Jan Svěrák‘s latest feature, What a Way to Go (Pět švestek), is set to receive a theatrical release in the United Kingdom this fall, marking a rare milestone for contemporary Czech cinema. According to the film’s producers, it will become only the fourth Czech film since the establishment of the Czech Republic in 1993 to secure a significant UK theatrical rollout.
The news comes as What a Way to Go continues an unusually durable run in Czech cinemas. More than 10 weeks after its May premiere, the comedy remains among the country’s top-performing domestic releases, drawing more than 120,000 admissions through sustained word-of-mouth rather than a blockbuster opening weekend.
“This latest feature from Oscar-winning writer-director Svěrák is heartfelt and at times riotously funny, and represents another solid showcase for the filmmaker’s deft blending of serious subject matter and bitter irony,” The Prague Reporter wrote in its review of the film earlier this year.
A rare breakthrough for Czech cinema
International theatrical releases remain difficult to secure for Czech-language films, particularly in English-speaking markets. While Czech productions regularly appear at international festivals, only a handful have achieved meaningful commercial distribution in British cinemas.
According to the filmmakers, the previous Czech films to receive comparable UK releases were Jan Svěrák‘s Academy Award-winning Kolya, his World War II drama Dark Blue World, and Jiří Menzel‘s I Served the King of England.
What a Way to Go will open in the UK under its international title, an English expression suggesting an enviable or memorable way to leave this world. The film will be distributed by Picturehouse Cinemas, one of Britain’s leading arthouse cinema operators, which runs 28 multiplex venues specializing in both independent and international films alongside mainstream releases.
For Czech filmmakers, such a release offers valuable exposure in one of Europe’s largest theatrical markets. Although streaming platforms have increased the visibility of foreign-language productions worldwide, traditional cinema distribution in the UK remains highly selective, particularly for smaller Central European productions.
The latest development also continues Svěrák’s longstanding relationship with international audiences. The Oscar-winning director has long been one of Czech cinema’s most recognizable filmmakers abroad, with works including Kolya, Dark Blue World, and Empties finding audiences well beyond the Czech Republic.
The international prospects for What a Way to Go have also been strengthened by its selection among the five finalists under consideration by the Czech Film and Television Academy as the country’s submission for the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film category.
Strong domestic word-of-mouth fuels momentum
While the UK release is notable in its own right, it follows a domestic theatrical run that has exceeded expectations for a Czech-language comedy aimed primarily at older audiences.
Written and directed by Svěrák, What a Way to Go follows five lifelong friends who reunite for one final sailing trip through the Greek islands. The ensemble cast includes Lenka Termerová, Oldřich Kaiser, Petr Kostka, Jan Vlasák, Dana Syslová, Petra Špalková, Petr Lněnička, Marek Adamczyk, and Judit Pecháček.
Rather than relying on an explosive opening weekend, the film has demonstrated unusual staying power. More than two months after its release, cinemas across the Czech Republic continue to program the film, with attendance remaining steady enough to keep it among the top 10 at the weekly Czech box office.
Its performance has been particularly notable because it has not benefited from the kind of extensive multiplex support typically enjoyed by larger commercial releases. Instead, producers attribute its success largely to audience recommendations, allowing the film to expand into smaller regional cinemas as positive word-of-mouth spread.
Although the comedy was initially expected to appeal primarily to older moviegoers, it has also found an audience among younger viewers. Director Svěrák pointed to its screening at this year’s Summer Film School in Uherské Hradiště as an unexpected highlight, saying he had been apprehensive about how the festival’s younger audience would respond before being surprised by laughter throughout the screening and a standing ovation afterward.
The film has also attracted international praise. Following a private screening at this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, American actor and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal reportedly wrote to the producers describing the film as both moving and genuinely funny. She singled out Syslová’s performance as an elderly woman living with Alzheimer’s disease, while Gyllenhaal and her husband, actor Peter Sarsgaard, said they hoped to introduce the film to colleagues within North America’s filmmaking community.
Whether the British release leads to broader international recognition remains to be seen. Even so, the film’s combination of sustained domestic success and an increasingly uncommon overseas theatrical release represents one of the strongest international showings for a Czech production in recent years, underscoring that locally rooted stories can still find audiences well beyond their home market.
