SummaryA thriller set in London's secret underworld, where everything is for sale. A young man (Ejiofor) and a Turkish chambermaid (Tautou) both work at the same West London hotel -- a breeding ground for illegal activity. They are put to the test when the man makes a shocking discovery late one night. (Miramax Films)
Directed By:Stephen Frears
Written By:Steven Knight
Dirty Pretty Things
Metascore
Generally Favorable
78
User score
Generally Favorable
7.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
78
89% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
11% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
It's best appraised as a strong ensemble piece, a darkly dreamy slab of social commentary and definitely one of the year's best films.
90
One of the year's best films.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.1
70% Positive
28 Ratings
28 Ratings
28% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
3% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Jan 30, 2025
10
Gritty, real, amazing raw acting and raw setting. The real poverty and desperation and survival in this story.
Mar 4, 2016
8
Dirty Pretty Things is a stirring and moving portrayal of immigrants and how they can be exploited in their new nations. An at times tragic film, Dirty Pretty Things really elicits feelings of pathos quite often and also really manages to step on the gas at times with some incredibly thrilling sequences. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou are both fantastic here and have adorable chemistry together. Their performances really make this film here, though the writing from Steven Knight and direction from Stephen Frears are both incredibly strong. On the whole, Dirty Pretty Things is a realistic and authentic look at immigrants and the struggles they face, which will truly move you and give you incredible amounts of sympathy for those facing these struggles in real life. A well made and well acted film, Dirty Pretty Things is both incredibly dramatic and thrilling and is a winner.
88
It's an exciting but brainy, cross-cultural thriller about modern London and life in a contemporary urban pressure cooker, and it depends more on plot, character and atmosphere than it does on chases and gunfire.
80
The whole movie is like that: gleaming, but with a whiff of the charnel house. Dirty Pretty Things doesn't quite cut to the bone, but it gets as far as a couple of vital organs.
75
Fueled by gripping suspense, dark humor and outraged humanity, the film is a modern horror story that means to shake you, and does.
67
A fascinating sight to behold.
40
Essentially a TV movie souped up by the divinely skittish cinematography of Chris Menges, the film suffers from a screenplay full of labored attempts at wit by Steven Knight, and characters who barely make it off the page alive.
Aug 11, 2016
5
*tries to climb through a window and escape so I don't have to do this review.* Ugh. It's hard giving a movie a bad review. Especially when said movie contains a gallery of individuals that you unconditionally respect. Stephen Frears, Steven Knight, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou - all are filmmakers, artists, and performers that I have incredible admiration for. But, the simple fact remains; I just couldn't get into "Dirty Pretty Things." It might've been the disjointed pacing, the generally ugly atmosphere and tone, the occasional stilted performance (Sorry, Audrey), or maybe a combination of all three. But it still just felt like there was some critical, interesting element missing from this film. Maybe it's just because I'm not British.
Production Company:
- BBC Film
- Celador Films
- Jonescompany Productions
Release Date:Jul 18, 2003
Duration:1 h 37 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Some things are too dangerous to keep secret.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
British Independent Film Awards
• 4 Wins & 7 Nominations
European Film Awards
• 6 Nominations
