Shooters (2001) User Reviews

A realistic snapshot of gangland Liverpool

[toyotasupralfc · 8/10 · 4 May 2004]

Coming from Liverpool, it was very strange to see and hear the very people you had heard of, who were not to be crossed, acting in a film!

In my opinion it is a very realistic snapshot of the seedier, more murky side of Liverpool, with gangsters and, as the film title suggests, guns.

You wouldn't believe that the actors are actually real people from that seedier world... their performances considering this are superb.

Brilliant film in my opinion, hoping they make another to tie up all the loose ends left from this.

Quality.

decent film, brilliant debuts, well worth a watch

[thecoft01 · 7/10 · 13 July 2006]

i watched the film last night and thought it was pretty good. the ending is a bit predictable.

but some of the performances are brilliant for debuts.

the film is a brilliant portrayal of how I imagine Liverpool gangster life to be, you can believe it because they are real people transferring real life to screen. the camera shots of the kids in the streets on bikes are a definitive art-form, sucker punching a secret message, that these gangsters have come from nothing.

the start scene sent a shiver down my spine, when you see the two gangsters ballyed up running round the side of the house to jump on the drug dealer.

but the shooting scene at the cathedral, when Franny has just bit half of that mancs face off seems a little phony. the fight is great, when Franny goes phsyco it seems really sick and real, but when Sculley and someone else are running back to the car shooting it just made me laugh as it looked really fake.

everyones shooting and no-one gets shot, they sound like air guns or summat.

but all in all i thought it was a decent film cant understand why Franny's sat in his house being paranoid, with swords, snorting coke, watching the camera on his house, is it because he has been seen with john or maybe i missed something, could someone enlighten me?

Surprisingly well done

[wezzauk · 8/10 · 20 May 2017]

For a film with no budget, no script and no actors I certainly wasn't expecting much. However I was pleasantly surprised. This puts most of the current crop of so called British Gangster movies to shame. It's gritty, and thanks to the scenes being ad-libbed by real, let's call them... naughty boys, it has a realism that has been sadly lacking in recent offerings. I loved the pacing, and the no frills, linear story-line. The events in the film occur in much the same way as events do in real life, and it leaves you feeling like you got off a bus in Liverpool, watched some stuff go down and then got back on the bus. I really like this film a lot, and though I don't know if it would stand up to multiple viewings a la snatch and lock stock, I'll definitely be watching it a second time to nail down the little nuances I may have overlooked. Definitely worth a watch if you're into Brit Crime, though non English audiences may struggle with the harsh Liverpool accent. A solid 8 out of 10

!!Oscar!!

[mickwhiff · 20 November 2011]

Please trust me when i say anyone who has a bad word to say about this movie has no idea what a great piece of film is,yes its a low budget film,yes Neo and trinity aren't in it and yes its set in and around Liverpool and not the matrix but this film offers things that you may not of seen in any film before,from the start you feel like your watching an expensive recreation clip from a episode of crime-watch,its almost surreal the first thing that come's to mind is that its a documentary but its not, its brilliantly put together and like a hybrid of both, its a Movietary,it grips you because of its realism. Based around scouse crimmies the acting is excellent, and there not even real actors,majority of them are actual Liverpool criminals their names in the film are their names in real life,and most of which have actually committed similar crimes to what they portray in the film,but even with their disadvantage of not being trained seasoned actors,there performances are still of a standard that makes you draw in and relate to their characters,performances i feel even some Hollywood A-listers fail to achieve,and even though the story moves no boundaries and dosen't have you on the edge with anticipation its still a pretty solid film.Shooters may not be as compelling as say rise of the foot-soldier or exciting and humorous as lock stock but thats because it dosen,t have to be,we have lots of compelling British gangster films,we have lots of humorous exciting films,but there are no films like Shooter its truly groundbreaking,this film was made for less money than a Steven Spielberg movie crew's monthly coffee bill,the genius here is not the acting or even writing its in the direction,obviously Dan Reed has lots of talent in his writing but more so in his directing which is why i feel that he and this film deserved more recognition than what it received.Americans have been trying to create films with this much realism in them for years,and there claim to achieving that is 2000's traffic.and with millions and millions spent and over 10+ Hollywood A-listers and 4 Oscars,for realism in real life events and situations this low budget film shows how its done.We show the world how to write story's and tales which are used to make the greatest of films,we show the world how to go about acting and performing by producing the greatest actors and actresses,and with director's of Dan Reeds ability we will be showing the world again.Also check out Dan's 2007 straightheads ,danny dyer and xfiles fitty Gillian Anderson.Next Hollywood blockbuster will be BRAVE NEW WORLD Author Aldous Huxley Director Ridley Scott producer Danny Boyle Narrator Anthony Hopkins-Sean Connery Cast Sean Bean,Kate Beckinsale,Helena Bonham Carter,Ian Holm,Keira Knightley,Gary Oldman,Alan Rickman,Tim Roth,Patrick Stewart,Emma Watson,Kate Winslet,Emily Blunt,Ewan Mcgregor,Gerard Butler,Jonathan Rhys- Meyers.There you go best selling sci fi book at moment,best sci fi director,greatest cast 3 Scots a Welshman rest English.lmao Shia LaBeouf doesn't get a sniff.

