How to Get Ahead in Advertising

1989 • 93 minutes

About this movie

Two years after the release of Withnail and I, Richard E. Grant and writer-director Bruce Robinson reunited for a savage attack on Thatcher’s Britain and advertising culture. Denis Dimbleby Bagley (Grant) is an ad executive plunged into a nervous breakdown whilst working on a campaign for pimple cream. A boil develops on his neck, but this isn’t any ordinary boil: soon it develops eyes, ears, a moustache and a mind of its own… Bolstered by Grant’s towering performance with another word-perfect script from Robinson, How to Get Ahead in Advertising is… spot on!

Ratings and reviews

Ok its not Withnail & I but its worth a watch just for the pure madness of it and Grants performance. I really like the idea and the message this film gives and so much of it relates to the times we live in now nearly 30 years on!

Fantastic movie, my favourite of all time. Have watched this maybe 60+ times. The dialogue is fantastic as well as the delivery, manic goodness.