Withnail and I (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Bruce RobinsonRelease Date(s)
1987 (November 26, 2025)Studio(s)
HandMade Films (Imprint Films/Via Vision Entertainment)- Film/Program Grade: A-
- Video Grade: C+
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: A-
Review
[Editor’s Note: The film and extras portions of this review were originally written by Dennis Seuling. The video and audio portions, as well as details about new extras, are written by Tim Salmons. This is also a Region-Free Australian Blu-ray import.]
Withnail and I takes place in London in 1969, the tail end of the Swinging Sixties. Centered on the unusual friendship between a bright, bitter, brash ne’er-do-well and his roommate, who also serves as narrator, it’s a semi-autobiographical tale about two struggling show-biz aspirants, an actor and a writer, trying to navigate the obstacles of daily living.
Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and Marwood (Paul McGann), the “I” of the title, share a squalid, freezing apartment in a seedy part of London. They pass the time waiting for their big break by boozing and doing drugs, mostly out of boredom. While the rest of London is enjoying a youthful renaissance, they remain mired in a depressing reality. Empty liquor bottles and piles of unwashed dishes litter their grimy kitchen, a visual metaphor for their grungy lives.
With no food, no drink, no heat, and little cash left, they decide that getting away from the city will be good for their souls and make off to the country cottage of Withnail’s eccentric Uncle Monty (Richard Griffiths). Once there, however, their illusions of peace and quiet, abundance, and warmth are dashed. The gracious cottage turns out to be a dilapidated dump, even worse than the flat they’ve escaped. They have to cope with hostile locals, mud, endless rain, an empty fireplace and an empty larder. A surly farmer grudgingly provides a dismaying bit of food. An angry bull terrorizes them, and eventually gay Uncle Monty shows up, bent on seducing Marwood.
Slow going at first, Withnail and I picks up considerably when the title characters get to the country. Until then, the film rambles as the two impoverished, frustrated roommates complain about not getting an audition and vilify casting agents and even their own agent for not coming up with job possibilities. Cynical but not yet without hope, they do their best to persevere in a highly competitive field.
Withnail’s condescending manner and quick temper constantly get in his way. He believes he’s too good to be an understudy and he’s terribly self-centered. His charisma nonetheless attracts the younger Marwood, who’s excited by Withnail’s flamboyant nose-thumbing at society. Withnail repeatedly betrays Marwood, seeming to use him as a foil for his mind games. Marwood is more an observer of Withnail’s excesses than a real friend. It’s as if he’s being given a tutorial in how to cope in life by the worst possible teacher.
Grant is excellent as the loopy Withnail, with his elaborate flourishes, grandiose pronouncements, and self-righteous attitudes serving as cover for his failings as an actor. He seems to have a superiority complex with little to back it up and, ultimately, he’s a sad failure mired in complaining that life hasn’t treated him as he deserves. Grant’s facial expressions ooze arrogance, entitlement, and disdain, and his extravagant body language is that of a popular celebrity, though the reality is far from that.
McGann’s “I,” by contrast, is clearly caught up in Withnail’s spell. An aspiring writer, he’s so consumed by Withnail’s larger-than-life personality that he never seems to exercise his craft. It ultimately becomes clear that Marwood would have a better shot if he distanced himself from Withnail. McGann lets us see this realization dawning slowly, and there are plenty of comic interludes along the way. McGann has a look of innocence, and in one scene, when he defends his virtue from a salacious Uncle Monty, his terror is hilarious as he’s cornered by the older man with a naughty twinkle in his eye.
Director Bruce Robinson is better at portraying a state of mind than recreating the era in which Withnail and I is set. The film is a kind of road trip in which Marwood comes to terms with his life, his relationship with Withnail, and his own future. Robinson never takes the viewer beyond Withnail’s and Marwood’s world, so the period is seldom clear. His dialogue is witty and many of the best lines are tossed off, making them all the funnier.
The film’s pace is slow by American comedy standards. Much of the humor is derived from character, which is fine, but there are few big laughs, and the film lacks the punch of other British comedies, such as The Ladykillers or The Lavender Hill Mob. The screenplay’s wit is sophisticated, perhaps overly so. Some streamlining and more funny moments would have improved the film.
Withnail and I was shot by cinematographer Peter Hannan on 35mm film with spherical lenses, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Imprint Films brings the film to Blu-ray, encoded to a dual-layered BD-50 disc. It’s a much older HD master than the recent restoration featured on Arrow Video’s and The Criterion Collection’s recent 4K Ultra HD releases. Soft with very little grain and obvious instability, it’s a far cry from a modern scan of the original elements. However, the bitrate sits in the 30 to 40Mbps range most of the time with good saturation and decent contrast. It’s by no means poor or unwatchable, but compared to what’s readily available elsewhere in much higher quality, it’s definitely a step back.
