The Fall Of The Essex Boys review

Drug-addled drama offers nothing new

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“If you think you know this story, think again,” warns narrator Darren Nicholls (Nick Nevern) at the start of Essex Boys .

But at least three other films have covered the same drug-addled ground, including 2007’s superior Rise Of The Footsoldier .

Set in 1995, Essex Boys follows the real-life wheelerdealers of the title whom cop Phil Stone (Ewan Ross) is plotting to bring down.

Despite decent performances, what follows is an unfocused shambles that Nevern’s shouty voiceover desperately attempts to make sense of.

As for that opening pledge? It’s bogus: there’s nothing new here.

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Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.