The Old Oak

The Old Oak is a 2023 drama set in a former mining village in northeast England, where the local pub of the same name is the last public place still open. Its landlord, TJ Ballantyne, struggles to keep the business afloat as the community around him declines. When Syrian refugees are housed in the village's many empty properties, tensions rise among residents who feel their town has been neglected. TJ forms a friendship with Yara, a young Syrian woman, and together they look for a way to bring the divided community together.

The film is directed by Ken Loach, the twentieth of twenty features he has directed in chronological order, following Sorry We Missed You from 2019. Paul Laverty wrote the screenplay, with Rebecca O'Brien and Jack Thomas-O'Brien producing. Dave Turner plays TJ Ballantyne and Ebla Mari plays Yara, alongside Claire Rodgerson, Trevor Fox, Chris McGlade and Col Tait among a credited cast of 41 and crew of 86. It was produced through Why Not Productions, BBC Film, France 2 Cinéma and Les Films du Fleuve, and released on 29 September 2023.

Worldwide box office stands at 8 million USD. On IMDb it holds 7.1/10 from 14,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.2/10 from 442 votes. The film critics' rating is 7.2/10 from 96 reviews, closely matching the audience scores on both platforms.