On Chesil Beach

"A different time. A different love."

2018 1h 50m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 398

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1962 England, a young couple finds their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.

“A different time. A different love.”

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Cast

Saoirse Ronan
Florence Ponting
Billy Howle
Edward Mayhew
Anne-Marie Duff
Marjorie Mayhew
Adrian Scarborough
Lionel Mayhew
Emily Watson
Violet Ponting
Samuel West
Geoffrey Ponting
Andy Burse
Waiter One
Rasmus Hardiker
Waiter Two

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Dominic Cooke
Writers: Ian McEwan
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Dominic Cooke, shot by Sean Bobbitt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dan Jones. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nick Fenton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle and Anne-Marie Duff carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A different time. A different love.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dominic Cooke directs. Sean Bobbitt behind the camera. Dan Jones scores. Nick Fenton cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.
3Released 8 years ago.
4Directed by Dominic Cooke, shot by Sean Bobbitt. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Dan Jones. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Nick Fenton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle and Anne-Marie Duff carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A different time. A different love.".
9IMDB entry: tt1667321 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "sexual abuse", "based on novel or book", "frigidity", "honeymoon".
11Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt
Original score: Dan Jones
Editing: Nick Fenton
Production design: Suzie Davies
Costume design: Keith Madden
Makeup / hair: Karen Hartley-Thomas
VFX supervisor: Sheila Wickens
Sound: Robert Farr
Stunt coordinator: Tony Lucken
Runtime: 110 min · 1h 50m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $745,971
Box office: $3,335,913
Return: 447% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: On Chesil Beach (2018)

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Dominic Cooke

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What people are saying

wizzardss2021-02-17
★ 7/10
While the 1960s were seen as a period of sexual revolution, it is easy to forget that - like today - not everyone follows the same path. On Chesil Beach follows two virgins, Florence (Saoirse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle), as they try to consummate their marriage on their wedding night. Interspersed with flashbacks of how the couple met and their relationship developed, it becomes clear that Florence and Edward have very different reactions to the experience. As a deep dive into sexuality, especially asexuality, On Chesil Beach is a fascinating piece of work. It is likely to be much more reflective of the 1960s than media that portrays an era of hippies, drugs and promiscuity. This remains a generation recovering from the effects of war and still very much under the influence of their parents' reservations. Unfortunately, in some ways, the film is also held back by those same reservations. Florence is shown as both extremely innocent and naïve, but with a hunger and desire to achieve her professional goals, while Edward is more of the free-spirit and happy to appease his wife, but with occasional signs of a wicked temper. The film gets caught up with backstory, trying to hammer those points home, to the detriment of exploring the present day. It is with great credit that the two leads are able to convey a sense of humanity. Saoirse Ronan, especially, is able to escape the ponderous nature of her character's personality to deliver a performance that is brutally honest and relatable, while Billy Howle is able to add enough empathy to avoid the obvious trap of being portrayed as the villain in what is otherwise a tragic story. Despite occasionally bordering on tedium as a form of entertainment, On Chesil Beach is essential sexual education viewing.

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