Still wants to be a dark and painful drama at it's core, of which there is no shortage in contemporary cinema. It tells the story of a father broken in spirit after the accidental death of his only son, who we only know through memory and photographs throughout the film. They seemed very close, his previous marriage has ended by the time we are introduced to him, and he turns to drink and drugs to dull the emotional pain.There is no shortage of that angle in recent cinema but the truth is many films have done it much better than this. There is a real depth of character that Aidan Gillen brings to the screen. He's a talented actor, and of course deserving to be the center of this film, but I don't think anyone could save this movie from it's lack of real storytelling. It's a very serious topic, however the direction is very A to B to C and misses some of the most important subjects it brings to the screen. This includes gang violence in North London of which, these children portraying a violent gang seem nothing more than... well children. However, any sense of danger is missing from every scene they are in. The mother, portrayed by Amanda Mealing, tries to maintain a somewhat cordial relationship with her ex-husband, but her grief and struggle are so incidental that she may as well not have been in the film at all.The worst crime in this film however was the lack of any real depth in what should have focused on the most heinous act in the entire movie. In it, a sexual assault occurs of such violation, that it simply dwarfs anything else that happens throughout the film. An event that drives the father to the breaking point, was used as a simple plot device designed to change directions of the main character, but should have been the main focal point of the film. The director decided to go another direction and make that terrible crime so superfluous, that it barely has any screen time at all and the viewer is not invited to see what happened to the victim by the end of the film.An unforgivable act, but more so, unforgivable direction. You may think the plot was dark and gritty, but I think it barely touched on these themes.5/10

This film will pull you in right from the start and takes you on a journey that no one ever wants to be taken on. Dealing with loss of a child is a daunting task for any parent and witnessing our main character Carver having to fight with the regrets of his own and having to protect his life and loved one after things take unexpected turn, promises for a great thrilling watch. I cannot recommend this film high enough. The raw acting of Aidan Gillen and all the other actors is heart stopping and makes you question at times where the film stops and reality begins.I applaud the directing and writing talent of Simon Blake and I sure hope there will be much more coming from him in the future!

Brilliant socio-realist drama. Not only are the actor's performances incredibly gripping but the colour palette and the London locale illustrates the characters very real, internal struggles. From the setting to the script, it is astonishing how accurate Simon Blake portrays the lives of both adults and youths, especially in this day and age – the narrative really makes you think about yourself and about others. I was particularly impressed and amazed by the cinematography which tells the harrowing story of a man in psychological breakdown, in a creative and unique way. The film will take you on an emotional roller-coaster where the grim nature of some scenes are incredibly hard-hitting and will leave an imprint on your memory. Definitely recommend watching this film.

First to declare a conflict of interest, I have invested in this film because I saw the original play 10 or more years before and left the theatre awestruck (still have the programme). It is 10 times better on the big screen. It was made on a ridiculously small budget but watching it you would never know, it was made by a cast and crew who knew it was a film that, given a chance, would stand out with money given with belief that this is special. It starts claustrophobic and an event of injustice maybe an inevitability as a series of meetings, conversations and events take place but throughout there is the understated complexity of what it is like to be human. Real people making choices, some good, some bad, presented so the audience can understand, empathise, be frustrated and care. It is gripping. The performances all do the film justice, in particular the women and the two male leads (Aiden Gillen excelled). Watch with a few friends, I guarantee you will disagree on why which character did what when they did and you will want to watch it again (just to check you were right, but maybe you weren't?)