The Rise review

Ritchie meets Meadows in the industrial north? Maybe...

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Aiming for Ritchie meets Meadows, and not falling too far short, British writer/director Rowan Athale’s debut transports a familiar heist-gone-tits tale to the industrial north.

Fresh out of prison, Harvey (Luke Treadaway) and his mates cook up a suicidal scheme recounted, in flashback, to Timothy Spall’s policeman.

The cast are excellent, particularly girlfriend Vanessa Kirby, the dialogue is snappy and there’s enough touches to keep things fresh, especially compared to the usual Mockneyisms of the genre.

The final act’s too cocky by half, but otherwise this is canny, characterful stuff.

Freelance Writer

Matt Glasby is a freelance film and TV journalist. You can find his work on Total Film - in print and online - as well as at publications like the Radio Times, Channel 4, DVD REview, Flicks, GQ, Hotdog, Little White Lies, and SFX, among others. He is also the author of several novels, including The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film and Britpop Cinema: From Trainspotting To This Is England.

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