Bullet Boy
Bullet Boy is a 2004 British drama film directed by Saul Dibb, written by Saul Dibb and Catherine Johnson, and stars Ashley Walters. The film’s original music was composed and performed by Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack, who released it as an album. The film is about a family in crime-ridden Hackney, East London, the eldest son’s involvement in gun crime, and the effects of this on his younger brother.
| Bullet Boy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Saul Dibb |
| Produced by | Marc Boothe Ruth Caleb Michael Tait Paul Hamann |
| Written by | Saul Dibb Catherine Johnson |
| Starring | Ashley Walters Luke Fraser |
| Music by | Neil Davidge Robert del Naja Massive Attack |
| Cinematography | Marcel Zyskind |
| Edited by | John Mister Masahiro Hirakubo |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Verve Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Plot
Upon being released from prison, Ricky (Ashley Walters) is collected by Wisdom, an eccentric and naive friend who is desperate to establish himself within their neighbourhood. Immediately after arriving back, Wisdom accidentally breaks a wing mirror off a car belonging to a local gang member. The following confrontation leads to Ricky pulling away Wisdom in an attempt to keep peace. Wisdom later returns a gun to Ricky, who stores it within his bedroom, which is shared with his younger brother Curtis who finds the weapon and hides it away for his brother himself.
Wisdom hunts down the gang member, named Godfrey, for spreading word that he does not want to fight, and to get revenge shoots the Staffordshire bull terrier which Godfrey used to threaten Wisdom during the earlier altercation. As a result, Godfrey and his associate destroy Wisdom’s car with a baseball bat and drive past his home shouting that he is "dead." Knowing that Godfrey would soon kill him otherwise, Wisdom tries to kill Godfrey. However, he fails and is seen by Godfrey.
As the two flee from here, Curtis accidentally shoots his friend Rio when Rio suggests they take the gun out and play with it. Their mother when she next sees Ricky, asks him to go home, pack his belongings and leave whilst they are at church to give Curtis a chance to avoid the gang lifestyle.
Just before heading home, he goes to Wisdom’s house to get the money Wisdom told him to take before he left, only to find Wisdom dead, presumably at the hands of his rival, he leaves after sitting there for a long time thinking. As he packs his bags, he asks Curtis to go to the takeaway and get a kebab, and when Curtis returns, his brother has already left. As Ricky is waiting at the train station, mysterious hooded figures are appearing and closing in around Ricky.
As Ricky is about to run away, Godfrey comes out and shoots him six times in the chest. His body is later identified, and the film ends with Curtis reclaiming the gun from where he hid it and throwing it into the river.
Cast
- Ashley Walters as Ricky
- Luke Fraser as Curtis
- Leon Black as Wisdom
- Claire Perkins as Beverley
- Aaron Breakbeat Fagan as Drummer
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | British Independent Film Awards | Most Promising Newcomer | Ashley Walters | Won |
| Douglas Hickox Award | Saul Dibb | Nominated | ||
| Dinard British Film Festival | Golden Hitchcock | Won | ||
| 2005 | Emden International Film Festival | Award of the German Unions Association | Won | |
| 2006 | Evening Standard British Film Awards | Most Promising Newcomer | Won | |
| London Critics Circle Film Awards | ALFS Award | Nominated |