The Hooligan Factory

Nick Nevern stars and directs in The Hooligan Factory, claimed by the filmmakers to be the first ever spoof of a genre popularised by Green Street Hooligans and Football Factory. It isn’t hard to see where the film takes its cues, but the real question is whether it does enough to stand out on its own.

Jason Maza stars as Danny, a troubled young man with an abusive, fisticuff-obsessed father who has left him with a penchant for rebellion and violence. Now, with his dad in prison, and his grandad moving to warmer climes in Australia, Danny has to fend for himself. However, it isn’t until he meets the psychopathic, moustache-toting Dex (Nevern), that Danny finds his true calling: beating other people up in football-related violence.

The Hooligan Factory deals in broad stroke comedy. Rich in double-entendres, cases of mistaken identity, ecstasy induced man-love, and gory, over-the-top violence, this film takes the path of “anything goes”, or perhaps more accurately “why the hell not?” Be prepared for just about anything, but don’t expect to find it all particularly funny.

Still, it looks great. The cuts are fast and snappy, and the film has real polish to it. Nevern keeps the pace up throughout and ensures there is never a dull moment, even if you aren’t always laughing.

Filled with caricaturised English hard men in the ilk of a Guy Ritchie film, The Hooligan Factory has a visual style and verve akin to Edgar Wright. It isn’t hard to see where Nevern sets his markers, and this film plays out not only as a piss-take on the hooligan genre, but also as an homage to recent British cinema. The writing doesn’t match the visual flair of this film, but there are enough moments of sheer inanity to at least keep things interesting.

Piri Eddy

The Hooligan Factory is released nationwide on 13^th June 2014. Read our interview with the cast and director here.

Watch the trailer for The Hooligan Factory here: