Carey Mulligan

Ralph Fiennes

Lily James

Johnny Flynn

Ben Chaplin

Ken Stott

Archie Barnes

Monica Dolan

Eamon Farren

Paul Ready

Peter McDonald

Stephen Worrall

Danny Webb

Robert Wilfort

James Dryden

Joe Hurst

Christopher Godwin

Ellie Piercy

Bronwyn James

Des Kaliszewski

Jonah Rzeskiewicz

Jack Bennett

John Macmillan

Arsher Ali

Amelia Stephenson

Grant Crookes

Mark Johnson

Steve Wright

Eugene O'Connor

Kye Mckee

Moira Buffini

John Preston

Simon Stone

Gabrielle Tana

Maria Djurkovic

Susanna Lenton

Thomas Davies

Toby Carpenter

Anne Sheehan

Andy Bennett

Heather Phillips

Chris Morrison

Paul Carter

Max Klaentschi

Lisa Ioane

Dale Trotter

Robbie Keane

Nick Barton

Marc Cass

Iveta Smidtaite

Tatiana Macdonald

Dave Shaw

Christian Cole

Atli Örvarsson

Ellie Wood

Lucy Bevan

Steve Carter

Stefan Gregory

Karen Wakefield

Samuel Cook

Jim Swanson

Meg Clark

Jenny Shircore

Benos Noble

Matthias Gohl

Ruth Antoine

Barrie McCulloch

James Corker

Franco Voltolini

Georgia Rose Fairman

Gary Baggaley

Marie-Sophie Daniel

Matt Hermiston

Len Wheeler

Paul Cotterell

Mike Eley

Alexander Bracq

Rachel Garlick

Liz Ainley

Katie Carr

Gordon Fitzgerald

Lukas Oheix

Jeremy Braben

Alan Perrin

Danny Sheehan

Stephen McLaughlin

Isabella Faull

Redmond Morris

Andrew Bonner

Zuzia Mazurczak-Beska

Charis Theobald

Sophie Whittle

Niall Daly Enright

Louis Spanswick O'Brien

Amy De Rees

Louise Fisher

Matt Moffatt

James R. Powell

Marta Torres Pena

Mark Silk

Phoebe Fraser

Pat Crawford

Lucy Hannah Vick

Michael Hannan

Mel Page

Stephen Lee

Pippa Griffith-Jones

Robert Chen

Mark Fortune

Anna Cavaliere

Rose Grant

Ian Jewels

David Draper

Alex Locke

Olivia Simpson

Emin Atilgan

Natasha Saxby

Adam Shell

Fabien Peulvast

Jon Henry Gordon

Jessie Brough

George Lengyel

Drama

History

The Dig

Clerkenwell Films

Magnolia Mae Films

United Kingdom

English

based on novel or book

excavation

single parent

based on true story

class differences

archaeologist

archaeological dig

excavator

1930s

suffolk, england

widowed mother

eve of world war ii

ipswich

Manuel São Bento

Before watching this film, I had absolutely no idea who Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), or even Peggy Piggott (Lily James) were and what they did. As an engineer and a science enthusiast myself, I rarely struggle to find some sort of enjoyment in movies based on true stories about scientific discoveries, technological advancements, or impactful historical events. Therefore, despite a premise that doesn't immediately catch my attention, Simon Stone does a wonderful job in making this film quite interesting.

Mike Eley's cinematography produces some of the most gorgeous shots of the year, transforming The Dig into a visually satisfying movie to look at. The main narrative focuses on the excavation itself and the findings of a shockingly old (Anglo-Saxon) ship, which turns out to be more captivating than I ever anticipated. However, the romantic subplot involving Peggy Piggott feels out-of-place and rather dull considering the objective of this film. It really hurts the overall pacing, dragging an otherwise well-balanced flick.

Moira Buffini's already excellent screenplay is still elevated by the remarkable cast. Fiennes (Harry Potter) and Mulligan (Promising Young Woman) share a heartwarming chemistry that really suits their characters. Lily James (Rebecca) also demonstrates her impressive emotional range once again. Overall, I recommend it to any viewer who's interested in knowing more about the real-life story or who's simply a fan of this specific genre.

Rating: B

Peter McGinn

The Dig reminded me of another movie about archaeology and which was not only also based on a true story but also involved a woman’s contribution to that scientific field. That other movie was Ammonite, about a woman archaeologist in a time when women were more than rare in that field of endeavor.

Unlike that character, however, Edith Pretty in The Dig does not do the work herself. Instead, her interest in archaeology and curiosity about the mounds on her property leads her to hire Basil Brown, a self-trained archaeologist, or “excavator,” as he refers to himself in the film.

I enjoyed the movie despite —or perhaps even because of its relaxed pace and subdued action. If you are sleepy but decide to watch a movie instead, you may want to save this foils for a more alert viewing.

As with most biopics and other films based on true events, changes have been made to spice up the telling. Apparently some of them occurred first in the novel it is based on. For example, because some sort of “bad guy” is required for most movies, the British Museum seems to be depicted in a slightly more adversarial role than what was the case. Also, because a romance didn’t occur between the main characters, a romance was invented between two of the supporting characters. And of course actress Carrie Mulligan was 20 years younger than Edith Pretty was at that time, but they do use makeup to age her somewhat. 

Changes like this are to be expected. The result is a movie that is both entertaining and, dare I say it, a little educational all at once.

THE DIG starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes | Official Trailer | Netflix

The Dig( 2021)

Nothing stays lost forever.

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A review by Manuel São Bento

Written by Manuel São Bento on Thu Jul 15 2021

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