Dirty Pretty Things

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Dirty Pretty Things

R

2003

1h 34m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

142 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In London, Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is an undocumented alien from Nigeria who works as a cabbie and moonlights as a hotel attendant. He shares living quarters with Turkish émigré Senay (Audrey Tautou). Working late one evening, Okwe is called up to one of the hotel suites. Inside, he finds a prostitute standing by a toilet that's clogged with a human heart. This leads him to the hotel manager (Sergi López), and he soon uncovers a darker side to his employer and his adopted city.

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Critics Consensus

An illuminating and nuanced film about the exploitation of illegal immigrants.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

03/13/2018

This hypnotic, chilling thriller deals with people living in the margins: in this case, London's exploited immigrants...Steven Knight's smart, if overly plotted, script delivers social insights tautly wrapped in genre thrills.

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David Stratton

Variety

11/27/2007

An intelligent and extremely well-made romantic drama that tells an intriguing story with economy and insight.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

11/27/2007

An impressive mix of entertainment and social comment, spinning a great mystery even as it confronts an ugly world.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

05/06/2023

The poetic justice is a bit precious for a film otherwise grounded in a tough reality, but there is a guilty satisfaction to it all, and Ejiofor’s haunting performance burns itself into the film...

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Jordan M. Smith

IONCINEMA.com

11/19/2020

A suspenseful, often funny, completely disturbing thriller, Dirty Pretty Things is a gripping film right out of the gate.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

09/25/2010

4/4

Although Steve Knight's Oscar-nominated script gets a bit on the nose discussing those who pretty that which we dirty, it tells a compelling tale of perseverance, with a final sound effect like hope gaining altitude.

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J L

01/30/2025

Gritty, challenging, raw.

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KB B

@Okbullard 04/29/2024

This was such a compelling movie with great acting and storyline. Chiwetel Ejiofor was excellent as usual and I was impressed with Audrey Tautou as well. It's worth the watch.

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Jeffrey P

03/24/2024

Well structured and performed, one of the better movies dealing with the subject of organ harvesting. Was expecting more of the organs being harvested than relationship drama though.

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Aldo G

02/25/2024

There's artistry here - from director's Stephen Frears perfectly placed camera setups to the delicate and insightful performances of the film's two leads, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Audrey Tautou - but, in the end I was left feeling unfulfilled by the love story in the middle of a body parts trade-industry crime story.

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Steve D

01/31/2024

Properly unsettling but not really engaging,

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06/04/2022

Trading body parts for passports. What more can be said. Well acted, good idea and plot.

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Stephen Frears

Director

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Okwe

Audrey Tautou

Senay

Sergi López

Sneaky

Sophie Okonedo

Juliette

Benedict Wong

Guo Yi

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Take it or Leave it

2:11

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Always We Must Hide

2:13

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - The People You Do Not See

2:13

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Protecting Senay

2:13

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - I Bit Him

1:58

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Okwe's Warning

2:09

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Forced Treatment

1:45

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - The Set Up

2:11

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - The Whore & the John

2:13

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Discovering the Heart

1:59

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Synopsis

In London, Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is an undocumented alien from Nigeria who works as a cabbie and moonlights as a hotel attendant. He shares living quarters with Turkish émigré Senay (Audrey Tautou). Working late one evening, Okwe is called up to one of the hotel suites. Inside, he finds a prostitute standing by a toilet that's clogged with a human heart. This leads him to the hotel manager (Sergi López), and he soon uncovers a darker side to his employer and his adopted city.

Director: Stephen Frears
Producer: Tracey Seaward, Robert Jones
Screenwriter: Steven Knight
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: BBC
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Sexual Content)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 11, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.1M
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround

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