Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- brutal
- gritty
- confrontational
- crime film marathon
- true crime night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a formulaic and excessively violent British gangland romp whose strong central performance cannot overcome its scrappy storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film follows real-life criminal figure Carlton Leach through football hooliganism, door work, organized crime, and the Rettendon murders.
Carlton moves from football terrace enforcer to bouncer, rave-scene criminal, and feared gang leader.
Football hooligan crews, criminal muscle, and gangland authority define Carlton’s social rise.
The plot connects Carlton’s criminal career to the early rave scene and its drug-related underworld.
Films like Rise of the Footsoldier, and why
The Business
shared british gangster milieu, criminal ascent narrative, graphic violence, and bleak crime drama
The Football Factory
shared football hooliganism, working-class masculinity, and violent british crime subgenre
Legend
shared true-crime gangland subject matter, brutal criminal rivalry, and docudrama elements
Bronson
shared rise-and-fall gangster structure, organized crime, and hard-edged violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Julian Gilbey
- Release Date
- 2007-09-07
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (244)
Cast
- Ricci Harnett
- Terry Stone
- Craig Fairbrass
- Roland Manookian
- Coralie Rose
- Neil Maskell
- Billy Murray
- Ian Virgo
- Kierston Wareing
- Patrick Regis
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Rise of the Footsoldier about?
- A brutal British gangster docudrama charts Carlton Leach’s transformation from football hooligan to feared Essex crime boss.
- What is Rise of the Footsoldier like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rise of the Footsoldier as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Rise of the Footsoldier violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Rise of the Footsoldier as graphic.
- What did critics think of Rise of the Footsoldier?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a formulaic and excessively violent British gangland romp whose strong central performance cannot overcome its scrappy storytelling.
- Which films are like Rise of the Footsoldier?
- Films with a similar feel include The Business, The Football Factory, Legend, and Bronson.
- How long is Rise of the Footsoldier?
- Rise of the Footsoldier runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch Rise of the Footsoldier?
- In United States, Rise of the Footsoldier streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
