pascal Caucheteux
Screenwriter: Paul Laverty, Paul Laverty
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
Production Co: BBC Film, Les Films du Fleuve, Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions, StudioCanal UK
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 4, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $229.7K
Runtime: 1h 53m