This Is England

In the sweltering heat of July 1983, a tumultuous 12-year-old named Shaun (his widowed mother's sole caregiver) navigates the unforgiving landscape of East Midlands. His adolescence is marred by perpetual antagonism at school and in his community. On the cusp of summer's end, a skirmish erupts between Shaun and Harvey after the latter derides him for his wide bell-bottoms and makes a crass remark about his father, who succumbed to the Falklands War. As Shaun trudges home from the fracas, he stumbles upon a group of rough-around-the-edges young skinheads led by Richard "Woody" Woodford, whose empathetic nature draws Shaun into their fold. Woody introduces him to Milky, the lone black member of the gang; Pukey; Kes; and Gadget, an endearingly rotund individual. Initially, Shaun's animosity towards Gadget gives way to a begrudging acceptance by the group. He forges a deep bond with Woody, viewing him as a paternal figure, and finds solace in Lorraine "Lol" Jenkins' motherly affection. His burgeoning relationship with Michelle, aka Smell, an older girl sporting a flair for new wave and New Romantic styles, adds a tender dimension to his life.

One fateful evening, the gang's revelry is disrupted by a sudden ambush at the hands of a bald, tattooed, mustachioed figure wielding a machete. Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne, a veteran skinhead with a history of conflict, intervenes and dispatches the attacker. As the dust settles, Woody reveals that Combo has just completed a three-year prison sentence, introducing his associate Banjo to the group. However, Combo's charismatic yet erratic nature soon alienates Woody, Lol, Kes, and offends Milky by espousing English nationalist and racist views. His attempts to assert dominance over the gang ultimately prompt its fragmentation. When Combo invokes the Falklands War during a diatribe, Shaun's emotional vulnerability is exploited by the manipulative skinhead, who uses his father's demise as leverage to recruit the young boy into his fold. Consequently, Woody's apolitical group finds itself pitted against Combo's increasingly toxic ideology, with Shaun, Pukey, and Gadget opting for the latter.

As Shaun forges an unexpected bond with Combo, he finds himself drawn to the older boy's charismatic leadership and rough-around-the-edges charm. Combo, in turn, is captivated by Shaun's youthful energy and pliability, recognizing in him a kindred spirit who can share in his own struggles and insecurities. The group, now solidified under Combo's guidance, embarks on a series of destructive escapades, targeting vulnerable spots in their community with reckless abandon. Walls are defaced, children are intimidated, and the shopkeeper Mr. Sandhu is subjected to a barrage of racist slurs and vandalism - all carried out with an eerie sense of detachment by Shaun, who has been radicalized by Combo's toxic influence.

Meanwhile, Combo's own personal demons begin to simmer just below the surface. His unrequited love for Lol, Woody's girlfriend, leaves him feeling vulnerable and emasculated, leading him down a path of self-destructive behavior. He seeks solace in cannabis-fueled revelry with Milky, only to become consumed by jealousy and resentment as he listens to tales of Milky's idyllic upbringing and happy family life. The tension boils over into a violent outburst, as Combo brutally attacks Milky, his rage and fury fueled by his own deep-seated insecurities.

As the aftermath of the brutal assault unfolds, Combo is left to confront the full weight of his actions, his remorse palpable as he weeps over Milky's battered form. The damage has been done, however, and the relationships within the group begin to fray. Shaun, once a willing participant in Combo's destructive escapades, begins to recoil from the toxic atmosphere that now pervades their little gang.

In the end, it is left to Shaun to grapple with the consequences of his actions, his mind haunted by the ghosts of what has transpired. As he stands alone on the beach, the St. George's Flag - a symbol of Combo's warped ideology - drifts away on the tide, a poignant reminder of the destructive power of unchecked racism and the devastating toll it can exact on those around us.