This is England (Movie Watch)

Roland Rat, Margaret Thatcher; Rubik's Cubes, the Royal Wedding; aerobics, skinheads... It's 1983, & the schools are breaking up for summer. Shaun is 12 & a bit of a loner, growing up with his mum in a grim coastal town, his dad killed fighting in the Falklands War. On his way home from school where he's been tormented all day for wearing flares, he runs into a group of skinheads, who against expectations turn out to be friendly & take him under their wing. Soon Shaun discovers parties, girls, snappy dressing & finds some role models in Woody, Milky & the rest of the gang. But when an older, overtly racist skinhead returns home from prison, the easy camaraderie of the group is broken & Shaun is drawn into much more uncomfortable territory.

Based largely on his own experience as a youngster, this is Shane Meadows' most mature & fully realised film. Handling the complexities of masculinity, violence & race with sensitivity & a lightness of touch, it's hard to imagine a film that would better capture the mood of the time, or that could have any greater an understanding of the allure of being part of a gang.

Trailer HERE