Zebra Crossing review

The British answer to La Haine?

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On a south London estate, four friends drink, steal and fight, their lives a whisker away from violence in writer/ director Sam Holland’s promising debut (it’s already scooped prizes at a number of indie film festivals).

Reaching for a British La Haine, perhaps, Holland had a hand in the film’s beautiful black and white images, and though his directorial ticks sometimes tip towards the pretentious, storming performances (particularly from Lee Turnbull as the embattled lead and Richard Pryal as a demented dealer) and the constant monochrome menace keep things real.

As a film it’s powerful if flawed; as a calling card it’s extremely impressive; and as a state-of-the-nation snapshot it’s, frankly, terrifying.

Freelance Writer

Matt Glasby is a freelance film and TV journalist. You can find his work on Total Film - in print and online - as well as at publications like the Radio Times, Channel 4, DVD REview, Flicks, GQ, Hotdog, Little White Lies, and SFX, among others. He is also the author of several novels, including The Book of Horror: The Anatomy of Fear in Film and Britpop Cinema: From Trainspotting To This Is England.