Genre: Crime, Drama
Actor: Charlie Cooper, Daniel Betts, Derek Riddell, Florence Howard, Ian Puleston-Davies, Imelda Staunton, Jake Davies, Joe Absolom, Kate Ashfield, Martin Freeman, Owain Arthur, Peter Wight, Siobhan Finneran
Director: Paul Andrew Williams
If The Responder doesn't use its relatively short length to tell the meatiest story, its shifty character dynamics still make for compelling drama. At the heart of this police drama is its protagonist's desire to be "a good person"—even if he's already neck-deep in a web of corruption and deceit that he can't just escape from. It's a premise that's definitely been done before, but the show still gives it a distinct flavor, with a quiet, small-town feel and strong performances across the board. As a by-the-book rookie cop, Adelayo Adedayo displays helplessness and defiance in different ways, while Martin Freeman successfully plays against type, as a world-weary officer whose every outburst stings with both indignation and self-loathing.
Genre: Crime, Drama
Actor: Adelayo Adedayo, Martin Freeman, MyAnna Buring, Warren Brown
One of the many good movies from director Edgar Wright - if you loved Shaun of the Dead, then this Buddy-Cop Homage will make you double over (and question humanity – or lack, thereof) just as much. Sandford is a small English village with the lowest crime and murder rates, so when overachieving police Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) gets sent there because he was so good he intimidated those around him, he just about loses it. From car-chasing, bone-thrilling, head-blowing action, he graduates to swan-calling, thrill-seeking, sleep-inducing madness. But all that’s about to change – for the worse? For the better? You decide. An obscenely funny flick that has an intriguing plot and an even greater set of characters, Hot Fuzz wasn’t named the best film of the Cornetto trilogy for nothing, clearly cementing Pegg and Nick Frost as the ultimate action duo of the genre.
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Actor: Adam Buxton, Alice Lowe, Anne Reid, Ben McKay, Bill Bailey, Bill Nighy, Billie Whitelaw, Cate Blanchett, Chris Waitt, Colin Michael Carmichael, David Bradley, David Threlfall, Edgar Wright, Edward Woodward, Eric Mason, Garth Jennings, Graham Low, Jim Broadbent, Joe Cornish, Julia Deakin, Karl Johnson, Kenneth Cranham, Kevin Eldon, Lorraine Hilton, Lucy Punch, Maria Charles, Martin Freeman, Nick Frost, Olivia Colman, Paddy Considine, Patricia Franklin, Paul Freeman, Peter Jackson, Peter Wight, Rafe Spall, Robert Popper, Ron Cook, Rory McCann, Simon Pegg, Stephen Merchant, Steve Coogan, Stuart Wilson, Tim Barlow, Timothy Dalton, Trevor Nichols
Director: Edgar Wright
Martin Freeman stars opposite the ever-reliable Daisy Haggard (Back to Life) as two parents who are overwhelmed by their two kids. “I would die for those kids but often, I also want to kill them,” his character jokes.
Breeders might be a comedy but it's a relatable portrayal of how consuming raising kids can get. The days of serene vacations in Spain are long gone, replaced with uncontrollable rage and lack of sleep.
Genre: Comedy, Family
Actor: Daisy Haggard, Martin Freeman
One of those movies that even if you know all the jokes by heart, you'll still laugh at them whenever you see the movie. The chemistry between Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright is exceptional, and the jokes are spot-on. The movie starts with Shaun character trying to turn his life around by winning back his ex and reconnect with his mother. Only problem? Oh yeah, everyone is coming back from the dead.
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Actor: Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Bill Nighy, Carol Barnes, Chris Martin, David Walliams, Dylan Moran, Edgar Wright, Finola Geraghty, Garth Jennings, Jeremy Thompson, Jessica Hynes, Joe Cornish, Jon Buckland, Jonny Buckland, Julia Davis, Julia Deakin, Kate Ashfield, Keir Mills, Keith Chegwin, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Lauren Laverne, Lucy Akhurst, Lucy Davis, Mark Donovan, Mark Gatiss, Martin Freeman, Matt Lucas, Michael Smiley, Nick Ewans, Nick Frost, Nicola Cunningham, Patricia Franklin, Paul Kaye, Paul Putner, Penelope Wilton, Peter Baynham, Peter Serafinowicz, Phyllis MacMahon, Rafe Spall, Reece Shearsmith, Rob Brydon, Robert Popper, Simon Pegg, Sonnell Dadral, Steve Emerson, Tamsin Greig, Tim Baggaley, Trisha Goddard, Vernon Kay
Director: Edgar Wright