I remember seeing the film Anuvahood in 2011, which served as a spoof of British urban teenage dramas, including Kidulthood and Adulthood, the trailer featuring many celebrity cameos looked appealing, it is not a sequel but a reboot. Basically, Richard aka "Riko" (Adam Deacon, also writing, producing and directing) and Kane (Jazzie Zonzolo, also producing and writing) are best friends who share a bunkbed in East London. They are £15,000 in debt to a local Indian crime family, the Patels. In desperation, they plan to get the money back by any means necessary. The first attempt is to try and get a gun, but this fails when they confuse the word "strap" from the man they contact. Their second attempt is to rob star rapper Lethal Bizzle (as himself) in a nightclub toilet, but they are knocked out, stripped and embarrassed by a video of them which goes viral and makes them a laughingstock. Riko and Kane try to think of other ways to make money, but they see no other option but to carry out a bank robbery. Wearing balaclavas and using paintball guns, they hold up a local bank and demand money. But the bank clerk Rowanda (London Hughes) recognises them, they end up arguing in front of the customers and staff, including politician Jeremy Corbyn (as himself), to the point they accidentally reveal their identities. During this chaos, a man named Leo DeMarco (Danny Sapani) ignores their demands and dares them to shoot him. One of them accidentally shoots him with a paintball, causing him to have a heart attack and collapse. Riko and Kane go into hiding following the failed bank job, but they unintentionally gain a reputation. There may be a Russian criminal leader Krzysztof (Peter Serafinowicz) getting involved with something as well. They are soon found by men who work for East London firm leader Shotti (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) who is impressed that they may have killed a rival gang leader. Riko and Kane, wanting to impress these criminals and make some real money, make up a tall tale of what happened at the bank, with Riko giving himself the nickname "Rambo Riko". Shotti recruits Riko and Kane, along with gang member Dwayne (Arnold Jorge) to retrieve a bag of drugs and money from a nightclub. Riko gets distracted by a girl named Tamara (Leomie Anderson) who he falls in love with. Riko and Kane get into a fight with rival gang members, but the duo wins the fight and escape. Riko explains his bipolar disorder to Dwayne and the two form a friendship when he reveals that he has autism. They then realise that they forgot the bag from the club but cannot go back to get it because of rogue and xenophobic police officer Ian (Vas Blackwood) and his partner Bill (Barry McNicholl). After crashing the car, Riko and Kane are caught but Dwayne escapes. Meanwhile, Leo is recovering in hospital; his mentally unstable brother Tyrese (Richie Campbell) vows revenge against whoever has done it. Riko calls Tamara at the hospital, she happens to be Leo's stepsister. Tyrese rages finding out about their relationship and goes on the hunt for Riko, even running over a policeman mistaking the latter for him. Riko and Kane are released and go back to Shotti who is infuriated that they forgot the bag. But Shotti is informed that they beat up a member from a rival gang and forgives them. Shotti lets them tag along for a deal at a warehouse with Polish gangsters. Tamara calls Riko and asks to meet up but this is a trap set by Tyreese. Ian and Bill have found out about the exchange and arrive at the warehouse, poorly attempting to be the Polish dealers. Tyreese's gang arrive along with Tamara and Riko confesses that he didn't mean to hurt Leo, which angers Shotti. The situation is worsened when a pen with a built-in microphone and GPRS is found in Riko's coat, leading everyone to believe that he is working for the police, including Kane. Riko reveals that Ian gave him the pen, and soon a gunfight begins, causing many gang members to die in the process. Riko and Kane reconcile and take part in the gunfight, leading to Riko getting shot. Kane and Tamara help him and try to escape from the warehouse. Shotti tries to stop them but is knocked out by Dwayne. Shotti's bag full of drugs and money is taken by Dwayne, and the four escape while the police arrive. Detective Inspector Brookes (Jennifer Saunders) arrives to take control and tells Ian off for going rogue and causing mayhem throughout the city. He is sacked after she informs him about a sexual misconduct complaint against him, and before leaving she tasers him in the testicles. The Patels break into Riko and Kane's home to find they have left, leaving a payment of rupees, enraging the leader Pinky Patel (Bhasker Patel). In the end, Riko and Kane, along with Tamara and Dwayne, have left England and escaped to live a new life in Los Angeles. In a post-credits scene, Shotti is being interrogated by the police, he watches a social media video of Riko and Kane dancing with the money and is visibly annoyed. Also starring Ed Sheeran as homeless man Crack Ed, Jaime Winstone as Sarah, Linda Robson as Cockney Woman, Rosie Jones as Random Disabled Lady in Bank, Kevin Bishop (also producing) as Random Customer in Bank, Babatunde Aléshé as PC Williams, Denise van Outen as a Nurse, Tamsin Outhwaite as Ambulance Worker, Eddie Kadi as Traffic Attendant, Charlie Sloth as himself, and Ella Vaday as herself. Deacon has been through legal issues in recent years, including charges of harassment and possession of a weapon, some of which can be explained by mental issues, but he seems to have recovered and incorporates mental stuff into his character, who takes pills for bipolar disorder. Deacon is reasonable in the lead role, alongside Zonzolo, they do make a likeable enough twosome of idiots, Campbell did make me laugh being the over-the-top lunatic stepbrother, while it is only reasonably fun to spot the many recognisable comedians, soap stars, and pop stars, and Corbyn. The script filled with fast-paced dialogue, teen banter and many uses of "fam" is mildly amusing, while the story involving East End gangs and dodgy cops is not the most engaging all the time, it could have been much funnier, a slightly dull but sort-of watchable comedy. Okay!
Review of Sumotherhood
