User Reviews

The poster should be an indicator! While this is dealing with real life events, it does make fun of them (and the people involved). If you didn't get the message then, you might get it with the movies intro. A very well known British actor has a cameo (actually you get more than one and you could ask, how they got involved in this, but it seems to have been one day of shooting and a lots of fun) were he's making fun of his image and how people perceive him.

Still not sure? The movie is filled with weird and strange humor. Not everything is a hit, but there's enough here to enjoy if you let yourself. Plus it does have violence thrown in there for good measure (in other words, does not shy away from it). It might have a very strange moment towards the end, that does break the comedy a bit, when it gets serious, but the movie almost even pulls that off. Decent enough, especially if you think there have been enough movies about Hooligans already ...

The shelves of British supermarkets are filled with DVD titles with the word 'Hooligan' in them and now finally comes one that's actually worth watching. Sending up the recent spate of Hooligan and Gangster films that have swamped the straight to DVD market and kicking off with the Ranger Rover Essex Murders gone wrong with a nice cameo from Danny Dyer, this sets the parody tone for the rest of the film.

Danny (The always excellent Jason Maza) has no direction in his life but soon finds himself embroiled with Dex,(Nick Nevern) Football Hooligan Topboy, recently released from prison who sports a nice line in neon tracksuit ware. Dex and his gang hang out in the not at all camp 'Iron Hoof' bar, always entering by the back door to avoid the Police, where they plan to square up against long time rival 'The Baron' who presides over another firm.

Okay so the football hooligan version of This Is Spinal Tap this isn't, but the laughs are not thin on the ground as Nevern (Who also co wrote and directs) keeps the gags coming thick and fast. The introduction to many characters in his football gang is a classic nod to the Goodfella's gangster hang out introduction scene and its a funny homage of the first order which will have me buying the DVD for alone. ('Freddy the Nonce - Come in the toilets I've got something to show ya..')

As with the actual films of this genre its very male led heavy with the few female characters not given much to do as the male testosterone hots up leading up to the big meet but perhaps that is the point because non comical films of this type give them even less to do. Nevern has compiled an impressive supporting cast which features several up and coming British Actors including Josef Atlin (Check out his performance in A Long Way Down)Ronnie Fox, Ray Fearon and Tom Burke who is already one of the best of his generation. Every character is a nod to an already existing stereotype in films of this type and then sent up to maximum comic effect, some work better than others but the cast all put in a maximum effort and it certainly pays off. Jason Maza with his natural on screen charisma anchors the whole piece nicely as the narrator and lead role of Danny and Nevern does an uncompromising job as both actor and director in keeping the tone of the piece in the way he intended. The look and the music of the film are well thought to compliment the comedy and may have you reaching for your nearest Kappa tracksuit wear store.

What makes the film all the more incredible is the budget and time in which it was shot in which was very tight on both counts. Though that has not been a factor on this review as it has to stand on its own two feet, it is still a remarkable achievement on its own worth mentioning.

While not everything in the film is perfect and some gags fall flat, the most important thing about comedy films is that they should make you laugh and I will imagine in a couple of years time when someone says to you 'What was the last British comedy that really made you laugh?' instead of struggling to think of one, your answer could well be 'The Hooligan Factory' (Unless you're a total lemon)

First of all, most of these user reviews are made by friends of the filmmakers ( Yes Lucas Penn, i'm talking to you. You're listed as one of the cast !!!!) These guys obviously want to make a good impression On Nick Nevern and Jason Maza but please. You are fooling no one The film just simply ain't that funny. don't waste your money. They're trying to do what Shaun of the Dead did for zombie movies but they have fallen flat on their muggy faces. They are obviously trying to get as many people to watch this by putting out a massive campaign on Twitter and Facebook but it is not enough to mask the fact that this film isn't as good as it should be

Tried to ignore the reviews and make my own mind up,I love a good comedy wven the the stupid ones but this was probably the worst attempt at culture humour I've come across ,I've never actually put a review up before but just felt I had to with this,DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME !!!

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Danny (Jason Meza) is the off-spring of his father, a once legendary football hooligan who has disappeared from his life. After being expelled from school and wanting more out of life, he crosses paths with Dex (Nick Nevern, also directing) another big name footie hooligan who's just been released from prison. Together, they go about re-uniting the old firm and trying to restore their former glory, but those days may be well behind them.

