Small Faces

R

1995

1h 42m

Drama

List

60%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

To the dismay of his mother, Lex Maclean (Iain Robertson) finds trouble when he and his older brother, Bobby (J.S. Duffy), a member of the Glens, a street gang, accidentally injure Malky Johnson (Kevin McKidd), the leader of a rival gang, the Tongs. Already jealous that Lex's other brother, Alan (Joseph McFadden), is wooing local beauty Joanne (Laura Fraser), Malky rages over the incident, setting off a battle that threatens Lex's plans to leave the neighborhood and go to art school.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Prime Video

Stream Now

Prime Video

Watch Small Faces with a subscription on Prime Video.

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

The problem may be that I’ve had it up to here with movies about youth gangs...

Jun 14, 2022

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 3/4

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 26, 2005

Full Review

Leonard Schwarz

Palo Alto Weekly

Rated: 2.5/4

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rated: 3/5

Mar 31, 2003

Full Review

Read all reviews

Leaburn O

This film is fairly average 🤏

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/21/23

Full Review

The P

Thing is although about gang violence i think this is more the story of how kids in those days and in these kind of situations looked up to these leaders and infact didnt really have a choice into getting involved with gang life . i live in the west of scotland and yep my scheme was a gang , all schemes in my area had gangs and thats just how it was , the leg of my bed unscrewed and that was my cosh ( i never agreed with the use of blades , cowards use blades ) . i actually had a m8 from and who fought for Cumby they were nuts lol . Small faces is a great watch , it came out under the shadow of Trainspotting so didnt get half the publicity it deserved , its a great watch imho give it a go if you can find a copy nowadays .

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/17/22

Full Review

William L

This has got to be the least-known title in the BFI's Top 100 British Films of the 20th Century; in 2020, no major streaming service carries the film, and its international reputation is currently almost nonexistent. A film about crime and adolescence that is distinctive primarily for its uniquely Scottish flair, but also manages to convey a real menace in its antagonists, a threatening aura that lingers in the atmosphere. For a particular audience, I can see how the suspense and dark humor can be appropriately balanced with a sense of urban Scottish nostalgia on a framework similar to that of Stand By Me and its appeal to American rural-born Boomers. But I'm not part of that audience, and I can't help but feel alienated from the plot and setting; that certainly doesn't make it a bad film, just not for me. (3/5)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/08/20

Full Review

Audience Member

yeah, it was alright... kinda messed up story with a few turns and some funnys bits... the main kid just annoyed me a bit too much for me to really get into it (too much character and risk taking for a normal 13 year old).

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This was an unpleasant film which I didn't see the point of.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the best films I've seen over the past few years, set in Glasgow (and no it is nothing like Trainspotters), everything about it looks as if it really was the late 1960's, and it appears a lot of it was based on real life events. I wonder if that drawing really is in the Glasgow art gallery?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Gillies MacKinnon

Director

Clare Higgins

Lorna Maclean

Iain Robertson

Lex Maclean

Ian McElhinney

Uncle Andrew

Joseph McFadden

Alan Maclean

J.S. Duffy

Bobby Maclean

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

80%

68%

16 Years of Alcohol

34%

81%

The United States of Leland

89%

82%

Mean Creek

0%

59%

That Was Then... This Is Now

88%

87%

Soldier's Girl

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

To the dismay of his mother, Lex Maclean (Iain Robertson) finds trouble when he and his older brother, Bobby (J.S. Duffy), a member of the Glens, a street gang, accidentally injure Malky Johnson (Kevin McKidd), the leader of a rival gang, the Tongs. Already jealous that Lex's other brother, Alan (Joseph McFadden), is wooing local beauty Joanne (Laura Fraser), Malky rages over the incident, setting off a battle that threatens Lex's plans to leave the neighborhood and go to art school.

Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Box Office (Gross USA): $160.7K
Runtime: 1h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now