Watching a film that was made in your travel destination can be a great way prepare for your upcoming visit. Well-made films can capture the spirit of the place and its people, especially films that artistically evoke a different time.
I have listed below eight films with London connections that I can personally endorse. These cover a variety of genres and eras. However, while respecting the greatness of classic cinema, I limited my list to films made no more than a few years before today’s college students were born. The 8 on this list are from the 90s (3), 00s (2), and 10s (3). Finally, I generally preferred films that have a real London feeling rather than just some scenes in London – but there are still some in the latter category for various reasons, as described below.
The films are listed below in chronological order. I included year of release, genre, and overall IMDB rating. I also added a sentence or two of background and context. As a bonus at the end of the list I included some other notables to consider and also some to avoid.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 1998 crime comedy IMDB: 8.2/10
Guy Ritchie’s debut launched the career of action star Jason Statham. It’s a British version of a Tarantino film with hip, chatty criminals that also introduced Cockney rhyming slang to the wider world. Finally, it is routinely listed in the top 100 British films of all time.
Shakespeare in Love 1998 romantic dramedy 7.1
Academy Awards for Best Picture and also Best Actress for Gwyneth Paltrow. A love story within a love story set while William Shakespeare was writing Romeo and Juliet. Ben Affleck is quite good in this one – playing an arrogant actor… Also, starring is Colin Firth who is in 3 of the 7 on my list, which says a lot probably both about the quality of his films and also about my choices.
Notting Hill 1999 rom com 7.1
Julia Roberts plays an American actress and Hugh Grant is an affable normal-guy Brit. The film was very popular with audiences and contributed to increased tourist interest in the trendy Notting Hill neighborhood.
Love, Actually 2003 rom com 7.6
Intertwined Christmas-themed loved stories set in London with an ensemble cast, including both Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. It is now considered a holiday classic.
Shaun of the Dead 2004 zombie comedy 7.9
The originator of the zombie comedy genre, London slackers fight through the zombocalypse. Popular with audiences and critics, it has become a cult classic.
The King’s Speech 2010 drama 8.0
Academy Awards for Best Picture, and also Best Actor for Colin Firth. Firth and co-star Geoffrey Rush were also both in Shakespeare in Love. Inspirational true story about the abdication of King Edward VIII and the speech therapist who helped the new King George VI overcome his stutter at the outbreak of WWII.
Paddington 2014 comedy 7.2
Based on the stories of the classic character Paddington Bear. It’s live-action with animation for the title character, who was originally set to be voiced by Colin Firth (of course) before he dropped out and was replaced by Ben Whishaw, who plays Q in the most recent James Bond films.
Spiderman: Far from Home 2019 superhero 7.5
The finale is set in London with some iconic locations, but its place on this list is really because it’s built around students on a trip to Europe. This was the 23rd Marvel film, and of course it has a lot of special effects but also good acting by the leads.
Here are some other candidates to consider and not consider.
Blow-Up 1966 mystery 7.6
I really loved this one, but be warned that while a mystery, it’s also arty. If possible, also check out the commentary features on the Criterion Collection DVD as these really help give context to the artistry of how the film captures the 1960s London hipster scene. Note that there is an iconic club scene where a young Jimmy Page is playing guitar, pre-Led Zeppelin.
The Long Good Friday 1980 crime drama 7.6
Another one of my favorites. Chilling. Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren are great.
An American Werewolf in London 1981 thriller 7.5
You will commonly find this on lists of ‘films to watch before your trip to London’. A cult classic.
28 Days Later… 2002 zombie 7.6
Kicked off the modern renewed interest in the zombie genre, and inspired Shaun of the Dead, which came out two years later. Directed by noted filmmaker Danny Boyle, this one launched the career of blue-eyed Cillian Murphy. Audiences were struck by the novel scenes of totally-empty London, which we are now a bit more familiar post-coronavirus. This one has also been included on lists of 100 best British films.
Bourne Ultimatum 2007 thriller 8
Some folks have put this one on their lists of movies to see before going to London. There is a good scene at Waterloo station, and I do like the Bourne movies, but it’s just not London-y enough to prioritize for our purposes.
Anonymous 2011 drama 6.9
Another Shakespeare story. This one is atmospheric and well-made – but it is based on the thoroughly debunked, semi-idiotic conspiracy theory that the works of Shakespeare were actually written by the Earl of Oxford. A pity because besides the problematic premise, it is overall well done.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 2011 spy 7.1
A cold war spy story based on the classic John le Carré novel that was also made as a well-regarded 1979 BBC television miniseries. A great cast (Colin Firth, natch), but shockingly slow. And it just does not have enough of a London feel for this list, so nope to this one.
Bill 2015 comedy 6.5
Tells the story of how Shakespeare got his groove, with humor and some interesting jokey references to his works overall. But, no, we did not enjoy this one much.