Film Reviews

The Football Factory

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Danny Dyer
• Details: UK / 90 mins / (18).

A timely release, considering the fact that everyone is awaiting the seemingly inevitable explosion of violence at the European Championships, The Football Factory is based on John King's cult novel. At the centre of the story is Tommy (Danny Dyer), a 20-year-old member of the Chelsea firm, The Headhunters, whose attendance at football games is virtually a by-product of their love for rucks with rival fans. Of course, Tommy's an ambitious lad in the world of thuggary and he has his sights set on being the leader of his firm, a position sought by Billy Bright (Frank Harper), a veteran prone to vicious mood swings. Despite receiving ample back-up from his violence-loving mates, Tommy is terrified that his nasty ways will eventually catch up with him, which is not the best preparation for an ominous showdown with Millwall's firm.
Filmed with a brash insistent edge by Nick Love, The Football Factory owes a debt of gratitude to Alan Clark's The Firm, a similarly edged tale of youthful middle class thuggary. While insights into what inspires the culture are somewhat second-hand, the film's roughly hewn edge and the aggressive air feel reasonably genuine.

Review by Garreth Murphy