Bullet Boy

Play trailer

Bullet Boy

R

2004

1h 29m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

Tomatometer

4 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

An inner-city London youth, Ricky (Ashley Walters) has served prison time for a stabbing but is trying to turn his life around. Ricky's hopes for escaping the brutality of his neighborhood quickly diminish, however, when he and his friend, Wisdom (Leon Black), get into a minor incident on the street that escalates into a feud with another young man. When Wisdom fuels the conflict, the situation gets increasingly dire, and soon further violence seems unavoidable.

Empire Magazine

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Alistair Lawrence

Common Sense Media

While the script has a tendency to talk in circles at times, Walters' screen presence brings continuity and calm, alongside an equally grounded performance from British screen veteran Clare Perkins, despite her being cast as little more than Ricky.

Jul 22, 2024

Full Review

Peter Calder

New Zealand Herald

The film certainly has a chillingly predictable arc -- and there's something slightly glib about the upbeat ending -- but it's a very accomplished debut by a film-maker who knows what suspense may be found in the mundane.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 30, 2006

Full Review

Matthew Turner

ViewLondon

Transcends its familiar material thanks to impressive performances and assured direction that marks Dibb out as a talent to watch

Rated: 3/5

Jun 18, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

A gritty Urban Drama, where environment and reactions depict the plot. Walters is has always been a pretty natural Actor and the film has a realistic feel with harsh reality

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Having not watched many crime/ gangster films, I perhaps don't have much to compare 'bullet boy' to, however one thing that I felt was lacking was a real sense of tension. This led to the ultimate conclusion being somewhat underwhelming, yet unexpected. Some nice scenes did exist; particularly the hide and seek sequence, although I would have liked more to complement what was potentially an exciting storyline. Underlying themes and issues of morality are present, although a less explicit representation of them would have been welcome. Impressive and believable acting considerably save this tale, so much so that it could be a recreational documentary or something.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Rather predictable and contrived. No good performance in my opinion but I like the genre enough to have watched it.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

gareth d

Gritty urban London drama, makes me glad I got out of the council estates.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

gota rate it cos its shot inda hood plus my cusins r in it

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Grim urban tale about two brothers caught in a cycle of violence. Saul Dibb's calm direction and some strong, natural performances make this a realistic portrayal innit.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Saul Dibb

Director

Ashley Walters

Ricky

Luke Fraser

Curtis

Clare Perkins

Beverley

Leon Black

Wisdom

Saul Dibb

Writer

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Five Favourite Films with Jaime Winstone

RT-UK’s What to Watch at the Edinburgh Film Festival

London Movie Critics Present Their ’05 Nominations

View more photos

Synopsis

An inner-city London youth, Ricky (Ashley Walters) has served prison time for a stabbing but is trying to turn his life around. Ricky's hopes for escaping the brutality of his neighborhood quickly diminish, however, when he and his friend, Wisdom (Leon Black), get into a minor incident on the street that escalates into a feud with another young man. When Wisdom fuels the conflict, the situation gets increasingly dire, and soon further violence seems unavoidable.

Director: Saul Dibb
Producer: Ruth Caleb, Marc Boothe
Screenwriter: Saul Dibb, Catherine R. Johnson
Production Co: BBC Films, UK Film Council
Rating: R (Violence|A Strong Sex Scene|Some Drug Use|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 26, 2020
Runtime: 1h 29m