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Porridge

Porridge

Comedy · Crime · 1979

Times are hard for habitual guest of Her Majesty Norman Stanley Fletcher. The new prison officer, Beale, makes MacKay look soft and what's more, an escape plan is hatching from the cell of prison godfather Grouty and Fletcher wants no part of it.

Movie details

Porridge

“Fletcher's inside story - even funnier as a film”

1979 Comedy · Crime 1h 33m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

Times are hard for habitual guest of Her Majesty Norman Stanley Fletcher. The new prison officer, Beale, makes MacKay look soft and what's more, an escape plan is hatching from the cell of prison godfather Grouty and Fletcher wants no part of it.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Porridge?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Dick Clement

Written by

Ian La Frenais · Dick Clement

Ronnie Barker

Ronnie Barker

Norman Stanley Fletcher

Richard Beckinsale

Richard Beckinsale

Lennie Godber

Fulton Mackay

Fulton Mackay

Mr. Mackay

Brian Wilde

Brian Wilde

Mr. Barrowclough

Peter Vaughan

Peter Vaughan

Grouty

Julian Holloway

Julian Holloway

Mr. Bainbridge

Geoffrey Bayldon

Geoffrey Bayldon

Governor Treadaway

Court is in session

Put Porridge on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Cool Ironist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.