Rent Dirty Pretty Things (2002)

Neither Dirty Nor Pretty - Dirty Pretty Things review by griggs

Dirty Pretty Things wants to be both gritty realism and slick thriller but ends up stuck in an unsatisfying middle lane. The plot wraps itself up far too neatly—you never really believe things won’t work out. For a film dealing with the harrowing lives of asylum seekers and migrants working illegally in London, it’s oddly shallow. Is it social commentary or pulpy suspense? In trying to be both, it does neither justice.

Surprisingly, given Steven Knight’s pedigree, the realism feels scripted rather than lived-in, while the thriller side is too polite to thrill. Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a grounded, watchable performance, but Audrey Tautou is left playing a daft, passive character with none of the grit you'd expect from someone who’s survived this far. Under Frears’ direction, it all just floats along—too clean, too easy, and ultimately, too forgettable. A missed opportunity.