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Offender (2012)

Offender (2012), directed by Ron Scalpello, starring Joe Cole and English Frank.

08/08/2012 BR Thriller 1h 42m

This summer ... justice will be served

Synopsis

Justice needs to be served at Britain's most notorious young offenders institute.

  • Richard MottCinematography
  • Ron ScalpelloDirector
  • Johnny RaynerEditing
  • Nick TaussigProducer

About the film

Offender is a 2012 British action film which follows a hard grafting, 20-year-old working-class man, Tommy Nix, who while avoiding getting mixed up in the wrong crowd sees his girlfriend fall victim to a brutal attack. It stars Kimberley Nixon, Joe Cole, Shaun Dooley, Vas Blackwood and rapper English Frank. It is written by Paul Van Carter and directed by Ron Scalpello.

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Offender is a 2012 British action film which follows a hard grafting, 20-year-old working-class man, Tommy Nix, who while avoiding getting mixed up in the wrong crowd sees his girlfriend fall victim to a brutal attack. It stars Kimberley Nixon, Joe Cole, Shaun Dooley, Vas Blackwood and rapper English Frank. It is written by Paul Van Carter and directed by Ron Scalpello.

Cast

Kimberley Nixon as Elise

Shaun Dooley as Nash

Joe Cole as Tommy

English Frank as Jake

Tyson Oba as Mason

G FrSH as Angelface

Daniel Kendrick as Sicko

Scorcher as Essay

Malachi Kirby as Harry

David Ajala as Kelvin

Ruth Gemmell as Cassie

Mark Harris as Governor Davies

Jacob Anderson as Patrick

Vas Blackwood as Detective Boaz

Doon Mackichan as the Doctor Patricia

Can Somer as the Muslim Inmate

Michael Edwards as Prison Officer

Rimmel Daniel as Prison inmate

Ric Ashley Smith as Pillion

Mic Righteous as himself

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics, with a 68% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Empire magazine and Total Film both rated it 3/5, with Empire Magazine stating it was "a solid revenge thriller in which Cole excels"

The Guardian gave it one star, stating "the plot and characters are lame and implausible, the dialogue is banal and the acting mediocre". Time Out claimed the film "feels less Scum and more like the back-story of one of Guy Ritchie’s knuckle-headed footsoldiers."

The film received a 4/5 rating from Heat magazine stating "this bloody borstal drama makes quiet political points alongside a powerful revenge storyline" and a 4/5 rating from Sky Movies calling it an "admirably crafted a compelling drama" and likening it to French prison film A Prophet and Alan Clarke's 1979 film Scum.

CineVue presented a 3/5 review for the film, stating that "Scalpello's Offender is far from original" However it presented "enjoyable performances and an entertaining revenge plot."

In general the reviews rate the film for its depiction of characters involved in and affected by the riots. The Londonist states "It’s a surprisingly comprehensive look at the lives of young criminals, in particular their sense of isolation and disenchantment with a corrupt system."

The film gained more positive reviews from urban and music press. Music sites Bring The Noise and MTV have rated the film 8/10 and 7/10 respectively.

References

External links

Offender at IMDb

Text from Offender (film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offender_(film)

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Questions about this film

What is Offender about?

Offender: Justice needs to be served at Britain's most notorious young offenders institute.

Who directed Offender?

Offender was directed by Ron Scalpello in 2012.

Who stars in Offender?

The cast of Offender includes Joe Cole, English Frank, Kimberley Nixon, Shaun Dooley and Vas Blackwood.

How long is Offender?

Offender runs for 102 minutes, or 1h42.

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Page updated on 09/14/2026.

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Scene from Offender