Outsider culture is difficult to define, primarily because what it means to be one has changed drastically over time and across cultures; the rebels of yesteryear can become the normies of today, and vice versa. Filmmakers like John Waters, David Lynch, and Gregg Araki may have become more recognized and revered throughout their careers. Still, it does not diminish the fact that they got that respect through pushing boundaries and bringing a unique voice that spoke to those on the outside of the mainstream.
One movie that remains a celebration of outsiders is a 1980s cult comedy that is just as poignant and entertaining today as it was on release: Withnail & I.
‘Withnail & I’ Is the Definitive Dark British Comedy
Two struggling actors, the narrator known simply as “I” (Paul McGann) and his neurotic, alcoholic roommate Withnail (Richard E. Grant), are living in squalor, with no money left for food or drink. Tired of their bleak existence due to poverty and consistent failure to land roles, they scheme to leech off of Withnail’s eccentric “Uncle Monty” (Richard Griffiths) to spend some time in his countryside cottage for free food, booze, and a getaway from the city. Yet, when the two arrive, they find themselves lost in what to do, leading to one of the film’s infamous lines: “I’ve gone on holiday by mistake” while begging for food from locals after realizing they don’t know how to even make a meal without city amenities.
We’ve got to get out of this place. It’s too violent, it’s too full of dreary people, it’s too… too… toxic.
Withnail & I was written and directed by Bruce Robinson, with the original intent to write a novel based on his own experiences as a struggling actor, only to transition it into his first feature film. While still active in the industry today, primarily as a writer, Robinson has amassed a small but admirable body of work, including the vastly underrated dark comedy How to Get Ahead in Advertising and the now infamous Johnny Depp-led The Rum Diary. On release, the film was met with a disappointing box office, with its bleak humor and eccentric characters seemingly not connecting with audiences. However, with time, word of mouth, and critical reappraisals, the film is now often considered to be one of the greatest British comedies of all time.
‘Withnail & I’ Endures as It Speaks to Outsiders Everywhere
Feeling financial pressure in an uncertain world? The desire to become a greater and more popular version of oneself? Or, that nagging urge to escape through material goods? Society constantly highlights the divide between those who have wealth and those who don’t, tempting the latter with images of luxuries just out of reach. This tension is where outsider or counterculture perspectives emerge; some strive to conform to climb, while others insist on achieving success on their own terms. Withnail & I embodies this spirit of the latter. Though both characters seek fame, their very existence and actions reflect a stance outside the kind of conventional glory they desire.
The times are indeed changing — alcohol isn’t as glorified, most seek fame through social media rather than the stage or screen, and escapism takes many forms — but the film’s themes remain universal. Withnail and the narrator may be products of their time, but their refusal to fit neatly into societal expectations, their awkwardness, and the dark humor audiences can draw from their experiences continue to speak to anyone who feels like an outsider looking in. Withnail & I doesn’t just depict struggling actors, it captures the enduring spirit of those who live on the margins and who can laugh bitterly at a world that doesn’t welcome them.
I have some extremely distressing news. We’ve just run out of wine; what are we going to do about it?
When they storm uninvited into a restaurant demanding, “We want the finest wines available to humanity. We want them here, and we want them now,” the humor comes from the clash between their drunken bravado and how absurd it appears to the sober. It’s a hilariously improper moment, highlighting how the pair’s chaos clashes with the veneer of civilized British society in the countryside. Yet even beyond the drunken antics and appeal to outsider culture, Withnail & I remains widely accessible.
‘Withnail & I’ Is a Must-Watch Comedy
For those who just want a stand-out memorable comedy, the film delivers with a few caveats where Withnail and I feels dated; Uncle Monty is quite the unsavory caricature of a sex pest. Still, the majority of the humor and one-liners remain uproarious and the neurosis of both Withnail and the narrator, will still resonate with those who are more socially conscious in this modern day and age. Notably, the duo’s desire for grandiosity and theatrical announcements will speak to those who like running internal monologs after the fact; don’t worry, there are a lot of us out there. Withnail & I remains best viewed from the perspective of looking in from the outside, but it is by no means pandering or so laser focused that it alienates its audience.
Withnail & I endures through an unflinching honesty about life on the margins that can be enjoyed as being relatable or as a portrait of two eccentric characters navigating a world they see as cruel and unkind. Its humor, dark but poignant, can resonate with viewers today as much today as it did in the 1980s; being an outsider is not always just a phase. Perhaps more importantly, Withnail & I show that we can laugh at shortcomings whether we overcome them or find ourselves lost in them.
You can Stream Withnail & I on The Criterion Channel or HBO Max.
- Release Date
-
June 19, 1987
- Runtime
-
107 Minutes
- Director
-
Bruce Robinson
- Writers
-
Bruce Robinson