Even after they really ceased to hold their cult appeal, these British gangster/firm films still get put out a lot in the direct to DVD market, with a load of no name or little known actors in the lead role. So frequently do they appear, it seemed a fitting idea to make a film lampooning them all, and Nick Nevern's film is certainly thorough, sending up everything from Green Street, to more big time stuff like Goodfellas, only rarely to very funny result. It plays too much like a standard hooligan film, from the dialogue to the set up, and at times feels even more depressing than the usual such stuff.

Hyped up a fair bit by social media, with many of the cast and crew and their families allegedly behind it, it's all too evident why this enjoyed what could only have been the briefest of cinema visits. *

I really liked this film, so much its become of of about 4 films this year that I have seen more than once. Sadly I missed it on the big screen due to a lack of screens but the film works better on DVD (and BR). Why? Well the 60 minute making of is near as funny as the film itself. Brilliantly put together. Whilst thinking about The Hooligan Factory this morning I realised that on the second viewing, I spotted so many more 'in jokes' that I missed the first time around. Kinda like 'Airplane' The filmmakers could easily have gone 100% spoof with this film but they have stuck a solid storyline in there. Nothing too complicated. Just enough to take the film from a sketch film to a proper film. I could go into some of the best jokes in the film but you'll find them out for yourself. Easily one of the highlights this year. Very very funny, it takes fun at other films but also in no way takes itself too seriously. If you watch one film this year, Watch The Hooligan Factory....If you watch 2 films this year. Then watch The hooligan Factory again.

I have criticised the American film industry for having a lack of imagination . Reboots , franchises . car chases , explosions and CGI . To be fair this type of movie sells and never kill a golden goose . The British film industry deserves some criticism too along the same lines . Guy Ritchie comes along and all of a sudden every British release features mockney gangsters calling each other "Slag" and a few other naughty words . An off shoot of this was the football hooligan film where instead of gangster running around with shooters we had variably dressed blokes who follow West Ham FC ( They're always ICF West Ham fans ) running around with Stanley knives . If you've seen one you've probably seen them all . That said I did think RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER was a gritty hard hitting thriller that mixed the Brit gangster thriller and hooligan film very well

THE HOOLIGAN FACTORY starts with a direct referential spoof of the climax of that film and is genuinely funny , along with having a couple of cameos of the usual suspects who appear in these type of movies . This is to be honest the highlight of the movie because I was expecting a few more of the mockney celebrity cadre to appear throughout the movie . This unfortunately doesn't happen but for what we get , an affectionate low brow lampooning of hooligan and gangster films it works relatively well . There might be a previous knowledge of other films required from the audience in order to get the jokes but let's face it guys if you've seen a British film over the last 15 years it will be one involving either gangsters or the ICF

A week ago, just prior to the DVD/Blu-Ray release, this film had an average score of 7.1 on IMDb. Less than a week later, once people other than friends of the cast and crew have had a chance to actually see it, the average score is down to 5.1 I'd be very surprised if it doesn't sink a lot lower once more people watch it and start voting.

Note to self: in future check the number of votes before buying in to scores shown on IMDb as a good way to find under-rated gems on Blu-Ray! 7.1 for a movie I wouldn't give a 4 to!

It's interesting that Danny Dyer (who appears in the opening scene) and Ian Lavendar don't appear on the IMDb credits - are they too embarrassed to be associated with the end result? Dyer isn't even mentioned on the packaging - has his stock really fallen so low that they have to remove mention of him to avoid damaging sales?

The real problem here is the script. It's like something your mates would put together at school. Lead actor/director and co-writer Nick Nevern clearly has some talent - because the results are well-paced, stylish and convincingly (for the most part) decently acted - but script writing isn't one of them. I smiled twice during the whole movie (which, to be honest, is more than I expected given "the usual suspects" involved in this) but when the best "joke" is the white hero thinking his black son by a white wife is an "apple that doesn't fall far from the tree" it's obvious that whatever comedy is involved is all pretty jaded and desperate.

Ultimately you have to congratulate the marketing folk behind this. 7.1 on IMDb and the title is well stocked in the supermarkets in the week of release. When only two titles at most get the luxury of supermarket distribution in a week where some pretty good bona-fide films have been released, they've done incredibly well at grabbing an available slot. The asking price of £9.99 for the Blu-ray (including embossed slipcover) when most titles debut at £13 without a slipcover and £15 with a slipcover hints at the compromises that had to be made to persuade Sainsbury's et al to run with it.

