Michael Sheen and Stephen Graham's "brilliant" British drama has just landed on Netflix

A British drama described as "brilliant" and "riveting" has been added to Netflix. Starring Stephen Graham, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Jim Broadbent, and more, The Damned United is a fictionalised take on Brian Clough's ill-fated tenure as the Leeds United football manager in 1974.

It is based on the best-selling book of the same name, written by David Peace, and the film garnered controversy at the time of its release due to its historical inaccuracies.

Despite its poor box office performance, The Damned United was widely praised by critics, most notably for Sheen's performance as Clough.

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The Damned United holds an impressive 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critics' consensus reading: "Better than your average football pic, Damned United is carried by another star turn from Michael Sheen as Brian Clough."

In their review, Screen International wrote: "Offering just enough football to satisfy the fans in the stands, The Damned United is also a pleasingly high-quality British drama with some terrific performances."

Detroit News said: "The Damned United is a thoughtful and entertaining study on the perils of ambition that has little to do with soccer and a lot to do with being human. Well-played."

Dallas Morning News thought it was a "finely constructed and fiercely entertaining soccer movie," while The Age said it was "a fine sports movie" and "touching."

Variety said: "There's hardly more than five minutes of actual ball-kicking onscreen, and what's there is mostly seamlessly stitched-in archival footage. Diehard fans may actually feel shortchanged by the strategy. But it makes for more accessible drama."

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Talking to Movies.ie, Sheen explained his motivations for taking on the role and how he connected with Clough's character.

"Well, there’s a bit in The Damned United, where Peter Taylor has had a heart attack, and he’s in the hospital bed, and he says to Clough, 'You’ve got this thing in you, this demon, and sometimes it’s good, because it gets things done, and other times, it’s terrible, because it messes everything up, and takes away everything that could bring you joy and happiness,' he began.

"I think that’s what I’m drawn to in all these characters, and I’m drawn to it because it’s in me as well."

He continued: "I’ve found that a healthy way of dealing with that is by identifying that in other people, and then playing them. And I’ve found that the more honest I am with that, the more I put myself into these people, the more it seems to connect with other people, and because of that, career things start to happen, and all that.

"But I’m not aiming for any of that stuff. It’s great that I got an OBE, but I’m still slightly bemused by that side of things. I just have to do this, or, presumably, I’d be like one of these people. So, it’s just running to stand still, a little bit."

The Damned United is available to stream now on Netflix.

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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more. Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club. LinkedIn