Dead Man's Shoes

Released Aug 20, 2004

1 hr. 26 min.

Drama

List

60%

48 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A soldier returns home to his small town and exacts a deadly revenge on the thugs who tormented his brother, who has a learning disability, while he was away. One by one the young hoodlums meet their fates as the soldier releases the hate he feels inside.

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Critics Consensus

Though enhanced by cramped, gritty camerawork, this unsettling look at violence and revenge lacks the provocative edge needed to give it a substantial kick.

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Mr P

It's a classic. Keep a watch out for the plot similarities to First Blood, but a much grittier film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/01/24

Full Review

Ross H

Coming from the Midlands in the UK this film resonates deeply with me. I think it's one of the best films of the 2000s.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/24

Full Review

Claire C

Great storyline. It felt like a true story

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/24

Full Review

John S

One of my all time favourite films. Made on a budget by Meadows in around 2-3 months. The film's got everything, it's sinister, dark, funny, tense and delivers an extremely strong message in the final scenes. All the actors do an excellent job, especially Considine and Kebell whose first full length movie it was. Fantastic piece of film making on a budget. Everyone I've recommended it to has be blown away by it. It's films like this that should win awards, not CGI packed movies where true acting is rather sparse. There are hints towards the end but you have to watch the end carefully to see what the script is saying and what the moral of the story is. It's not just a run of the film revenge story because of that twist at the end. If ever a film showed that the so called professional critics haven't got a clue it's this one. Mmmmh on the other hand it seems the general public knows a quality film when they see it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/07/23

Full Review

ANY1aBLUE

Strange how foreigners just don't get it. They can't see beyond Hollywood blockbusters for their entertainment. This is shoestring original film making at its best. Think Trainspotting, Commitments etc. Brilliant, gritty, edgy, clever, British, original. Thankfully, intelligent folks see past the self proclaimed ‘experts' and broaden their horizons to discover gems like this………

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/05/23

Full Review

Natalie S

One of the finest movies ive seen. Fantastic story. Had me gripped from the beginning to end.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/03/23

Full Review

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Shane Meadows

Director

Paddy Considine

Richard

Gary Stretch

Sonny

Toby Kebbell

Anthony

Stuart Wolfenden

Herbie

Neil Bell

Soz

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Ed Potton

Times (UK)

Meadows earns his “Scorsese of the Midlands” tag with eruptions of striking brutality. And the supremely unnerving Considine is his De Niro.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 16, 2023

Full Review

Sydney Morning Herald

What's intriguing is that Meadows makes us identify with these small-time hoods, even as he's setting up their executions.

Oct 13, 2006

Full Review

Derek Elley

Variety

Film plays as a quirky Brit riff on everything from U.S. slasher pics to revenge oaters but without Meadows' usual psychological complexity.

Aug 4, 2006

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Alistair Lawrence

Common Sense Media

Arguably a career-best from British director Shane Meadows, this is an unrelenting revenge fantasy with a powder keg performance from Considine at its core.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 2, 2021

Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

One is confronted here with an extraordinary level of artistic and social unconsciousness.

Feb 15, 2021

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Newcomer Toby Kebbell gives a dignified performance that includes all the stereotypical tics and smirks, however, the performance constantly feels real.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 5, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

A soldier returns home to his small town and exacts a deadly revenge on the thugs who tormented his brother, who has a learning disability, while he was away. One by one the young hoodlums meet their fates as the soldier releases the hate he feels inside.

Director: Shane Meadows
Executive Producer: Steve Beckett, Peter Carlton, Will Clarke, Tessa Ross
Screenwriter: Paddy Considine, Shane Meadows, Paul Fraser
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Big Arty, Warp Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 20, 2004, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): May 12, 2006
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.0K