If you’ve been following me for a while, then you may already know that biographical dramas are one of my favourite genres, they are a great way to uncover some of history’s little known stories. Simon Stone’s The Dig shines a light on the discovery of an ancient Anglo-Saxon burial site in Suffolk during the late 1930’s.

Carey Mulligan stars as Edith Pretty, a wealthy widow who hires the underappreciated and underpaid excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) from the Ipswich Museum to explore the burial mounds that sit on her property. As Brown gets down to work excavating one of the more promising mounds, his working relationship with Ms. Pretty and her son Robert develops into a strong friendship that becomes the heart of the film, but when he uncovers incredible remains from the Anglo-Saxon era, a team of ‘trained’ archeologists from the British Museum muscle their way in and take over the project.

With the country on the brink of war, and Ms. Pretty battling an undisclosed illness, it’s not just the treasures of the past that need saving but the memories of the present as well.

With all the focus on her “ice-cold” powerhouse performance in Promising Young Woman, Carey Mulligan’s turn as the elegant and somewhat melancholic Edith Pretty falls a little under the radar, undeservedly so. At only 35, Mulligan is twenty years younger than the real life Edith was at the time of the dig, but she breathes a warmth and maturity into her performance that makes it believable and her chemistry with Fiennes is captivating to watch.

Despite the lack of a formal education, Brown’s skill and love for his work is clear and Ralph Fiennes steals the show as the humble and unassuming Basil Brown, delivering arguably his best performance in a good while. His quiet fortitude against those who undermine his ability based purely on his education and social class is charming and a pleasure to watch.

As with Benedict Cumberbatch’s turn as Alan Turing in Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game, Fiennes’ Brown shines a much needed light on another one of Britain’s unappreciated heroes whose failure to meet societal expectations, in this case the wealthy educated upper class, means they are brushed under History’s carpet.

Unfortunately, The Dig starts to lose some of its charm in the second half as its focus moves away from the mystery of the titular event and the burgeoning friendship of its leading performers, crowding the field with a host of supporting characters and a romantic side plot that feels insincere and unnecessary.

Stone’s decision to overlap dialogue across scenes is a little disconcerting at first but winds up being an interesting and stylistic choice that knits scenes together but the strength of the film resides in Mike Eley’s cinematography which is subtle and picturesque. It’s ‘Golden Hour’ hue and sweeping landscape shots is reminiscent of a John Constable painting and it’s this, coupled with the story’s pleasant pacing, that makes it the perfect choice for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Ultimately, The Dig is a deceptively engaging and enjoyable watch with a story that is as humble and unassuming as the man it portrays.

The Dig is now available to stream on Netflix.