But it's a depressing state of affairs when energy is being wasted on third-rate rubbish like this to the detriment of far better movies with far better talent involved (if you like East Enders you'll like this as the cast is mainly out-of-work former East Enders actors, all of whom presumably voted on here to get that 7.1 rating that the title had the day before it was released).

I'm not a fan of soccer/football but I know the insane nature of some of the "fans" and their proclivity to violence. But I also had the advantage of not knowing this was supposed to be a parody of the more serious hooligan genre that was popular at the time as I didn't watch any of those serious takes on the subject. For me it was just an absurdist take on the nature of such sporting fanatics who really are just there to fight and enjoy more the sport of beating each other senseless. So maybe I enjoyed it because I wasn't comparing it to anything. The characters were cartoonish and there was plenty of funny bits to keep me watching. The pacing was good and the production quality was admirable for such low-brow base humor. Performances were good as the characters really held up in my mind. You absolutely had to have gone it hating this movie to end up hating it in the end. It's silly, it's brutal, but it's just entertainment and I was entertained.

Very painful to watch! One of the worst films I've seen!

I don't usually review anything ever. Because most films are relatively reviewed fairly, bar the odd strange fanboy or the liberal lefty, fat pride, blue haired feminist that doesn't find anything funny because they're so uptight and scared to move without offending someone one shade darker than porcelain. The jokes are 85% hit 5 % cringe and 10% miss but all in all it's a funny comedy. The main lead is really perfect, I love how he sees everything that's clearly happening and everyone else is obvious to the obvious dilemmas and threats around themselves. It's not a perfect movie by any strstch of the imagination and I probably wouldn't have rated it so highly but I suppose I have tried to offset the negative reviews that have gave it a measly 1 star, for what reason?? Because the people that reviewed it have no sense of humour. Comedy's that get 5 stars or more are subjectively more like 10 star reviews because 50% of the population are miserable, politically correct, take a knee and bow to the establishment, 6 striped bow, pandering degenerates that don't want anything to do with the normal, backbone, cornerstones of the world. Believe what you want. Dont knock something because you hate white me .

OK hands up, back in the 1980s, like many lads, I used to go to football, and yep, I wore the gear, (anyone else remember Nick Nacks, down Rupert Street?) I went to "dance"... To be fair, I still do wear the gear, and still go to the match, though being 49, a bit too rich to be rolling around in the dust these days ;)

I enjoyed this, a lot, the references to Essex Boys, Goodfellas, The Firm (both versions), Green Street, the Football factory was funny and the Danny Dyer style of narration was great.

Lots of genuine laugh out loud moments, (when Dex meets his son Curtis) and when Dex and Midnight drop some E tabs and the ensuing scenes had me genuinely laughing.

OK, its not totally highbrow and if you have never been "ITK" or watched the films above, you probably wont enjoy it. Me? Yeah I liked it. Don't expect many Oscar nominations though.

i thought this was a decent spoof on hooligan films few dry moments and stupid jokes but overall i found it funny and would definitely watch it again, cant beat a good hooligan film but because this has jokes as well defiantly has potential to be a British classic !! i really wish IMDb didn't make you do such long reviews but want to post this review to let people know this is actually worth watching i'll admit isn't the funniest film I've seen but it has a certain difference about it than most films that are coming out at the moment so if your a fan of comedies or hooligan movies this is 100% worth checking out.

p.s i think you should do a sequel to this movie in a year or two but work on it more than you did on this one and you could be in with a British blockbuster.

on Monday the 9th June I watched the screening and live Prem of the Hooligan factory I must say the first 5minutes caught my eye and the whole way through the film as well its a top British spoof about football Hooligans it really is. pure class comedy from start to finish with some cheese added few out the film and every one likes a bit of cheese I suggest all those who love rise of the foot soldier , the firm , and football factory to go see this or buy a copy top notch stuff enjoyed it an giggled all the way start to end .well done to the director writers and all the cast and crew . one hell of a film there needs to be more films made like this, where a lot of time effort and hard work has been put into it

I loved this movie for two reasons it kept my attention and had me laughing out loud on many occasions. Both are rare nowadays with the treadmill of paint by number comedies being pumped out by the mainstream.

