This Is England (2006)

This Is England (2006) is a gritty, coming-of-age drama set in a working-class coastal town during the summer of 1983. It follows 12-year-old Shaun, a lonely boy whose father died in the Falklands War, as he is taken under the wing of a charismatic group of skinheads. At first the gang brings Shaun joy, style and belonging — parties, new clothes, friends who feel like family — and the film captures the exuberance and small pleasures of youth with warmth and authentic period detail. But the tone shifts when Combo, an older, volatile ex-convict, returns and injects a poisonous strain of nationalism and racism into the group. What began as protection and identity turns into coercion, violence and moral confusion as Shaun faces his first painful decisions. The movie explores how social forces — mass unemployment, Thatcher-era politics, and postwar trauma — can be channeled into both solidarity and hatred, and how vulnerable young people are pulled between those currents. Watching This Is England you’ll experience a powerful mix of tenderness and brutality: intimate, observational scenes that evoke nostalgia and friendship, punctured by shocks of anger and cruelty. The film is emotionally raw and often uncomfortable, but deeply human, showing how love, loyalty and fear shape identity. Expect strong performances, period atmosphere, and a stark, thoughtful examination of masculinity, belonging and the consequences of extremism. Viewer discretion advised for depictions of violence and racist language.

Actors: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley

Director: Shane Meadows

Runtime: 101 min

Genres: Crime, Drama

7.2 /10 86 /100 7.7 /10 7.8 /10