I'll tell you why so serious

A Masterpiece!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

A gripping if rather implausible story about a group of gay-bashing youths, this sustains interest until the ridiculous ending, when the director gathers up all the plot threads and, instead of weaving them together, ties them into a hopeless snarl. Not only does the last-minute plot revelation make no sense, it "explains" the characters in a very facile, film-school manner, when what makes the film frightening is the fact that we really CAN'T tell what motivates the young characters, and neither can they. They succumb to their worst violent/sexual urges without a second thought, because stopping to think would make their lives completely unbearable. This ending forces "meaning" on us in the way that second-rate well-made plays in the nineteenth century used to.I'm growing very tired of gay movies that feature their young heroes being raped and/or killed by straight oppressors (who rape them to prove they themselves aren't gay?) It's a cheap way for an artistically impoverished movie to be considered "daring" and "honest", when it really reveals very little. I've always been suspicious of the argument that gay-bashers are all closeted homosexuals striking out at what they fear in themselves (this view also weakened the ending of the otherwise excellent "Milk.")

I found this movie randomly on Netflix, and I did not really think it was going to be anything special. However, I LOVED it, it was steamy and real and pretty much kept me and my friends glued to the screen the entire time. (Which is not an easy thing to do. The end really shocked the hell out of me and that was a plus! The characters where easy to relate to and were all pretty well thought out. It was hard to understand some of the slang in the movie since I'm not from the UK but it was okay. The music (J.Knights in particular) really helped me get into the film. I try to get almost everyone I know to watch this because it's definitely one of the better indie films i've seen in a really long time.

I did have reservations of lowering my rating down to 4/10 stars for Shank, because overall, it wasn't that bad of a movie, for a small, somewhat original independent gay themed movie.How it mostly shot itself in the foot, was, though (again) somewhat original, it was thoroughly predictable, a bit unrealistic and contained the one of the most outrageous, out of left-field finale involving a rape (you'll know what I mean when your mouth is agape as was mine) and plot twists wrapped up that didn't either matter or there was simply no reason to tie up some stories.The movie begins with a small gang of male thugs lead by a female in England beating up just an innocent man out walking for no more reason than their twisted sense of enjoyment all the while filming it on their phones, I'm guessing for either internet or trophies. The movie shifts focus to one of the gang members, Cal (Virgo) who branches out his gang-free time by picking up a stranger to have some coke and sex with in the woods. This stranger happens to be of the same sex.Of course, he's closeted in his own gang, which probably is much like a KKK member who's black under his hood. He's also ashamed of this and doesn't want to get too involved in homosexuality. So, naturally (I'm joking, naturally only to this messed up kid) he pounds that male he banged in the woods pretty fierce, with one blow that leaves days of evidence. The victim happens to be a teacher, and that teacher happens to have gay student who inadvertently gets tortured in the same manner as the male in the opening shot. Only, this time, Cal rescues him.Even though I have never has an associations with gangs or thugs, it's fairly obvious to know the aftermaths of him helping this beaten gay student on the road. Again, like a KKK member bringing an African American down from the cross during their sick rituals. I don't think that KKK member would be looked on too kindly by the other racists.So you know where this is going, hence the predictability, as do you know Cal falls, finally, for another male. Though it doesn't begin that way: as Cal definitely likes Oliver, (Laurent) the gay-bashed citizen, he uses him to hide out from the revenge smitten ex-gang friends of his. Romance blossoms until the eventual climax (previously ridiculed by me earlier.) I do believe, in a lot of cases, opposites attract. These two, Cal and Oliver, couldn't be farther apart. Cal's a clean-cut, masculine, handsome, boyish looking, albeit gangster while Oliver would make Jack McFarland (Sean Hayes on Will & Grace) look like a straight Republican. I didn't really see any true love or affection of Cal's obsession with Oliver, other than a hideaway from his previous life or that the script called for it. All other examples displayed butch males he was attracted or desired.I don't want to sound too harsh on this film. I liked the eye candy, the actors or director had no qualms about showing them naked or in hard-core sexual acts – I hate edits, and the fact this story stemmed from a closeted gang member, something we rarely see, if at all. It gets a slight recommendation from me for the original idea, but reservations for the bizarre closing and predictability. (Not to mention, the beatings, though intricate to the story line and character development, were hard to watch. Not the most brutal beatings, SEE: American History X, but, nevertheless, they're hard to view, probably mostly due to the motive behind them. I.E. there was none – these punks were just plain evil.)

Watch the opening even if it is hard to do. It will take a while before everything starts to fall into place. UK street punk with the life he is use to is trying to find his real self. There are many subplots to this film which are not understood or known until late in the film. I think this is a great film and believe it will remain one of my favorites.The plot I will not go into for to do so would totally ruin watching the movie. Hang in there and you will see a film which will make you think a lot.Since I am an American, it took a little getting use to the UK setting with cars driving on the left, yet it would be easy to have made this movie in the US. Give it a try.