Pride (2014)
Movie · 2014 · Drama, Comedy · 2h · R · English
Curator score: 8.9/10 (199.9K ratings)
Tagline: Based on the inspirational true story.
In 1984, a group of LGBT activists decide to raise money to support the National Union of Mineworkers during their lengthy strike. There is only one problem: the Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.
Ratings:
- Curator score: 8.9/10
- IMDb: 7.8/10
- Letterboxd: 4.15/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Metacritic: 79
- TMDB: 7.7/10
Director: Matthew Warchus
Production: Calamity Films, BBC Film, Proud Films, BFI, Pathé
Cast: George MacKay, Ben Schnetzer, Freddie Fox, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, Joseph Gilgun, Chris Overton, Faye Marsay, Jessica Gunning, Joshua Hill, Lisa Palfrey, Liz White, Monica Dolan, Rhodri Meilir, Menna Trussler, Karina Fernandez, Jessie Cave
Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
Curator Review
Verdict: A warm, crowd-pleasing blend of political history, ensemble comedy, and genuine emotional uplift. It turns an unlikely alliance into something funny, moving, and rousing without losing sight of the real-world stakes.
Best for: viewers who like feel-good true-story dramas; fans of ensemble comedies with social conscience; audiences interested in LGBTQ+ history and labor politics; people who enjoy British working-class stories with heart
Skip if: you want a hard-edged or bleak political drama; you dislike sentimentality or crowd-pleasing uplift; you prefer very intimate character studies over ensemble storytelling
Overview: Pride is one of those rare historical dramas that understands how to be both politically pointed and unabashedly crowd-pleasing. It takes a real act of solidarity from the 1984 miners’ strike and plays it with wit, warmth, and a strong sense of community, letting the humor come from personality clashes rather than cheapening the cause.
Worth noting: What makes it work is the balance: the film never treats either group as a symbol first and a people second. The activists and the miners are messy, funny, defensive, proud, and gradually open to one another. That human scale gives the story its emotional force, and the ensemble cast keeps the film lively even when it moves into more serious territory.
Bottom line: It’s also a very accessible political film, which is part of its appeal. The period detail, the music, and the underdog momentum make it easy to love, but the real payoff is the idea that solidarity can be awkward before it becomes transformative. If you want a film that leaves you both smiling and a little wrecked, this is an excellent pick.
Top Letterboxd reviews:
- arianna 🔪: "Where are my lesbians? Where are my lesbians?"
- ciara: god i fucking love being gay
- mary🦋: So I’m sitting here, emotions all over my tiddies
- andrea🌹: “gethin, come on, you’re supposed to be a bookshop!”
“we don’t have maps here, it’s a gay bookshop; people ask for the poems of walt whitman!”
- Robin: fellas is it gay to think that gay people have rights
Recommended similar titles:
- The Full Monty (1997 · Comedy · 1h 31m · R · Curator 7.0/10 (207.3K ratings))
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- Philomena (2013 · Drama · 1h 38m · PG-13 · Curator 6.9/10 (166.8K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Curiosity Stream)
A humane, accessible drama about injustice and reconciliation with a strong balance of wit and feeling.
- The Commitments (1991 · Comedy, Drama, Music · 1h 58m · R · Curator 7.5/10 (82.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus)
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- Calendar Girls (2003 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 48m · PG-13 · Curator 3.4/10 (29.7K ratings))
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- The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006 · Drama, War · 2h 7m · NR · Curator 8.6/10 (138.9K ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Acorn TV, Sundance Now, Acorn TV Apple TV)
For viewers drawn more to labor and political struggle, though this is much harsher and more tragic in tone.
- Maurice (1987 · Drama, Romance · 2h 20m · R · Curator 7.8/10 (161.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Philo)
A classic queer period drama about love, secrecy, and social constraint, with a more restrained emotional style.
- Weekend (2011 · Drama, Romance · 1h 36m · NR · Curator 10.0/10 (571 ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now)
An intimate, character-driven queer romance that values honesty and emotional specificity over broad sentiment.
- The Lady in the Van (2015 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 44m · PG-13 · Curator 6.1/10 (35.1K ratings))
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- The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020 · Drama, History · 2h 10m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (630.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads)
For the procedural side of activism and collective politics, with a crowd-pleasing, ensemble-driven structure.
- Selma (2014 · History, Drama · 2h 8m · PG-13 · Curator 7.7/10 (208.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential)
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- Hidden Figures (2016 · Drama, History · 2h 7m · PG · Curator 7.6/10 (917.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
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- A Taste of Honey (1961 · Drama · 1h 40m · Curator 7.0/10 (18.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Max)
A landmark British working-class drama with queer undertones, social realism, and emotional complexity.
Topics: LGBTQ+, labor movement, British drama, ensemble cast, 1980s, political comedy, true story, working-class, feel-good, period piece
https://watchlist.tannermartz.com/apple/movie/pride/234200
Pride (2014)
Movie · 2014 · Drama, Comedy · 2h · R · English
Curator score: 8.9/10 (199.9K ratings)
Based on the inspirational true story.
