THIS IS ENGLAND

This is England is a British coming of age drama which gives us with an unbiased insight into the skinhead movement of 1980's Britain.

The film is both gritty and uplifting. Filmed in the Meadows in Nottingham, it is a powerful demonstration of British filmmaking at its best.

The frequent add-libs demonstrate the actors’ natural dry wit and add to the realism that resonates throughout the film. It is moving without being over-sentimental: a trait that ruins many Hollywood films.

My favourite part of the film was the opening credits (similar to the start of the video above), which sets the scene of 1980’s Britain perfectly, capturing the energy and mood of the time. While this might provoke a feeling of negativity, the evocative period Ska soundtrack gives the opening sequence, and indeed the whole film, an optimistic twist.