A Cockney gangster film that plays like the TV series Forever, if it had been directed by Takashi Miike.
We meet small-time conman Jimmy ‘Skinny’ Skinford as he’s being forced to dig his own grave by a hitman. Right when it seems we’re about to be in for a flashback to the story of how Skinny wound up in this position, the plot surges ahead as Skinny unearths a woman already buried in the grave meant for him. From there, we’re introduced to a cast of cartoonish, overblown characters engaging in extreme violence: along with Joshua Brennan as Skinny and Charlotte Best as the buried Zophia, Goran D. Kleut features as gourmet mob boss Falkov, and Coco Jack Gillies as the child crime-queen Kovak. Lauren Orrell is a fleeting highlight as the tragic photographer Nikon.
It is clear that this has been a labour of love for writer and director Nik Kacevski, who paints each character, no matter how minor their roles, with a unique colour and personality. The films are a fast-paced ride, rarely giving viewers a chance to breathe, but it suits the film. It is best to sit back and enjoy the ride without thinking too deeply about things like where, when or even why the action takes place.
The only disappointing part of the Skinford series is that we’ve been left without a Chapter 3 so far. Hopefully a third instalment will one day be made to either close, or, better still, continue the story.
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