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8 top movies to watch on BBC iPlayer now!

8 top movies to watch on BBC iPlayer now!

From David Brent to the Ab Fab girls and much more, feast your eyes on these fantastic films

Explore BAFTA winners, dazzling documentaries and cult heroes whenever it suits you on BBC iPlayer

Find all these movies in Catch Up > Channels > BBC iPlayer

Who cares if the sun is shining outside? There’s never a wrong time to sit down and get swept away by a magnificent movie, and there are plenty of them to be found on that nifty BBC iPlayer right now.

 

Comedies? Check. Dramas? Of course. Documentaries? You betcha. In fact, there are so many awesome films available to watch we’re here to give you a helping hand in choosing what to get stuck into. So grab the popcorn, draw the curtains and reserve a spot on the sofa, as we pick out eight fantastic films you can enjoy right now…

 

1. David Brent: Life On The Road

Ricky Gervais and Jo Hartley in David Brent: Life On The Road


Ricky Gervais reprises his role as one of British telly’s most hilariously cringeworthy characters in this laugh-out-loud mockumentary. Brent finds that his fame has rapidly dwindled since The Office stopped airing, and tries (oh, how he tries) to remind the world who he is by going on tour with his band Foregone Conclusion.

 

2. Pride

Based on true events, this comedy drama – which won awards at the BAFTAs and the Cannes Film Festival – tells the story of a group of lesbian and gay activists who helped raise money for the families caught up in the British miners’ strike of 1984. Featuring Dominic West, Andrew Scott, Imelda Staunton, Paddy Considine and Bill Nighy, it’s an uplifting tale of triumph over adversity.

 

3. The Edge Of Seventeen

Hailee Steinfeld in The Edge Of Seventeen


Meet Nadine (Pitch Perfect 2’s Hailee Steinfeld). She’s an outcast at her high school. To make things worse, her best friend is dating her older brother. To make things positively apocalyptic, the boy she fancies doesn’t even know she exists. There are plenty of coming-of-age laughs to be had in this snappy comedy that taps into the abundant awkwardness of being a teenager.

 

4. Spike Island

In 1990, baggy behemoths the Stone Roses played a legendary gig for thousands of fans on Spike Island in Cheshire. This lively British comedy – starring Emilia Clarke (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Nico Mirallegro (Rillington Place) – tracks the fortunes of five friends and bandmates as they try to make it to the concert that defined a generation.

 

5. Minding The Gap: An American Skateboarding Story

Minding The Gap: An American Skateboarding Story


First-time filmmaker Bing Liu’s dazzling documentary about three skateboarding friends in Illinois was nominated for an Oscar – and once you watch it you’ll see why. This isn’t just about verts and kickflips: filmed over 12 years, it’s a fascinating look at personal struggle, generational conflict and friendship.

 

6. Grace Jones – Bloodlight And Bami

One of pop music’s most provocative talents, 1980s icon Grace Jones has influenced everyone from Annie Lennox to Lady Gaga. This beguiling documentary follows the art-pop diva in the recording studio and with her family in Jamaica, recounting her remarkable (and sometimes shocking) life story in the process. It’s only available till 22 July so catch it while you can.

 

7. Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie


They’re baaaaaaack! Deluded duo Patsy (Joanna Lumley) and Edina (Jennifer Saunders) return in a riotous comedy that, much like the hugely popular TV series, delivers big on outrageous laughs. After accidentally knocking Kate Moss into the River Thames (as you do), everyone’s favourite sozzled socialites go on the run to the south of France to avoid both the police and the British public.

 

8. Burton & Taylor

Before KimYe, Posh and Becks, and Bey and Jay there was Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The celebrity power couple married and divorced twice before acting together for the last time on stage in 1983, and this captivating drama studies Burton (Dominic West) and Taylor (Helena Bonham Carter) in the final phase of their turbulent relationship.

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