Three Day Millionaire

Returning to Grimsby after weeks at sea, a group of trawlermen are excited to spend their three days off splurging their wages partying (it’s from this trawlerman custom the film takes its title). However, when they learn that the owner of the company is planning to sell the business to make way for overpriced coffee shops, the three friends decide to steal the small fortune in the owner’s safe as compensation for their lost livelihoods. Director Jack Spring’s Three Day Millionaire is a homegrown Robin Hood-style story that embodies the pride in Grimsby’s heritage and tradition. The film positions itself as Guy Ritchie meets Ken Loach – but due to a messy script and some mixed messaging in the finale, Three Day Millionaire falls short of what it sets out to be.

Leading the group of would-be robbers is James Burrows as Curly Dean. He’s the archetypal cheeky chappie with a sharp wit and flare for breaking the fourth wall to introduce audiences to the other key players. They are best friends Budgie (Sam Glens) and Codge (Michael Kinsey) alongside uncaring businessman Mr Barr (Colm Meaney). They’re the kind of colourful personalities you’d see in one of Ritchie’s movies, and by transposing the gritty crime thriller template to a small-scale scenario, screenwriter Paul Stephenson has fun riffing on the genre tropes.

However, it’s ultimately the script’s attempt to squeeze in too many ideas alongside a solid premise which dampens the experience. On top of the heist plot (which doesn’t kick in until the halfway mark), three separate romantic subplots are likewise vying for audiences’ attention – one of which is connected to another subplot revolving around a character’s drug addiction. To keep these narratives ticking along within the short runtime, necessary character beats occur over the space of a scene; sometimes motivations switch instantaneously. It’s all a bit jarring and distracts from the central discussions on class divisions and preserving tradition.

Thanks to the choppy writing, Three Day Millionaire likewise has a hard time sticking its landing. In addition to needing to wrap up its various plot threads, contradictory messages are introduced when some unexpected final twists are thrown in to get the feel-good happy ending. It’s subsequently unclear what stance the filmmakers are taking when addressing the subject that they set out to explore.

Andrew Murray

Three Day Millionaire is released in select cinemas and available digitally on demand on 25^th November 2022.

Watch the trailer for Three Day Millionaire here: