Bullet Boy

Bullet Boy

You only get one shot at life.

Directed by Saul Dibb

200489 min5.7 / 10

A gritty, intimate portrait of cycles of violence and redemption in urban London, where a young man's attempt to escape his past is undermined by street loyalty and his brother's dangerous admiration.

Ricky is just out of a young offenders institute, heading home to Hackney and determined to go straight. Instead, he heads straight for trouble when he becomes involved in a street confrontation, siding with his best friend Wisdom against a local rude boy. The trouble escalates into a series of tit-for-tat incidents that threaten to spiral out of control. Ricky's 12-year-old brother Curtis, hero-worships Ricky, though he appears smart enough to know he doesn't want to follow his example. Yet, despite the stern warnings from his mother and support from her friends in the community, might Ricky's bad boy allure be too attractive for Curtis to resist?

Questions people ask

  • Is Bullet Boy sad? Yes. More sad than 88% of films.

  • Does Bullet Boy end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 83% of films.

  • Is Bullet Boy violent? Yes. More violent than 80% of films.

  • Is Bullet Boy scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 61% of films.

  • Is Bullet Boy easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 61% of films.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

11/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Conventional, and it does not land.

Rarity17

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise5

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love13

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Bullet Boy

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Bullet Boy

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Bullet Boy, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Bullet Boy, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Bullet Boy, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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