Rise of the Footsoldier

"Based on the shocking true story."

2007 1h 59m EN

😐

6.3

MID

🥫

14%

ROTTEN

⭐

6.7

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 247🥫14%Rotten Tomatoes★6.7IMDB · 23,274

ActionCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Carlton Leach rises from one of the most feared generals of the football terraces to becoming a member of a notorious gang of criminals who rampaged their way through London and Essex in the late '80s and early '90s.

“Based on the shocking true story.”

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Cast

Ricci Harnett
Carlton Leach
Terry Stone
Tony Tucker
Craig Fairbrass
Pat Tate
Roland Manookian
Craig Rolfe
Coralie Rose
Denny
Neil Maskell
Darren Nicholls
Billy Murray
Mickey Steele
Ian Virgo
Jimmy Gerenuk

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Julian Gilbey
Writers: Julian Gilbey, Will Gilbey
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 9% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 19 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Part of the "Rise of the Footsoldier Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Julian Gilbey, shot by Ali Asad. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ricci Harnett and Terry Stone and Craig Fairbrass carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Based on the shocking true story.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0901507 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Julian Gilbey directs. Ali Asad behind the camera. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 9% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 19 years ago.
4Part of the "Rise of the Footsoldier Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Julian Gilbey, shot by Ali Asad. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Ricci Harnett and Terry Stone and Craig Fairbrass carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Based on the shocking true story.".
8IMDB entry: tt0901507 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ali Asad
Production design: Matthew Button
Costume design: Hayley Nebauer
Makeup / hair: Melanie Szabo
Sound: Mathew Knights
Stunt coordinator: Rocky Taylor
Runtime: 119 min · 1h 59m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $4,000,000
Box office: $355,345
Return: 9% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Rise of the Footsoldier (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes: 14% 🥫 Rotten
IMDB rating: 6.7/10 · 23,274 votes
MPAA: R

Part of

Rise of the Footsoldier Collection

Rise of the Footsoldier is a British crime film released on 7 September 2007. The third production from BAFTA Award-nominated director Julian Gilbey, it is a gangster film based on the true story of the Rettendon murders and the autobiography of Carlton Leach, a football hooligan of the infamous Inter City Firm (ICF) who became a powerful figure of the English underworld. The sequel Rise Of The Footsoldier Part II followed in 2015 and the prequel, Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Beginning, came in 2017

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Julian Gilbey

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2021-01-09
★ 6/10
Better than expected, if still not good. Based on a true story, 'Rise of the Footsoldier' is your standard London-ish gangster film - literally, given the cast. It does everything you'd predict and then some. However, it does come out more watchable than I thought it would. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it or that it's that good, but it makes for an OK watch. The casting is as obvious as possible. It features the likes of Terry Stone, Roland Manookian, Neil Maskell, Billy Murray, Kierston Wareing and Frank Harper - none of which are surprising to see, I'm more shocked Danny Dyer didn't appear. Ricci Harnett plays the lead role, he's alright. One negative, though, about this 2007 film is Harnett's Carlton, who isn't likeable whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, the characters in these sorta films are always bad people but with ones like 'Green Street Hooligans' or 'The Football Factory', there is at least a small reason to 'care' for the main character. I never did for Carlton, even at the end when it wants you to. Other negatives include the pacing, dialogue and overall story really. I will say it isn't anything that bored or irritated me, but there isn't much - if anything - that I liked either. With that said, I'm still planning to watch the three sequels.

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