Audio is included in English 2.0 LPCM with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s worth noting that the Arrow UHD release featured audio in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, while The Criterion Collection UHD release contains a single-channel English mono LPCM track. Imprint’s split-container track serves the needs of the film’s sound design well. Dialogue is obviously the main attraction, and it’s clear and discernible at all times, but there are also many ambient textures to be had, including the bustling sounds of London, the echoing interiors of the London flat, and the surrounding environment of the country cottage. Music is used sparsely but effectively with plenty of fidelity, and the overall track is clean. It’s a bit on the narrow side, but it makes for a perfectly fine mono experience.
The Imprint Films Blu-ray release of Withnail and I (#508) sits in a clear Amaray case with a double-sided insert that features a production still with the title on the front and a still from a scene in the film on the inner sleeve. Everything is housed in a slipcase featuring the original theatrical artwork. The following extras are included:
- Audio Commentary with Ralph Brown and Paul McGann
- Audio Commentary with Bruce Robinson
- HandMade Films & I (Upscaled SD – 14:55)
- Postcards from Penrith (Upscaled SD – 21:46)
- Withnail and Us (Upscaled SD – 25:51)
- The Withnail and I Drinking Game (HD – 15:34)
- The Withnail and I Swearathon (HD – 1:15)
- Trailers from Hell: Withnail and I – Featuring Josh Olson (HD – 1:36)
Audio Commentary #1 – Recorded in 2001 for Criterion’s original DVD release, actors Ralph Brown and Paul McGann give a shout-out to the production designer for giving the apartment shared by the two central characters such a squalid look. They note that, for the characters, “reality is not a place you want to spend 24 hours a day.” They expound on the characters they play and how the dialogue perfectly conveys personality. They talk about how Bruce Robinson got actors into the mood of a scene. Lighting was mostly natural and avoided extravagant or glamourous touches. They single out scenes that presented difficulties and talk about how the problems were solved. McGann was cast because he had been in a notable TV show the year before, and was told he had the part without auditioning. The death of Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison were metaphors that signaled the end of the Swinging Sixties. The conclusion of the film has a bittersweet, melancholy feel when Withnail and Marwood part. Marwood is entering a new path in life.
Audio Commentary #2 – In this commentary, recorded in 2020 for an Esquire UK live stream “watch-along” featuring director Bruce Robinson, he discusses Withnail and I and answers questions from viewers.
HandMade Films & I – In this vintage interview with director Bruce Robinson, he speaks about the state of HandMade Films at the time he brought them the material, dealing with producer Denis O’Brien who disapproved of the film’s script, getting some much-needed advice from his co-producer the night before shooting, worrying about whether or not the actors realized that their characters were meant to be funny, having a fear of animals and a recurring dream about them, paying for the shooting of a scene by taking money from his directing fee, firing the initial publicists on the film, and being thrilled when it got in front of the right audience.
Postcards from Penrith – This featurette celebrates the 20th anniversary of Withnail and I by revisiting the filming locations with documentarians Richard Sparks and Mark O’Connell.
Withnail and Us – This 1999 documentary, directed by Yvonne Gordon for the UK’s Channel 4, features Bruce Robinson and a number of his collaborators, including producer Paul Heller, casting director Mary Selway, and actors Ralph Brown, Richard E. Grant, and Paul McGann. They speak of a “misshapen holiday in the country.” The film takes place over two or three weeks but getting it made took two to three years. Robinson’s early years are discussed, and excerpts from black and white home movies are shown. Withnail is described by Grant as “lying, mendacious, cowardly, prancing, posing, and an utterly charming old darling.” Robinson speaks about the real person who forms the basis of the Withnail character.
The Withnail and I Drinking Game – “Resting actor” Peter McNamara discusses the origins of the project while humorously taking us through the title’s namesake activity.
The Withnail and I Swearathon – McNamara returns to introduce a compilation of every swear uttered in the film.
Trailers from Hell – Screenwriter and podcaster Josh Olson provides commentary for the film’s trailer.
There are also a number of missing extras from previous DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD releases of the film. The Anchor Bay 20th Anniversary Edition Region 2 DVD release also features a CD soundtrack. The Koch Media Region B Blu-ray release features The HandMade Story documentary, the teaser trailer, and the German theatrical trailer. The Arrow Video Region-Free Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD releases feature an audio commentary with BFI Modern Classic author Kevin Jackson; The Peculiar Memories of Bruce Robinson, I Demand to Have Some Booze!, and Withnail on the Pier documentaries; An Appreciation by Sam Bain; and an interview with production designer Michael Pickwoad. The Criterion Collection 4K Ultra HD release features a 2025 interview with Bruce Robinson and Richard E. Grant, a 2017 British Institute Q&A with Robinson and Grant by Justin Johnson, a stills gallery, and the film’s trailer.
Once it hits its stride, Withnail and I is an entertaining look at a couple of dissipated guys trying to rejuvenate themselves with some time in the country. Grant and McGann have good screen chemistry and work well together. There’s greater subtlety and the pace is more deliberate than in most American films, with a different kind of comic sensibility. Whether you’re seeing the film on Blu-ray or 4K Ultra HD, Withnail and I is always worth a look.
- Dennis Seuling w/Tim Salmons
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