Ricky is just out of a young offenders institute, heading home to Hackney and determined to go straight. Instead, he heads straight for trouble when he becomes involved in a street confrontation, siding with his best friend Wisdom against a local rude boy. The trouble escalates into a series of tit-for-tat incidents that threaten to spiral out of control. Ricky's 12-year-old brother Curtis, hero-worships Ricky, though he appears smart enough to know he doesn't want to follow his example. Yet, despite the stern warnings from his mother and support from her friends in the community, might Ricky's bad boy allure be too attractive for Curtis to resist?
Acting
Ashley Walters carries crushing weight in every restrained moment.
Direction
Dibb's debut captures authentic estate life without poverty porn.
Writing
Dialogue so natural you'll forget it's scripted.
Director
Saul Dibb
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released months after 'Kidulthood', this was part of a brief but intense wave of British 'hood films' examining post-Stop and Search tensions.
The title's double meaning — bullet as projectile and as young male — drives home how disposable these boys are to each other.
US
GB
