Dead Man's Shoes 2004 ‧ Thriller/Drama ‧ 1h 30m

gem of a film

TheHigh

"Are you the devil?" "You wish I f*cking was." ...Was my fave line in this! Yeah, I agree, some very stressful scenes in this movie. Good revenge story, with a unique slant.

Nell Sun

Now you have seen it I can talk about it. The film is a very heavy, emotional and difficult film to watch, I know a few hard men that said this broke them, very well made. Not to mention it makes so much more sense when you watch it a 2nd time because you pick up on things you missed the first time, the main thing being that whenever Anthony is with Richard, nobody else interacts with him or acknowledges he is there.

Alpha Gamer

This film had missed my gaze till now. I have some complex feelings about it. It also reveals an ugly side to my personality that I'm a little troubled by and the fact that I am still ok with on reflection is reallly quite illuminating. Interestingly what I found particularly relevant was how many tropes that this brilliantly well made film avoids very skillfully. The drug gang are not often elevated much above idiot coward status. They never really fully underestimate the person that's hunting them. They huddle together in abject fear of what could be bestowed upon them and are picked off with zero affective defence. The quick scene in the bathroom was a stroke of mastery in fashioning the idea of show not tell in story telling. Their one attempt to pre-empt the next attack goes as badly as it could. Then having to escape the scene clumped together in the berk mobile. The car that they travel around in, is clownish and swerves any expectations of what a drug gang might be seen in. As you so eloquently described them, they are trash. And when they are murdered I didn't feel a glimmer of sympathy for them. Because for me it was painfully obvious that his brother was dead from the very beginning of the film. I never once wavered on that expectation. So in my mind it was clear that these people needed putting down even before I saw the full extent of their crimes. I know how that sounds but that was my honest feeling. The last guy was a surprise and I was hoping he might not kill him. I did appreciate the idea of how much guilt he was carrying around for not being there to protect his brother. Also how those feelings of failure can turn inward on oneself and help make the monster. I go back and forth. I don't believe in vigilante justice. I believe in the rule of law. It's the state that should had down measured and balanced punishment. I'm not an advocate for capital punishment and I'd vote against It's return to this country if there was ever a vote. But in this fictional world it didn't sit well with me that they were alive when an innocent life they tortured, was dead. And there's the conflicting rub. What a great film.

Daryl

I've never heard of this but very glad I watched - what an emotional movie.

Josh

I will add it to my list bud thank you!

After Work Reactions

It is sad, that has happened over here alot as well.

After Work Reactions

Thanks bud I enjoyed it. It was very different than what we normally check out but still very good.

After Work Reactions

It was very intense lol

After Work Reactions

I see what you mean man, I can see myself not fully enjoying a movie via reaction the first time around. Looking forward to Blazing Saddles as well I have heard about that movie for years but never checked it out.

After Work Reactions

Fun fact, the guy who plays the boss of the gang, Sonny, is Gary Stretch who is a legitimate toughguy being a former WBC International Super Welterweight Boxing Champion.

Steve King

It was because of the fact that the guy had a family and an actual conscience. Plus, he had to go home living with what he did and it's possible the police may have caught up with him anyway.

Joel Oates

Oh yeah I can imagine seeing this as a younger guy it would have bothered me alot more than it already did.

After Work Reactions

Yea that is a sad bunch of movies, I haven't seen them but I know they are rough.

After Work Reactions

Thanks bud. I will add that to my list of movies thanks bud.

After Work Reactions

Oh man this is an intense film to just happen across. I did enjoy it a whole lot though, something different than normal.

After Work Reactions

It was great and I agree very intense.

After Work Reactions

It was a great film I enjoyed it alot.

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That is awesome! Thanks for sharing bud!

After Work Reactions

Wtf was the ending. The last guy didn't die. And when that didn't happen I was expecting the main guy to have called the police in advance or something... I'm feeling very unsatisfied haha

Liam

Hey Josh, could you add Sexy Beast to the movie poll? If you found Paddy intense in this film, wait till you see Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane in Sexy Beast. Could you also please add Starred Up, Bronson, and The Firm (1989), which are also intense British films.

