50 Greatest London Movies

Withnail And I (1987)

The Movie: In 1969 London, resting actors Withnail and Marwood drink their problems away in a squalid Camden flat.

Only In London: Director Bruce Robinson shoots all over London, with various locations doubling for Camden – notice Notting Hill’s Westway flyover outside The Old Mother Black Cap. Also, boozing’s part of being a Londoner, right?

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)

The Movie: Director Tomas Alfredson makes his impressive English-language debut, adapting John le Carre’s mind-boggler of a novel.

Only In London: South and West Kensington double for a ‘70s London - Alfredson based the film’s look on his impressions of the city back in the ‘70s, which explains the muted palette and dirty streets.

Performance (1970)

The Movie: Gangster Chas (James Fox) looks for a place to hide after carrying out a dangerous hit and discovers a guest house run by ex-rockstar Turner (Mick Jagger).

Only In London: Now this is what Notting Hill is really like – overflowing with nefarious characters and mysterious motives, while the ghoulish number 7 bus whisks through Cambridge Gardens. Spooky.

Billy Liar (1963)

The Movie: Billy (Tom Courtenay) lives in his own dream world, fantasising about becoming a hip London scriptwriter.

Only In London: “Breakfast at Lyons, Hyde Park in the afternoon, Piccadilly tomorrow evening,” coos Julie Christie, only just scratching the surface of what our great capital has to offer on a day away from the office.

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

The Movie: Defining tongue-in-cheek horror movie from director John Landis. An American tourist is mauled by a beast, and goes through some... changes.

Only In London: The film’s climactic werewolf rampage took place in and around Piccadilly Circus, with Tottenham Court Road tube lending itself to the pivotal attack that everybody always remembers.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The Movie: Kubrick's mental masterpiece – a harsh and terrifying peek into a future world.

Only In London: Shockingly, many of the locations Kubrick shot in the ‘70s remain almost untouched today, with Thamesmead as rundown as it ever was. Most recognisable, of course, is the Flat Block Marina.

Repulsion (1965)

The Movie: Left alone in the city of London, Carol (Catherine Deneuve) is haunted by the demons of her past.

Only In London: “You can't eat stuff like this,” John Fraser tells Deneuve, shocked when she shows an interest in pizza joint Dinos. “Come on, I'll take you to Wheeler’s.” Scoff.

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

The Movie: A white thug (Daniel Day-Lewis) and a Pakistani attempt to open their own Laundromat – and fall in love in the process.

Only In London: Stephen Frears takes an uncompromising look at Thatcherite ‘80s London, where political views are shifting and social issues – racism, homosexuality – are in a state of flux.

Passport To Pimlico (1949)

The Movie: A bona fide Ealing classic that beautifully captures London life - not least the cheeky, oddball characters the city breeds. The detonation of a WW2 bomb in Pimlico uncovers an old treaty revealing that Pimlico is actually part of Burgundy…

Only In London:
Shot all over London, Pimlico offers a tantalising glimpse at London back in the day, with locations including Piccadilly, Lambeth, Holborn and Vauxhall – plus, naturally, Ealing Studios.

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.  

Latest in Movies
Black Widow post-credits
Avengers Tower will have a new name in Thunderbolts, and the movie's director says it's "a symbol of things taking a darker turn"
Ultraman: Rising still from the movie
Director of popular Netflix anime Ultraman: Rising offers disappointing update on sequel
Daniel Craig in new James Bond movie No Time to Die
Amazon boss reportedly said "I don’t care what it costs" to buy James Bond after they approached long-time producers with a Moneypenny spin-off
Black Bag
This new spy thriller starring Michael Fassbender earns near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score with glowing first reviews
John Lithgow as Dave Crealy in The Rule of Jenny Pen
John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush's twisted chiller is a much-needed shake-up to the horror genre, disrupting harmful elderly stereotypes embraced by the likes of X and The Shining
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 4
A new action thriller from the John Wick team described as "a corporate thriller with a samurai twist" is finding its cast, and I've never been more seated
Latest in Features
GoDice in their RPG case beside Pixels dice
I put two electronic d20s head-to-head and the bad news for your wallet is the discount dice failed its saving throw
Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread in play
This board game TRPG hybrid delivers something D&D hasn't quite managed to capture for me
Disney Lorcana cards in a circle around a deck facing down on a wooden surface
Disney Lorcana: Archazia's Island has one major advantage over MTG, and the new decks prove it
John Lithgow as Dave Crealy in The Rule of Jenny Pen
John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush's twisted chiller is a much-needed shake-up to the horror genre, disrupting harmful elderly stereotypes embraced by the likes of X and The Shining
Exploring and fighting in Blades of Fire
Blades of Fire plays like a lost Xbox 360-era mashup between God of War and Soulslikes, and it's coming from the studio behind Metroid Dread
Claire Danes as Juliet and Miriam Margolyes as Nurse in the movie Romeo + Juliet.
The 33 greatest movies based on Shakespeare