The Fall of the Essex Boys. Review/Special UK Crime Gang Feature/Trailer/Clips. in UK cinemas Feb 8th 2013. UK DVD Release 18th Feb 2013.

The Fall of the Essex Boys. Official UK DVD Release Review.
The Fall of the Essex Boys DVD is in the shops today to buy hard copy or you can download from iTunes here https://itunes.apple.com/gb/movie/the-fall-of-the-essex-boys/id592470114

*To get a list and more details on some of the most notorious Crime Gangs in the UK read the Special Feature below my film review at the bottom of the page from writer Fiona Gales.

The Fall of the Essex Boys Movie Review. by Mark Le-Leivre.
With it's voice over narration and fly on the wall perspective given by Nick Nevern as Darren Nicholls, The Fall of the Essex Boys makes you feel as if you are "witness to" and "part of the story". It's a full on rush from start to finish, that keeps a break neck speed of plot development till the final "Blast Em with Both Barrels" finish.

The Fall of the Essex Boys. UK trailer.
With a "What If" premise, The Fall of the Essex Boys tackles the true crime story of "The Rettendon Triple Murders", from an angle not portrayed on screen before. No-one actually knows who pulled the triggers that night, those convicted of the murders still profess their innocence from inside jail, the only real facts are that three gangland members were shot dead at close range and their bodies were later found inside a Range Rover in Workhouse Lane, miles from anywhere in the middle of the rural countryside near Essex, England, the year was 1995.

Rumour and speculation of what did actually happen that night still echo to this day and will probably do so for many years to come. Phrases like " A Set Up" and "Underworld Revenge" are still bandied around 17 years after the incident occurred.

So far as that goes and they are only rumours, the film itself is pretty solid all round, well and convincingly acted, with sharp and choppy quick fire edits that keep you on the edge of your seat. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it is, a re-evaluation of the possibilities left open from a new angle with regard to the "loose ends" of the facts, that a "third party" all together could have performed the executions of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe, The Essex Boys and not Mickey Steele and Jack Whomes after all?

It's as gritty and graphically violent a film in places as I have seen for a long, long time, bit like the original two "The Sweeney" films from the 1970's but with all the knobs turned up to 11, strong, strong language, sex and violence throughout, it won't be to everybodies taste, but frankly, I don't think Director Paul Tanter and writer Stephen Reynolds where making it for those particular individuals anyway, it's a "Dads and Lads" film who should really go a bundle for what it brings to the screen for this the third time a film has been made about the case.

L-R Nick Nevern and Robert Cavanah. The Fall of the Essex Boys. Feb 2013.

Lead actor Nick Nevern fills the screen in his first starring role, brooding and brilliant as Darren Nicholls, the alleged "Grasser Upper" of Jack Whomes and Michael Steel. Robert Cavanah is tops as Mickey Steele, the alleged rival gangster making a small fortune smuggling "gear" from "The Dam" by boat, who to be fair in the film is written and portrayed as a "Gent Criminal" compared to "Tuckers" sadistic gang members.

Peter Barrett is every bit Pat Tate, big, violent, intimidating the kind of guy you wouldn't want to p**s off in the pub for anything, for sure. Simon Phillips as Craig Rolfe, the driver, backs up everything his partners say with a vengeance but for me it's Jay Brown's performance as Tony Tucker that really stood out. It's his embodiment of the character that is just inspired, a storming, totally convincing portrayal, chilling, psychotic and disturbing.

The strong female leads consist of Kiersten Wareing, as Karen, the "Moll" or girlfriend of Mickey Steele, who's faithful, tragic, brave, sort of "caught up" and in the middle things but who is with her man till the end whatever comes. This is the third time Kiersten has taken on the role and she plays it with heart and soul as only she could. 

