When the father of Mick Courtney (Richard Glover) and Drew Courtney (Jonathan Broke) passes away, these two estranged brothers are brought together in order to scatter their father’s ashes in a place he held dear – the Lake District. Forced to endure each other’s company on a weekend trip there, will they manage to put aside their differences long enough to fulfil their dad’s dying wish?
The synopsis of writer/director Mick Hardman’s comedy drama would suggest a gentle, feelgood ramble and there’s a fair amount of that going on, but there are some spikier edges to the story, such as Mick’s opening voicemail to Drew recounting his current relationship woes and how his situation has him thinking of ending it all, only for Drew to get bored of the voicemail just before that vital piece of information. It’s a perfect introduction to the dynamic between the siblings, given further detail courtesy of an expletive-peppered conversation at the house of their understanding – but only to a point – mum Irene (Fiona Mulvaney).
Even though Mick’s view of his deceased pop is that he always invested more time and love in Drew, his reluctance to head anywhere out of London is, of course overcome and they held north on a not especially cheery six and a half hour car journey to spend what both expect to be a not especially cheery couple of days in the middle of nowhere, albeit in a lovely cottage with friendly neighbour Eve (Rachel Barry) nearby to help out, even if she does think there’s something very wrong with Mick after an awkward first meeting.
Favouring a steady-paced and character-based humour over contrived situations, The Old Man rests on the strength of the performances of its two leads and both Glover and Broke are a joy, adept at playing the comedic elements with a naturalistic flair. That’s not to say that when the emotion hits, you won’t be pretending you have something in your eye. This tugs at the heart strings without the need for grandstanding and the low key moments are all the more affecting for its small cast’s subtle work.
Mick Courtney proves to be one of cinema’s curmudgeons par excellence, annoyed at various aspects of his brother’s more settled lifestyle while completely failing to control any of his own circumstances, beyond engineering the opportunity to go for a pint. As matters progress, however, it’s revealed that Drew isn’t quite the pillar of the community he seems and Mick has far more complexity that being a grumpy bloke. The template of this deems that they grow closer together, everyone learns something, blah blah blah, but there’s an edge to The Old Man which suggests that either of them may abandon the trip at any point, even though there’s a grudging love which is displayed through all of the bickering.
The potential romantic interest isn’t your standard one, either, with Eve introduced as a damaged but nonetheless strong presence whose quirks give what’s often a throwaway role some genuine heft. Eve’s interactions with Mick have that funny/sad quality which makes them a highlight of the film and as such are carefully rationed, shifting the emphasis to Mick’s increasing heartbreak at being the one his father ignored and Drew’s increasing frustration with his home life.
However, things are never allowed to get too heavy and, very much like Mick’s musings, any point at which the wallowing looks like it’s about to overwhelm the tone is curtailed by some amusing mini-crisis or zinger in the dialogue. The running joke about the ashes and their dubious container, both of which befall various disasters on a fairly regular basis, is particularly comical and reflects the ramshackle nature of their mission.
Considering the rapid nature of the location shoot and the small number of crew involved, the views of the Lake District are expertly composed and look rather gorgeous, which contrasts well with Mick’s impromptu rendition of a certain, well-known sitcom theme that fits the bill as his version of a eulogy. The Old Man is full of scenes which celebrate beauty and ridiculousness at the same time, and the back and forth between Mick and Drew never seems anything less than credible. It’s easy to understand why they can both get on each other’s nerves and how ill-equipped they are, at least in the earlier scenes, to bury the hatchet. The development of their relationship across the piece is steadily, convincingly built and the ultimate resolution is an audience pleaser without being overly neat.
It may sound twee to say that The Old Man is a lovely film, but it is a lovely film and, as someone who primarily covers horror movies, I do not believe “twee” is in my reviewing vocabulary. This is warm, well-written and poignant, but before you think it’s perfect Sunday afternoon fare, what Sunday afternoon movie drops the c-bomb? Not only that, but it’s also a perfectly judged one. Mick and Drew may be reluctant to spend time with each other, but I was delighted to be in their company for an hour and a half. We need British movies like this, bringing a share of bittersweet, relatable situations that don’t need operatic levels of drama or baroque plot twists. Get ready to be won over.
The Old Man (2026) featured as part of this year’s Spirit of Independence Film Festival in Sheffield, UK.