66 Essential British Films To Take Your Mind Off The World Cup

4. Get Carter (1971)

Get Carter is the definitive British Gangster flick, packed through with memorable lines, unforgettable scenes, incredibly bleak and atmospheric seventies Newcastle locations and one of Michael Caine's most brilliant performances. Here he plays a London Criminal travelling to Newcastle to find out what happened to his murdered brother, and to deliver retribution on those who killed him. Get Carter is as brutal and hard-hitting today as it was in 1971. Even in this post-GTA world nothing can desensitise you to the brilliance of Get Carter.

3. Life Of Brian (1979)

Monty Python's third feature film saw a bold leap in the team's ambitions by choosing to tackle the story of Jesus Christ. When watching Life of Brian now it is somewhat bemusing to think of the furore it caused upon its release but as was seen by the similar uproar that greeted Kevin Smith's religion-themed comedy Dogma, Christianity is a difficult subject to broach without grossly offending someone or other. Whatever your spiritual leaning Life of Brian is as funny now as it was 35 years ago and continues to reflect the absurdity that religious interpretation can inflict upon the world.