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Ken Loach, actor & director
Actor & Director

Ken Loach: Movies, Awards & Box Office

films
69
as director
45
on screen
1965–2025
box office
$111M
nominations
3
average score
72
Born
June 17, 1936 (age 90)
Birthplace
Nuneaton, England
Full name
Kenneth Charles Loach
Citizenship
British
Occupations
Film director,screenwriter
Years active
1962-present
Spouses
Lesley Ashton
Children
5
Career at a glance

Ken Loach's Career in Numbers

Ken Loach's films in numbers — as an actor and a director, not counting appearances as themselves: when they were made, the genres Ken Loach works in most and the milestones along the way. The filmography runs from The End of Arthur’s Marriage (1965) to The Legend of the Palme d’Or Continues (2025), and the 2000s were the busiest decade.

Ken Loach Movies by Decade

  1. 1960s 8
  2. 1970s 6
  3. 1980s 6
  4. 1990s 7
  5. 2000s 9
  6. 2010s 9
  7. 2020s 4

The 2000s were Ken Loach's busiest decade, with 9 films.

Ken Loach Movies by Genre

  • Drama 28
  • Documentary 11
  • Tv movie 4
  • Comedy 2
  • Romance 1
  • Crime 1
  • Music 1
  • Adventure 1

Drama is the genre Ken Loach has worked in most, with 28 films, ahead of documentary (11).

Ken Loach Career Milestones

Biggest box office hit
The Wind That Shakes the Barley $22.9M worldwide
Best-rated film
Sorry We Missed You Movie Echo Score 75
69 credits

Ken Loach Filmography: Every Movie

Every film Ken Loach is credited on, newest first, with the role, the box office and the Movie Echo Score. 45 as director and 4 as actor. Rated films average a score of 72. Re-order the list to see the best-rated films or the biggest hits first.

Movies Directed by Ken Loach

45
  1. 2024 The Old Oak (2024) movie poster The Old Oak Drama Movie Echo Score: 68
  2. 2020 Sorry We Missed You (2020) movie poster Sorry We Missed You Drama Movie Echo Score: 75
  3. 2019 Sorry We Missed You (2019) movie poster Sorry We Missed You Drama Movie Echo Score: 72
  4. 2016 I, Daniel Blake (2016) movie poster I, Daniel Blake Drama
  5. 2016 In Conversation With Jeremy Corbyn (2016) movie poster In Conversation With Jeremy Corbyn Documentary
  6. 2015 Jimmy's Hall (2015) movie poster Jimmy's Hall Drama
  7. 2013 The Angels' Share (2013) movie poster The Angels' Share Drama
  8. 2013 The Spirit of ’45 (2013) movie poster The Spirit of ’45 Documentary
  9. 2010 Route Irish (2010) movie poster Route Irish Drama
  10. 2010 Looking for Eric (2010) movie poster Looking for Eric Drama
  11. 2007 It’s a Free World… (2007) movie poster It’s a Free World… Drama
  12. 2007 The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2007) movie poster The Wind That Shakes the Barley Drama
  13. 2005 McLibel (2005) movie poster McLibel Documentary
  14. 2005 Tickets (2005) movie poster Tickets Comedy
  15. 2004 Ae Fond Kiss... (2004) movie poster Ae Fond Kiss... Drama
  16. 2003 September 11 (2003) movie poster September 11 Drama
  17. 2003 Sweet Sixteen (2003) movie poster Sweet Sixteen Drama
  18. 2001 Bread and Roses (2001) movie poster Bread and Roses Drama
  19. 1998 My Name Is Joe (1998) movie poster My Name Is Joe Drama
  20. 1996 Carla’s Song (1996) movie poster Carla’s Song Romance
  21. 1995 Land and Freedom (1995) movie poster Land and Freedom Drama
  22. 1994 Ladybird Ladybird (1994) movie poster Ladybird Ladybird Drama
  23. 1993 Raining Stones (1993) movie poster Raining Stones Crime
  24. 1991 Riff-Raff (1991) movie poster Riff-Raff Drama
  25. 1990 Hidden Agenda (1990) movie poster Hidden Agenda Drama
  26. 1989 Time to Go (1989) movie poster Time to Go Documentary
  27. 1986 Fatherland (1986) movie poster Fatherland Music
  28. 1985 Which Side Are You On? (1985) movie poster Which Side Are You On? Documentary
  29. 1983 The Red and the Blue (1983) movie poster The Red and the Blue Documentary
  30. 1981 Looks and Smiles (1981) movie poster Looks and Smiles Drama
  31. 1980 The Gamekeeper (1980) movie poster The Gamekeeper Tv movie
  32. 1979 Black Jack (1979) movie poster Black Jack Adventure
  33. 1977 The Price of Coal, Part 2: Back to Reality (1977) movie poster The Price of Coal, Part 2: Back to Reality Drama
  34. 1977 The Price of Coal, Part 1: Meet the People (1977) movie poster The Price of Coal, Part 1: Meet the People Tv movie
  35. 1975 Days of Hope (1975) movie poster Days of Hope Drama
  36. 1971 Talk About Work (1971) movie poster Talk About Work Documentary
  37. 1971 The Rank and File (1971) movie poster The Rank and File Tv movie
  38. 1969 Kes (1969) movie poster Kes Drama
  39. 1969 The Big Flame (1969) movie poster The Big Flame Drama
  40. 1968 The Golden Vision (1968) movie poster The Golden Vision Comedy
  41. 1967 Poor Cow (1967) movie poster Poor Cow Drama
  42. 1967 In Two Minds (1967) movie poster In Two Minds Drama
  43. 1965 The End of Arthur’s Marriage (1965) movie poster The End of Arthur’s Marriage Tv movie
  44. 1965 Up the Junction (1965) movie poster Up the Junction Drama
  45. 1965 Three Clear Sundays (1965) movie poster Three Clear Sundays Drama
3 nominations

