Film Critics and British Film Culture: New Shots in the Dark

For decades, cinema audiences have turned to the film reviews featured in national and local newspapers, listened to commentators via radio, television and, latterly, the internet, and read fan magazines to learn about the latest releases. These critics helped shape the responses of generations of film fans, creating success and failure, as well as controversy.

This wide-ranging collection brings together some of the leading academics on British film history to consider the role of these commentators. It covers the work of influential critics like Dilys Powell and Raymond Durgnat and key magazines such as Time Out, Monthly Film Bulletin and Radio Times. Contributors include leading scholars such as James Chapman, Pamela Hutchinson and Julian Petley, along with the screenwriter and filmmaker David McGillivray and others who have worked as film journalists themselves.


For film students or cinema enthusiasts anywhere, this volume provides an insightful analysis of the British film critic.

• Publication date: 31 August 2025
• Page count: 256
• Dimensions: Height 241 mm; Width 162 mm; Thickness 20 mm
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9781399510509