The 1910s marked the very beginning of the development of the film industry as such. In Great Britain during this period, films were mainly adaptations of classic literary works. For example, Alexander Butler directed “Little Women” (based on the book by Louisa May Alcott) and “The Valley of Fear” (based on the book by Arthur Conan Doyle).

The most famous figure in the film industry was the British actor Charlie Chaplin, who gained more fame in the United States. Nevertheless, he created a film called “A Quiet Street” in his home country, which enjoyed a certain amount of success.

In the 1920s, the thriller genre emerged in Great Britain, and the pioneer of this genre was none other than Alfred Hitchcock, who directed the film “Blackmail”.

However, the director also excelled in other genres, directing the comedy “Champagne” and the drama “The Manxman”. British filmmakers adapted classic literature, such as “Wuthering Heights” by Albert Bramble, and became engrossed in creating dramas such as “The Princess and the Fiddler” by Graham Cutts and “Moulin Rouge” by Ewald Andre Dupont.

The British continued to adapt classic literary works, with a growing interest in detective stories such as “The Varied Tapestry” by Jack Raymond, “The Sleeping Cardinal,” “Alibi,” and “Black Coffee” by Leslie Hiscott, “The Sign of Four” by Graham Cutts, and “The Hound of the Baskervilles” by Gareth Gundrey.

The first suspense film, “The Lodger,” was created by none other than Alfred Hitchcock, who was one of the most successful directors of that time and also excelled in other genres.

Harold Young presented “The Scarlet Pimpernel” to the public, while George King directed “Sweeney Todd”.

British passion for detectives reaches a new level: films about agent 007 are released on screens.

It all started with Terence Young’s “Dr. No” – and then dozens of episodes from the James Bond anthology were filmed. In addition to spy detectives, historical films are also popular – it was during this time that David Lean’s cult “Lawrence of Arabia” was made.

The presence of subtle humor is the “highlight” of any British film, and for this reason, comedies of that time are also successful (“The League of Gentlemen” by Basil Dearden, “The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders” by Terence Young).

British musicals “Cats” (Andrew Lloyd Webber) and “The Meaning of Life” by Monty Python (Terry Jones), which later became cult classics, were seen by the whole world. At this time, there was a fascination with dramatic plots – David Lynch filmed “The Elephant Man” and Jerzy Skolimowski – “Moonlighting”.

The British continued to adapt cult books for the screen – for example, “Ivanhoe” (Douglas Camfield), “1984” (Michael Radford), as well as “Where Are You Going?” (Franco Rossi). “Highlander” by Russell Mulcahy was released, and several sequels would be made in the following decades.

The interest in comics began with Tim Burton’s cult film “Batman”.

In the UK, a rethinking of values leads British directors to turn to dramatic plots. During this time, iconic films such as “In the Name of the Father” and “The Boxer” by Jim Sheridan, “Heavenly Creatures” by Peter Jackson, and “The English Patient” by Anthony Minghella are released.

The British also turn to their own history, with Shekhar Kapur directing “Elizabeth” and Nicholas Hytner directing “The Madness of King George”. Guy Ritchie also made his mark on the film industry with his crime comedy “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”.

The film “Trainspotting” by Danny Boyle becomes a reflection of an entire era.

At the turn of the millennium, British cinema experiences a boom – Guy Ritchie continues to make cult crime dramas (“Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”, “RocknRolla”), and at the same time, a film that gave birth to the Harry Potter anthology (directed by Chris Columbus) is released, increasing interest in fantasy.

The British also turn to their own history (“The Other Boleyn Girl” by Justin Chadwick, “The Young Victoria” by Jean-Marc Vallée). Cult comedies emerge during this time – “Bridget Jones’s Diary” by Sharon Maguire, “Love Actually” by Richard Curtis. And all this is without mentioning the cult dystopia “V for Vendetta” by James McTeigue.

The British love for their history has been evident in all times and in all spheres, and in this decade they continue to make historical films. Among them are “Diana: A Love Story” (Oliver Hirschbiegel), “Robin Hood” (Ridley Scott), and also “The King’s Speech” (Tom Hooper).

Reinterpreted versions of British literature adaptations appear on the screen: “Victor Frankenstein” (Paul McGuigan), “Murder on the Orient Express” (Kenneth Branagh), “Wuthering Heights” (Andrea Arnold).

The spy thriller is joined by the Kingsman anthology by Matthew Vaughn and the film “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” by Guy Ritchie, and there are also films based on video games such as “Assassin’s Creed” by Justin Kurzel.

At the beginning of the 2020s, an outbreak of COVID-19 marked the delay of many anticipated films indefinitely. Nevertheless, the British continue to shoot sequels to spy action films (Carry Fukunaga releases the film about Agent 007 “No Time to Die”, and Matthew Vaughn continues to shoot the sequel to Kingsman).

Together with US film studios, “Dune” by Denis Villeneuve is released on screens, and Harry Bradbeer is shooting a film about the sister of the most famous British private detective (who himself has been the subject of hundreds of films) – “Enola Holmes”.