Perhaps it was the silliness of it all that kept me watching and I have gone back to the film several times and found new gems of dialogue to enjoy with my mates as and when they see the film. I would say this out classes by a Country mile the so called spoofs from Hollywood. And that is the crux of it the movie is a spoof nothing more nothing less.

To make a movie on a budget that has you wanting more the second it has finished has my vote every time.

I can't wait for the soundtrack and of course 'Sexy Business'.

I have seen nearly all the hooligan films. Football factory, Green Street etc so hearing about a spoof of these films did intrigue me. The humour of this film is spot and it suits the genre and the characters. Should the jokes have been high brow and clever they would have been out of place. The references to Football Factory and their florists the incredibly stereotypical undercover Police officer and the main hooligans themselves is brilliant. I was never expecting the jokes to be high brow. It would have put me off if they were. The plot is uncomplicated and rightly so. All in all I was impressed by this film. A good job from Nick Never and his team.

I was proud to be there at the Premiere on Monday 9th June 2014. This is a film worth seeing and it will make you laugh all the way through, so much; that it will give you cramp in your cheeks! There is a lot of acting talent in the film. It is also well shot and the character roles are portrayed extremely well. It takes the 'mick' out of all of the gangster and other hooligan films in a true British uplifting light. I couldn't help but to laugh all the way through the film when I saw it at the Premiere screening. This is certainly a film worth seeing especially when you have had a pretty bad day or even week. It is guaranteed to cheer you up.

This film is going to be one of them Great British classics. Me and my partner laughed from start to finish also recognizing some big name actors from other films I have enjoyed made it even better I Never thought I would see a spoof Hooligan movie, well here it is... a must watch great comedy a 10 out of 10 from me. And a definite DVD purchase on released I have just preordered it from Amazon and can not wait to see it again. I came across this film after watching Terry a film done by the actor Nick Nevern I searched on here and had a watch of the others he has been in. Then I came across this film which I was looking forward to as there hasn't been a film like this done before.

I went to see The Hooligan Factory at the cinemas and was very excited to see wot the film was about and it didn't let the audiences down its a fantastic comedy/spoof with some hilarious jokes along the way,there's a fantastic cast in this film and the roles they play are brilliant.I would recommend this film to everyone it the best comedy I personally have ever seen and so please to say its a British film.I love how the film was done and how the story line was it portrayed many films that I am also a fan of along with the actors who star in the film comedy is a very hard genre to portray and they played the roles perfectly

I went to see this on the release date and was mesmerised from start to finish. When I saw the opening scene I thought "I did not expect THAT", I would say it's the most unexpected opening scene I have ever seen and it certainly had my full attention from that moment on. Anyway about the rest of the film... witty, clever, hilarious, great soundtrack. Brilliantly directed by Nick Nevern who's acting is first class as usual, and Jason Maza gave an outstanding performance too in his first main role. There are some good well known actors in this film such as Joe Altin from "Game of Thrones" and Steve O'Donnell from "Bottom" and many others including a few surprise ones. You won't regret seeing it.

From start to finish I was in stitches non stop laughs all the way....top cast through out and o.m.g superb performances from one n all , well everyone really .even a catchphrase or too that u will chuckle away to yourself and with family n friends ...I can wholeheartedly recommend this to one and all go see it now,the start will get you on the road to laughter and will keep going right to the end ,I'm even smiling now while writing this so many laughs ..go see it now,then tell all your friends and then go and see it all again..you need to release your inner laugh ..this really is a ground breaking British comedy that will literally blow u away

Absolutely loved this film. Laughed from the very beginning to the very end. Jason Mazza & Nick Nevern just work wonders together , as did all the cast. Even went to see it twice in one week at the cinema. This is one of those films that you could never get bored of and find yourself quoting all the time, forever! it was brave of them to do as it is the first of its kind and they have pulled it off remarkably. Definitely my new Friday night movie for a while! Once I get the DVD on the 14/07. I didn't find any awkward moments where I thought ooh that's not funny or that could have been better at all. I laughed literally a belly laugh all the way through. And even when you later think of film you've recently seen and burst out laughing at certain parts in random places...it has been one of those for me. been getting some funny looks. But I just tell em "Don't get Lemon"!