Bud is a lonely and quiet boy whose moments of solace occur when he sits in rapture at the local cinema, watching towering and iconic figures on the movie screen. The movies give Bud the strength to get through another day as he deals with his oppressive school environment and his burgeoning homosexuality.
▶ Watch Trailer
Leigh McCormack
Bud
Marjorie Yates
Mother
Anthony Watson
Kevin
Nicholas Lamont
John
Ayse Owens
Helen
Tina Malone
Edna
Jimmy Wilde
Curly
Robin Polley
Mr Nicholls
Peter Ivatts
Mr Bushell
Joy Blakeman
Frances
Director
Terence Davies
Tagline
"A magical story about a boy’s love affair with the music and movies of the 50s."
Status
Released
Original Language
EN
Production
Film Four International, BFI, Channel Four Films
Peter McGinn
September 17, 2021
Okay, I get it. This movie is artistic. Plot and character development are secondary, irrelevant even perhaps. The film is about visual snapshots, emotional memories that are alternately nostalgic or slightly painful. But I think the movie tries so hard that it fails to entertain, choosing to assume that if you don’t like it, that is okay, because it means you don’t “get” it. For example, do we...
CinemaSerf
December 7, 2025
Why this this didn’t get even one BAFTA nomination is quite a puzzle as it’s a beautiful piece of cinema that uses it’s own industry’s nostalgia to paint a picture of a young boy longing for that intangible something we all want as our teens loom large. This story is set in a Liverpool still recovering from the end of the war, and where the young “Bud” (Leigh McCormack) lives with adoring mum (Mar...
Where to Watch
Stream
Search our entire catalog of thousands of movies across every genre.