Rob Thompson

That last line is a spoiler. Well, the 2 words in capital letters are.

Keith Pratt

Unfortunately there have been too many real-life situations like this that have happened in the UK where people have taken advantage of someone with learning difficulties. (I won't go into details) Even more unfortunate is that these sick and twisted arseholes only get prison time and don't end up like the people in this movie.

(Just) Steve

This is a fantastic movie. Nothing else need be said

Si Burdett

Another good, UNKNOWN movie by the same director, Shane Meadows...(his debut and the one before this one), and starring Paddy, is A Room For Romeo Brass. Paddy Considine is amazing ....in that one too

Hannah

So glad you got to watch this....not many people know of this film. I knew nothing of it when i first watched it...so it blew my mind.

Hannah

woooooooooow this movie was something else!! Great movie but I agree it was very intense movie.

Josip Buretic

Just finished watching, had never seen it before, at least not most of it. Weirdly, it didn't really grab me [I mean even this time]. Maybe because i was watching it in this format, and not getting the 'full' effect, that I might if watching 'normally'. I might have to remember that if i see any more films coming up in future, that i haven't seen myself yet. Looking forward to Blazing Saddles next week :D

Pkirby422

I actually first saw this with my friend and we were both very stoned (and much younger) which probably made it much more harrowing. Still a difficult watch but a great revenge film.

Ben Marshall

This was pretty riveting when I originally watched it, and heartbreaking for the obvious reason. The twist...I did not see it coming. It's effective genre filmmaking, gripping, and fuck me if the bit with the guy in the suitcase and his poor fucker mate's reaction to seeing him isn't one of the most intensely horrible, disturbing scenes I've ever seen. The tiny, sad, childlike voice he uses when he asks Considine's character 'why'd you do that?'... I felt sorry for some members of the gang. I wonder how many people have been bullied, and how many people have been bullies - a simple thesis would divide the world up into the two types, but in reality I think most people have been bullied AND have been bullies, at least at some point in their lives, even if it was infrequent and immediately regretted. It's only a small minority who were always victims or always predators; I think most of us were a jumble of the two. Some people the balance was more in one direction and in some it was more in the other direction, but I never met any kids, ever, who didn't take the chance to do what had been done to them when it was given. I saw kids who were routinely bullied smoothly slide into being the bully as soon as they were in another social group. School was just one long Stanford prison experiment.

Saul

This part of the depress-o-thon trilogy for me along with Requiem for a Dream and Million Dollar Baby. Still a great movie though.

Chris H

You said you recognised Herbie, he was in episode 2 of Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere. Could you add "A Room for Romeo Brass" to the poll, please? It's directed by Shane Meadows and it was Paddy Considine's first film role. Lol and Milky from "This is England" are also in it. It came out in 1999.

Keith Pratt

I caught this film by accident one night on TV, and it's one of those things you can't stop watching once you start. Shane Meadows is an incredible filmmaker, and it's remarkable the way his films can jump so effortlessly between being hilarious and chilling. His films often aren't easy to watch, but they're endlessly compelling.

Charlie

Such an incredible film, I’ve seen it a lot but it’s still a hard watch

Kieran B

Been waiting for this, I bought it years ago without knowing anything about it, it's still one of my favourite movies.

Daniel

Surprisingly no .

After Work Reactions

This was filmed on the place where I live, I was only 6 when this film was released but my friend is in the beginning of the film she’s the one who gets lifted up in the house. I remember parts of this being filmed and all the locations in the film are still standing except for the garages. So glad you reacted to this film!

You didn't recognise him from Hot Fuzz or The World's End??

Manly Stump

One of my favourite films. Paddy is the business in this. Amazing twist at the end too. 👍🏻

Ryan Keane