I, Daniel Blake

92% Tomatometer 184 Reviews 85% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a 59-year-old widowed carpenter who must rely on welfare after a recent heart attack leaves him unable to work. Despite his doctor's diagnosis, British authorities deny Blake's benefits and tell him to return to his job. As Daniel navigates his way through an agonizing appeal process, he begins to develop a strong bond with a destitute, single mother (Hayley Squires) who's struggling to take care of her two children. Read More Read Less

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I, Daniel Blake

What to Know

Critics Consensus

I, Daniel Blake marks yet another well-told chapter in director Ken Loach's powerfully populist filmography.

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Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi

The Hindu

I, Daniel Blake is about the struggles of an ailing common man against the labyrinthine welfare bureaucracy to get that elusive 'employment and support allowance.'

Jul 24, 2018

Full Review

Michael Upchurch

Seattle Times

Whichever side you come down on, Johns' and Squires' low-key performances are impressive, and the technological/red-tape hurdles their characters face feel stingingly accurate.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 29, 2017

Full Review

Anthony Lane

New Yorker

Politically, of course, it cleaves to the left, yet by temperament it shrinks from progress.

Jun 12, 2017

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Loach’s plain-speaking film is a touchingly realistic parable.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 4, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

It's impossible to watch this movie without being forced to cope with bouts of sadness and helplessness -- it's honest and uncompromising, although moments of humor do manage to break loose.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 18, 2021

Full Review

Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

Small moments of humanity...are what matter here, and by not underlining them, Loach highlights them all the more.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 13, 2021

Full Review

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Audience Reviews

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S R 1001 movies to see before you die (2016). A critique of life in Newcastle where an honest worker tries to get benefits while ill. Shows the struggles of government programs, poverty, single mothers and weak economies. It could've been more approachable had they changed the bad language. Saw on Tubi. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/24 Full Review Gabrielle A O coringa original. Seguimos o mesmo tema, pq não há mudança real. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/24 Full Review India G One of the most heartbreaking & moving films I've ever seen. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/09/23 Full Review TheFilmReviewer 1 Sobering but powerful, Ken Loach's return to filmmaking is a masterwork. Hayley Squires provides one of the best performances of the year, and Dave Johns' leading performance is stellar. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/02/23 Full Review Gael A Extraordinariamente formidable. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/21/22 Full Review Crocodilo Russo de Combate Strong, shocking, overwhelming. this film makes us think about excessive bureaucracy, the state that inflated itself to the point of forgetting those it was supposed to protect. For those who are not heirs, there remains the search for a lifetime after survival, at the cost of health and well-being. I live in Brazil and here is not much different from that. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/20/22 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Ken Loach Director Dave Johns Daniel Blake Hayley Squires Katie Dylan McKiernan Dylan Briana Shann Daisy Kate Rutter Ann

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I, Daniel Blake

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I, Daniel Blake (2016)

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Movie Info

Synopsis Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a 59-year-old widowed carpenter who must rely on welfare after a recent heart attack leaves him unable to work. Despite his doctor's diagnosis, British authorities deny Blake's benefits and tell him to return to his job. As Daniel navigates his way through an agonizing appeal process, he begins to develop a strong bond with a destitute, single mother (Hayley Squires) who's struggling to take care of her two children.

Director: Ken Loach
Producer: Rebecca O'Brien
Screenwriter: Paul Laverty
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: BBC Films, Sixteen Films, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 2, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $258.2K
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)