Ken Loach: Awards & Nominations

3 nominations across 1 award body, from 2017 to 2024. Every ceremony is listed newest first, with the category and the film.

All movie awards
Biography

Who Is Ken Loach?

Ken Loach was born in Nuneaton, England in 1936 and is 90 years old. Credited on films since 1965, as both an actor and a director. The background, training and the roles that shaped the career.

Kenneth Charles Loach, known as Ken Loach, is a significant figure in the English film industry. Born on 17 June 1936, Loach's career has been flourishing since the early 1960s. His directing style is heavily influenced by his socialist views, reflected dramatically in his films. His focus is primarily on social issues, such as poverty, homelessness, and labor rights, evident in his films like 'Poor Cow' (1967), 'Cathy Come Home' (1966), and 'Riff-Raff' (1991). Loach's work is widely recognized, with his film 'Kes' (1969) being voted the seventh greatest British film of the 20th century. Additionally, two of his movies, 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' (2006) and 'I, Daniel Blake' (2016), won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Loach's journey began in his birthplace, Nuneaton, where he was born on 17 June 1936. After joining the Royal Air Force at 19, he directed an open-air production of Bartholomew Fair for the Experimental Theatre Club during his time at St Peter's College, Oxford. His transition to the cinematic world was gradual, starting from the regional theatre realm to directing for BBC Television. Overcoming hurdles such as political censorship, his career took a turn when political changes in the UK sparked a new beginning for him. His later works include global political dramas and personal relationship examinations.

Works with

Who Ken Loach Makes Movies With

The actors and directors Ken Loach shares the most films with. Stephen Frears comes first, with 4 films together, followed by Rita May (4).

FAQ

Ken Loach: Questions & Answers

How many movies Ken Loach has made, the biggest hit, the best-rated film, the award record and more, answered from the filmography above.

How many movies has Ken Loach been in?

Ken Loach is credited on 69 films, from 1965 to 2025. 4 of them as an actor and 45 as a director. The filmography on this page lists every one of them, newest first, with the role and the Movie Echo Score.

What is Ken Loach's highest-grossing movie?

The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2007) is Ken Loach's biggest box office hit, with $22.9M worldwide, ahead of I, Daniel Blake (2016) ($15.7M). Across every film with box office figures, Ken Loach's movies have made $111M.

Ken Loach's biggest hits

What is the best Ken Loach movie?

By the Movie Echo Score, which blends critic reviews, audience ratings and lasting impact, Ken Loach's best-rated film is Sorry We Missed You (2020) with a score of 75, followed by Sorry We Missed You (2019) (72).

Best Ken Loach movies, ranked

Has Ken Loach won an Oscar?

Ken Loach has not been nominated for an Oscar. Across every ceremony in the awards database, Ken Loach has 0 wins from 3 nominations.

How old is Ken Loach?

Ken Loach is 90 years old, born on June 17, 1936 in Nuneaton, England.

What is Ken Loach's newest movie?

The most recent film on Ken Loach's filmography is The Legend of the Palme d’Or Continues (2025).

Who does Ken Loach work with most often?

Ken Loach shares the most films with Stephen Frears (4 films), Rita May (4 films) and Mike Leigh (4 films).

The Best Ken Loach Movies, Ranked

Top rated, most awarded and biggest box office hits from 69 credits.

See the ranking

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