This Is England

Shane Meadows' gritty portrait of teenage urban life in Thatcher's Britain of the early '80s. With schools breaking up for the summer, 12-year-old Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) makes his way home after a fight. Living at home with his mum in a rundown coastal town, his dad killed in the Falklands, Shaun spends a lot of time on his own and dreads the long summer break. Expecting the worst when he runs into a group of skinheads, Shaun's surprised when they turn out to be friendly and adopt him as one of their own. Suddenly the summer feels a whole lot better as Shaun discovers girls, parties, braces and an identity. But the good times are threatened with the appearance of Combo (Stephen Graham), an older, in-your-face racist, just released from prison, who leads the group down a darker, violent road.

Director: Shane Meadows
Producer: Mark Herbert
Writer: Shane Meadows
Music: Ludovico Einaudi
Actor: Thomas Turgoose
Actor: Stephen Graham
Actor: Joe Hartley
Actor: Andrew Shim
Actor: Vicky McClure
Actor: Joseph Gilgun
Actor: Perry Benson
Actor: George Newton
Actor: Frank Harper
Actor: Jack O'Connell