Menu
© 2026 The Couch Critic
Browse 47 movies from National Theatre
After years in the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, James becomes a sponsor to newcomer Luka. The pair bond over black coffee, trade stories and build a fragile friendship out of their shared experiences. But as Luka approaches step five – the moment of confession – dangerous truths emerge, threatening the trust on which both of their recoveries depend.
Nov 2025
Forced to travel West in search of a promised land, the Joad family embark on an epic journey across America in the hope of finding work and a new life in California. Their story is one of false hopes, wrong turns and broken dreams, but also a hymn to human kindness and a tribute to the endurance of the human spirit. Filmed live at the National Theatre, Carrie Cracknell (Julie, The Deep Blue Sea) directs Frank Galati’s award-winning adaptation of John Steinbeck’s masterpiece.
Dec 2024
Pegeen Flaherty’s life is turned upside down when a young man walks into her pub claiming that he’s killed his father. Instead of being shunned, the killer becomes a local hero and begins to win hearts, that is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene...
May 2026
Jazz, Broadway and the Great Depression. In 1930s New York City, international financier Gregor Antonescu's luck has finally run out. As news of a catastrophic business deal ripples across the world, he flees to the apartment of his estranged son Basil. Truths are uncovered and relationships are tested as Gregor gets down to business, to save his reputation and keep his empire from collapse. In his National Theatre debut, director Anthony Lau brings a sharp, contemporary edge to Terence Rattigan's tale of paternity and corruption, with Ben Daniels and Laurie Kynaston playing father and son. Filmed live the Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre in London, UK.
The story of an unruly class of bright, funny history students at a Yorkshire grammar school in pursuit of an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. Bounced between their maverick English master, a young and shrewd teacher hired to up their test scores, a grossly out-numbered history teacher, and a headmaster obsessed with results, the boys attempt to pass.
Oct 2006
From Boris Karloff to Mel Brooks - Frankenstein has fired the imagination of generations of artists who have created their own interpretation of this Gothic masterpiece. Frankenstein: A Modern Myth looks at some of these depictions, including Danny Boyle's sell-out hit at the National Theatre. The film has exclusive access to rehearsals and interviews with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller - who alternate the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature - and with Danny Boyle. It also features cult film director John Waters: "I'm sympathetic to monsters, and this was the first one I came across as a child".
Oct 2012
Summer 1984. The UK is in turmoil. With Thatcher battling to dismantle the coal industry, and a lethal pandemic on the rise, 24-year-old activist Mark Ashton founds an unlikely new alliance with the pit communities of South Wales: Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. Funny, fierce and filled with joy, what follows is the incredible true story of two disparate communities joining forces – and making history. This brand-new musical unites Matthew Warchus and Stephen Beresford, director and writer of the hit film Pride, with composers Christopher Nightingale, Josh Cohen, and DJ Walde. Together they share the inspiring story of these real-life events, featuring original songs inspired by protest anthems, pop, rock, disco and the Welsh choral tradition.
Nov 2026
When a young mother speaks out against the Taliban, she and her husband are forced to flee their home and country with their three sons. Embarking on a long and terrifying journey across Russia and through Europe, they seek final refuge in the UK. But, as their eldest son’s life-threatening heart condition worsens and requires urgent surgery, their escape soon becomes a race against time. Amit Sharma directs this widely acclaimed stage version of The Boy with Two Hearts (BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week). Based on extraordinary real-life experiences, it is a powerful story of hope, courage, and humanity – and a heartfelt tribute to the NHS.
Oct 2021
Fierce and unstoppable, they are a chorus of wild energy ready to shake Thebes to its core — and liberate its women. But their god Dionysos has his own reckoning. In a showdown with his cousin, King Pentheus, family loyalty, political power and human desire are pushed to breaking point.
Sep 2025
It's a hot, beautiful summer in 1905, and Russia's elite retreat to the countryside to swim, sip champagne and start affairs. When they're having this much fun, why care about anything else? But Varvara just can't shake the feeling that their holiday idyll is built on borrowed time. As the party continues, how long can they ignore the storm on the horizon? Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky's Edge) directs Maxim Gorky's razor-sharp portrait of class, privilege and denial, revived for 2026 in a new adaptation from Nina Raine (Consent) and Moses Raine (Donkey Heart).
Jul 2026
An ambitious Michelin-Star chef, Queenie is used to having the last word. But when her children notice gaps in her memory and her grip on reality loosening, they are faced with an impossible choice. As Raj, Gopal and Kamala battle to reconcile their life-long duty to their mother, the ramifications of their decision take on a heartbreaking permanence.
Jul 2025
Being sensible can be excessively boring. At least Jack thinks so. While assuming the role of dutiful guardian in the country, he lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy takes on a similar facade. Unfortunately, living a double life has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to love. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.
Feb 2025
Autumn, 2006. The everyday life of the Suffolk town of Ipswich is shattered by the discovery of the bodies of five women. The occupant of No. 79 London Road is arrested, charged and finally convicted of the murders. Caught in the headlines and the invasion of their quiet road, the community grapples with what it means to be at the epicentre of the tragedy. Using their own words set to an innovative musical score, London Road is a moving story of ordinary people coming together during an extraordinary time. Director Rufus Norris, writer Alecky Blythe, and composer Adam Cork reunite for this highly anticipated return of the remarkable, award-winning verbatim musical.
A stage production with the similar plot of the 1976 film of the same name but uses stage devices and audio visual technology to immerse the audience as participants. As the distance between fact and fiction is reduced, mimicking the blurring of truth and fiction in contemporary news media
Mar 2018
A new version for younger audiences by Bijan Sheibani and Ben Power. Originally staged as part of the National Theatre’s Shakespeare for younger audiences programme. This archival recording was captured in 2017. This contemporary production sees a company of eight tell the most famous love story of all time, set against a vivid urban backdrop bursting with excitement, colour, dance and song. A swift, contemporary celebration of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Bijan Sheibani’s thrilling production brings Romeo and Juliet to life for a new generation.
Sep 2017
General Othello's marriage is destroyed when vengeful Ensign Iago convinces him that his new wife has been unfaithful.
Dec 1965
It’s 1786 and King George III is the most powerful man in the world. But his behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic as he succumbs to fits of lunacy. With the King’s mind unravelling at a dramatic pace, ambitious politicians and the scheming Prince of Wales threaten to undermine the power of the Crown, and expose the fine line between a King and a man.
Nov 2018
In a crumbling house full of dinosaur bones and fossils, three adopted sisters – Pauline, Petrova and Posy – are learning who they are and what they want to be. Under the watchful eyes and guidance of their guardian Sylvia, Nana, and some unlikely lodgers, they fight to pursue their individual passions. But in a world that wasn’t built for women with big ambitions, can they forge a future, keep their family together, and even learn a dance or two along the way?
Medea is a wife and a mother. For the sake of her husband, Jason, she’s left her home and borne two sons in exile. But when he abandons his family for a new life, Medea faces banishment and separation from her children. Cornered, she begs for one day’s grace. It’s time enough. She exacts an appalling revenge and destroys everything she holds dear.
Sep 2014
Agamemnon returns home from the Trojan war and is murdered by his wife, setting off a chain of revenge that stretches across this trilogy of play. Directed by Peter Brook for the National Theatre, this is an all-male performance with masks.
Oct 1983