Hooligans (2005)
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An American student's life takes a violent turn after he is forced to take the fall for a roommate's crime and travels to London.
The story
Matt Buckner, an American college student, is expelled from Harvard after being framed for his roommate's drug possession. To settle the debt, he accepts a payout and travels to London to visit his sister. There, he meets her husband's brother, Pete, a football coach who leads a local hooligan firm known as Green Street Elite. Despite initial hesitation from the firm's members, Matt is taken to a match. After a violent encounter with rival fans, Matt is impressed by the firm's bravery and is officially inducted into the group, moving in with Pete and becoming part of the local football subculture.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being expelled from Harvard and taking a payout to stay quiet about his roommate's cocaine, Matt Buckner travels to London. He meets Pete Dunham, a coach leading the Green Street Elite (GSE) hooligan firm. After a fight with Birmingham fans, Matt is inducted into the GSE. During a trip to Manchester, the firm successfully ambushes a rival group. However, tensions rise when it is revealed that Matt's brother-in-law, Steve, is the retired leader of the GSE. A betrayal by a member named Bovver leads to a confrontation where Steve is seriously injured. The conflict culminates in a final battle near the Millennium Dome. During the fight, Matt's sister is attacked, and Pete is tragically killed by the rival leader, Tommy Hatcher. Matt eventually returns to the U.S. and confronts his former roommate, Jeremy, recording his confession as a way to return to Harvard. The film ends with Matt celebrating his victory by singing the anthem of the GSE and their associated club, West Ham United.
- Original title
- Green Street and Hooligans
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lexi Alexander
- Writers
- Lexi Alexander · screenplay; Dougie Brimson · screenplay; Josh Shelov · screenplay; Lexi Alexander · story; Dougie Brimson · story
- Cast and characters
- Elijah Wood · Matthew 'Matt' Buckner; Charlie Hunnam · Peter 'Pete' Dunham; Claire Forlani · Shannon Dunham; Marc Warren · Steven 'Steve' Dunham; Leo Gregory · Bovver; Ross McCall · Dave Bjorno; Rafe Spall · Swill; Kieran Bew · Ike; Geoff Bell · Tommy Hatcher; James Allison · Benjamin "Ben" Dunham; Oliver Allison · Benjamin "Ben" Dunham; Terence Jay · Jeremy Van Holden
- Genres
- crime drama; sports drama
- Themes
- loyalty; identity; consequences of crime
- Tone and mood
- violent; gritty
- Setting
- London, England and the United States.
- Premise and plot tags
- football hooliganism; crime; underground subculture
- Franchise connections
- Green Street Hooligans
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising its visceral action but criticizing its predictable plot and dialogue. It was noted for its 'bone-crunching thrills' but also called 'calamitous' by the BBC.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 45% · review count: 64; Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 22
- Awards and nominations
- Best Feature · LA Femme Film Festival · win; Best of the Fest · Malibu Film Festival · win; Special Jury Award · SXSW Film Festival · win; Audience Award · SXSW Film Festival · win
- Production trivia
- The film's firm name refers to a specific location in the London Borough of Newham.; The film features a character who is a journalist for The Times.; A script for a direct sequel titled Green Street 2.0 was announced in 2024.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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