Blinded by the Light

"For anyone who has ever wanted to dream. You're not alone."

2019 1h 57m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 627

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1987, during the austere days of Thatcher’s Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family, and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.

“For anyone who has ever wanted to dream. You're not alone.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Viveik Kalra
Javed
Nell Williams
Eliza
Hayley Atwell
Ms Clay
Kulvinder Ghir
Malik
Aaron Phagura
Roops
Dean-Charles Chapman
Matt
Meera Ganatra
Noor
Nikita Mehta
Shazia

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writers: Gurinder Chadha, Sarfraz Manzoor, Paul Mayeda Berges
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

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 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gurinder Chadha, shot by Ben Smithard. 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 A.R. Rahman. 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 Justin Krish 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

Viveik Kalra and Nell Williams and Hayley Atwell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "For anyone who has ever wanted to dream. You're not alone.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt8266310 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gurinder Chadha directs. Ben Smithard behind the camera. A.R. Rahman scores. Justin Krish cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 7 years ago.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Gurinder Chadha, shot by Ben Smithard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by A.R. Rahman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Justin Krish shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Viveik Kalra and Nell Williams and Hayley Atwell carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "For anyone who has ever wanted to dream. You're not alone.".
8IMDB entry: tt8266310 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ben Smithard
Original score: A.R. Rahman
Editing: Justin Krish
Production design: Nick Ellis
Costume design: Annie Hardinge
Makeup / hair: JoJo Williams
Sound: Adam Scrivener
Stunt coordinator: Abbi Collins
Runtime: 117 min · 1h 57m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $8,300,000
Box office: $18,144,644
Return: 219% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Blinded by the Light (2019)

Also by

Gurinder Chadha

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Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2019-06-10
★ 5/10
Perhaps it was the “I feel like I’ve seen this before” factor, but ‘Blinded By The Light’ just didn’t resonate. It lacked the humour, the heart and the finesse of Chadha’s previous films, and therefore it falls short. - Jess Fenton Read Jess' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-blinded-by-the-light-the-spiritual-sequel-to-bend-it-like-beckham Head to https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/sff for more Sydney Film Festival reviews.
musty_reviews2019-07-17
★ 10/10
The importance of representation isn't to speak exclusively to one crowd but to demonstrate that deep down, we all deal with the same issues and problems, regardless of ability, race, gender, religion or any of the other attributes that are used to divide us. This movie isn't just about a young boy discovering his identity as a British Pakistani Muslim, it goes beyond that and depicts a coming of age struggle between parent and child. Springsteen's soundtrack works as a baseline around Javid's transition from boy to man, through the pursuit of him achieving his dream, which beautifully represents mid 80's Britain as this bleak and hopeless space that is being held together with prayers and dreams of better tomorrows. My favourite part is the moment Springsteen's music is introduced, mirroring a similar reaction to mine, at a similar age to an unknown band, The Airborne Toxic Event, who were also greatly inspired by The Boss. <span style="background-color: black"> Lyrics flash on screen while a storm brews outside, energy radiates from the screen while I'm on Fire rings in your ears. </span> The magic of Cinema never felt more alive to me than it did in those few brief minutes. The final 30 minutes of the movie had me physically crying, an honour held by a select few, the most touching aspects were in relation to the cultural heritage of the characters and felt very close to home. Overall, this movie hits the spot if you're looking for a feelgood film to break up the week but please don't miss the opportunity to watch this in the cinema where you can truly experience the movie at its best.
CinemaSerf2024-05-29
★ 7/10
A gentle, funny, story about a lad whose outlook on life is totally transformed after his pal introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. Viveik Kalra is on engaging form as the young "Javed" as is Dean-Charles Chapman as his aggrieved mate "Matt" and the music serves as a memorable narrative for a coming-of-age tale set against a backdrop of racism, bigotry, hormones and angst. It reminded me of late 80's Britain when you did actually have to queue up in one of the many (now long gone) record stores to get your tickets for a concert - sometimes at 00:01 in the morning. Look out for "Peggy Carter" as his teacher.