Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- tense
- bleak
- gritty crime night
- irish cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a compelling and gritty Irish crime drama, with its social setting and performances driving its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot locates drug dealing and aspirations to criminal power in Darndale, presenting the community as the central social environment.
Jay seeks more money, power, and notoriety by entering the upper levels of the drug trade.
Jay’s group faces opposition from people in Darndale who refuse to let them rise without a fight.
The film’s short-form crime narrative emphasizes Darndale’s contemporary streets and community pressures rather than glamorous gangster spectacle.
Films like Cardboard Gangsters, and why
The General
gritty social realism, working-class criminal milieu, and a young protagonist seeking status through illicit enterprise
Love/Hate
irish crime drama, street-level criminal ambition, and escalating consequences within a local community
Pusher
raw urban crime storytelling, volatile male friendships, and power struggles shaped by poverty
Movie Details
- Director
- Mark O'Connor
- Release Date
- 2017-04-22
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (34)
Cast
- John Connors
- Fionn Walton
- Kierston Wareing
- Jimmy Smallhorne
- Paul Alwright
- Alan Clinch
- Stephen Clinch
- John Dalessandro
- Gemma-Leah Devereux
- Kyle Bradley Donaldson
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Cardboard Gangsters about?
- Young men from Dublin’s Darndale chase wealth and notoriety through the drug trade, only to collide with the community’s entrenched violence and power structures.
- What is Cardboard Gangsters like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cardboard Gangsters as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Cardboard Gangsters violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Cardboard Gangsters as brutal.
- What did critics think of Cardboard Gangsters?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a compelling and gritty Irish crime drama, with its social setting and performances driving its impact.
- Which films are like Cardboard Gangsters?
- Films with a similar feel include The General, Love/Hate, and Pusher.
- How long is Cardboard Gangsters?
- Cardboard Gangsters runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cardboard Gangsters?
- In United States, Cardboard Gangsters is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
