The Football Factory (2004) Movie Review

By Newguy

The Football Factory – Movie Review

Director: Nick Love

Writer: John King, Nick Love (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Danny Dyer (Outlaw)
  • Frank Harper (Silent Night)
  • Tamer Hassan (The Double)
  • Roland Manookian (His House)
  • Neil Maskell (The Kill List)
  • Dudley Sutton (Cockneys vs Zombies)

Plot: An insight on the gritty life of a bored male, Chelsea football hooligan who lives for violence, sex, drugs & alcohol.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Football Factory starts as we meet the football hooligan Tommy Johnson (Dyer) who was raised in a violet firm. He operates with Billy (Harper), and Rod (Maskell) under the ruthless leader Harris (Denham). They spend their time looking for fights with fellow hooligans who support rival teams.

When Tommy and Fred’s latest wild night out sees them clash with members of a rival firm, the war between them elevates. It gets worse when Chelsea draw Millwall in the cup and both sides are prepared for the big fight. However, Tommy starts questioning whether this is what he wants in his life, as he is getting older and feeling more aimless.

Verdict on The Football Factory

The Football Factory is a crime thriller following a man who has lived for the hooligan nature and wild parties. He starts questioning if it is what he wants in life and slowly begins to understand not everything has been worth it.

This movie explores people living a life of crime and wanting more from their lives. It dives into the pathetic world of football hooliganism where people claim to be fans and search for fights. This shows how pathetic people who want this in life are and give genuine fans a bad name. At the same time, the bigger story about learning is that what you have been taught isn’t the best way to approach life. You can always learn to be better if you open your eyes and learn from misinformation from violent people. Even with the strong message, the glorification of violence and criminal behavior holds the movie back too often.

Where to Watch

a JustWatch

Final ThoughtsThe Football Factory has a strong message but relies on the violence too much.