Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins

Set in Essex in England, the story predominantly centers around a group of White working class men, who are portrayed as being violent criminals. Any women characters are generally secondary and are treated as such by their male counterparts, who objectify them and speak derogatorily toward them.

The violence is graphic and incredibly frequent. There are countless punches and brawls -- via soccer hooliganism or turf wars. We also see weapon-use, ranging from knives to guns to hammers. It seems violence is used to settle any debate. Glasses are smashed across faces, and people are cut with knives and beaten with pool balls. Plenty of bloodshed. Men are violent toward women. Someone spits on another. A car is set on fire and someone is run over. One character is tortured. Reference to the Falklands War.

A couple make out in the corner of a pub -- cleavage is shown. At one drug-fuelled party, a character pulls up their skirt to reveal sexy lingerie.

Almost every other line includes a swear word. This includes relentless use of "c--t" and variants of "f--k." A character is referred to as a "slut" in one scene.

Graphic and constant drug use. Cocaine is sniffed off tables and women. There are close-ups to the use of crack cocaine. Characters also take ecstasy, and smoke and drink to excess. Generally, the drug use is not glorified.

Parents need to know that Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins is an incredibly violent and sweary crime drama loosely based on a true story. Part of a franchise of British gangster films it's an origin story as to how a group of characters -- led by Tony Tucker (Terry Stone) and Pat Tate (Craig Fairbrass) -- formed their criminal enterprise. The violence is graphic with a host of weapons used, ranging from pool balls, to guns, to hammers. Characters run each other over and set fire to cars. There is also violence against women. The characters, on the whole, are derogatory toward women, calling them names, and seeing them purely as objects of desire. The language is incredibly strong, with the word "c--t" used so frequently you lose count. The drug use is also constant and graphic. Cocaine, ecstasy, and crack are all seen being taken regularly. The movie's various criminal activities are initially glamorized before the inevitable crash. So while the film could be criticized for glorifying this behavior, it just about stays on the right side. Just.

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