The Old Oak (Loach, 2023)
Editor’s note
A reminder that tomorrow is the Matariki public holiday in Aotearoa New Zealand (Thanks, Jacinda!), therefore there will be no newsletter.
The ‘new releases’ update will come to you on Monday.
If The Old Oak does turn out to be Ken Loach’s final film, it will be a fitting end to a career dedicated to human-focused storytelling and a passion for social justice in all its forms.
I reviewed it here when it was released to cinemas late last year.
The Old Oak is a shabby and rundown pub in a former mining village in the North East of England. It’s the only community facility left but as the town is slowly drained of opportunities, it too seems destined for the history books. The publican, T.J. Ballantyne (Dave Turner) is a decent enough bloke but also fundamentally broken, like his pub.
Many of the empty houses in the community are being sold for a song to absentee landlords, reducing the property values for the locals, and others are being made available to resettled refugees.
When a coach load of Syrian survivors of civil war arrive T.J. is one of the few to make them feel welcome. But, as Margaret Thatcher knew all too well, sewing seeds of discontent among the dispossessed is the best way to ensure they don’t come after the powerful, and others in the community think that the state should be doing something for them before offering a helping hand to strangers.
Beautifully modulated at all times, The Old Oak is one of my favourite films of the year. Loach directs these characters with respect – unobtrusively, in fact. There are barely any close-ups, nothing emotionally exploitative, but despite that I was still crying so hard I could barely make any notes.
It’s a film that acknowledges that we are all but specks in the great scheme of things, but that we still have a choice about whether we make things a tiny bit better for others or a tiny bit worse. Or possibly a lot worse.
That new releases column from December last year also featured Godzilla Minus One, Trolls Band Together (featuring Sag Harbor desperado Justin Timberlake) and Apple’s lovely Christmas film The Velveteen Rabbit. After 30 days, everything in the archive goes behind the paywall but I can unlock it for you if you want.
Where to watch The Old Oak
Aotearoa: Streaming on Prime Video and Neon
Australia: Streaming on Prime Video
Canada and USA: Digital rental
Ireland and UK: Streaming on Netflix
