Rye Lane, the critically acclaimed British rom-com starring Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson, is on TV tonight - here's everything you need to know including why you shouldn't miss it!
The 2023 film, the feature debut from Raine Allen-Miller, tells the story of Yas (Oparah) and Dom (Jonsson) as they strike up a bond while strolling through the colourful neighbourhoods of Brixton and Peckham in South London.
Written by Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, Rye Lane has been available to stream on Disney+ for the past couple of years as it (frustratingly) still doesn't have a physical home video release in the UK.
Viewers will have another option to view the rom-com tonight, however, with the film set to air on BBC Two at 9pm. It will also be added to streaming service BBC iPlayer, where it will be available for 11 months.
In addition to Oparah and Jonsson, the film boasts a stacked supporting cast including Simon Manyonda and former Emmerdale star Karene Peter, while a very famous British actor has a cameo as a chef in a very clever tribute to Love Actually.
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Though it only grossed a small amount at the box office, the rom-com proved to be an enormous success with critics, with the film currently having a near-perfect approval rating of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes from 138 reviews.
In Digital Spy's review of the film, we wrote: "Overall, Rye Lane is a joyous celebration of South London, a triumph for Black British romantic comedy and one of the cutest love stories you'll see on screen this year."
"Rye Lane asks you to fall in love with Dom and Yas, but failing that, it will have you hopelessly smitten with its South London setting and with that feeling of having the day open and nothing to do but wander and see what may happen," opined Vulture.
Mashable was similarly full of praise, writing: "Rye Lane is a winsome delight, alive with colour, verve, humour and heart. If you love rom-coms, it's essential viewing. And if you don't, well, this gem might just change your mind."
General audiences also lauded the rom-com. It has an impressive user rating of 7.2 out of 10 on IMDb from 15,000 reviews, with one viewer praising the "creative" direction and "exceptional" screenplay.
Rye Lane airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Two, before streaming on BBC iPlayer. It's also available to stream on Disney+.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
