By Matthew Moorcroft

Solid Recommendation

• Directed by Ken Loach
• Starring Dave Turner, Elba Mari, Claire Rodgersen, Trevor Fox
• Not Rated

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Another year, another Ken Loach film, which nowadays feels more like a part of existence then any kind of big celebratory event. Don’t get me wrong – the populist director, whose is essentially the left-leaning answer to Clint Eastwood in how he appeals mainly to your dad and your dad’s dad, has put out reliably good, even great fare, into his later years. And with the rise of Brexit and other far-right groups springing up in Europe and Britain over the years, Loach has a new righteous fury, one that will not be quenched unless the right thing is done, however unlikely that is.

This has taken a variety of different forms, most effectively in the excellent I, Daniel Blake which skewered the medical system and insurance programs in his home country, but it’s always taken the form of smaller scale, intimate dramas with a limited cast of characters that feel humanistic and empathic. The Old Oak, rumored to be Loach’s final work before retirement, is the same way, tackling a specific social issue and running with it as the backbone of a story about redemption, community, and literally everything else that Loach is known for.

For better or worse, you’ve already seen The Old Oak if you’ve seen a Loach film already. It doesn’t try to reinvent the mold, nor does try to add anything substantial to his themes and ideas. It’s instead comfortable being another installment in his ever reliable filmography, and for that, it works. It’s even got a pub centerpiece as it’s main place which is already something that has shown up in other works by the director multiple times. This time though, it’s got racists!

Which shouldn’t be surprising either. It’s about time that Loach tackled Brexit and the sentiments surrounding that head on, and while it’s never referred to in the film anybody with any knowledge of the UK’s current climate will immediately see the parallels. The refugees come, they enter the bar as friendly guests but are immediately rebuffed by old patrons who want “their” bar to stay the same the way “they” want it. It’s not subtle in the slightest, and Loach’s signature bluntness is on full display for the eyes and ears. For those that want any kind of subtlety in their cinema, look elsewhere.

But why are you seeing a Loach film in that case? The answer is likely either you already agree with him, which in that case Loach will make you nod your head in agreement throughout it’s runtime, or that you want him for his character dynamics and engaging storytelling, which is a bit on the weaker side this around unfournately. Dave Turner plays a compelling lead for sure, with his working class ethos and demeanor placing him right at home with the many other protagonists of his career, but the cast he surrounds himself with aren’t immediately interesting or engaging outside of a couple. It’s an issue that permeates the entire film, and when Turner isn’t on screen (which is thankfully very little) it almost crawls to a stop.

Maybe this is exactly what Loach was intending, though. No film lives in a vacuum, and it’s very possible (and highly likely) that he wanted us to get a final good look at his ethos, which is solidarity in the face of hate and oppression. The hopeful final images are a far cry from the bleaker output of his past several features, and the way the film lingers on them for so long even into the end credits posits that this is the real message of Ken Loach – that in the end, we are going to be alright. We got this. We just need time.

And if so, that’s a good final message, even if it’s not going to win over non-Loach fans. The TV movie like nature of the production wears thin here a bit, and it’s nowhere near his most interesting character or theme wise. But as a coda to a career that’s storied and important, it’s very likely a good stopping point. Let’s just hope it can reach more then just the same group of people this time, however.