A story about a troubled boy growing up in England, set in 1983. He comes across a few skinheads on his way home from school, after a fight. They become his new best friends, even like family. Based on experiences of director Shane Meadows.
Acting
Stephen Graham's Combo is terrifyingly human — career-defining.
Direction
Meadows' semi-autobiographical eye makes 1983 feel lived-in, not costume-drama.
Score
Ludovico Einaudi + Toots & The Maytals = emotional whiplash.
Director
Shane Meadows
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Thomas Turgoose had zero acting experience; Meadows found him at a youth club and basically rewrote the film around his actual personality.
The skinhead scene here depicts the original working-class, ska-loving subculture — not the later racist co-optation. Combo represents the NF infiltration that destroyed it.
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