Overview In 1984, a group of LGBT activists decide to raise money to support the National Union of Mineworkers during their lengthy strike. There is only one problem: the Union seems embarrassed to receive their support.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.9/10
IMDb: 7.8/10
Letterboxd: 4.15/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 79
TMDB: 7.7/10
Production Calamity Films, BBC Film, Proud Films, BFI, Pathé
Cast George MacKay, Ben Schnetzer, Freddie Fox, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Paddy Considine, Andrew Scott, Joseph Gilgun, Chris Overton, Faye Marsay, Jessica Gunning, Joshua Hill, Lisa Palfrey, Liz White, Monica Dolan, Rhodri Meilir, Menna Trussler, Karina Fernandez, Jessie Cave
Where to watch fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, crowd-pleasing blend of political history, ensemble comedy, and genuine emotional uplift. It turns an unlikely alliance into something funny, moving, and rousing without losing sight of the real-world stakes.
Best for
viewers who like feel-good true-story dramas
fans of ensemble comedies with social conscience
audiences interested in LGBTQ+ history and labor politics
people who enjoy British working-class stories with heart
Skip if
you want a hard-edged or bleak political drama
you dislike sentimentality or crowd-pleasing uplift
you prefer very intimate character studies over ensemble storytelling
Overview
Pride is one of those rare historical dramas that understands how to be both politically pointed and unabashedly crowd-pleasing. It takes a real act of solidarity from the 1984 miners’ strike and plays it with wit, warmth, and a strong sense of community, letting the humor come from personality clashes rather than cheapening the cause.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the balance: the film never treats either group as a symbol first and a people second. The activists and the miners are messy, funny, defensive, proud, and gradually open to one another. That human scale gives the story its emotional force, and the ensemble cast keeps the film lively even when it moves into more serious territory.
Bottom line
It’s also a very accessible political film, which is part of its appeal. The period detail, the music, and the underdog momentum make it easy to love, but the real payoff is the idea that solidarity can be awkward before it becomes transformative. If you want a film that leaves you both smiling and a little wrecked, this is an excellent pick.
Top Letterboxd reviews
arianna 🔪 (4.5★) · 6708 likes
"Where are my lesbians? Where are my lesbians?"
ciara (5★) · 3873 likes
god i fucking love being gay
mary🦋 (5★) · 3196 likes
So I’m sitting here, emotions all over my tiddies
andrea🌹 (4.5★) · 2087 likes
“gethin, come on, you’re supposed to be a bookshop!”
“we don’t have maps here, it’s a gay bookshop; people ask for the poems of walt whitman!”
Robin (4★) · 1884 likes
fellas is it gay to think that gay people have rights
Recommended similar titles
1997 · Comedy · 1h 31m · R · Curator 7.0/10 (207.3K ratings)
A working-class British crowd-pleaser that mixes humor, dignity, and economic hardship with real emotional payoff.
2013 · Drama · 1h 38m · PG-13 · Curator 6.9/10 (166.8K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Curiosity Stream
A humane, accessible drama about injustice and reconciliation with a strong balance of wit and feeling.
1991 · Comedy, Drama, Music · 1h 58m · R · Curator 7.5/10 (82.5K ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus
A lively ensemble about identity, ambition, and community, with the same mix of comedy and social texture.
2003 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 48m · PG-13 · Curator 3.4/10 (29.7K ratings)
A feel-good British ensemble about ordinary people organizing themselves for a cause, with warmth and wit.
2006 · Drama, War · 2h 7m · NR · Curator 8.6/10 (138.9K ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Acorn TV, Sundance Now, Acorn TV Apple TV
For viewers drawn more to labor and political struggle, though this is much harsher and more tragic in tone.
1987 · Drama, Romance · 2h 20m · R · Curator 7.8/10 (161.1K ratings) · Where to watch: Philo
A classic queer period drama about love, secrecy, and social constraint, with a more restrained emotional style.
2011 · Drama, Romance · 1h 36m · NR · Curator 10.0/10 (571 ratings) · Where to watch: AMC+, Philo, Sundance Now
An intimate, character-driven queer romance that values honesty and emotional specificity over broad sentiment.
2015 · Comedy, Drama · 1h 44m · PG-13 · Curator 6.1/10 (35.1K ratings)
A British character piece with warmth and eccentricity, though less politically charged and already excluded from direct recommendation overlap.
2020 · Drama, History · 2h 10m · R · Curator 6.9/10 (630.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
For the procedural side of activism and collective politics, with a crowd-pleasing, ensemble-driven structure.
2014 · History, Drama · 2h 8m · PG-13 · Curator 7.7/10 (208.2K ratings) · Where to watch: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
A stirring civil-rights drama about organizing, coalition-building, and the emotional cost of political progress.
2016 · Drama, History · 2h 7m · PG · Curator 7.6/10 (917.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
An uplifting true-story ensemble about marginalized people changing institutions through persistence and solidarity.
1961 · Drama · 1h 40m · Curator 7.0/10 (18.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Max
A landmark British working-class drama with queer undertones, social realism, and emotional complexity.
Topics
LGBTQ+, labor movement, British drama, ensemble cast, 1980s, political comedy, true story, working-class, feel-good, period piece
Open Pride (2014) on Curator TV