The Dig

"Nothing stays lost forever."

2021 1h 52m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 1,407

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

As WWII looms, a wealthy widow hires an amateur archaeologist to excavate the burial mounds on her estate. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes of Britain's past resonate in the face of its uncertain future‎.

“Nothing stays lost forever.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Carey Mulligan
Edith Pretty
Ralph Fiennes
Basil Brown
Lily James
Peggy Piggott
Johnny Flynn
Rory Lomax
Ben Chaplin
Stuart Piggott
Ken Stott
Charles Phillips
Archie Barnes
Robert Pretty
Monica Dolan
May Brown

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Simon Stone
Writers: Moira Buffini, Rachel Garlick
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

ERA

Did you know

Released 5 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CAST

Did you know

299+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Simon Stone, shot by Mike Eley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes and Lily James carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Nothing stays lost forever.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt3661210 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Simon Stone directs. Mike Eley behind the camera. Stefan Gregory scores. Jon Harris cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 5 years ago.
2299+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
3Directed by Simon Stone, shot by Mike Eley. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Stefan Gregory. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jon Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes and Lily James carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Nothing stays lost forever.".
8IMDB entry: tt3661210 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "based on novel or book", "excavation", "single parent", "based on true story".

The technical file

Cinematography: Mike Eley
Original score: Stefan Gregory
Editing: Jon Harris
Production design: Maria Djurkovic
Costume design: Alice Babidge
Makeup / hair: Louise Fisher
VFX supervisor: James Etherington-Sparks
Sound: Paul Carter
Stunt coordinator: Andy Bennett
Runtime: 112 min · 1h 52m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Dig (2021)

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Simon Stone

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2021-07-15
★ 7/10
Before watching this film, I had absolutely no idea who Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), or even Peggy Piggott (Lily James) were and what they did. As an engineer and a science enthusiast myself, I rarely struggle to find some sort of enjoyment in movies based on true stories about scientific discoveries, technological advancements, or impactful historical events. Therefore, despite a premise that doesn't immediately catch my attention, Simon Stone does a wonderful job in making this film quite interesting. Mike Eley's cinematography produces some of the most gorgeous shots of the year, transforming The Dig into a visually satisfying movie to look at. The main narrative focuses on the excavation itself and the findings of a shockingly old (Anglo-Saxon) ship, which turns out to be more captivating than I ever anticipated. However, the romantic subplot involving Peggy Piggott feels out-of-place and rather dull considering the objective of this film. It really hurts the overall pacing, dragging an otherwise well-balanced flick. Moira Buffini's already excellent screenplay is still elevated by the remarkable cast. Fiennes (Harry Potter) and Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) share a heartwarming chemistry that really suits their characters. Lily James (Rebecca) also demonstrates her impressive emotional range once again. Overall, I recommend it to any viewer who's interested in knowing more about the real-life story or who's simply a fan of this specific genre. Rating: B
Peter McGinn2021-08-05
★ 8/10
The Dig reminded me of another movie about archaeology and which was not only also based on a true story but also involved a woman’s contribution to that scientific field. That other movie was Ammonite, about a woman archaeologist in a time when women were more than rare in that field of endeavor. Unlike that character, however, Edith Pretty in The Dig does not do the work herself. Instead, her interest in archaeology and curiosity about the mounds on her property leads her to hire Basil Brown, a self-trained archaeologist, or “excavator,” as he refers to himself in the film. I enjoyed the movie despite —or perhaps even because of its relaxed pace and subdued action. If you are sleepy but decide to watch a movie instead, you may want to save this foils for a more alert viewing. As with most biopics and other films based on true events, changes have been made to spice up the telling. Apparently some of them occurred first in the novel it is based on. For example, because some sort of “bad guy” is required for most movies, the British Museum seems to be depicted in a slightly more adversarial role than what was the case. Also, because a romance didn’t occur between the main characters, a romance was invented between two of the supporting characters. And of course actress Carrie Mulligan was 20 years younger than Edith Pretty was at that time, but they do use makeup to age her somewhat. Changes like this are to be expected. The result is a movie that is both entertaining and, dare I say it, a little educational all at once.