Watch The Fall of the Essex Boys

The Fall of the Essex Boys is a British crime thriller based on the true story of the infamous 1995 Range Rover murders, which rocked the criminal underworld of Essex, UK. Robert Cavanah stars as Pat Tate, a ruthless gangster who ruled the local drug trade with his partners Tony Tucker (Jay Brown) and Craig Rolfe (Simon Phillips). Kierston Wareing plays Karen, a stripper and former girlfriend of Pat, while Peter Barrett portrays Darren Nicholls, a low-level criminal looking to prove himself to the big guns.

The movie opens with a flash-forward to the aftermath of the murders, which have been widely reported in the media. The bodies of Tucker, Rolfe, and a young man named Bernard O'Mahoney have been found riddled with bullets, burned, and dumped in a farm field. From there, the narrative jumps back in time to the events leading up to the fateful night.

Pat, Tony, and Craig are living the high life, spending their ill-gotten gains on flashy cars, designer clothes, and drugs. They are paranoid about rival gangs muscling in on their turf, and tensions within the group are simmering. Karen, meanwhile, is fed up with Pat's abusive behavior and starts seeing Darren on the side.

As the pressure builds, the trio decides to take a big score, seizing a stash of drugs and cash from a rival gang. However, their actions attract the attention of the police, who start closing in on them. At the same time, a group of hitmen, hired by the rival gang, are plotting revenge.

The Fall of the Essex Boys is a tense and gritty crime drama that delves into the seedy underworld of organized crime. Director Paul Tanter portrays the characters as morally ambiguous, shifting sympathies from one to another as the plot unfolds. The film doesn't shy away from showing the graphic violence and drug use that underpins the gang's lifestyle, but it also reveals the human frailties and insecurities that drive them.

The performances are solid across the board, with Cavanah delivering a standout turn as the swaggering, volatile Pat Tate. Wareing is also excellent as Karen, imbuing her character with vulnerability and strength. The supporting cast, which includes Tony Denham as the gang's fixer and Michael Coleman as a corrupt cop, add depth and nuance to the story.

The movie's pacing is brisk, and the narrative is tightly constructed. The build-up to the murders is tense and suspenseful, with the viewer never quite sure who will come out on top. When the violence does break out, it's brutal and realistic, with no glamorization or glorification of the events.

The Fall of the Essex Boys is a gripping crime thriller that offers a glimpse into a dark period of British criminal history. It's a well-crafted film that balances action and character development, and keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat until the very end.

The Fall of the Essex Boys is a 2014 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 3.8.