The Selfish Giant

2013

1h 31m

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

235

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3 Videos

18 Images

Drama

A hyperactive boy and his best friend, a slow-witted youth with an affinity for horses, start collecting scrap metal for a shady dealer.

Directors

Clio Barnard

Writers

Clio Barnard(writer by)

Stars

Conner Chapman

Shaun Thomas

Sean Gilder

See production, box office & company info

Videos3

Trailer
Watch The Selfish Giant | Film4 Trailer
Trailer
Watch The Selfish Giant trailer - in cinemas & on demand from 25 October 2013
Featurette
Watch Brian Trenchard-Smith on THE SELFISH GIANT

Top cast

Arbor

Swifty

Kitten

Mary

Mick Brazil

Price Drop Swift

Mrs. Swift

Johnny Jones

Michelle 'Shelly' Fenton

Daniel

Martin Fenton

Swift Child

Road Race Spectator

Phil the Barman

Student

WPC Hayward

Directors

Clio Barnard

Writers

Clio Barnard(writer by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

_The Selfish Giant_ is an interesting watch—gritty, heartfelt, and beautifully shot, with powerful performances from its young leads. There’s a rawness to it that feels authentic, and the friendship at its centre is touching in that bruised, kitchen-sink way. But as much as I wanted to be moved, something about it felt a bit… manipulative. Like it knew exactly how to push the poverty-porn buttons. It lingers on the hardship in a way that sometimes feels more exploitative than empathetic. I admired the craft, but I left it feeling more wrung out than enriched. Worth seeing, but not life-changing.

griggs7928 Mar, 2025