Kes poster

Kes

They beat him. They deprived him. They ridiculed him. They broke his heart. But they couldn’t break his spirit.

7.4(467)19701h 51m4

Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper, a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel falcon whom he names Kes. Helped and encouraged by his English teacher and his fellow students, Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his unhappy existence.

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Status
Released
Budget
—
Box office
—
Language
English
  • small town
  • great britain
  • northern england
  • sibling relationship
  • based on novel or book
  • single parent
  • england
  • falcon
  • dysfunctional family
  • coming of age
  • yorkshire
  • sibling rivalry

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Director

Ken Loach

Produced in

United Kingdom

Where to watch

All options

Availability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.

Gallery

Still from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from KesStill from Kes

Videos

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • TheatricalPG-1321 Sept 1970
  • United KingdomGB

    • PremiereLondon Film Festival18 Nov 1969
    • PremiereU27 Mar 1970
    • TheatricalU3 Apr 1970
    • TheatricalRe-release 9 Sept 2011
  • AustraliaAU

    • Theatrical (limited)PGMelbourne International Film Festival18 Jun 1971
  • BelgiumBE

    • Theatrical (limited)143 Apr 1970
  • ChinaCN

    • PremiereShanghai International Film Festival13 Jun 2026
  • FranceFR

    • TheatricalU19 Jun 1970
  • HungaryHU

    • Theatrical1621 Oct 1971
  • IrelandIE

    • Theatrical127 Aug 1970
  • NetherlandsNL

    • Physical16DVD23 Nov 2011
    • Theatrical12Re-release24 Nov 2011
  • PolandPL

    • Theatrical1615 Oct 1973
  • SwedenSE

    • Theatrical1121 Sept 1970

Frequently asked questions

Kes was released on 3 April 1970.

Audience reviews

1
  • C

    CinemaSerf

    6/9/2026

    7/10

    When I think back to my childhood, this is one of the few films that I ever saw that induced some sort of emotional reaction. It was it's last five minutes that achieved that, but building up to this denouement we watch the antics of the amiable working class lad "Billy" (David Bradley). He lives with his mum (Lynne Perrie) and his older, bullying, brother "Jud" (Freddie Fletcher) on a bit of a shoestring and is larg…

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