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

139 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In London, Okwe 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. 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, 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

Mar 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

Nov 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

Nov 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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Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

Feb 24, 2026

4/5

Critically acclaimed—including receiving an Oscar nod for its screenplay—this well-crafted British crime thriller is a disturbing but hopeful movie that won't fail to make an impact.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

May 6, 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

Nov 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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J L

@RT80832005 Jan 30, 2025

Gritty, challenging, raw.

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KB B

@Okbullard Apr 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

@vanillavoodoo1 Mar 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

@RT54480587 Feb 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

@RT35616104 Jan 31, 2024

Properly unsettling but not really engaging,

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Jun 4, 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

Now Playing

Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Always We Must Hide

2:13

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

2:13

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Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Protecting Senay

2:13

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Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - I Bit Him

1:58

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Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Okwe's Warning

2:09

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Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Forced Treatment

1:45

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Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - The Set Up

2:11

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

2:13

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Dirty Pretty Things: Official Clip - Discovering the Heart

1:59

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Synopsis

In London, Okwe 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. 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, 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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