When we sat back to watch Bullet Boy we weren’t quite sure what to expect. There’s three categories that British films fall into. There’s the good, the bad, and the Hollywood. The latter is American money and a British production that produces a non stop unoriginal series of romantic comedies. No ne does romantic comedies like the UK. The good and the bad are pretty much self explanatory. There’s a fourth category, which is the average, but 9/10 times a film which is British will fall into the three. Bullet Boy falls into the average category.

The story revovles around gun violence, and the circle of violence that perpetuates urban black communities in and around London. There’s an obvious throwing of the rock at gangster rap for the attitude and influence of behaviour, but on the whole the film deals with a few specifics and how history almost ends up repeating itself tragedy after tragedy.

Ashley Walters stars as Ricky, someone who’s done time in prison and has no want to go back to it. His friend Wisdom picks up Ricky from prison and takes him home, only to flash a gun in his face which scares the jeebus out of his just released friend. They become involved in an argument where the car they’re driving hits another car belonging to the gangster rapper-esque boys you see often in and around London. The vast majority are fine, like most stereotypes, but the few bad eggs perpetuate the stereotypes that exist within most of society when it comes to the representation of black people.

There’s a romantic part to the film, and perhaps a realistic, yet short, sex scene where Ricky finishes rather quickly for someone who’s just been let out of prison

There’s a call to Christinanity im the film, but this is simply to demonstrate that black communities on whole abhor gun violence and thus unite to grieve the dead, innocent victims, and to promote the united front of peace, and life with gun violence.

The main star of the film is the gun itself, and it’s journey as it passes from hand to hand, eventually landing in the hands of Ricky’s younger brother, and causing a predictable series of events that neither challenges the stereotypes, nor adds any character development. Gun crime is a reality in the UK, with the focus concentrated on black on black crime as it has been coined.

This film adds little to the argument of which is well known. As a drama it’s average, neither engaging but equally offering some decent acting, coming mostly from the younger cast of two school friends. What is a little preposterous is the calmness and reserved nature of the confrontations that take place. Rather than letting go of their anger, developing some reality into a situation, the characters seems happy to consider the violence as an act of inconvenience more than anything.

It’s obvious Bullet Boy is a good start, if flawed, to approaching topics other than low-fi horror and the nauseating romantic comedies. The focus is, however, lost and direction seems to meander without really finding a core aspect which engages the viewer. There’s bits of everything, like a buffet table, but not one aspect of the film really bites, or hits hard.

The violence is a little over the top, as most gun related crime is hardly reported, with witnesses too scared to comment. Had my friend shot a gun, the very sound itself would have called at least three squad guards and probably and immigration officer for myself. In the film you get the equivalent of armed police raiding Ricky’s home, and it’s hard to pinpoint why exactly Wisdom doesn’t get involved.

His friend Wisdom picks up Ricky from prison and takes him home, only to flash a gun in his face which scares the jeebus out of his just released friend

There’s a romantic part to the film, and perhaps a realistic, yet short, sex scene where Ricky finishes rather quickly for someone who’s just been let out of prison. You don’t get the 20 hour marathon which you might in Hollywood films about convicts, but instead a humorous series of moments. The relationship isn’t really dealt with, and serves as something immature and ungrown rather than something in cement. Puppy love rather than a real commitment, as if two school children were about to go to different colleges, fearing to be apart. It’s weak and eventually adds little to the proceedings.

Bullet Boy had potential, it’s gritty at times, but it’s all little disjointedly put together. The direction doesn’t help, and the script writing could so easily have been better. Performances aren’t ground breaking, but as stated credit to the two kids who play out their scenes as children would, and perhaps credit to the writers for at least getting something right. It’s a flawed effort, which could have done with less gun and more character development.

Verdict: An average drama that loses direction and focus