Essex Boys

Essex Boys

DVD cover image
Directed by Terry Winsor
Produced by Jeff Pope
Written by Terry Winsor
Jeff Pope
Starring Sean Bean
Ross Morgan
Alex Kingston
Charlie Creed-Miles
Tom Wilkinson
Holly Davidson
Michael McKell
Music by Colin Towns
Cinematography John Daly
Edited by Edward Mansell
Distributed by Miramax Home Video and Pathe-UK
Release dates
 14 July 2000
Running time
 102 min
Country  United Kingdom
Language English

Essex Boys is a 2000 British crime film. It was directed by Terry Winsor and stars Sean Bean, Alex Kingston, Tom Wilkinson, Charlie Creed-Miles and Holly Davidson.

Synopsis

The film is based loosely around events in December 1995 that culminated in the murders of two top drug barons and their driver in Rettendon, Essex, UK. On 6 December 1995, Patrick Tate, Craig Rolfe and Tony Tucker, three drug dealers well known to the police, were lured to Workhouse Lane, Rettendon on the pretext of a lucrative drug deal. There they were killed by shotgun blasts to the head while sitting in their Range Rover. The bodies were found the following morning.

Two men, Jack Whomes and Michael Steele, were convicted of the murders after police informer Darren Nicholls gave evidence against his former friends at their Old Bailey trial. They have always protested their innocence.

There are three other movies based on the Rettendon Range Rover murders: 2007's Rise of the Footsoldier, 2010's Bonded by Blood and the 2013 straight-to-video The Fall of the Essex Boys.

Cast

Reception

The film met with generally negative critical reviews, maintaining a 17% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. The viewer ratings have generally been more positive.

External links