Reel Britannia

Reel Britannia - a very British podcast about very British movies...with just a hint of professionalism Episode 177 - This Is England (2006) Set in a coastal English town during the summer of 1983, This Is England centres on Shaun, a lonely 12-year-old boy grieving the death of his father in the Falklands War. After a fight at school, Shaun is befriended by a group of older, good-natured skinheads led by the welcoming Woody. He quickly finds a sense of belonging and a surrogate family within their subculture of ska music, fashion, and camaraderie. The group's joyful dynamic is shattered by the return of Combo, a charismatic but deeply troubled ex-convict with a volatile temper. Imbued with a nationalist, racist ideology from his time in prison, Combo attempts to steer the group towards far-right extremism. His intimidating presence causes a painful schism, forcing everyone to choose sides. While Woody and several others reject Combo’s hateful politics, the impressionable Shaun, swayed by Combo’s rhetoric ab