November 16, 2025 – In the shadow of Welsh coal mines and the roar of wartime sirens, a raw talent clawed his way from obscurity to immortality. Mr Burton, the 2025 biographical drama directed by Marc Evans, plunges into the early life of Richard Burton—born Richard Jenkins in the gritty valleys of Pontrhydyfen—unveiling the mentor who forged him from wild schoolboy to Shakespearean titan. Blending genius, pain, and unbridled passion, the film peels back the glamour of Burton’s legend to expose the turbulent soul beneath, earning critics’ raves as “extraordinary,” “raw,” and “utterly magnetic.” A rare drama that doesn’t merely recount history but makes you feel its weight, Mr Burton arrives on BBC iPlayer following its April theatrical premiere, timed for the centenary of Burton’s 1925 birth.

Toby Jones, Lesley Manville, and Harry Lawtey Deliver Powerhouse Performances in This True-Story Masterpiece That Strips Away the Myth to Reveal the Man

Written by Tom Bullough and Josh Hyams, the film centers on the profound bond between 17-year-old Rich Jenkins (Harry Lawtey) and his schoolmaster Philip Burton (Toby Jones), a strict visionary who spots genius amid chaos. Set against World War II’s backdrop in Port Talbot, it traces Rich’s escape from a drunken father (Steffan Rhodri), a cramped home with his sister Cis (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) and her husband Elfed (Aneurin Barnard), and the suffocating pull of coal-dusted drudgery. Philip, a frustrated actor turned tutor, becomes Rich’s legal guardian—famously trading £50 (equivalent to £1,300 today) from the elder Jenkins for paternal rights—renaming him Richard Burton and molding him through rigorous elocution lessons, poetry recitals, and dramatic rehearsals.

Lawtey, 29 but convincingly gawky as the teenaged Rich, delivers a dynamic transformation—from lanky, undisciplined lad spouting bad verse to a poised prodigy commanding the stage as Prince Hal in Henry IV Part 2, with Philip watching like a proud Falstaff betrayed. “Lawtey shines as Richard Burton,” raves The Guardian, capturing the duality of pride and self-loathing that foreshadowed Burton’s alcoholism and turbulent fame. His arc peaks in a heart-wrenching bedroom confrontation—both men in pyjamas—where gratitude curdles into resentment amid homophobic village whispers, a nod to the era’s prejudices without sensationalism.

Jones, as the spaniel-eyed Philip, anchors the emotional core with quiet ferocity—a man sacrificing his dreams to ignite another’s, his taskmaster facade cracking to reveal paternal longing. “Toby Jones is excellent,” notes The Guardian, infusing the role with subtle vulnerability that elevates the teacher-pupil dynamic beyond cliché. Lesley Manville, as the gossipy landlady Ma Smith, provides levity and chaperone-like warmth, her giggly flightiness a counterpoint to the film’s brooding intensity. Supporting turns from Rhodri’s boozy Dic Jenkins and Barnard’s glowering Elfed ground the story in working-class grit, while the score—composed by John Hardy (nephew of Burton’s friend Robert Hardy) and performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales—swells with poignant strings evoking the valleys’ soul.

Filmed in July-August 2024 across Welsh locations, Mr Burton—financed by BBC Wales and Ffilm Cymru Wales—avoids biopic pitfalls, focusing on this “first chapter” without rushing to Hollywood glory. Cinematographer Stuart Biddlecombe’s moody visuals—rain-lashed streets, fog-shrouded stages—won the BAFTA Cymru for Best Photography, while Lawtey snagged a Best Actor nod. Rotten Tomatoes boasts 88% from critics and 91% from audiences, who call it “a conscientious but slow film” that’s “absorbing and enjoyable,” proving British cinema’s vitality.

Yet it’s the pain beneath the passion that lingers: Burton’s shame-tinged ascent, the mentor’s unspoken sacrifices, the era’s class barriers. “A true story and a very human one,” one viewer posted on IMDb. As Philip urges young Rich, “Talent transcends circumstance,” Mr Burton reminds us: legends are built on blistering authenticity, not myth alone. Stream it now—feel the fire that forged a prince.