Will Boyd gets stuck into the thorough unpleasantness of public school elites - who act like much younger children - and cross cuts most successfully - using the 'games' - to some years later where patterns and behaviours continue, and a stranger comes to take revenge. These 'boys' (they're all too old) are led by Dominic Jephcott, who's a total shit, as are most of them, though 'Wog' Martyn Stanbridge (his debut - an unsure performance) exhibits a little bit of compassion. (The moment when an African worker comes in and out of the room while he's trying to tell his old 'friend' it's 'Wog' is cuttingly funny.) Their conversations about sex and 'slags' are eye-wincing and so bigoted it may be why it's no longer commercially available.
Anton Lesser is the bullied boy who comes back, Laura Davenport the girl in the picture. Other oiks are Frederick Alexander (Another Country), Graham Seed (Wild Target), Ewan Stewart and Rupert Graves. It was shot by Wolf Suschitsky, difficult to judge how well from hazy off-TV VHS copy (it was not even released on commercial VHS, let alone DVD...) And edited by Laurence Méry-Clark.
Liked the idea of the reggae coming up from downstairs.
Ultimately, we feel that Niles has had his eyes opened a little and might possibly have grown up a bit too...
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