Kate Magowan's character of Detective Constable Emma Jefferson, is a created for the film character, who bolsters the angle from the Police's perspective and in particular Detective Inspector Phil Stone's cool, "out to nail em" Detective, determined to end the reign of drugs, violence and terror the Tuckers gang are extolling, regardless of harm or care to anyone, played by real-life ex-military "Tough Guy", Ewan Ross.

There is plenty of action, jaw on the floor extreme violence, which really brought things home to me of what big money crime must be about, be warned I would not call it gory, saying that there is blood, but it's the mean-spirited way all the violence is depicted, I can tell you, you will feel the punches, maybe even look away at one point in particular, (hypodermic needle), I'm telling you if this was filmed in 3-D you be coming out the cinema bloodied and bleeding needing an ambulance.

Press Still 1. The Fall of the Essex Boys. Feb 2013.

British Crime Flick's have just gone up a gear and do you know what it's called, "The Fall of the Essex Boys".

Special UK Crime Gang feature by Fiona Gales.

The Rettendon Range Rover murders, which shook Essex to its core in 1995 have been back in the news again this fortnight, with one of the murderers of the infamous 'Essex Boys' having his appeal rejected for a second time.

The killers have always protested their innocence, and in the years since the shockingly violent murders there have been countless new witnesses, evidence and inquiries, leaving a huge question mark over the case all these years later.

Gritty new drama The Fall of the Essex Boys, which is out on DVD now, shows the much fabled story from a new slant, from the point of view of 'super grass' Darren Nicholls, with previously unseen insight into the long running police investigation that was unable to bring the notorious gang down before their enemies did.

Little appears to have changed, with gangland warfare in the UK as heated today as it was when the Essex Boys were at the height of their notoriety.

In the build up to the DVD release, we look at some of the most notorious and violent gangs at large in the UK in the last 20 years.

Croxeth Crew

The Croxeth Crew is one of two rival gangs from neighboring Liverpool council estates, the other being the Norris Green Strand Crew, and after terrorizing communities with drug dealing and shootings, were found to be responsible for the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in 2007. Several members of the gang are currently standing trial for a number of violent incidents around the Liverpool area.

Gooch Gang

Based in Manchester, this gang was founded by contract killers who protected their network of drug transactions with an array of weapons and acts of violence. When the gang’s leaders were arrested in 2007, the number of shootings in Manchester dropped by 92%. Though the gang has now largely dissolved, Manchester is still a hotbed of gangland warfare, with the tragic shooting of police officers Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes thought to be the work of gangs.

Inter City Firm

The Inter City Firm is considered to be the first organised collective of football hooligans. It was within this group that Tony Tucker, Patrick Tate and Craig Rolfe, the infamous drug dealing gang referred to as the ‘Essex Boys’ met, subsequently meeting a gruesome end in a triple murder in Rettendon after a drug deal gone awry. The grisly nature of the so-called ‘Range Rover Murders’ became a source of national interest, spawning many films depicting the gang from various viewpoints.

Tottenham Man Dem Gang

Mark Lambie, leader of the Tottenham Mandem was one of the most feared gang leaders in UK history, nicknamed the ‘Prince of Darkness’ after a long reign of terror that involved horrific torture of his enemies. His 2002 jailing didn’t knock the gang, who as recently as 2009 had members jailed for murder. Spin off group The Star Gang, is thought to have been partly founded by Mark Duggan, shot dead by police in 2011. It was his death in a largely disputed shootout that sparked the UK wide riots, which brought high streets to a stand still with looting and violence.

Waterfront Gang, Meadows, Nottingham

The Waterfront Gang is one of the UK’s most feared drug gangs, cultivated from a rivalry between the Meadows and St Ann's estates. At large for around thirty years, the gang and its rivals, the St Ann's Crew, are thought to be responsible for a staggering number of drug related crime, and are thought to recruit children to do their bidding. Two gang members were jailed for the drive-by murder of a 14 year old school girl from rival St Ann’s estate in what judges described as ‘a terrible killing….a pathological and illogical hatred’.

The Fall Of The Essex Boys is out on DVD today.