Blue Story

Representing a welcome cultural shift in British cinema, Blue Story illustrates a segment of contemporary English culture that’s been largely avoided on screen, for better or worse.

Indeed, the gritty and provocative feature debut of British rapper and filmmaker Andrew Onwubolu, under the alias Rapman, provides a fresh setting for its otherwise familiar coming-of-age urban drama.

Expanded from Rapman’s popular YouTube series of the same name, it spotlights the perils of violent gang culture among disenfranchised black teenagers in a working-class South London neighborhood of mostly Nigerian immigrant families facing a socioeconomic crunch.

The specific setting is Peckham, where high school classmates Timmy (Stephen Odubola) and Marco (Micheal Ward) strike up a friendship despite hailing from different boroughs with opposing gangs.

They tend to steer clear of involvement, with the smart and slightly nerdy Timmy directing his attention toward a potential romance with Leah (Karla-Simone Spence). But the quick-tempered Marco gets dragged into a confrontation and beaten by some of Timmy’s old pals, causing a rift in their relationship that quickly escalates beyond repair.

Another act of violence gives Timmy incentive to ditch his passive demeanor and promising future for cutthroat loyalty to the streets as Marco’s sworn enemy.

Neither exploiting nor condoning the merciless lifestyle it depicts, Blue Story resonates with raw authenticity and visceral energy beneath some surface clichés. It shouldn’t be dismissed as merely a Boyz N the Hood knockoff with cockney dialects.

Although it’s an assured directorial debut, the vibrant film is rough around the edges. Some of the periphery characters lack depth and complexity, and the performances by mostly unheralded actors are uneven. Some of the sequences depicting ruthless gang violence and macho aggression set to a pulsating hip-hop soundtrack are predictably handled.

Still, Rapman’s conviction compensates for such flaws by conveying a heartbreaking poignancy about innocence lost to life on the streets. The subtext carries weight — depicting a brutal cycle driven by betrayal, power, revenge, and ultimately inevitable tragedy that plagues the film’s true-life backdrop.

Blue Story stirred up knee-jerk controversy upon release in Britain despite its clear anti-violence message. So while you bob your head to the beat, make sure you also listen to the lyrics.

Rated R, 91 minutes.