A hyperactive boy and his best friend, a slow-witted youth with an affinity for horses, start collecting scrap metal for a shady dealer.
The Selfish Giant (2013) is a drama film directed by Clio Barnard, released on October 25, 2013 with a runtime of 1h 31m. It stars Conner Chapman, Shaun Thomas, Sean Gilder and Lorraine Ashbourne. Viewers rate it 7.2 out of 10 across 251 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Selfish Giant before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for The Selfish Giant.
Trailer
Trailer
Featurette
Conner Chapman
as Arbor
Shaun Thomas
as Swifty
Sean Gilder
as Kitten
Lorraine Ashbourne
as Mary
Ian Burfield
as Mick Brazil
Steve Evets
as Price Drop Swift
Siobhan Finneran
as Mrs. Swift
Ralph Ineson
as Johnny Jones
Rebecca Manley
as Michelle 'Shelly' Fenton
Rhys McCoy
as Daniel
Elliott Tittensor
as Martin Fenton
Macy Shackleton
as Swift Child
Directed by Clio Barnard, written by Clio Barnard, produced by Tracy O'Riordan.
Average viewer score of 7.2/10 from 251 ratings.
Very much enjoyed this, from a film point of view of course given the dark and saddening tone of the story. <em>'The Selfish Giant'</em> is a gritty drama involving two kids who get mixed up in the wrong world. At the beginning I was worried it was going to turn into a cliché-filled, overly stereotypical tale of less well-off families. It does in small doses, but feels legitimate for the majority. Cast-wise it…
Reviewed on July 9, 2020
_The Selfish Giant_ is an interesting watch—gritty, heartfelt, and beautifully shot, with powerful performances from its young leads. There’s a rawness to it that feels authentic, and the friendship at its centre is touching in that bruised, kitchen-sink way. But as much as I wanted to be moved, something about it felt a bit… manipulative. Like it knew exactly how to push the poverty-porn buttons. It lingers on the…
Reviewed on March 28, 2025
“Arbor” (Conner Chapman) is a bit of a tearaway who’s on medication that his elder brother frequently sells and hates going to school. His best mate is “Swifty” (Shaun Thomas) - a gentle giant of a boy, and the two are inseparable. When a brawl at school sees the former excluded permanently and his pal for a fortnight, they decide to turn their heads to scrap collection. A perilous business where much of what they…
Reviewed on June 12, 2025
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The Selfish Giant (2013) is available to stream on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+ and Sundance Now, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of The Selfish Giant (2013) includes Conner Chapman, Shaun Thomas, Sean Gilder, Lorraine Ashbourne and Ian Burfield. The film was directed by Clio Barnard. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Selfish Giant was released on October 25, 2013 and runs for 1h 31m.
The Selfish Giant (2013) holds an average rating of 7.2 out of 10 from 251 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Selfish Giant trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
