SKET

Sket is another urban yoof drama from the Revolver studio who seem to be doing very nicely with this style of film. However, unlike the provocative Kidult hood which kick-started these films, Sket for all its well meaning attempt at the look of the rise of girl gang culture, lacks any of the punch of its predecessors.

Kayla, played by Aimee Kelly is from Newcastle recently moved to London with her sister after the death of their mother. When she is saved from some aggressive attention from some boys on a bus by a girl gang, she wants to join in. The gang led by Danielle don't really want to know her but she proves herself by stealing money from a newsagents. Even then the gang are still suspicious of letting her 'hang with them' this after she joins in a revenge attack on a boy that went to far with one of the gang, this still leaves Kayla feeling isolated. Meanwhile on the other side of town, gangster Trey is becoming more and more unhinged. This reaches a new high when he strangles Kayla's sister for trying to stop Trey hit his girlfriend. Before dying in hospital she manages to whisper the name of her attacker to Kayla. Kayla swears revenge on Trey and recruits the gang to help her kill him.

Nirpal Bhogal who wrote and directed Sket spent a year working with script advisors on getting the gang terminology authentic. And it might be. However, they still rely on the old stalwart of shouting the F word every two minuets and the rest of the film lacks the same credibility. The street where Kayla lives seems to be full of sexual predators just waiting to pounce on the first female that comes into view. Trey is so over the top that it would be difficult to see why his crew let alone his girlfriend would hang around him and seems to be the stuff of someone's idea of Avon Barksdale from the Wire set in London. The violence as well lacks credibility. In the scene where Kayla in jumping in to an attack on a boy that harmed one of the gang and repeatedly hitting him on the head with a weapon would have left him dead. The overall feel of the film is a low budget student film. There are however, some plus signs. All the actors put in good performances especially Riann Steele as Trey's moll Shaks. This film will appeal to a certain audience but sadly will not breakthrough past that to a more mainstream crowd.