"This is England" is the best period-piece film about the relatively recent past since Richard Linklater's "Dazed and Confused". From the actors with speaking parts, down to the extras that fill out the screen, in unison, capture the milieu of a small population locked together by a generational happenstance. The boys and girls don't look like fashion victims. They look like the young people you see in documentary films about the post-punk era. You instantly know what band or solo artist each girl or boy are into. Shot like a docu-drama, "This is England" also tells a story that's as no-nonsense as its visual style; a story well-told about how an indoctrination begets the racist lifestyle a person undertakes, because we're all born innocent, blank slates susceptible to rhetoric, both, the good and bad sort. Shaun(Thomas Turgoose) is a lonely kid. Combo(Stephen Graham), too, we realize, in spite of his advanced age. Shaun's mentor is still very impressionable, just like anybody who feels marginalized. He's a walking and talking contradiction. Graham makes Combo a fascinating character study because he's not completely irredeemable. There's a vestige of that lonely kid somewhere beneath the faux-confident exterior that hatred instilled him with. "This is England" steers clear away from the wrongheaded notion that racial violence is mindless. There's always some deep-rooted psychological factor behind every hate crime. Combo got to Shaun. And somebody got to Combo. "This is England" is the best British film I've seen of recent vintage that wasn't directed by Mike Leigh(you know who he is), or Lynne Ramsay("Ratcatcher", "Morvern Callar").… Expand

Great Movie. Probably one of my most favorite movies and I watch a lot of movies. The script is well-written, the acting, especially that of thomas turgoose, is phenomenal. The film is directed beautifully portraying remarkable poignancy and a great story.

Enjoyable and evocative for the time portrayed, but should be closer to 70 on metacritic scale. Nostalgia bits and acting very good but ultimately not much more to it.

I love this director. For me the best scenes are when they are cutting his hair off (this gang may act tough, but they're all really sweet) and the speech by the creepy National Front guy. Only problem with this movie for me is that Paddy Considine, by far England's best young actor, isn't in it, but then, what role would he have taken? If you liked this, you'll love Dead Man's Shoes, starring Paddy.… Expand

Manichean and disappointing.

A movie with a very thin history and horribly quick and superficial ending, still better that hollowood ones but disapointing given the high score that it has here in metacritic.

Baffled by the high marks all round. Maybe they’re for good intentions, or for the quaintness to American eyes and ears of the Nottingham-Grimsby settings and accents. If you were to start off with the concept of an English skinhead’s coming of age, you would not expect, and you don’t get, a great movie. Sure, the actors put in fine turns, especially the boy skinhead and his bollocks girlfriend. But the storyline is thin and the character development is woeful. I’d give this one 4 for energy and enjoyment values and a charitable 1 for lasting cinematic values. Maybe I should thank my lucky stars that Brenda Blethyn didn’t turn up.… Expand

Truly excellent film. Fantastic performances from the young cast, while the soundtrack is spot on. A real gem of a movie, easily one of the best of 2007.

Oh, my god, this is an overrated movie. It starts well enough, and there is some nice acting throughout, but then it takes a monster nose dive: we have to watch a twelve year old boy deep kiss an eighteen year old girl (why does she do that?), this kid's mom seems to care about him, then she disappears as he starts palling around with a 35 year old man, another main character just drops out of the film, there are these serious skin heads who hang out with a black kid... what the hell? Not truthful ambiguity, a confused mess.… Expand

A great movie that tells a real story about skinhead subculture an the emotional enviremant the culture struggled with during that decenium great acting and nice girls.

Great film. A stylish piece of pop culture, political commentary and coming of age calling-to-account. It felt like a very personal rendition of events and for those who didn't / haven't lived through 15% unemployment I can see how it doesnt travel particularly well. A solid 9.

I agree that the scenes of the boy kissing the older girl was slightly odd. She wasn't 18 though but rather fifteen. Also, being a skinhead doesn't make you a racist so it is not unusual for them to have a black friend at all. Anyone who does a bit of research will know that the history of skinhead culture is very blurred and has its roots in west indian culture. There are and always have been both racist and anti racist skinheads and for me this film illustrates this well. More importantly though I think it is beautifully shot film that is full of fantastic acting.… Expand

To put this simply, this is one of the 3 best films I've seen this year. The soundtrack, the script, the direction and the cinematography were all perfect to the point of disbelief. Each scene was as powerful as the last and this continues up until the utterly BRILLIANT closing shot.

A gripping tale of a 12 year old's need for acceptance and the wrong place he found it.

British cinema, though underrated, is going from strength to strength. This is hard-hitting, thought-provoking and even occasionally funny. Thomas Turgoose isn't your typical English child actor, he doesn't have a RP accent or look seven years younger than his real age, but unlike the Freddie Highmores of the film industry he has a raw, convincing acting style. This is England is fairly short but still packs a brutal punch. Great acting, great script, Meadows obviously has a great understanding of the era and the film shows that skinheads did not start of as racists but divided. The film is very real with people acting in a real style with real accents. So please, people instead of whatever Hollywood drivel is out on DVD, rent This is England.… Expand

Tupac S..It doesnt make sense to you because you dont know what real skinheads are.You only know the so called modern day skins.In the uk skins derived from the mods and the rude boys (jamaican blacks) and were NOT against blacks.The confusion probably comes from the so called paki (pakistani) bashing which both the blacks and skins both did. Quote..."These kids were the first skinheads. With shorter cropped hair than the mods(for convenience in street fights) and passions that included football, reggae, and working class values, skinheads were the perfect hybrid of the two groups. A skinhead did not take shit from anyone, they stood firm on their stance on racial unity and working class pride."You live and learn eh?… Expand

A bit of a disappointment, considering how highly American critics rated it. The first third of the film was OK, the second third was outstanding, and the final third wasn't good at all. Also, it would have been nice on the DVD to have an English subtitle option...I missed a good portion of what they were actually saying to each other.

