User Reviews

I was intrigued as to why this was scoring so low on IMDb yet there was a suspicious lack of scaithing reviews - a film that is so hated usually inspires a few rants, yet nothing. So I decided to judge for myself.

I've read comparisons to Scum and Prophet, obvious comparisons due to the location being in a borstal, but as the story was of a man seeking vigilante justice comparisons to Death Wish and the totally implausible Law Abiding Citizen spring to mind.

Tommy his a hard working youth who's starting a family with his girlfriend when his life is turned upside down by a gang of four armed robbers. It seems clichéd but at least the back story is not quite as obvious as it appears on paper as you learn how Tommy got to this point with just a hint of the man he is on the outside through flash-backs. Now if you can believe the slightly unlikely main plot device that Tommy can commit a crime to get sent to both the same jail and wing as the men/boys he wants justice from then you can buy in to the story - as far as I'm concerned that is the only weak point.

Joe Cole is convincing as Tommy, a man who's world has been turned upside down and has gone to extreme lengths to rid himself of the guilt and anger he feels. There's a strong cast who bring a believability to these characters and the portrayal of borstal is grim and harsh yet feels very real.

The were 18 people in the 16:40 Monday afternoon showing I went to and none walked out. I don't think it's a classic but I gave it a 7/10 and would recommend to anyone who likes a decent British movies along the lines of Ill Manors and Kidulthood to go and see it whilst it's still showing.

It's no quite Scum but this it is more of an updated version for the 21st Century.

Alright, it's nothing like that in Borsral (YOC), you simply just don't wander a prison like that. You can clearly tell that the building is made up and done for film impact.

Joe Cole is the shiner here, he carried it all off with an element of realism (I know people like him) but English Frank character is very strange indeed. He has a very unusual gait that makes him walk around like a penguin and speak like he has golf balls in his mouth and spends the whole film pouting. I am not sure that if the directors filmed him like that or it was a chosen style but in some places it's a bit ridiculous and comical.

The filming style is very good though, some shots seen to over exposed or frame dropped to give it that technique first seen in 28 days Later. It's the mixture of this and standard shots that makes it good to watch.

The violent scenes are well done and the attack on the jewellery shop is excellent as I have seen this happen on the Roman Road in East London.

The other actors are pretty good as well and having wandered around estates in London people really do talk like that. I think someone took a bit of time studying accents and mannerisms and for once didn't hold back no matter how strange this talk may seem to middle class UK.

Its a good twist on the Scum, but if you are trying to get parallels to Scum you won't. It's different, more realistic albeit the sets and locations are totally false. It also didn't stay clear of issues like Muslims been Muslims just to get extra facilities which was good. Although I was surprised they stopped short of a rape scene that is seems mandatory for this genre but you can assume it happens with the shots of Tommy in the solitary confinement.

Worthy of a Blu Ray.....

For those old enough this is kind of a Scum remake (just not quite as good), our lead loses his girlfriend after she miscarries their baby and he wants revenge on the criminals who (possibly) caused it... How does he do that? Gets banged up so he can beat them up.

Our lead is then banged up and so begins his quest to avenge his girlfriend, tackling the bad guys one by one without them knowing who or what is doing. Thrown in the bent guard who enjoys partying with the bad guys and you get the picture. It's him against the world. His story is told through a series of flashback and dreams and other than that you never really get to know him...

Yes, it sounds dodgy but give it time and it is actually quite good, the lead plays the part well - you can never really work him out as to whether he is a crazy or just really angry and on the edge. The supporting cast are a little weaker, not bad just weaker.

There are also scenes where truth and realism take a back seat - like the 2 ZX10 bikes they have, how did they obtain 2 bikes in the same colour in the same place at the same time during the riots all with matching helmets!? - and better yet they can ride them like demons! Then after the attack on the shop they nick another car (BMW this time) and drive to the shop for reasons we never find out, only to encounter the police investigating the crime - really, what a surprise!!! Would any aspiring criminal (been doing since he been Sh**ting rusks, apparently) do that? I doubt it. I could not help feeling that the burglary got shoehorned in at the last minute to beef up the menace of the gangsters...

Overlook these small flaws and give it a chance and it's a pretty good film. I doubt it will win awards or Oscars and we probably will never consider it a classic BUT it does draw you in, you do care about the lead and if we rated films on how believable they are (aside the small errors) then this film would do better than most blockbusters.

