Teenage gang member Cal, hides his sexuality from his fellow gang members despite their often violent dislike of anyone that isn't the same as them, be they unsuspecting shoppers, foreign students, gays, etc. When his world collides with Olivier, a student he rescues from a pointless beating, he encounters a lifestyle that presents as many new experiences as it does obstacles.
Acting
Wayne Virgo's silent, simmering desperation as Cal
Direction
DIY urgency that makes poverty visceral, not aesthetic
Writing
Olivier's flat as class commentary, not weakness
Director
Simon Pearce
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in Bristol with actual local youth, blending professional and non-professional actors for unsettling authenticity.
The title 'Shank' is British slang for both a homemade knife and gay sex—Pearce knew exactly what he was doing.
US
GB
