Peterloo (12A)

On the brink of political change, a peaceful protest turns into a ruthless bloodbath, igniting change that we still feel the impact of today. Based on the true events of the Peterloo Massacre, this historical drama is directed by Academy Award nominee Mike Leigh, starring Rory Kinnear and Maxine Peake.

Manchester, 1819, and Britain is churning in the turmoil of political unrest. The citizens are unsatisfied – they want more freedom, more influence, and, above all, a voice that represents them and their needs.

If the politicians won’t listen, at least the people will. The everyday men and women, villagers and townspeople alike, begin to share their views and find they have a common desire. Conversations spark a cry for change, and the collective begins to grow into a movement.

On 16th August, more than 60,000 people come together in St Peter’s Fields to raise their demands in one voice, asking for extended voting rights and Parliamentary reform that will allow them to finally create a country that serves the people who live within it.

But tensions are high. The militia is uneasy. And it only takes one shot to turn a peaceful protest into a bloody massacre…

7-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky) directs this historical drama, based on the true events of the 1819 Peterloo Massacre, which sparked the foundation of the Manchester Guardian, and later, the Great Reform Act.

Featuring a standout British cast full of multi-talented faces you’ll recognise from the stage and the screen, including Rory Kinnear (Trespass Against Us), Maxine Peake (Funny Cow), and Pearce Quigley (Detectorists).

Cert: 12A

Running time: 2hrs 34mins