The Old Oak

KEN LOACH
UK, 2023
113 minutes, Color
Official website

The great humanist Ken Loach, in his last film (so he says), is going out on a strong note. In a former mining town in northeast England, the first generation to come of age since the pits closed can barely support their own kids. When a busload of Syrian refugees arrives, the generous among them welcome a new cause while the miserable find a new scapegoat for the town's ills. T.J. Ballantyne's rundown Old Oak Pub holds memories of long-lost solidarity and communality that the newcomers unlock. The director's trademark nonprofessional actors give the characters a knowing dignity, while Loach regular Dave Turner wears the role of T.J. like an old sweater; he's that comfortable in it and in Loach's worldview. Strong newcomer Ebla Mari co-stars as the young Syrian photographer Yara, tasked with translating not only a language but the experience of exile.—Judy Bloch