What 1987 British cult comedy follows two unemployed actors in the countryside?

The 1987 British cult comedy about two unemployed actors in the countryside is Withnail and I.

Written and directed by Bruce Robinson, the film follows the self-styled Withnail and his unnamed friend, known as “I” in the film. They share a cramped flat in Camden Town in 1969 and, desperate for a break from poverty and urban frustration, borrow a country cottage in England’s Lake District from Withnail’s eccentric Uncle Monty.

Their supposed rural holiday becomes a comic disaster involving bad weather, inadequate food, hostile farm animals, questionable supplies, and an unwanted visit from Monty. Beneath the sharp dialogue and extravagant drinking lies a more melancholy story about friendship, artistic failure, and the end of a particular bohemian way of life.

The film draws heavily on Robinson’s own experiences as a struggling actor in London. Paul McGann plays “I,” while Richard E. Grant plays Withnail in his film debut. A common mix-up is assuming the title refers to two equally named characters; “I” is deliberately unnamed in the film, though the published screenplay calls him Marwood.