Meantime

Right now you can watch Meantime in the US on Criterion Channel — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 107 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Phil Daniels leads a cast with real comic timing. Put it on tonight on Criterion Channel and see for yourself.

Meantime arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Meantime gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. A working-class family in London's East End is struggling to stay afloat during the recession under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's premiership. Only the mother Mavis is working; father Frank and the couple's two sons Colin, a timid, chronically shy individual and Mark, an outspoken, headstrong young man, are on the dole. This situation is contrasted by the presence of Mavis's sister Barbara, and her husband John, whose financial and social loftiness appears to be a comfortable facade over the unspoken soreness of a lackluster marriage. The chemistry Phil Daniels and Tim Roth bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. It was released in 1983. What keeps Meantime from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Meantime respects your intelligence. It has built its own audience without needing a direct comparison. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Phil Daniels anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.

Meantime was released in 1983, directed by Mike Leigh. The full 107-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.