Obey

2018

1 hr. 36 min.

Drama

List

100%

8 Reviews

Tomatometer

44%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Nineteen-year-old Leon grew up without much attention from his alcoholic mother. Now old enough to be on his own, he rails against the injustice of his life until he meets a beautiful girl named Twiggy. His love for her lifts the weight of his past, but eventually, the hedonistic Twiggy no longer wants him in her life, and Leon's pain from the rejection leads to terrible consequences.

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Bleak, harrowing picture of the mean streets of East London.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The ending was bad he should of got the girl to keep not a one night stand and he shouldn't of killed the cop

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Marcus Rutherfords debut performance is outstanding in a film that stays with you long after it finishes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Its been a while since I saw this kind of Masterpiece... I really can say its worth, its real and more important, it feels life... Next time, when you see someone who comit a crime, not only see the evil in him or her, also his or her background. ALthough this movie is not about that, its a real subject...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

London, as most of the planet's large cities, is in a state of social unrest. Immigration has resulted in race conflicts. Economies are not stable, so jobs are few and far between. Modern politics has been based on Us versus Them causing rifts in populations. Racism, violence and paranoia have been on the rise. In this, a debut feature film for the writer/director, we see the boiling that is going on under the surface that will lead to the race riots in 2011 in the Tottenham area of London. East London has been a place where all this has cropped up. Teenager Leon (Marcus Rutherford - first film) is in the midst of all this chaos and violence. At home he has to deal with an alcoholic mother (T'Nia Miller - The Disappeared), so as a result he has been in and out of care. As he becomes of age he no longer has to be under care of the state. This gives him the freedom he has so longed for. But it also makes him a target for the gangs operating in his neighborhood. His existence is precarious at best. It is becoming harder and harder for Leon to resist the gang pull as he becomes cognicent that the future he has dreamed of is less and less likely. At this time a beautiful young woman, Twiggy (Sophie Kennedy Clark - Dark Shadows, Philomena), comes into Leon's life. Though she is from a different world than he, she is presently living in a squat. Leon falls hard and fast. He loves her party first mentality and thinks it means an opening of possibilities for him. Just as suddenly as she came into his life is as quickly as she no longer wants him around. This is the straw that breaks the camel's back. All the rage he has been feeling now flows to the surface. A picture of the socioeconomic tundra which London has become is presented to those who come to watch Jamie Jones' (first feature film) Obey. We see how different the lives of black and white teenagers can be in the same city. Vast. A clear illustration of how something as arbitrary as the colour of your skin can predict how your life with come about. Unfair. As much as we (especially if you are white) would like to believe that opportunity is open for anyone who grabs it, a film like this shows that is really not the case. Injustice defines our lives. Gender, race and class are put under a microscope here. It is not a comfortable look. Those of us who have choices and can somewhat control our lives do not always understand that certain sections of the population, no matter how hard they try, are wedged into lives lived on the other side of the law. Choice is not a luxury afforded to them. Obey opens our eyes to this and makes us reevaluate those who we might have just seen as criminals. Some are forced down the road of criminality. Jones' film starts off for the first almost hour as just a slow set up for the quicker paced last third. Despite the slower pace it is always revealing and significant. A strong aspect of the film is that Jones is able to convey all this without being heavyhanded. Most of the more affecting scenes tend to come out of understated moments. Making the emotions derived that much more deep. The differences between Twiggy and Leon's lives tend to come at us visually rather than clearly stated. A big reason that this film is so affecting and successful is the strong performance by the young performer, Marcus Rutherford. His Leon is on screen for almost every minute of the film and someone you cannot take your eyes off. Like the subtle script, Rutherford conveys the emotions of his character via body language and his face/eyes. Without being over about it, Leon is the young man to watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Jamie Jones

Director

Marcus Rutherford

Leon

Sophie Kennedy Clark

Twiggy

Sam Gittins

Anton

T'Nia Miller

Chelsea

James Atwell

Chris

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Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Writer/director Jamie Jones sets the story, location, urban scenes and tense relationships in a boiling pot brimming over with illicit drug use, binge drinking, petty crime and the wildness of youth.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 30, 2018

Full Review

Fionnuala Halligan

Screen International

While he doesn't quite tackle a new subject for a first-time British film-maker, Jamie Jones delivers something different and for the most part absorbing in Obey, a drama set during the East London riots of 2011.

Apr 25, 2018

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Jones gets some nice shots and shrewd moments.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 24, 2018

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Javier Ocaña

El Pais (Spain)

The musical tone, the dialogue and its spirit all work to perfection with the disenchantment of a generation of Londonites on the outskirts. [Full Review in Spanish]

Feb 22, 2019

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

Cineuropa

It's an ambitious first film, with a lot to admire, but there is also the nagging feeling that despite wanting to present another perspective, Obey is sometimes guilty of trotting out clichés... That aside, it's a valiant debut.

Oct 31, 2018

Full Review

Carey-Ann Pawsey

Orca Sound

Gender, race and class are put under a microscope here. It is not a comfortable look.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 29, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

Nineteen-year-old Leon grew up without much attention from his alcoholic mother. Now old enough to be on his own, he rails against the injustice of his life until he meets a beautiful girl named Twiggy. His love for her lifts the weight of his past, but eventually, the hedonistic Twiggy no longer wants him in her life, and Leon's pain from the rejection leads to terrible consequences.

Director: Jamie Jones
Executive Producer: Emily Jones, John Giwa-Amu, Ben Jacques, Mark Lane
Screenwriter: Jamie Jones
Production Co: Harvest Pictures
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 27, 2018

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