Watch Riff-Raff

Riff-Raff is a gritty drama film directed by Ken Loach and released in 1991. The movie follows the life of Stevie, a young Scottish man who has just returned to Glasgow from London. Stevie is broke and homeless and ends up staying at a construction site with a group of fellow workers. The workers are a mix of Scottish and Irish men, and they are all struggling to make a living. They work hard all day and spend their evenings drinking and hanging out in the makeshift trailers on the site. Stevie is immediately drawn to his co-worker Susan, a young Irish woman who seems to have a tough exterior but is actually kind and caring underneath it all.

As Stevie settles into his new life on the construction site, he begins to learn more about the challenges faced by the workers. They are all underpaid and overworked, and their living conditions are far from ideal. Despite this, they find moments of joy and camaraderie together, sharing jokes and stories over pints of beer.

Throughout the film, Stevie and Susan's relationship develops slowly and organically. They are both guarded at first, but as they open up to each other, they begin to find comfort and support in each other's company. Robert Carlyle and Emer McCourt deliver strong performances as the two leads, bringing depth and nuance to their characters.

The other workers on the construction site are also well-drawn, each with their own unique personalities and quirks. Jim R. Coleman plays Larry, a Jamaican worker who dreams of opening up a restaurant. He provides much-needed levity and humor to the film, but he also faces his own struggles with racism and discrimination.

As the story unfolds, we see the workers rallying together to fight for better pay and working conditions. They attend demonstrations and protests, and eventually go on strike. The scenes of the workers coming together to fight for their rights are powerful and moving, and the film does an excellent job of portraying the challenges faced by laborers in the UK during this time.

Overall, Riff-Raff is a gritty, realistic portrayal of working-class life in 1990s Glasgow. It explores themes of poverty, class struggle, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The performances are excellent, and the story is engaging and thought-provoking. This is a must-see film for fans of gritty social realism and political drama.

Riff-Raff is a 1991 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.