Red Riding: 1980

Starring: Warren Clarke, Paddy Considine, James Fox, David Calder, Nicholas Woodeson, Ron Cook, Maxine Peake, Tony Pitts, Jim Carter, David Morrissey, Sean Harris
Directed by: James Marsh
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Crime, Mystery
2009

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Police corruption creates problems in the search for the Yorkshire Ripper. An investigator (Paddy Considine) suspects not all is as it seems. As he dives deeper into his investigation, he threatens to uncover a deadly secret.

Review:

Tim: After being pleasantly surprised with Red Riding: 1974, I was excited and intrigued to watch this film. It focuses on different characters, and so it returns almost none of the original cast. And yet, these two films are intricately connected. I loved the idea of exploring a different side and a different story in the same place. This movie can definitely stand on its own, but it is made more powerful after watching the first film.

Like 1974, this film succeeds with the following formula: tell a complex, twisting, confusing story about a mystery with shady characters a a strong male lead, throwing in a surprise at the end. While the formula is the same, the movie feels very different.

After being such a huge fan of Andrew Garfield in the previous film, I was skeptical of the cast. Luckily, Paddy Considine does a fantastic job in the lead role. 1974 worked so well because of Garfield, and likewise, 1980 is a good movie because of Considine. Considine gives an emotional, real performance. He draws you in his complex character. I loved his performance, which never felt like acting. He was incredible, and made the movie. The supporting cast is good, too. Maxine Peake is strong, as is Tony Pitts. Like the first film, the acting is all top notch, and is one of the film's strongest characteristics.

This movie tells a fascinating and complex story about police corruption amid the hunt for a serial killer in Northern England. What is amazing is that the web of corruption among the police force is an equally compelling story as the Yorkshire Ripper. This could easily have been untrue. The film focuses on both aspects, their connectedness, and yet, is careful to differentiate them, too. While the plots and conspiracies often feel like a big jumbled mess during the movie, it all makes sense at the end. At that point, we can really appreciate the writing for what it is.

I am a fan of this series because it's definitely unlike the majority of the movies out there. It is a strong British TV production that was released theatrically in the United States because it really has that high quality independent film feel to it. I felt like this movie wasn't quite as gruesome as the first, but it still maintained a high level of drama and suspense in the story.

After the surprisingly good first film, I admit I expected a decrease in quality of this movie. While it's a different film and might not be quite as good as the first, it is a strong, entertaining movie in its own right. The ending is pretty fantastic, and I would say that the quality overall is definitely on part with the first film. Red Riding: 1980 is a very good sequel, if you want to call it that.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Red Riding: 1974, Red Riding: 1983