Short, strange and sketchy

[alari · 7/10 · 4 January 2003]

This movie ought to be realistic, almost documental but actually it´s more like a diploma work of a film student with some friends. Dan Reed may have wanted to create something really deep and revealing but no go. Though the characters are colourful and perhaps indeed realistic, there´s not much of context and content to build a full movie on it. Nonetheless it´s worth watching if you lack ideas how to spend time like They do in the movies...

Gritty realism made before The Wire came along

[scousergarry · 6/10 · 8 October 2021]

It's no masterpiece for sure, but arguably the best of the cutting edge series. The use of non actors from the locality, and the improvised dialogue adds depth and realism, to a bleak urban existence that predated The Wire. Them Scousers again.

RAW, that word says it all.

[shockinout · 10/10 · 11 May 2005]

What a great film. This is made by actual people, not actors, but people who live in Liverpool and are connected to the underworld. Its realness and rawness are evident. These aren't actors, and that realism comes across in the film and makes it unlike any other film I've ever seen, its so real. Don't get me wrong, its not a documentary but a story put together by director Dan Reed and the cast and crew of the film, its very spontaneous and a class bit of work by everyone.

Its a great look at the underworld of Liverpool, and the gang element is typical in fact of any British city or town and the characters are easy to relate to. Great film.

a short sharp shock to the system

[mushie-2 · 9/10 · 23 September 2003]

director Dan Reed wanted to make a film about an underworld killing that took place in Liverpool 1996 unable to follow this through he set about making a piece about people living with and through crime, and with practically no budget, and actors with no experience he's made a sensational, tough and raw piece of cinema.There is no denying that it has a film school quality but that just adds to the realism of the movie.If you like your films tough, hard to sit through but ultimately rewarding then treat yourself.

Pretty Crap

[missismiggins · 1/10 · 4 November 2012]

How this crap got a + 7 rating on IMDb is beyond me! It was a jumbled up mixture of bad acting, bad story and pretty much bad everything. The best part of the movie was when it was over.

If you like watching "bodybuilder"Scouse "Twinks" pretending that they are Hardened Gangsters, running around shooting off kids cap guns then this is for you.

No story to speak of, a script that has no content, patheyic acting, pretty poor "violent" scenes - an all round waste of 100 minutes of what was a reasonable day. Do yourself a favour give this dead donkey a wide berth. As one reviewer mentioned Teletubbies already, I'd just like to add that the Teletubbies are probably more interesting than this junk!

This is the Liverpool you arnt shown on T.V

[connor_low · 9/10 · 24 June 2011]

Being a 18 year old lad from Liverpool and having been involved with not the nicest of people around here, the reputation of the actors in this film proceeds them. I must state the storeys we used to hear from lads about these "actors" were mind blowing, these men are real gangsters and for me, that is what makes this film, its sad to see some of the reviews posted here. Granted, this is no Hollywood blockbuster, but how many Hollywood actors have committed murder, extortion and organised drug deals on a major level? Pfft... This is not a film were stars get the dirt from under there nails taken out by a assistant in there trailer, the "trailer" of these men is the street. You cannot expect such formidable men to act like someone in theatre, this is the Liverpool you arnt shown on T.V, this is REAL.

this film may be realistic, but because of that its crap

[tzown · 2/10 · 25 October 2008]

ill be honest in my opinion the film was crap. thats just my opinion by the way. at first before watching i thought yeah its gonna be real violent with some good fights and some real violent criminals, i watched it and was let down so so much.

this film needs soo much 'sprucing' up. its not THAT violent, it has like three or four violent scenes and in at least one of them they leave it to your imagination. the storyline is crap (in my opinion) the 'thugs' are lame, i probably didn't like this movie as i read other people views on it first and they made it sound good so i watched it with high expectations which is why i dislike it soo much.

basically this film is a low budget, drama based in liverpool with not even a Z list celebrity, i haven't seen any of the actors before. the violence contained is short and quick, and its a let down unless u like this sort of thing WHICH i can see why some people would

The best film I've ever seen!!!

