Offender is a 2012 British action film which follows a hard grafting, 20-year-old working-class man, Tommy Nix, who while avoiding getting mixed up in the wrong crowd sees his girlfriend fall victim to a brutal attack. It stars Kimberley Nixon, Joe Cole, Shaun Dooley and Vas Blackwood. It is written by Paul Van Carter and directed by Ron Scalpello.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, with a 68% score on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes. Empire magazine and Total Film both rated it 3/5, with Empire Magazine stating it was "a solid revenge thriller in which Cole excels" The Guardian gave it one star, stating "the plot and characters are lame and implausible, the dialogue is banal and the acting mediocre". Time Out claimed the film "feels less Scum and more like the back-story of one of Guy Ritchie’s knuckle-headed footsoldiers." The film received a 4/5 rating from Heat magazine stating "this bloody borstal drama makes quiet political points alongside a powerful revenge storyline" and a 4/5 rating from Sky Movies calling it an "admirably crafted a compelling drama" and likening it to French prison filmA Prophet and Alan Clarke's 1979 filmScum. CineVue presented a 3/5 review for the film, stating that "Scalpello's Offender is far from original" However it presented "enjoyable performances and an entertaining revenge plot." The Daily Star's Andy Lea also rated it 3/5 stating "Director Ron Scapello handles the tension superbly, despite a jarring soundtrack which features strangely upbeat dance and Northern Soul music. But it’s the performances that really carry this film. Cole’s intense portrayal marks him as one to watch and rapper English Frank also impresses as the prison’s posturing, cod Jamaican kingpin Jake." In general the reviews rate the film for its depiction of characters involved in and affected by the riots. The Londonist states "It’s a surprisingly comprehensive look at the lives of young criminals, in particular their sense of isolation and disenchantment with a corrupt system." The film gained more positive reviews from urban and music press. Music sites Bring The Noise and MTV have rated the film 8/10 and 7/10 respectively.
