Ill Manors is Plan B aka. Ben Drew’s first foray into directing. Portrayed in previews as a violent social commentary on London’s youth culture, it lives up to its billing throughout.
From an innocent child being shot by another in a gang revenge attack, to babies being left on trains and sold on for £8,000, Ill Manors certainly is not a film for the faint-hearted. Viewers will walk out of showings, as a couple behind me did, but for those who stay, a stunning and shocking directorial debut awaits.
Six interweaving storylines may confuse viewers at first, but the eventual result is a satisfying and rich plot set on a backdrop of six new tracks from Plan B. Riz Ahmed, as Aaron presents the most complex character, is a wannabe hard-man with a conscience in amongst the relentless, violent and unrepentant attitudes of others. Meanwhile, Lee Allen, in his first feature film appearance, puts in an accomplished performances as the drug dealer and gang-land overlord, Chris.
Ill Manors isn’t a cosy 121 minutes to share with your cinema date, nor is it something to watch with the more squeamish members of your family, but as a directorial debut with a micro-budget and several untested actors, this truly is a stunning feature. The message that resounds is the one that opens the film: “We are all products of our environment. Some environments are just harder to survive in.”