If you’re still in need for a weekend watch, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a 2023 film starring Downton Abbey‘s Penelope Wilton and Paddington‘s Jim Broadbent, has landed a new streaming service and, in an added bonus, is available to watch for free.

jim broadbent, the unlikely pilgrimage of harold fry

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Based on the 2012 novel by Rachel Joyce, the film follows a man who learns that his friend is in a hospice dying of cancer. He tells her that he’s going to walk all 500 miles to visit her, and that she needs to hold out until then.

If you haven’t seen it or fancy a rewatch, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is now available to watch for free on Channel 4’s streaming service. It’s available to watch for the next 29 days so don’t miss out.

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Related: Is Downton Abbey 3 really the end of Downton Abbey?

It’s been directed by Hettie Macdonald, who previously helmed the beloved Doctor Who episode ‘Blink’ as well as several episodes of Normal People.

jim broadbent, penelope wilton, the unlikely pilgrimage of harold fry

The British drama did well with the critics, standing at 74% positive on Rotten Tomatoes from 43 reviews.

Metro called Harold Fry “unabashedly sentimental” and “cheesy” with some “on the nose” dialogue, but added that “this cheese has a distinctly English flavour – a movie equivalent of Ticklemore. Bittersweet and eccentric”.

The Observer called it a “politely unassuming little film [that] builds into a wrenching examination of grief, guilt and eventual closure”.

The Telegraph praised it for the way it “makes a definite effort to show us modern Britain, warts and all, rather than some Richard Curtis fantasyland”.

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Over on IMDb, the film has an average user score of 6.8/10 from over 7,000 viewer ratings. One fan called it “a wonderful, heart warming and at times heart wrenching story” with “so many lessons to teach”.

Another fan praised the film for its representation of real human emotion. They wrote: “I left feeling that as humans we don’t have to change the world, sometimes just giving someone a smile on a day when they’re really struggling can make the world of difference to them”.

There’s also a musical version of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry that’s currently running at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, with tickets available at ATG Tickets, LoveTheatre and TodayTix.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is now available to watch for free on Channel 4’s streaming service.