Familiar tropes are given new life in this sensitive directorial debut starring the magnetically stoic Kieton Saunders-Browne
From Bullet Boy to Blue Story, the inescapable whirlpool of life in London’s youth gangs has been a cinematic theme for some time now – one that invariably comes with the standard-issue banging grime soundtrack. Daniel Glenn-Barbour’s low-budget debut doesn’t deviate from the norm, but it has a heightened introspection that marks it out, a kind of dull roiling despair behind the eyes, thanks to its unusually passive protagonist: Darrell who, as the title suggests, is forever acquiescing to the requests of others – and is played with terrifically repressed, bobble-hatted anti-verve by Kieton Saunders-Browne.
In his late teens, Darrell has already served a stretch in prison on behalf of one of his gangland higher-ups and decides he can no longer stomach being patronised by snooty management in a dead-end office internship.
From Bullet Boy to Blue Story, the inescapable whirlpool of life in London’s youth gangs has been a cinematic theme for some time now – one that invariably comes with the standard-issue banging grime soundtrack. Daniel Glenn-Barbour’s low-budget debut doesn’t deviate from the norm, but it has a heightened introspection that marks it out, a kind of dull roiling despair behind the eyes, thanks to its unusually passive protagonist: Darrell who, as the title suggests, is forever acquiescing to the requests of others – and is played with terrifically repressed, bobble-hatted anti-verve by Kieton Saunders-Browne.
In his late teens, Darrell has already served a stretch in prison on behalf of one of his gangland higher-ups and decides he can no longer stomach being patronised by snooty management in a dead-end office internship.
- 6/6/2022
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.