The 2009 film The Damned United, starring Michael Sheen and Stephen Graham, is back on BBC iPlayer for the first time in over a year. However, like other shows on the service, it will only be available to stream for the next 29 days.
The movie, inspired by a true story, features Michael Sheen playing Brian Clough, a famous football manager, as he begins coaching Leeds United in the 1970s. He’d previously been very critical of the team, so his start isn’t exactly smooth sailing.
Graham resembles Leeds captain Billy Bremner with his curly blonde hair, and the cast also includes appearances by Joe Dempsie, Jim Broadbent, Colm Meaney, and Martin Compston.
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The movie wasn’t a commercial success, earning just over $4 million despite costing $6.4 million to make.
Despite its challenges with audiences, critics generally loved the film, giving it a 92% positive rating based on 138 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Both The Seattle Times and the renowned film critic Roger Ebert lauded the movie. The Seattle Times highlighted its excellent cast, and Ebert commended it for being original and steering clear of typical sports movie tropes.
Both Variety and The Guardian praised the show for prioritizing its characters over the sport itself. The Guardian specifically described the story as a passionate love story, highlighting Timothy Spall’s heartwarming performance as Peter Taylor, which beautifully contrasted with Michael Sheen’s portrayal of Brian Clough.
With over 48,000 reviews on IMDb, the movie has an average rating of 7.5 out of 10, which is a bit lower but still quite good.
One fan praised the film as ‘fantastic,’ highlighting the exceptional performances of Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall. They also noted that the strong supporting cast makes the movie enjoyable, even for those who aren’t football fans.
One viewer praised the script by Peter Morgan for maintaining a clever and humorous tone, while also complimenting Tom Hooper’s direction for vividly bringing 1960s and 70s Britain to life.
The Damned United can be streamed on BBC iPlayer, as well as Sky/Now Cinema.
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2026-02-21 13:19