London Film Festival 2021: BULL

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London Film Festival 2021: BULL

There are movies containing such unmitigated violence and shocking brutality that one can barely stomach to watch them – and then there’s Paul Andrew William‘s Bull, a movie so viscerally compelling and yet blood-curdling in its relentless savagery that it may deter all but the hardiest of viewers. Williams made his big-screen debut with the excellent London to Brighton back in 2016, and went on to make a string of middling dramas (The Cottage, Unfinished Song) before pivoting to TV with the likes of Broadchurch and Strangers (also known as White Dragon). Bull is his first movie in nine years, and it’s a hell of a calling card.

A Demonic Performance

As silver screen returns go, Bull couldn’t be more of a statement of intent if it tried. Channelling – in its best moments – Shane Meadows‘ classic Dead Man’s Shoes, with a pinch of Jeremy Saulnier‘s Blue Ruin thrown in for good measure, Bull never settles for anything less than total discomfort from its audience. Quiet moments with a slowly building dread are punctuated by sudden decapitations, twisted revelations, and the threat of more to come. There is a constant feeling that no one is safe, that we’re witnessing a chain of chaos spiralling further and further into darkness.  At the heart of it all is an assuredly demonic performance from Neil Maskell – and anyone who has watched a Ben Wheatley film will not be surprised by this – as the eponymous gangster Bull; Maskell stomps through the movie dead-eyed, apart from one notable scene on a carnival ride where a stabbing has him in fits of crazed laughter, set on vengeance; Maskell‘s heavy-set muscularity plays an important role as Bull is the kind of person who knows how to handle himself, and is always ready for a fight. It means it’s hard to relax in his presence because the suddenness of his violence is always a threat dangling overhead like an even more perverse sword of Damocles. “Are you right-handed?” he casually asks a butcher who his boss Norm wants to comply, before swiftly bringing a cleaver down on the man’s left hand, severing his fingers.

London Film Festival 2021: BULL
source: London Film Festival

Bull is an enforcer for Norm (a typically stoic – and typically excellent – performance from David Heyman) a local mob boss who runs a scheme, among others, where he forces butchers to buy his ill-gotten meat. Bull is also involved with Norm’s daughter Gemma (Lois Brabin-Platt), with whom he has a son. For all this, Bull is essentially Norm’s right-hand man and trusted advisor. Unfortunately, Gemma’s drug addiction has spiralled out of control, ensuring she can no longer care for their son. As a result of this their relationship breaks down and Bull determines to take full custody of his son. Gemma, however, is the apple of Norm’s eye, and Norm can’t stand to see his little girl upset. He betrays Bull, first taking his son from him, and then trapping him in a burning caravan to die a gruesome death.

Back from the Dead

Norm thinks that’s the end of it, and with his crew Gary (Kevin Harvey), Beardy (David Nellist), and Marco (Jason Milligan) moves on to other plans. Bull, however, comes back from the dead and begins – one by one – to pick apart Norm’s crew and seek vengeance on Norm himself, while attempting to rescue his son once and for all.

Williams – alongside cinematographers Ben Chads and Vanessa Whyte – creates a dark and broody atmosphere for Bull to skulk through as he metes out his particular brand of visceral justice – dark, neon-lit streets, creaky boardwalks, and flashy funfairs offset the brutality, as well as flashbacks throughout paint the picture of how we ended up in the situation, to begin with. The latter is an understandable decision as it raises tension, but Williams doesn’t quite pull it off, and so the viewer ends up confused about the timeline of events. It is a movie that demands full attention, as any drop-off might cause you to lose the thread of what’s happening.

London Film Festival 2021: BULL
source: London Film Festival

Maskell is undeniably the show-stealer here, although others also do some heavy lifting. Heyman is a stalwart of British cinema and can turn his hand to anything with aplomb, while Kevin Harvey gets a few moments to shine as Gary, and Lois Brabin-Platt does well with the abrasive, unfeeling Gemma. Bull is a movie you’ve seen before and done better in all honesty in other places, but the dedication to it and the determination to the story is admirable and more than enough to see a viewer through.

Conclusion

Although it can – at times – feel a little bit by the numbers, and its derivative nature (yet another British gangster drama) will deter some, Bull is lifted by the excellent performances and the unflinching violence which underscores its premise. Like Dead Man’s Shoes, it is frighteningly compelling in its best moments and has an undeniably enthralling lead in Maskell‘s Bull. It’s a story of a condemned man making one last stand, about the power of family, the nature of violence. It’s a true British gangster movie that stands alongside some of the best in the canon, even if it doesn’t exactly break any boundaries. Drenched in blood and gore, it’s sure to attract fans of the genre and ensure that Williams will be one to watch in the coming years.

What is your favourite British gangster movie? Let us know in the comments!

Bull screened as part of this year’s London Film Festival

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