Naked
Brand-new 4K restoration of Mike Leigh's fascinating character study of Johnny, a charming but ruthless nihilist.
After an incident in a dark alley in Manchester, Johnny – skinny and unshaven – travels to London. Intending to stay with his ex-girlfriend, he ends up sharing the bed with her roommate, Sophie. An apartment with two women making an emotional claim on Johnny feels like a prison, so the anti-hero continues his night with a dark, desperate wander through the barren British metropolis.
With a virtuoso script and outstanding acting, Leigh's description of England's underbelly – all set against a bleak post-Thatcherian urban landscape – is still a wonderfully sharp black comedy. More specifically, Naked is a reflection on the existential emptiness of modern life in the bleak early nineties. And with success: the film picked up awards for best director and best actor at the Cannes Film Festival.