[empengi · 10/10 · 10 February 2009]

Seriously, this is my favourite film - and I'm a 'buff'. It makes a mockery of Hollywood when there isn't a single paid actor in this film and yet the performances are utterly absorbing and easily more convincing than those you usually get from so called 'stars of the screen'. The plot draws you into a disturbingly realistic world of Scouse gangsters and the situations they get themselves into. I've made a lot of my friends watch this film, and even the ones who need subtitles still find that it gets under their skin, and they end up asking to borrow it to show THEIR friends, too. All I can say without spoiling the plot is WATCH THIS FILM and see how this kind of drama should be made - You won't regret it!

A Slice of Life

[heffey · 10/10 · 10 November 2007]

An unscripted C4 drama/documentary directed by Dan Reed, set in Liverpool UK. Depicting the lives of 'gang' members involved in drugs and crime in Liverpool : circa 1990/2000. What a film... 'Shooters' caused outrage when it was first broadcast over Christmas 2000 on Channel Fours 'Cutting Edge' series. It has since become 'The cult Brit gangster film'.

Dan Reeds attempt to illustrate the background behind 'David Ungi's' shooting in Liverpool in the mid-90's. Acted out by the 'kidders' in the know.

If you are a fan of the 'gangster genre' of films. This is a must see.

The film is available from HMV and Amazon.

True Grit.

[rainbeau1962 · 10/10 · 27 September 2015]

This is a unique crime drama slash documentary type production, All the roles are played by non actors and are some way or other part of the criminal underworld. Loosely based on some events and underworld changes that took place in Liverpool in the 1990's this is a gritty realistic and mostly unpleasant look at that that time. It is also a story of every city or town in the world and their lowlife inhabitants and how their everyday dealings and actions impact on the community and mainly each other. This is an interesting look at gangsters without out the glamorous rose tinted spectacles and it really shows how there is no honour amongst thieves. Don't expect a type of Goodfellas story with a nice musical score, lots of fashion and lots of models. What you see is what you get.

One Of The Best Crime Movies UK Has Ever Made

[thundereous · 10/10 · 7 January 2018]

It does not take long to get past the low production values in comparison to Hollywood, however, the story, directing and acting are absolutely and thoroughly absorbing. There simply is no fault in camera, directing or acting by anyone. I could so easily write a review that would be pages long detailing all its excellent points but reading previous reviews would be a mere repetition. It reminded me of the excellent gritty English "kitchen sink" drama movies in the 50's 60's and 70's.

So I have opted to find points to criticize and here they are This movie was not long enough I would recommend a part 2 to tie up the loose ends of the crime itself, the implications to other gang members and gangs and the family's dealing in the aftermath of the crimes and tragedies. This director, writer and actors should do more work together.

So Realistic 9/10 and Defo Worth a Watch

[racingblue · 9/10 · 26 June 2023]

This film shows the gritty side of gangland, as it happens this is in Liverpool. A scene dominated by hard men, drugs esp. Coke and then guns. Everybody's after one.... Clashes between rivals are of course constant.

The difference is the "actors" have to some extent actually "lived the life" and instead of Hollywood scriptwriters, we have real people giving their real thoughts in their own words. Some of the spoken scenes are so original you will not have seen anything like it before.

Later in the film their is an amazing plot twist which had me "On the edge of my seat" when I realised what was going on. An absolute "tour de force" Please don't miss, very special.

my uncle john

[leegrant-02143 · 10/10 · 3 November 2017]

hands down the best film ever made and my uncle john is the star. watch this every weekend with are Lucas with a chippy tea and me auntie carol comes round with a load of munchies so proud to be his nephew after his performance is this classic movie. spoke to john other day on phone and he said they in talks for making a part 2 with john Finn and john derby and r Ricky fingers crossed this happens and is as good as the first

BEST FILM EVER FIRE TONIGHTTTTTTTTTTTT

Quite possibly .....

[tim-peck-15088 · 10/10 · 3 May 2016]

..... The best UK Gangster Film ever made.

Let's just say the portrayals are in every case, convincing.

Love to know how these lads are getting on 15 years later. My son meet a couple of them when he was up in Liverpool a few years ago and apparently the are "Sound La's"

I think a couple of the fella's did other acting gigs but it seems that no one made the big time. Shame as clearly, on the whole, most of them were naturals.

If you've not watched it, it's floating about on some of the Kodi add- ons.

Absolutely worth a watch!!