Bruce Robinson

Withnail and I

Withnail and I

The ultimate cult British comedy, Bruce Robinson’s semi-autobiographical cinematic bender is a feast of delectably florid dialogue delivered with deadpan relish by stars Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann as, respectively, Withnail and “I,” a pair of perpetually soused, unemployed actors in 1960s London who, desperate to escape their nightmarishly grimy flat, embark on a hilariously misbegotten country getaway beset by menacing locals, bare cupboards, and a randy uncle—all of which they may be able to withstand as long as they don’t run out of alcohol. While Robinson’s dazzling script yields quotable moments galore, it’s the film’s bittersweet evocation of a friendship gradually unraveling that gives this beloved end-of-youth tale its lasting poignancy.

Film Info

  • United Kingdom
  • 1987
  • 107 minutes
  • Color
  • 1.85:1
  • English
  • Spine #119

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Peter Hannan, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
  • Two audio commentaries, one from 2020 featuring director Bruce Robinson, and the other from 2001 featuring actors Ralph Brown and Paul McGann
  • New short program featuring Robinson and actor Richard E. Grant
  • Withnail and Us (1999), a documentary on the making of the film
  • British Film Institute Q&A from 2017 with Robinson and Grant
  • Stills gallery featuring photographs by artist Ralph Steadman
  • Trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic David Cairns

    Illustration by Ralph Steadman

Purchase Options

Coming soon, available May 20, 2025

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Peter Hannan, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
  • Two audio commentaries, one from 2020 featuring director Bruce Robinson, and the other from 2001 featuring actors Ralph Brown and Paul McGann
  • New short program featuring Robinson and actor Richard E. Grant
  • Withnail and Us (1999), a documentary on the making of the film
  • British Film Institute Q&A from 2017 with Robinson and Grant
  • Stills gallery featuring photographs by artist Ralph Steadman
  • Trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic David Cairns

    Illustration by Ralph Steadman
Withnail and I
Cast
Paul McGann
Marwood (“I”)
Richard E. Grant
Withnail
Richard Griffiths
Monty
Ralph Brown
Danny
Michael Elphick
Jake
Credits
Director
Bruce Robinson
Written by
Bruce Robinson
Produced by
Paul Heller
Produced in association with
Lawrence Kirstein
Executive producer
George Harrison
Executive producer
Denis O’Brien
Coproducer
David Wimbury
Photography
Peter Hannan
Original music
David Dundas
Original music
Rick Wentworth
Editor
Alan Strachan
Camera operator
Bob Smith
Production designer
Michael Pickwoad

Current

Withnail and I
Withnail and I

Director Bruce Robinson reminisces about the days that inspired his uproarious black comedy.

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