X
- 2002
- R
- IFC Films
- 1 h 43 m
- 2002
- R
- IFC Films
- 1 h 43 m
Summary The brutal, mesmerizing story of a deadly battle of wills between a gangland leader and his apprentice, a young man who emulates him to the point of psychosis and beyond. (IFC Films)
Directed By: Paul McGuigan
Written By: Johnny Ferguson, Louis Mellis, David Scinto
- 2002
- R
- IFC Films
- 1 h 43 m
- 2002
- R
- IFC Films
- 1 h 43 m
Gangster No. 1
60
8.5
Summary The brutal, mesmerizing story of a deadly battle of wills between a gangland leader and his apprentice, a young man who emulates him to the point of psychosis and beyond. (IFC Films)
Directed By: Paul McGuigan
Written By: Johnny Ferguson, Louis Mellis, David Scinto
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 15 Critic Reviews
60
67% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
20% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
13% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 15 Critic Reviews
60
67% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
20% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
13% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Like almost everything in this clever, brutal and strangely soulful movie, the time and place are accomplished by suggestion.
While you think you're watching just another in a series of British gangster films, you may suddenly realize that you're watching what is, thus far, the year's best horror movie.
A canny, derivative, wildly gruesome portrait of a London sociopath who's the scariest of sadists, in part because he's also a very courtly one.
The psychological underpinnings give this picture a charged emotional atmosphere. The dizzying unspoken feelings between the two men mesh so well that the movie seems to have been worked out like a perverse drawing-room comedy.
The movie's key asset is young Bettany as a worthy successor to the "Clockwork Orange" tradition of McDowell. With Bettany, a star is born, even if his character is horrific.
Often nastily violent, and defiantly foul-mouthed in a realistic but dramatically unnecessary way, this portrait of a ruthless young hood in '60s London has several fine qualities but dilutes them with disorganized direction.
The actors all function as best they can as glowering clichés, though the narrative's temporal jump presents difficulties.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 49 User Ratings
8.5
84% Positive
41 Ratings
41 Ratings
10% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
6% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 49 User Ratings
8.5
84% Positive
41 Ratings
41 Ratings
10% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
6% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Production Company
FilmFour,
Pagoda Film,
Road Movies Filmproduktion,
British Screen Productions,
British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB),
Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg (FBB),
NFH Productions,
Little Bird
Release Date Jun 14, 2002
Duration 1 h 43 m
Rating R
Tagline There can only be ONE.
Website
http://www.gangsterno1.co.uk/
Awards
British Independent Film Awards
• 3 Nominations
AFI Fest
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
London Critics Circle Film Awards
• 2 Nominations