6/10 for me, only just though...

To sum up, give it a chance and you might be surprised!! I have a feeling we might be seeing more of the lead in the future.

Trite contrived rubbish, probation offices with people working solo, wooden chairs in prison being smashed up as a weapon, do I need to go on... A film for the NEET's to sit at home and admire their Bredren in der yards innit. A sad pronouncement on what qualifies as entertainment. Kids conversing in restricted code. Prison officers portrayed as uncaring drug taking thieves. Portraying the justice system as broken beyond repair. Prisons a hot bed of homosexual rapes and loan sharking... Where there is nothing but violence and sedition, a very sad indictment on what passes for credible cinema. Truly Disappointing.

what a pile this film is.the comparisons to scum are meaningless, this is not in the same league.the beginning should sum this film up, a young lad beats up two riot cops with ease, then only gets two years,rubbish during the uk 2011 riots the sentencing was much harsher for far less.then we are taken on a journey to see why he did it.don't bother ,its a waste of time.i used to love these sort of dramas a sense of freedom ,made in Britain scum etc, they where not perfect, but had some sense of reality. are the writers of this garbage living on a different planet? sadly i think they are.making this type of film to appeal to the youth is a cynical marketing ploy. yeah there are lots of angry young men out there. but to tackle this complex social problem in such a one dimensional way is crass and insulting to viewers.

Offender is a slightly different take on the standard British prison drama films. There are lots of similarities with the characters inside and all the trouble that happens but this film had a different storyline & style.

The plot revolves around Tommy, portrayed superbly by Joe Cole, who is sent to a young offenders institute after he assaults two police officers at the start of the film. I as the viewer assumed he was just a thug who done this on a regular basis but as the film progresses we see certain flashbacks which explain his reasons differently, of course it is still an awful thing to do but he is out for revenge once he gets there. I just liked it general that it had an actual storyline rather than just being another standard prison film where every scene takes place inside.

The cast mostly do a very good job and I was intrigued all the way through, the emotional sides of things also felt very realistic. One thing I didn't like so much was the camera seemed to be very shaky with a lot of scenes which seemed slightly unnecessary. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I feel it is slightly underrated on IMDb.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is easily offended by bad language and very brutal violence. If you enjoyed this film I also recommend 'Starred Up' starring Jack O'Connell. I would say that one is slightly better but 'Offender' still gets a solid 8/10 from me.

Offender has some truly brutal scenes such as the harrowing miscarriage but then several weaker scenes such as the man having a violent fight scene and then 'slipping' to his death on the bathroom floor.

English Frank is a terrible actor, he did manage to generate some hatred as a villain but his performance as a gangster was cringeworthy.

Joe Cole also isn't at his best and brings a weird, breathy intensity to his character that didn't really work. Shaun Dooley has some good moments but similarly doesn't really work playing the undercover gangster style role.

The film is short and sweet but nothing to write home about.

I think of the stereotypical views that the UK public hold about prisons. Great storyline - however unrealistic it may be but there are some startling realities between the films prison setting and some young offenders institutions in the UK. For example- Feltham and the "gladiator wars" in the 90s where the screws would put bets on which inmate would win a fight after padding them up together. There is a screw like the the main bad one in offender and a main bully like English frank in every jail. Maybe they go on a bit more subtle in reality but the hanging scene, the corruption, violence and drug dealing is all very real. Revenge to that extent is real. The probation officer storyline is a bit far fetched but hey it's a film n think english frank gives a gritty, edgy performance as a wannabe badman. I think the director captures the audience and keeps it watching regardless of how unreal the storyline gets. It's a sad ending and those kinds of situations to happen. Ppl go in on short sentences and end up dying or getting life's off. That's a big reality what some ppl find hard to grasp. The victim becomes the victor. The good man becomes the bad man like a flick of a switch !! Great film. Emphasis on the word film and I like English frank's acting he's a bad man yet funny n "what can they do to a man like me- NOTHING"!! Lol.

Very goodPerfect I disappear so good to watch the movie and everything in the movie it is a good and really

Was told to watch this film of a friend but it was the worse hour and 40 minutes I have ever seen in my life the acting was pathetic but am just glad the main actor went on to do peaky blinders terrible film