It's about three decent people. They will break your heart.
Overview
Recently divorced career woman Alex Greville begins a romantic relationship with glamorous mod artist Bob Elkin, fully aware that he's also intimately involved with middle-aged doctor Daniel Hirsh. For both Alex and Daniel, the younger man represents a break with their repressive pasts, and though both know that Bob is seeing both of them, neither is willing to let go of the youth and vitality he brings to their otherwise stable lives.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.9/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.60/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
TMDB: 6.6/10
Director
John Schlesinger
Production
Vic Films Productions, Vectia
Cast
Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, Murray Head, Peggy Ashcroft, Tony Britton, Maurice Denham, Bessie Love, Vivian Pickles, Frank Windsor, Thomas Baptiste, Richard Pearson, June Brown, Jon Finch, Hannah Norbert, Harold Goldblatt, Marie Burke, Robert Rietti, Liane Aukin, Robin Presky, Caroline Blakiston
Where to watch
fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, emotionally observant 1970s relationship drama that was unusually frank about bisexuality and same-sex desire for its time. It’s more intimate and conversational than melodramatic, with strong performances and a keen eye for loneliness, class, and the compromises people make to feel alive.
Best for
Viewers interested in early queer cinema and relationship triangles
Fans of restrained British character drama
People who like adult, talky films about loneliness and desire
John Schlesinger admirers
Skip if
You want a plot-heavy movie with big twists
You prefer modern pacing and overt emotional catharsis
You’re looking for a conventional romance with clear moral lines
Overview
Sunday Bloody Sunday is one of the key British dramas of the early 1970s because it treats queer desire not as scandal but as ordinary human messiness. The triangle between Alex, Daniel, and Bob is less about shock than about need: each person is trying to hold onto youth, intimacy, and a version of themselves that feels less trapped.
Worth noting
John Schlesinger keeps the film intimate and alert, letting small gestures, awkward conversations, and domestic spaces carry the emotional weight. The result is a film that feels both coolly observed and deeply vulnerable, with a modern sensitivity to sexuality, class, and emotional compromise.
Bottom line
It can feel of its era in its rhythms and social texture, but that’s also part of its value. The performances, especially from the central trio, give the film a lived-in sadness that lingers well after the final scene.
Top Letterboxd reviews
minick (3★) · 786 likes
the little girl was accused of smoking pot her response was "are you bourgeois??"
Sam (4.5★) · 289 likes
Two older adults who are discreetly in a parallel relationship with a younger man, both fulfilling themselves with dissimilar occupations yet use this man as a source to reclaim their youth and elation. It’s not exactly a film about desperation and pain but rather jealousy and spiritual obligations, emphasizing one's desire to feel accepted. Sunday Bloody Sunday showcases homosexual affection in a way I’ve rarely seen on film: normal. The screenplay doesn’t shift focuses unprecedentedly, utilize certain characters’ storylines over others, misrepresent sexuality and, mostly importantly, it doesn’t try to act “clever” or “witty” as much as it is authentic and truthful. Absolutely stunning.
zoë rose bryant (4★) · 272 likes
essential chaotic bisexual cinema
Hari Nef · 163 likes
funny, smart, and so sad–just like you, honey. a bobo dramedy of manners that, unlike all the others i can think of (and i love this genre!), feels wired and dangerous. a sensibly jagged straight lady for a sexy bi rake; a sexy bi rake for a smoothly sensible old queen. each to his own, and schlesinger doesn't skimp. money and intelligence emerge as lenses for one's pain, never as its antidote. everyone in this film is young or old or both; everyone in this film is absurd, and totally credible. i want to be like glenda jackson! really good
nick (3.5★) · 139 likes
This is groundbreakingly queer for its time, but hasn't aged well enough. I applaud the intimate depiction of an older-younger gay relationship, but this lacks the emotional impact of Midnight Cowboy which fully showcases director John Schlesinger's queer visions.
A bisexual man swings both sides with two lovers, but his work requires him to leave both behind. This is very 70s British arthouse drama with its unique aesthetics and style, characterized by delicate shots and witty frame compositions. I absolutely enjoyed watching softcore gay sex scenes from the beautiful, legendary Peter Finch, and he was believable as the elegant Jewish doctor who hides his homosexuality.