Anyone that knows our team knows that Caysie is the resident film nerd, and a fierce supporter of Cumbrian arts!
With her last day with us approaching, we’d like to leave you with her most Cumbrian contribution to our blog yet: Cumbrian films to watch for classic Cumbrian rainy days!
Each film in this list is either filmed or made in Cumbria, stars a Cumbrian cast, or was produced by a Cumbrian crew. This list spans genres, mediums, shorts and features, and is guaranteed to have something for everyone, including free-to-watch films!
Mr. Brittlebones – “A Face for Sore Eyes”
“In the West End of a gloomy countryside beneath No.269 Epsilon Plot, there lives a skeleton, known as Mr. Brittlebones – One day, while in search for a new visage, he visits the friendly old Mrs. Pippet, owner of her famous Façade Shop. Together they work to discover what will make a truly impressionable appearance for the gentlemanly skeleton, but will it all be as simple as they think?”
This warm, animated adventure was produced and performed by Milosh Hughes, a graduate of the University of Cumbria based in Carlisle.
An actor, director, producer, and spiky-hair-extraordinaire, his name will feature a few times throughout this list!
You can stream Mr. Brittlebones for free here.
Bootstraps
Another from Milosh Hughes, this three-minute short is equally as eerie as it is stylish, assistant directed by award-winning Cumbrian writer-director Stuart Armstrong, also featured in this list alongside crew Olivia Buchanan and Chris Armstrong.
You can stream Bootstraps here.
The Shadow of Eden Island
Hughes’ latest short, the Shadow of Eden Island, follows River (Waspie Lambert) as they explore an island that, for all extents and purposes, does not exist.
“Arriving in Eden Bay, River discovers the legend of enigmatic disappearances tied to a strange island beyond the fog. But how can they see an island they’re told doesn’t exist? The longer they stay, the more suspicious the local groundskeeper grows of River’s own secretive personality.”
You can stream The Shadow of Eden Island here.
Between the Lights
What better time to watch a Christmas film than now? Whether it’s Christmas or not!
Between the Lights is as much a Christmas film as Die Hard, so don’t be fooled by its festive setting! Though, the scenes of Keswick’s Christmas lights are stunning, and you can even spot our office in a few scenes!
“When skeptical scientist Alice falls for reluctant medium Jay, she’s taken on an odyssey of love, loss and discovery that will turn her world upside down.”
Between the Lights is available to stream for free on Amazon Prime.
Orlok: Uberbringer Der Pest
A reanimated postman is recruited to deliver post by the formidable Count Orlok.
Directed by Whitehaven marra Jack Payne, Orlok has swept festivals, picking up a coveted prize at the Keswick Film Festival, as well as other laurels. A truly stylised horror/thriller, it features local talent including Olivia Buchanan, Milosh Hughes, Sunny Woodend (also starring in the upcoming Leavers Day) and Tom Cunningham.
Meat Raffle
Terrified he’s turned his son queer, a closeted dad plots to rig his local pub’s Christmas turkey draw to prove what it means to be a real man.
Praised by Sir Ian McKellan, Meat Raffle is a queer black comedy, directed by award-winning writer-director, Stuart Armstrong. It is set almost entirely in the Sportsman Inn in Carlisle, and features local cast and crew.
The BAFTA-qualifying, Iris Award-nominated short is available to stream on Channel 4.
The Lake District has always attracted storytellers. Long before Instagram was filled with drone footage of Catbells and Derwentwater, filmmakers recognised that there was something cinematic about Cumbria. Whether it’s the backdrop for a horror, action, thriller, or romance, the vast expanses of the Lakes lends itself to impossibility.
If you’ve worked your way through the local films above and still fancy a Cumbrian film night, there are plenty of bigger productions worth revisiting too. Withnail and I (Dir. Bruce Robinson, starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann) remains a cult classic, with some of its most memorable scenes filmed around Penrith and Shap. Miss Potter (Dir. Chris Noonan, starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor) captures the landscapes that inspired Beatrix Potter, while Swallows and Amazons (Dir. Philippa Lowthorpe, starring Kelly Macdonald, Rafe Spall and the formidable Andrew Scott) makes the most of the lakes and fells that generations of visitors have fallen in love with.
For something a little darker, there’s 28 Days Later (Dir. Danny Boyle, starring Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson), which includes scenes shot around Ennerdale, and Sightseers (Dir. Ben Wheatley, starring Alice Lowe and Steve Oram), which takes a wonderfully twisted road trip through parts of Cumbria. Fans of period drama can revisit The French Lieutenant’s Woman (Dir. Karel Reisz, starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons), while anyone looking for a family favourite can always return to Paddington 2 (Dir. Paul King, starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Hugh Grant), which features scenes filmed on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.
Whether it’s a three-minute short filmed by a group of friends in Carlisle, a festival-winning horror made in Whitehaven, or a Hollywood production, we’re always up for championing Cumbria’s arts scene.
So, next time the rain starts hammering against the windows and the fells disappear into the clouds, stick something local on.
You might just discover your new favourite film.
For more film and television news, interviews, and features, from Cumbria and beyond, check out Take Five.
