I'm in a park and I'm practically dead; what good's the countryside?
Big things are happening for film lovers in Shropshire! Four of the county’s most exciting independent cinemas - Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Old Market Hall, Wellington Orbit, and Wem Town Hall have come together to form the Shropshire Independent Cinemas group. And to kick things off in style, they’re launching the very first Rural Remix Festival in July 2025.
But this isn’t just any film festival; it’s powered by fresh ideas and young voices!
The Shropshire Young Curators, a team of up-and-coming cinema enthusiasts, were given one mission: choose a film that captures the essence of rural life, wild landscapes, and stories that will resonate with local audiences. Their pick? The cult classic Withnail and I - but with a twist. Expect a screening like no other, packed with surprises that will make this an unforgettable night at the movies!
Withnail and I is screening at the Rural Remix 11-13 July - get ready to experience the countryside on screen like never before. Read on for the lowdown on why they chose the film and how it inspired them.
Blog written by James, Joe, Luke & Tom
When we first sat down to watch Withnail and I, we didn’t know what to expect. The film is strange, darkly comedic, and utterly unique. It’s got a cult following for a reason, and after watching it, it’s safe to say we were all hooked. But what really struck us, especially with the landscape-focused nature of this year's Rural Remix Festival, is how well it captures the isolation, beauty, and strangeness of rural life. It’s not just a film about two out-of-work actors stumbling through life in the countryside; it’s about the environment that surrounds them, and how that landscape feeds into the film’s deeper themes.
Withnail and I is a 1987 British film directed by Bruce Robinson. Set in the late 1960s, it follows two unemployed actors, Withnail (played by Richard E. Grant) and the unnamed I (Paul McGann), as they swap their grim London flat for the countryside for a supposed "holiday." What follows is a hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking look at their dismal retreat in a dilapidated cottage. As the film progresses, the landscape becomes a character in its own right, a reflection of the harshness and absurdity of their lives.
The film is a portrait of these two characters, both running away from the realities of their lives, and yet the rural setting seems to hold a mirror up to their flaws and failures. The countryside in Withnail and I isn't the picturesque, romantic landscape you might expect from a traditional British film. Instead, it’s an unforgiving, almost hostile place that constantly challenges the characters. From the cold, damp cottage to the overgrown fields and barren roads, the environment feels more like a test than a sanctuary. This contrast between the urban chaos of London and the bleak, rural landscape is crucial to understanding the characters' emotional states. It’s the backdrop for their unravelling, where the outside world seems as lost and disconnected as they feel inside.
What’s really fascinating is how this setting mirrors the larger themes of escape and identity. Withnail and I both use the rural escape to distance themselves from the grind of everyday life, but they soon realise that nature doesn’t offer the refuge they imagined. The harshness of the landscape – the wind, the mud and “oomska”, the relentless cold seems to reinforce the idea that they’re not actually escaping from anything; they’re simply running to a different form of discomfort. It's almost like the countryside is a force of nature that refuses to let them hide from their own personal failures.
We chose to include Withnail and I as part of the Rural Remix because, beyond the comedy and tragedy, it’s a film about confronting the way landscapes shape our lives. It challenges the idea that the countryside is an idyllic retreat from city life and instead portrays it as a wild, unpredictable space that mirrors the internal landscapes of the characters. As young people with a deep love for cinema, we find it fascinating how the rural setting becomes a metaphor for the characters' internal chaos, something a lot of people can relate to. Plus, it’s just so well-made, with sharp dialogue and incredible performances! It’s not a film you forget easily.
Withnail and I is more than just a quirky British comedy; it’s a brilliant exploration of how rural landscapes can reflect our inner worlds. It’s about isolation, disillusionment, and the crushing realisation that you can’t escape yourself, no matter where you go. Whether you’re in the city or the countryside, the journey is always within. And that’s why it fits so well into this year’s festival. It’s a film that uses the natural world to explore human nature, and it does so in a way that’s darkly funny, painfully true, and undeniably memorable.
Shropshire Independent Cinema is supported by Film Hub Midlands via the Film Audience Network, with support from BFI using funds from the National Lottery.