The best movies on BritBox in July 2021

Starring John Boyega and Jodie Whittaker, Attack The Block is an amalgamation of sci-fi, comedy and horror – in which a gang of teenagers living in a council block in South London have to band together with a nurse they just robbed (Whittaker) to fight off an unexpected alien invasion.

The classic British sitcom produced two movies – and you can see the best one now on BritBox. The lads decide to take a holiday together to Crete to celebrate their final year of school being over. However, in typical fashion they end up getting into more trouble than they bargained for. 

It’s a gangster film, but not as you know it. If you’ve not heard of Bugsy Malone before, it’s about two rival gangs in twenties New York, except all the actors are kids. There’s also numerous shoot-outs, but they use cream pies as opposed to guns. Oh, and it’s a musical as well. It’s absolutely nuts, but you’ll have a great time watching it.

You may have heard of the Carry On films – the longest British comedy series all around slapstick and innuendo. Carry On Camping is the epitome of the series, as Sid Boggle and his sidekick head on holiday to what they believe is a nudist colony, only to find a family campsite that features a group of schoolgirls who are intent on causing havoc.

We may all know the 1968 musical adaptation of this classic Dickens novel, but if singing isn’t your thing then you might enjoy the original black-and-white film. All the popular characters like the Artful Dodger and Nancy are featured, and no doubt you’ll be left asking, “Please Sir, can I have some more?” once it’s over.

There’s a whole section of Britbox dedicated to Michael Caine films, but pair him with the legendary Julie Walters and you have a classic comedic team. Originally a play by Willy Russell, Educating Rita follows a hairdresser who enrols in university. There, she meets an intriguing professor who inspires her to take a new direction in life. 

Another play adaptation – this time from Oscar Wilde’s repertoire. The Importance Of Being Earnest follows Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff; two men who are both pretending to be something that they aren’t. As film adaptations go, this is one that sticks very true to the source material, and is a great one for film buffs.

With a classic choice between career and love, The Red Shoes still remains a cult classic to this day. Incorporating elements of the original Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, The Red Shoes was rather uniquely shot in three-strip technicolor, and also includes some spectacular ballet dancing. This combination makes for a visually stunning film.

Fancying a Golden Globe winning documentary? Relieve Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, as narrated by Laurence Olivier. Don’t be expecting anything scandalous – it’s a lot of pompous ceremony and speeches – but for history nuts of royalists, this is an interesting watch.

One of the classic adventure films, The Scarlet Pimpernel tells the story of an English nobleman who goes by said name, and saves French aristocrats from the guillotine. However, his plans are thrown into disarray when he falls in love. Let’s also not forget that the delightful Sir Ian McKellen is in this, which is an instant plus.