If you did not live in Britain at the time it takes place, this movie might hold some novelty for you. But, for me, it's a small movie with very little to say and the story is told with average visuals and acting.

I was 12 in England in 1983 and while this film is true to life, it wasn't a very good film, and suffers from being yet another example of the UK's total of 2 endlessly repeated cliché genres - music/drugs/soundtrack/working class life or endearing/eccentric middle class sitcom. Why don't you make something more original?

This is England. Yes we know that, and you had to make a movie about that.

Hm. A bit awkward, fast, and wicked superb, although never catchy with its speed, and never neat, and I don't see the point.

Loved this movie. Touching and true portrayal of skinheads in England in the eighties.

Depressingly middle of the road.. Sure everything's been done before but this film added nothing to the 'good kid, wrong crowd' genre.. And it's simplistic psychology 101? - lack of love equals self destructive anger.. Thanks for that I feel so enlightened now!

A few too many Reservoir Dogs slow motion montages and a story arc fail to connect the some good performances and one or two pretty good scenes.

Vastly overrated by the critics. It's patronising use of references to the 80's seems to be dreamed up by a 14 year old, why does everyone have to be a Skinhead, a boy George look-a-like, or a member of the Specials? Would've been better set it in the current day as the story is still relevant if not more so. The script is not well thought out and the improvised acting really starts to grate on you when everyone repeats the lines five times over like a school dramatics rehearsal. The only good thing about the film is Thomas Turgoose’s performance. Better to watch Made in Britain by Alan Clarke.… Expand

They're skinheads but are all friends with a black kid... It just didn't make sense. Then it gets really dramatic when some guy describes another guy as black, he didn't even say anything racist about the guy, just that he was black, and when he did that the music all slowed down and everyone looked sad. Some of the nicest skinheads ever.

An accurate portrayal of skinheads.

A fascinating little slice of life film boasting an excellent script, alternately touching and powerful performances which accurately depicts real people in Thatcher's working class England rather than stereotyped versions of same. While the young Shaun is utterly believable, it's the fury and frustration of Combo that steals scenes, exemplified in Milky's reaction to his racist epithets. Highly recommended.… Expand

I liked the movie for the most part. It felt very authentic and very well done characters. On the other hand I felt it was lacking a bit in plot. Nothing honestly happens in this movie and after watching it I felt a little let down.

Best British film in years

Shane Meadows perfectly captures the 80s in England with his unflinching portrayal of the far-right movements of the time and the innocence of youth. Thomas Turgoose and Stephen Graham put in amazing lead roles which captivated me from the start.

Seems a few people are going on about this group of skin heads being friends with a black person and that being unrealistic. The skinheads evolved in the 60s from the likes of the jamaican rudeboy culture. It was during the 70s strong contingents of skinheads aligned with neo nazism. The period in which This Is England is based is when white power began to fade and anti racist skinhead groups began to emerge trying to bring it back to its roots. Also the kids in the film clearly hadnt been introduced to the neo nazi side of skinhead culture yet. They grew up with Milky and had accepted him as one of their own. Its clear why theyre friends with him and the film is historically very accurate. Its also a great story.… Expand

http://mushreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/this-is-england.html If you haven't heard of this movie it's probably because it is British..as the title suggests. I was recommended me this movie by my roommate (who coincidentally is in England this semester) and finally watched it. I didn't know to expect as he really just said, "Watch this movie." But I liked what I got. Basically the story is about a younger kid who is getting picked on at school and on his way back home he meets a group of skinheads. From there they take him under his wing and introduce him into the skinhead culture. Eventually things get serious, lines are drawn, mistakes made. I thought this was a great coming of age story with a different style. You really feel for this kid as he's getting picked on and then even though you know the skin heads are sketchy, at least they are nice to him and you sympathize. The whole movie honestly is a roller coaster of emotions about the main character and all that's happening. I haven't had a movie that has had this much emotional impact on me in a while.… Expand

British cinema, though underrated, is going from strength to strength. This is hard-hitting, thought-provoking and even occasionally funny. Thomas Turgoose isn't your typical English child actor, he doesn't have a RP accent or look seven years younger than his real age, but unlike the Freddie Highmore’s of the film industry he has a raw, convincing acting style. This is England is fairly short but still packs a brutal punch. Great acting, great script, Meadows obviously has a great understanding of the era and the film shows that skinheads did not start of as racists but divided. The film is very real with people acting in a real style with real accents. Shane Meadows perfectly captures the 80s in England with his unflinching portrayal of the far-right movements of the time and the innocence of youth. Thomas Turgoose and Stephen Graham put in amazing lead roles which captivated me from the start. This is England on my opinion 80s the best English film that I have ever seen because although there are bad times there are good times as well so it’s like everyday life and it is a small reminder of life what it was like in the 80s witch to me looks quite good and funny so for me this film is a 10/10. So for anyone that doesn’t like this is England you have problems or just don’t like England because it was the 80s like this made England what it is today. This is England = pure excellent.… Expand

The way Shane Meadows builds up tension and makes the viewer care about the characters in the story is truly amazing. A brilliant film where not much happens but every moment seems to stay in your head. The acting of Stephen Graham is exceptional as he manages to portray an intimidating and thuggish character but also succeeds in showing there is a reason behind it without blatantly saying it out loud.… Expand

Gritty but believable and the characters are superbly acted. A true sense of what growing up in the miserable era of the early eighties was like. The concept has been done a million times over but rarely with this much aplomb.