THE CURBSIDE CRITERION: WITHNAIL AND I

(We here at Hammer to Nail are all about true independent cinema. But we also have to tip our hat to the great films of yesteryear that continue to inspire filmmakers and cinephiles alike. This week Brad Cook stumbles into the new 4K Ultra HD release of Withnail and I, the all-time cult comedy classic.)

I was looking forward to this one because a friend who’s a screenwriter (a guy with a produced movie to his name, no less) told me once that it’s his favorite movie. Somehow I had missed it back in the day, so I was happy to give it a spin with this new 4K Ultra HD edition from Criterion.

Released in 1987, Withnail and I is a black comedy set in the London of the late 1960s. It follows the misadventures of a pair of unemployed actors, Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and unnamed “I” (Paul McGann). (Fun fact: turn on the captions and you’ll learn his name is actually Marwood.)

Withnail and I live in squalor, with neither one willing to do much cleaning around their flat. When Marwood suggests that they take a trip to the countryside and stay in a cottage owned by Withnail’s rich uncle Monty, his friend gloms onto the idea and off they go.

Of course, they have to visit Monty first to get the key to the cottage. He’s the drunk melodramatic sort, and it takes some conniving by Withnail to get the key, but he succeeds and they head out the next day.

They find the cottage and the surrounding countryside inhospitable in several ways, however, between the cold, rainy weather and the unwelcoming locals. Monty’s unexpected appearance at the cottage further complicates matters, especially when he makes advances on Marwood; Withnail is oblivious to the situation, much to his friend’s consternation.

Withnail and I isn’t the kind of movie with a tight plot — it’s very character-driven, which works quite well when you have the kind of memorable characters this one features. In the end, this is a story about two people who seem to be headed down the same dead-end road but actually aren’t, with a bittersweet decision for one of them to make in the end. I can see why this one became a cult classic.

Criterion has reissued this one in glorious 4K Ultra HD, complete with the original poster artwork by Ralph Steadman gracing the cover. The film’s restoration was overseen by cinematographer Peter Hannan, and it looks great. Admittedly, this isn’t a movie that necessarily had to have a 4K release — the version of the film on the included Blu-ray looks quite nice too — but, hey, why not honor this one with the best possible presentation?

All of the bonus content was ported over from previous editions with the exception of one item, a 16-minute interview with Grant and director Bruce Robinson. Both of them offer thoughts on their respective careers in addition to chatting about the film.

Here’s what else you’ll find. Note that the commentaries are the only extras on the 4K platter.

• Audio commentaries: There are two tracks, one with McGann and fellow cast member Ralph Brown, who played the listless pair’s drug dealer, and another with Robinson. Both of them are worth listening to; the latter was recorded during a livestream that featured Robinson answering viewers’ questions.

• Withnail and Us (26 minutes): Hailing from 1999, this making-of was filmed for the UK’s Channel 4. It takes the obligatory angle of examining the movie’s legacy, a viewpoint that has only gotten stronger in 2025.

• Bruce Robinson and Richard E. Grant Q&A (28 minutes): Filmed at the British Film Institute n 2017 for the movie’s 30th anniversary, this chat serves up a good mix of insights and anecdotes.

A photo gallery and the trailer round out the disc. Criterion’s obligatory printed material, which in this case is a fold-out rather than a booklet, features an essay by film critic David Cairns.

– Brad Cook (@BradCWriter)

Citerion Collection; Withnail and I; Bruce Robinson