iLL Manors Film Review

Ill Manors is a film directed by Ben Drew (also known by his stage name Plan B). Ben Drew is well known for his role in Adulthood as the good villain who returns in the end to kill the guy who forced Ben Drew's sister into commuting suicide from constant bullying. This movie was the sequel to Kidulthood and was a large success. Ben Drew gave the leading role to Riz Ahmed who featured in many movies before this role. These include a leading role in Four Lions and another role in Shifty. I myself have seen Four Lions and enjoyed it quite a bit but have never have seen Shifty. 

Ill Manors shows us the lifestyle of many characters who's lives all fit in together with one another through crime, prostitution, drugs etc.Riz Ahmed plays the leading role along side Ed Skrein who plays one of his close friends. Both of these characters play drug dealers in East London who have spent a lot of time and effort building up what they have. The movie begins with Riz Ahmed and Ed Skrein both standing outside a block waiting for their customers. A man approaches them and asks them what they have. Ed Skrein replies and as he does the police run around from the side. Both Ed Skrein and Riz Ahmed run towards a gate. Riz Ahmed manages to climb over but Ed Skrein is left and has no time to so he gives his drugs and phone to Riz Ahmed. This leaves Riz Ahmed to run away and hide for a day or so until it calms down. The main purpose of this is to show the audience how bad scenarios may become for them. 

The storyline continues and eventually Ed Skrein gets out of prison. He meets up with Riz Ahmed who left his phone in the house of one of his customers. Both these characters go to get the phone and they don't find it. They call up one of the girls who was at this house who tells them that she had it in her bag but she's lost. I think this was effective as it gave them a reason to become infuriated and do something bad about it which follows in the movie. They meet up with the girl and tell her to pay him for the phone. Ed Skrein gets tensed up and wants her to pay him right now. She says she doesn't have money so he makes her pay in a way she would've never wanted. He visits fast food restaurants and ask them if they want to buy her for an hour or so in order for Ed Skrein to get his money for his phone back.

This movie includes scenes of discomfort such as these for all audiences as a increase of sympathy is created for her. A few scenes later when she gets all the money back Riz Ahmed saves her from being killed by paying a man who wanted to kill her to not. She then leaves them and goes straight to a customer and asks if he wants her for an hour. This makes Riz Ahmed look like an idiot as Ed Skrein told him that she was not worth it and she does this for a living. This was effective as it showed that the only people who get through and survive are the ones who are solid and don't show sympathy to anyone.